Parenting to Prevent Childhood Alcohol Use

MedlinePlus

... at least once by 12th grade. 1 Parenting Style Accumulating evidence suggests that alcohol use—and in ... onset of drinking as long as possible. Parenting styles may influence whether their children follow their advice ...

Randomized Controlled Trial of BASICS for Heavy Drinking Mandated and Volunteer Undergraduates: 12-Month Outcomes

PubMed Central

Terlecki, Meredith A.; Buckner, Julia D.; Larimer, Mary E.; Copeland, Amy L.

2014-01-01

This is the first randomized trial testing whether heavy drinking undergraduates mandated to the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program following a campus alcohol violation would benefit as much as heavy drinking volunteers up to one year post-intervention using control groups with high-risk drinkers to model disciplinary-related and naturalistic changes in drinking. Participants (61% male; 51% mandated; 84% Caucasian; Mage = 20.14 years) were screened for heavy drinking and randomized to BASICS (n = 115) or assessment-only control (n = 110). Outcome measures (drinking, alcohol problems) were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. At 4 weeks post-intervention, intent-to-treat multilevel longitudinal models showed that regardless of referral group (mandated or volunteer) BASICS significantly decreased weekly drinking, typical drinks, and peak drinks relative to controls (ds = .41-.92). BASICS had a large effect on decreases in alcohol problems (d = .87). At 12 months post-intervention, BASICS participants (regardless of referral group) reported significantly fewer alcohol problems (d = .56) compared to controls. Significant long-term intervention gains for peak and typical drinks were sustained in both referral groups relative to controls (ds = .42; .11). Referral group had no significant main effect and did not interact with intervention condition to predict outcomes. Given that BASICS was associated with less drinking and fewer alcohol problems (even among heavier drinking mandated students up to one year post-intervention), provision of BASICS-style programs within disciplinary settings may help reduce heavy and problematic drinking among at-risk students. PMID:25844834

Reciprocal relations between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent substance use and delinquency: The moderating role of parent-teen relationship quality.

PubMed

Abar, Caitlin C; Jackson, Kristina M; Wood, Mark

2014-09-01

The current study prospectively examined hypothesized short- and long-term reciprocal relations between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent heavy episodic drinking, marijuana use, and delinquency. Using the contextual model of parenting style (Darling & Steinberg, 1993), we examined the extent to which the bidirectional nature of associations between knowledge and adolescent outcomes is dependent on a facet of parenting style: the quality of the parent-child relationship. Data came from the first 4 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997. The sample for the current study consisted of 5,419 students between 12 and 14 years of age at baseline (52% male) surveyed annually for 4 years. Parallel process, autoregressive latent trajectory models were used to examine relations between initial levels and change over time in perceived parental knowledge and adolescent risk, and short-term cross-lagged paths were included to examine bidirectionality while accounting for long-term associations. Results showed significant short-term and long-term bidirectionality between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent outcomes, with parent effects on students and student effects on parents. Long-term associations across constructs were negative, whereas short-term associations were positive. These reciprocal associations were shown to differ across levels of parent-child relationship quality with regard to adolescent heavy episodic drinking and delinquency, providing support for the contextual model of parenting style. Implications for future work on parent-child bidirectional relationships and parent-based interventions are discussed.

Randomized controlled trial of brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students for heavy-drinking mandated and volunteer undergraduates: 12-month outcomes.

PubMed

Terlecki, Meredith A; Buckner, Julia D; Larimer, Mary E; Copeland, Amy L

2015-03-01

This is the first randomized trial testing whether heavy-drinking undergraduates mandated to the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program following a campus alcohol violation would benefit as much as heavy-drinking volunteers up to 1 year postintervention using control groups with high-risk drinkers to model disciplinary-related and naturalistic changes in drinking. Participants (61% male; 51% mandated; 84% Caucasian; M age = 20.14 years) were screened for heavy drinking and randomized to BASICS (n = 115) or assessment-only control (n = 110). Outcome measures (drinking, alcohol problems) were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postintervention. At 4 weeks postintervention, intent-to-treat multilevel longitudinal models showed that regardless of referral group (mandated or volunteer), BASICS significantly decreased weekly drinking, typical drinks, and peak drinks relative to controls (ds = .41-.92). BASICS had a large effect on decreases in alcohol problems (d = .87). At 12 months postintervention, BASICS participants (regardless of referral group) reported significantly fewer alcohol problems (d = .56) compared with controls. Significant long-term intervention gains for peak and typical drinks were sustained in both referral groups relative to controls (ds = .42; .11). Referral group had no significant main effect and did not interact with intervention condition to predict outcomes. Given that BASICS was associated with less drinking and fewer alcohol problems (even among heavier drinking mandated students up to 1 year postintervention), provision of BASICS-style programs within disciplinary settings may help reduce heavy and problematic drinking among at-risk students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Fatal drink-driving accidents of young adult and middle-aged males--a risky driving style or risky lifestyle?

PubMed

Laapotti, Sirkku; Keskinen, Esko

2008-01-01

A range of situational and lifestyle-related factors in drink-driving fatal accidents were studied involving young adult and middle-aged male drivers in Finland. Fatal drink-driving accidents were compared to fatal accidents in which the driver had been sober. The study included all 18-to 59-year-old male drivers' fatal car and van accidents investigated by the Road Accident Investigation Teams in Finland between 2000 and 2002 (n = 366 accidents). The variables describing the situation included the time of the accident, the road condition, the speed, possession of a valid licence, seat-belt usage, and the presence of passengers. The study found that among young adult males most of the studied situational factors bore no relation to the state of the driver (sober or drink driver). Only the time of day, seat-belt, usage, and possession of a valid licence were related to the state of the driver. Among middle-aged male drivers, drink-driving and sober driving accidents differed more clearly. Further, when the social situation in the car was examined, it was found that accidents of sober and drink drivers differed from each other within the group of middle-aged drivers but not within the group of young adult drivers. Heavy alcohol usage was found to characterize the lifestyle of the studied middle-aged drink drivers. It was concluded that for young adult males drink-driving was a part of a more general risky driving style. Among middle-aged males drink-driving was more related to a risky lifestyle with drinking problems. Possible countermeasures are discussed with regard to drink-driving among young adult and middle-aged males.

Parental influence on substance use in adolescent social networks.

PubMed

Shakya, Holly B; Christakis, Nicholas A; Fowler, James H

2012-12-01

To evaluate the relationship between the parenting style of an adolescent's peers' parents and an adolescent's substance use. Longitudinal survey. Adolescents across the United States were interviewed at school and at home. Nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States. Authoritative vs neglectful parenting style of adolescent's parents and adolescent's friends' parents and adolescent substance use. Adolescent alcohol abuse, smoking, marijuana use, and binge drinking. If an adolescent had a friend whose mother was authoritative, that adolescent was 40% (95% CI, 12%-58%) less likely to drink to the point of drunkenness, 38% (95% CI, 5%-59%) less likely to binge drink, 39% (95% CI, 12%-58%) less likely to smoke cigarettes, and 43% (95% CI, 1%-67%) less likely to use marijuana than an adolescent whose friend's mother was neglectful, controlling for the parenting style of the adolescent's own mother, school-level fixed effects, and demographics. These results were only partially mediated by peer substance use. Social network influences may extend beyond the homogeneous dimensions of own peer or own parent to include extradyadic influences of the wider network. The value of parenting interventions should be reassessed to take into account these spillover effects in the greater network.

The gender specific mediational pathways between parenting styles, neuroticism, pathological reasons for drinking, and alcohol-related problems in emerging adulthood.

PubMed

Patock-Peckham, Julie A; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A

2009-03-01

Mediational links between parenting styles, neuroticism, pathological reasons for drinking, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were tested. A two-group SEM path model with 441 (216 female, 225 male) college students was examined. In general, pathological reasons for drinking mediated the impact of neuroticism on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. A different pattern of relationships was found for each of the two genders. Perceptions of having an authoritarian father were positively linked to higher levels of neuroticism among males but this pattern was not found among females. For males, neuroticism mediated the impact of having an authoritarian father on pathological reasons for drinking with pathological reasons for drinking mediating the impact of neuroticism on alcohol-related problems. Perceptions of having a permissive father were linked to lower levels of neuroticism in females (but have been found as a consistent risk factor for other pathways to alcohol use elsewhere). Compared with other work in this area, these findings indicate parental influences regarding vulnerabilities for alcohol use may be specific to parent-child gender matches for some pathways and specific to one parent (irrespective of child gender) for other pathways.

Influence of parental alcohol-related attitudes, behavior and parenting styles on alcohol use in late and very late adolescence.

PubMed

Stafström, Martin

2014-01-01

Parents influence adolescent drinking behavior, but to what extent does this association diminish with age, however? The cross-sectional data was drawn from the Scania drug use survey 2007, consisting of 4,828 secondary education students in the 9th and 11th grade. The age- and gender-adjusted findings indicate that having parents who are consenting to alcohol use (OR 1.4), having been provided with alcohol by one's parents (OR 1.8), having parents with an authoritarian (OR 1.5) or neglectful (OR 2.1) parenting style, and having parents who both have a university degree (OR 1.3) were factors significantly associated with monthly heavy episodic drinking. These findings lead to the conclusion that parenting styles as well as parental attitudes and behaviors are important throughout the high school years. Thus, prevention targeting parents should emphasize both these domains. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Parents' drinking motives and problem drinking predict their children's drinking motives, alcohol use and substance misuse.

PubMed

Marino, Claudia; Moss, Antony C; Vieno, Alessio; Albery, Ian P; Frings, Daniel; Spada, Marcantonio M

2018-09-01

The aim of the current study was to test the direct and indirect influence of parents' drinking motives and problem drinking on their children's drinking motives, alcohol use and substance misuse. Cross-sectional analysis of parent and child drinking patterns and motives, derived from the nationally representative Drinkaware Monitor panel survey. The sample comprised a total of 148 couples of parents and child. Path analysis revealed that children's alcohol use and substance misuse were influenced by their own drinking motives and parents' problem drinking. Parents' conformity motives were linked to their children's conformity motives. Finally, parental drinking problems mediated the effect of their coping motives on their childrens' alcohol use and substance misuse. In conclusion, parental drinking styles relate to their children's alcohol use and substance misuse through problem drinking and drinking motives. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Be Smart! Don't Start! Just Say No!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Television Workshop, New York, NY.

This magazine-style publication was developed to help children and young adolescents say "No" to alcohol. Profusely illustrated with color photographs and other graphics, the guide includes a preview of the Jets' new music video; a question-and-answer section about drinking and alcoholic beverages; a set of reasons for not drinking; and a section…

Child and Caregiver Attitudes About Sports Drinks and Weekly Sports Drink Intake Among U.S. Youth.

PubMed

Zytnick, Deena; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen J

2016-01-01

To examine caregiver and youth attitudes about sports drinks (SDs) and the association of those attitudes with youth SD intake. Study design was cross-sectional. The online YouthStyles survey was sent to youth (ages 12-17 years) whose caregivers completed the online Summer ConsumerStyles survey for adults. The 2011 Styles survey data comprised the setting. The sample was composed of 815 U.S. caregiver-youth dyads. The outcome variable is youth SD consumption, and exposure variables are youth and caregivers' attitudes that SDs are healthy for children, and caregivers' attitude that children need SDs for hydration. Covariates are youth demographic and physical activity variables. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for youth SD consumption one or more times per week after controlling for covariates. About one in five youth consumed SDs one or more times per week. Caregiver attitudes about the healthfulness of SDs and children's need of SDs for hydration both significantly differed by race and caregiver education level. The odds of youth SD consumption one or more times per week were significantly higher among youth of caregivers who agreed that SDs are good, healthy drinks for children (OR, 2.72 vs. disagreed) and among youth of caregivers who agreed that children need SDs for hydration (OR, 3.15 vs. disagreed). Youth attitude about SD healthfulness was not associated with intake. Caregivers, particularly minority and less educated caregivers, may need more education about SD use.

Identifying effective components of alcohol abuse prevention programs: effects of fear appeals, message style, and source expertise.

PubMed

Stainback, R D; Rogers, R W

1983-04-01

Despite the importance of alcohol abuse prevention programs, the effectiveness of many components of these programs has not been demonstrated empirically. An experiment tested the efficacy of three components of many prevention programs: fear appeals, one- versus two-sided message style, and the expertise of the source. The persuasive impact of this information was examined on 113 ninth-grade students' intentions to abstain from drinking alcohol while they are teenagers. The results reveal that fear appeals are successful in strengthening students' intentions to refrain from drinking. Implications are discussed for implementing these principles and for designing future investigations of alcohol abuse prevention programs.

Athletic Status and Drinking Behavior in College Students: The Influence of Gender and Coping Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Gregory S.; Pritchard, Mary E.; Schaffer, Jamie

2004-01-01

College students' alcohol use as well documented, and published studies have indicated that athletes drink more frequently and more often to the stage of intoxication than do nonathletes. Some researchers have cited sociological factors to explain these behaviors, but neither the underlying emotional factors that drive students' alcohol use nor…

Correlates of college student binge drinking.

PubMed

Wechsler, H; Dowdall, G W; Davenport, A; Castillo, S

1995-07-01

This study examines the individual correlates of college student binge drinking. Questionnaires were completed by a representative national sample (n = 17,592) of students on 140 campuses in 1993. Binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks per episode for men and as four or more drinks per episode for women. Overall, 44% of the students (50% of the men and 39% of the women) binged. While demographic factors such as sex and race were significantly related to binge drinking, prior binging in high school was crucial, suggesting that for many students, binge drinking begins before college. The strongest predictors of college binge drinking were residence in a fraternity or sorority, adoption of a party-centered life-style, and engagement in other risky behaviors. Interventions must be targeted at high school binge drinking as well as at several characteristics of college life--most notably fraternity residence. Legal drinking age fails to predict binge drinking, raising questions about the effectiveness of the legal minimum drinking age of 21 in college alcohol policies.

The Role of Parenting Styles and Alcohol Expectancies in Teen Binge Drinking: A Preliminary Investigation among Italian Adolescents and Their Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laghi, Fiorenzo; Lonigro, Antonia; Baiocco, Roberto; Baumgartner, Emma

2013-01-01

As adolescents' alcohol abuse is more widespread almost everywhere, the aim of this study was to better understand the influence of both alcohol expectancies and parenting styles on this risky behaviour in order to allow the development of future prevention programmes, by evaluating the correlation between these variables. A total of 1500 subjects…

Does personality influence eating styles and food choices? Direct and indirect effects.

PubMed

Keller, Carmen; Siegrist, Michael

2015-01-01

In a random sample (N = 951) from the general population, direct and indirect effects of the Big Five personality traits on eating styles and food choices were examined. Path models revealed that high openness to experience were associated with higher fruit, vegetable and salad and lower meat and soft drink consumption. High agreeableness was associated with low meat consumption. Neuroticism, conscientiousness and extraversion significantly and directly influenced eating styles and significantly indirectly influenced food choices. Conscientiousness mainly promoted fruit consumption by promoting restrained eating and prevented meat consumption by reducing external eating. Conscientiousness prevented consumption of sweet and savory foods, and of sugar-sweetened soft drinks by promoting restrained eating and reducing external eating, and consumption of sweet and savory foods also by reducing emotional eating. Neuroticism promoted consumption of sweet and savory foods by promoting emotional and external eating. Extraversion promoted sweet and savory, meat and soft drink consumption via promoting external eating. Results suggest that neurotic and emotionally unstable individuals seem to adopt counter-regulatory external or emotional eating and eat high-energy dense sweet and savory foods. Highly conscientious individuals adopt regulatory dietary restraint and practice counter-regulatory emotional or external eating less, resulting in more consumption of recommended and less consumption of not recommended food. The higher sociability of extraverted people, which is basically a health beneficial psychological resource, seems to have health-averse effects. Personality traits are stable; however, the resulting more proximal, counter-regulatory eating styles such as emotional or external eating might be more successfully addressed in interventions to prevent overeating and overweight. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beyond Basic Feedback in Mobile Brief Interventions: Designing SMS Message Content for Delivery to Young Adults During Risky Drinking Events

PubMed Central

Dietze, Paul M; Lim, Megan S C

2017-01-01

Background Brief interventions can reduce alcohol consumption in young people through screening and delivery of personally relevant feedback. Recently, Web and mobile platforms have been harnessed to increase the reach of brief interventions. Existing literature on mobile-based alcohol brief interventions indicates mixed use of theory in developing interventions. There is no research available to guide the development of SMS text messaging (short message service, SMS) interventions delivered during risky drinking events. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and pilot an alcohol-related risk-reduction brief intervention delivered by SMS to Australian young adults during drinking events. This paper describes the development of intervention message content, with specific focus on the context of delivery during drinking events. Methods A sample of 42 young adults attended 4 workshops; these comprised focus-group style discussion on drinking habits and motivations, discussion of intervention design, analysis of existing alcohol media campaigns, and participant development of message content. Data were analyzed thematically. Results Participants described a focus on having fun and blocking out any incongruent negative influences during drinking episodes. For content to be acceptable, nonjudgmental and non-authoritative language was deemed essential. A preference for short, actionable messages was observed, including suggestions for reminders around drinking water, organizing transport home, checking on friends, and plans the next day. Participants were excited about the potential for messages to be tailored to individuals, as previous alcohol-related campaigns were deemed too generic and often irrelevant. Normative-based messages were also perceived as largely irrelevant as participants felt that they understood the drinking-related norms of their immediate peers already. Conclusions Findings from this study offer insights into young adults’ drinking events and practical advice for designing alcohol-related brief interventions. During our formative development process, we demonstrated a neat correspondence between young people’s preferences for alcohol harm reduction interventions and the theoretical principles of brief interventions, including acceptable topics and message style. PMID:28634153

Parental Influence on Substance Use in Adolescent Social Networks

PubMed Central

Shakya, Holly B.; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

2012-01-01

Objectives Both peer and parental influences have been associated with the use of addictive substances in adolescence. We evaluated the relationship between the parenting style of an adolescent’s peers’ parents and an adolescent’s substance use. Design Longitudinal survey Setting Adolescents across the United States were interviewed at school and at home Participants Nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States Main Exposure Authoritative versus neglectful parenting style of adolescent’s parents and adolescent’s friends parents; adolescent substance use Main Outcome Measures Adolescent alcohol abuse, smoking, marijuana use, and binge drinking Results If an adolescent has a friend whose mother is authoritative, that adolescent is 40% (95% CI 12%–58%) less likely to drink to the point of drunkenness, 38% (95% CI 5%–59%) less likely to binge drink, 39% (95% CI 12%–58%) less likely to smoke cigarettes, and 43% (95% CI 1%–67%) less likely to use marijuana than an adolescent whose friend’s mother is neglectful, controlling for the parenting style of the adolescent’s own mother, school level fixed effects, and demographics. These results are only partially mediated by peer substance use. Conclusion Social network influences may extend beyond the homogeneous dimensions of own-peer or own-parent to include extra-dyadic influences of the wider network. The value of parenting interventions should be re-assessed to take into account these spillover effects in the greater network. PMID:23045157

Mediterranean diet

MedlinePlus

... is a common part of a Mediterranean eating style but some people should not drink alcohol. Avoid wine if you are prone to alcohol abuse, pregnant, at risk for breast cancer, or have other conditions that alcohol could make worse.

Evaluation of an alternative methodology for investigating leadership and binge drinking among sorority members.

PubMed

Plucker, Jonathan A; Teed, Carla M

2004-02-01

Recent research suggests that leaders in Greek organizations use alcohol more frequently and more heavily than non-leaders in Greek organizations. These results carry considerable implications for the majority of existing alcohol education programs that rely heavily on peer modeling. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a more complex and realistic assessment of leadership involvement produced different results than the previous study. Results from 327 women in five randomly selected sororities provide evidence that binge drinking is related to some negative academic outcomes, but that a significant relationship between binge drinking and leadership involvement in Greek organizations does not exist. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that leadership styles do not influence the leadership involvement-binge drinking relationship.

Binge drinking: Health impact, prevalence, correlates and interventions.

PubMed

Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Kuntsche, Sandra; Thrul, Johannes; Gmel, Gerhard

2017-08-01

Binge drinking (also called heavy episodic drinking, risky single-occasion drinking etc.) is a major public health problem. This paper provides an overview of recently published evidence concerning the definition and measurement, prevalence rates, health impact, demographic and psychosocial correlates of, and interventions for, binge drinking. Narrative review. Mostly occurring among young people at weekends, binge drinking increases the risk of both acute (e.g. injuries) and long-term negative consequences (e.g. alcohol disorders). Binge drinkers tend to be extrovert, impulsive and sensation-seeking. Stress, anxiety, traumatic events and depression are also related to binge drinking. Both alcohol-related behaviour of parents and general parenting (e.g. parenting styles, monitoring) are also important. Other major risk factors for binge drinking are frequently spending time with friends who drink, and the drinking norms observed in the wider social environment (e.g. school, community, culture). Emergency departments, birthday parties, fraternities and the workplace serve as settings for interventions; these are increasingly delivered via digital and mobile technology. There is evidence of small-sized effects across approaches (brief interventions, personalised normative feedback, protective behavioural strategies etc.) and populations. A more consistent terminology, investigating multi-level influences and identifying the most effective intervention components are challenges for future research.

MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF DRINKING BEHAVIOUR IN A RURAL POPULATION

PubMed Central

Mathrubootham, N.; Bashyam, V.S.P.; Shahjahan

1997-01-01

This study was carried out to find out the drinking pattern in a rural population, using multivariate techniques. 386 current users identified in a community were assessed with regard to their drinking behaviours using a structured interview. For purposes of the study the questions were condensed into 46 meaningful variables. In bivariate analysis, 14 variables including dependent variables such as dependence, MAST & CAGE (measuring alcoholic status), Q.F. Index and troubled drinking were found to be significant. Taking these variables and other multivariate techniques too such as ANOVA, correlation, regression analysis and factor analysis were done using both SPSS PC + and HCL magnum mainframe computer with FOCUS package and UNIX systems. Results revealed that number of factors such as drinking style, duration of drinking, pattern of abuse, Q.F. Index and various problems influenced drinking and some of them set up a vicious circle. Factor analysis revealed mainly 3 factors, abuse, dependence and social drinking factors. Dependence could be divided into low/moderate dependence. The implications and practical applications of these tests are also discussed. PMID:21584077

Should Parents Allow Their Adolescent Children to Drink at Home? Family Factors as Predictors of Alcohol Involvement Trajectories Over 15 Years.

PubMed

Levitt, Ash; Cooper, M Lynne

2015-09-01

The present study examined familial risk and protective factors as moderators of parents allowing their adolescent children to drink at home on longitudinal alcohol involvement trajectories. A total of 772 community adolescents and their parents provided data beginning in 1989 and at four subsequent time points over 15 years; Black adolescents were intentionally oversampled (50% at baseline). Outcomes related to allowing adolescents to drink at home depended on family structure: Adolescents from intact families who were allowed to drink at home showed the lowest levels of alcohol use and problems over time, whereas those from nonintact families who were allowed to drink at home showed the highest levels of involvement. These results controlled for family history of alcohol problems, consistent parenting styles, and demographic characteristics. Results suggest that allowing adolescents to drink at home is neither inherently protective nor risky but depends on the family context. Implications for the development of adolescent alcohol involvement are discussed.

Understanding the relationship between religiousness, spirituality, and underage drinking: the role of positive alcohol expectancies.

PubMed

Sauer-Zavala, Shannon; Burris, Jessica L; Carlson, Charles R

2014-02-01

Research has consistently found that religiousness and spirituality are negatively associated with underage drinking. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the mechanisms by which these variables influence this important outcome. With 344 underage young adults (ages 18-20; 61 % women), we investigated positive alcohol expectancies as a mediator between religiousness and spirituality (measured separately) and underage alcohol use. Participants completed the Religious Commitment Inventory-10, Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire, and Drinking Styles Questionnaire. Results indicate less positive alcohol expectancies partially mediate the relationship between both religiousness and spirituality and underage alcohol use. This suggests religiousness and spirituality's protective influence on underage drinking is partly due to their influence on expectations about alcohol's positive effects. Since underage drinking predicts problem drinking later in life and places one at risk for serious physical and mental health problems, it is important to identify specific points of intervention, including expectations about alcohol that rise from religious and spiritual factors.

Fizzy Drinks: Stoichiometry You Can Taste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohrig, Brian

2000-01-01

Presents an activity that is suitable for a high school chemistry or introductory college chemistry lab in which students create their own Fizzie-style carbonated beverage and use stoichiometry to calculate the correct mix of citric acid and baking soda. (Author/ASK)

Knowledge of sugar content of sports drinks is not associated with sports drink consumption.

PubMed

Zytnick, Deena; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen J; Kingsley, Beverly S; Sherry, Bettylou

2015-01-01

To examine U.S. adult knowledge of the sugar content of sports drinks and whether this knowledge and other characteristics are associated with their sports drink consumption. Nonexperimental. Nationally representative 2011 Summer ConsumerStyles survey data. 3929 U.S. adults. The outcome variable was sports drink consumption in the past 7 days. The main exposure variable was knowledge about sports drinks containing sugar. The covariates were sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, and weight status. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for adults consuming sports drinks ≥1 times/wk after controlling for other characteristics. Approximately 22% of adults reported consuming sports drinks ≥1 times/wk. Most adults (71%) agreed that sports drinks contain sugar; however, this agreement was not significantly associated with adults' sports drink consumption. The odds of drinking sports drinks ≥1 times/wk were significantly higher among younger adults aged 18 to 64 years (OR range: 5.46-2.71), males (OR = 2.09), high-school graduates (OR = 1.52), and highly active adults (OR = 2.09). There were disparities in sports drink consumption by sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity level; however, knowledge of sports drinks' sugar content was not associated with consumption. Understanding why some population groups are higher consumers may assist in the development of education, providing those groups with a better understanding of sports drinks' nutritional value and health consequences of excessive sugar consumption in any form.

Make Better Beverage Choices: 10 Tips to Get Started

MedlinePlus

... beverage choices A healthy eating style includes all foods and beverages. Many beverages contain added sugars and offer little ... Most of us get enough water from the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. A healthy body can balance water ...

Perceptions about energy drinks are associated with energy drink intake among U.S. youth.

PubMed

Kumar, Gayathri; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen

2015-01-01

Energy drinks are growing in popularity among youth because of their stimulant properties. However, they can increase blood pressure and are associated with serious consequences such as cardiac arrest. This study examined the associations between energy drink perceptions and energy drink consumption among youth. The design was a cross-sectional study using the YouthStyles Survey 2011. The online survey was administered at home. Subjects were youths aged 12 to 17 years in the summer of 2011 (n = 779). Energy drink consumption, perceptions about energy drinks, and sociodemographic and behavioral variables were measured. Chi-square and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used. Overall, 9% of youth drank energy drinks, 19.5% agreed that energy drinks are safe drinks for teens, and 12.5% agreed that energy drinks are a type of sports drink. The proportion of youth consuming energy drinks once per week or more was highest among youth aged 16 to 17 years and among those who are physically active three to six times a week. The odds for drinking energy drinks once per week or more was higher among youth who agreed that energy drinks are safe drinks for teens (odds ratios [OR] = 7.7, 95% confidence intervals [CI] =3.6, 16.4) and among those who agreed that energy drinks are a type of sports drink (OR = 5.0, 95% CI = 2.4, 10.7). These findings suggest that many youth may be unaware or misinformed about the potential health effects and nutritional content of energy drinks. Efforts to improve education among youth about the potential adverse effects of consuming energy drinks are needed.

Alcohol consumption among Arabs in Israel: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Baron-Epel, Orna; Bord, Shiran; Elias, Wafa; Zarecki, Chen; Shiftan, Yoram; Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat

2015-01-01

The Israeli society is a unique setting in which the Arabs are exposed to western alcohol consumption norms while living in Arab communities where alcohol consumption is not accepted. To characterize Arab Muslim, Druze and Christian alcohol consumption behaviors and contingencies while being exposed to western style alcohol consumption. This study was a phenomenological qualitative study interviewing six focus groups and 13 individual Arab Muslims, Christians and Druze. Themes and categories were identified using qualitative methodology analysis. Two concurrent contingencies exist for Arab Muslim men: on the one hand they describe pressure to drink because of social norms, and on the other hand they are reprehended for drinking, because of the religious interdiction. Therefore, they hide their drinking in secluded places. In addition, participants reported more heavy drinking among Muslim Men. Arab Christians reported drinking openly especially among men. Women do not drink and are looked down upon if they drink. Drinking may be viewed as a stage in life that a Muslim boy or young man goes through, he is expected to grow out of this stage and stop drinking while becoming religious. Conclusions/importance: Due to Muslim laws prohibiting alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption is not high, however it does exist especially among young men and when they drink they tend to drink heavily, more than the Arab Christians. Therefore, there is a need for interventions targeting younger Muslim men, to establish moderate drinking behaviors, if they chose to drink.

Identifying Patterns of Situational Antecedents to Heavy Drinking among College Students

PubMed Central

Lau-Barraco, Cathy; Linden-Carmichael, Ashley N.; Braitman, Abby L.; Stamates, Amy L.

2016-01-01

Background Emerging adults have the highest prevalence of heavy drinking as compared to all other age groups. Given the negative consequences associated with such drinking, additional research efforts focused on at-risk consumption are warranted. The current study sought to identify patterns of situational antecedents to drinking and to examine their associations with drinking motivations, alcohol involvement, and mental health functioning in a sample of heavy drinking college students. Method Participants were 549 (65.8% women) college student drinkers. Results Latent profile analysis identified three classes based on likelihood of heavy drinking across eight situational precipitants. The “High Situational Endorsement” group reported the greatest likelihood of heavy drinking in most situations assessed. This class experienced the greatest level of alcohol-related harms as compared to the “Low Situational Endorsement” and “Moderate Situational Endorsement” groups. The Low Situational Endorsement class was characterized by the lowest likelihood of heavy drinking across all situational antecedents and they experienced the fewest alcohol-related harms, relative to the other classes. Class membership was related to drinking motivations with the “High Situational Endorsement” class endorsing the highest coping- and conformity-motivated drinking. The “High Situational Endorsement” class also reported experiencing more mental health symptoms than other groups. Conclusions The current study contributed to the larger drinking literature by identifying profiles that may signify a particularly risky drinking style. Findings may help guide intervention work with college heavy drinkers. PMID:28163666

The relationship between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Noh, Jin-Won; Jung, Jin Hee; Park, Jeong Eun; Lee, Jung Hwa; Sim, Kang Hee; Park, Jumin; Kim, Min Hee; Yoo, Ki-Bong

2018-02-01

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). [Subjects and Methods] Subjects with T2D patients who received outpatient care for blood sugar control were randomly sampled at 13 general hospitals and 969 subjects were included. Cox proportional hazard models were used to confirm associations between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with T2D. [Results] Parent history of T2D was significantly associated with age of onset. Compared to none of family members with T2D, those whose both father and mother had a history showed the highest the risk of early-onset (HR=2.36; 95% CI=1.45-3.85). Mother and father's history of T2D (HR=1.73; 95% CI=1.46-2.05; HR=1.83; 95% CI=1.40-2.37) were associated with the risk of early-onset. Moreover, exercise (HR=1.23, CI=1.08-1.40) smoking status (HR=1.62, CI=1.32-1.99), and drinking (HR=1.32, CI=1.13-1.54) were associated with a higher risk for the early-onset. [Conclusion] Family history as well as life style including exercise, smoking, and drinking are the risk factors for early-onset factor in Korean population with T2D.

The relationship between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Noh, Jin-Won; Jung, Jin Hee; Park, Jeong Eun; Lee, Jung Hwa; Sim, Kang Hee; Park, Jumin; Kim, Min Hee; Yoo, Ki-Bong

2018-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). [Subjects and Methods] Subjects with T2D patients who received outpatient care for blood sugar control were randomly sampled at 13 general hospitals and 969 subjects were included. Cox proportional hazard models were used to confirm associations between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with T2D. [Results] Parent history of T2D was significantly associated with age of onset. Compared to none of family members with T2D, those whose both father and mother had a history showed the highest the risk of early-onset (HR=2.36; 95% CI=1.45–3.85). Mother and father’s history of T2D (HR=1.73; 95% CI=1.46–2.05; HR=1.83; 95% CI=1.40–2.37) were associated with the risk of early-onset. Moreover, exercise (HR=1.23, CI=1.08–1.40) smoking status (HR=1.62, CI=1.32–1.99), and drinking (HR=1.32, CI=1.13–1.54) were associated with a higher risk for the early-onset. [Conclusion] Family history as well as life style including exercise, smoking, and drinking are the risk factors for early-onset factor in Korean population with T2D. PMID:29545678

Ways of problem solving as predictors of relapse in alcohol dependent male inpatients.

PubMed

Demirbas, Hatice; Ilhan, Inci Ozgur; Dogan, Yildirim Beyatli

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify how remitters and relapsers view their everyday problem solving strategies. A total of 128 male alcohol dependent male inpatients who were hospitalized at the Ankara University Psychiatry Clinic, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment Unit were recruited for the study. Subjects demographic status and alcohol use histories were assessed by a self-report questionnaire. Also, patients were evaluated with The Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory (CSI), The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-I-II), and The Problem Solving Inventory (PSI). Patients were followed for six months with monthly intervals after hospital discharge. Drinking status was assessed in terms of abstinence and relapse. Data were assessed with Student t-test, and univariate and multivariate analyses. In the logistic regression analysis, age, marital status, employment status and PSI subscores were taken as the independent variables and drinking state at the end of six months as the dependent variable. There were significant differences in reflective and avoidant styles, and monitoring style of problem solving between abstainers and relapses. It was found that subjects who perceived their problem solving style as less avoidant and less reflective were at greater risk to relapse. The findings demonstrated that active engagement in problem solving like utilizing avoidant and reflective styles of problem solving enhances abstinence. In treatment, expanding the behavior repertoire and increasing the variety of ways of problem solving ways that can be utilized in daily life should be one of the major goals of the treatment program. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do Ontarians drink in moderation? a baseline assessment against Canadian low risk drinking guidelines.

PubMed

Bondy, S J; Ashley, M J; Rehm, J T; Walsh, G

1999-01-01

We used the 1997 Ontario Drug Monitor, a population-based, random-digit dialing survey of 2,776 adults, to obtain a baseline assessment of alcohol drinking by Ontarians against the 1997 low-risk drinking guidelines of the Addiction Research Foundation and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Average weekly alcohol consumption and the frequency of exceeding the daily limit, estimated using the graduated frequency scale, were determined for the population overall, and by sex and age group (18-44 and 45+ years). Most Ontarians drank alcohol in a pattern associated with a low risk of health consequences. About 10% of women and 25% of men drank in a style associated with some increase in acute or long-term risk. Younger men were most likely to drink in a risky pattern. Most drinkers of middle age or older, for whom cardiovascular disease is a significant health risk, consumed alcohol in a pattern associated with cardiovascular benefit.

Physicians’ leadership styles in rural primary medical care: How are they perceived by staff?

PubMed Central

Kirkhaug, Rudi

2014-01-01

Abstract Aim. This study investigates which leadership styles can be identified among general practice lead physicians and how they are associated with and predicted by staff and context characteristics like profession, gender, age, work experience, and team size. Method/material. In a cross-sectional study self-administered questionnaires were distributed to staff physicians (42% females) and support staff (98% females) at 101 primary health care centres in North Norway. A total of 127 and 222, respectively, responded (response rate 59%). Items were ranked on Likert scales (range 1–5). Results. Analysis revealed three significantly different styles (mean scores/Cronbach's alpha): change style (3.36/0.898), task style (3.17/0.885), and relation style (2.88/0.900). The lead physicians were perceived as practising change style the most and relation style the least. Males experienced significantly more of all three styles. Support staff scored lowest for all styles. Age was negatively correlated with relation style and change style, while work experience was negatively correlated with change style. No significant association was found between styles and team size. Conclusion. Leadership in rural general practice can be identified in terms of task, relation, and change styles. Change style is the most perceived style. Males seem to be most attentive to leadership styles. However, within the staff physician group, there is less difference between genders. Support staff scores lowest for all styles; this might indicate either less need for leadership or dissatisfaction with leadership. Age and work experience seem to reduce employees’ attention to relation and change styles, indicating that maturity reduces needs for these leadership styles. Due to growing demands for leaders to take care of efficiency and change in general practice, more young female physicians, and more diverse staff groups, these findings may be useful to understand leadership and leadership training for general practice. PMID:24533846

Physicians' leadership styles in rural primary medical care: how are they perceived by staff?

PubMed

Hana, Jan; Kirkhaug, Rudi

2014-03-01

This study investigates which leadership styles can be identified among general practice lead physicians and how they are associated with and predicted by staff and context characteristics like profession, gender, age, work experience, and team size. METHOD/MATERIAL: In a cross-sectional study self-administered questionnaires were distributed to staff physicians (42% females) and support staff (98% females) at 101 primary health care centres in North Norway. A total of 127 and 222, respectively, responded (response rate 59%). Items were ranked on Likert scales (range 1-5). Analysis revealed three significantly different styles (mean scores/Cronbach's alpha): change style (3.36/0.898), task style (3.17/0.885), and relation style (2.88/0.900). The lead physicians were perceived as practising change style the most and relation style the least. Males experienced significantly more of all three styles. Support staff scored lowest for all styles. Age was negatively correlated with relation style and change style, while work experience was negatively correlated with change style. No significant association was found between styles and team size. Leadership in rural general practice can be identified in terms of task, relation, and change styles. Change style is the most perceived style. Males seem to be most attentive to leadership styles. However, within the staff physician group, there is less difference between genders. Support staff scores lowest for all styles; this might indicate either less need for leadership or dissatisfaction with leadership. Age and work experience seem to reduce employees' attention to relation and change styles, indicating that maturity reduces needs for these leadership styles. Due to growing demands for leaders to take care of efficiency and change in general practice, more young female physicians, and more diverse staff groups, these findings may be useful to understand leadership and leadership training for general practice.

Attitudes towards requiring ignition interlocks for all driving while intoxicated offenders: findings from the 2010 HealthStyles Survey

PubMed Central

Shults, Ruth A; Bergen, Gwen

2017-01-01

Ignition interlocks are effective in reducing recidivism among driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenders while installed on their vehicles. However, the devices are not widely used in the USA. This survey gauged public support for requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted DWI offenders including first-time offenders. 69% of respondents supported such a policy. Support was lowest (38%) among persons who reported drinking and driving in the past 30 days. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that support varied little by region, community size or most measured individual characteristics. Persons who did not drink and drive were 80% more likely to support the requirement than those who drink and drive. These findings suggest that laws requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted DWI offenders may face the most opposition in communities with high levels of drinking and driving. PMID:22773020

Role of parenting styles in adolescent substance use: results from a Swedish longitudinal cohort study

PubMed Central

Berge, J; Sundell, K; Öjehagen, A; Håkansson, A

2016-01-01

Objective Adolescent substance use is an area of concern because early substance use is associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes. Parenting style, defined as the general style of parenting, as well as substance-specific parenting practices may influence children's substance use behaviour. The present study aims to probe the impact of parenting style on adolescent substance use. Method A cohort of 1268 adolescents (48% girls), aged 12–13 years at baseline, from 21 junior high schools was assessed in the first semester of junior high school, and then again in the last semester of the 9th grade, 32 months later. Parenting style, operationalised as a fourfold classification of parenting styles, including established risk factors for adolescent substance use, were measured at baseline. Results Neglectful parenting style was associated with worse substance use outcomes across all substances. After adjusting for other proximal risk factors in multivariate analyses, parenting style was found to be unrelated to substance use outcomes with one exception: authoritative parenting style was associated with less frequent drinking. Association with deviant peers, delinquent behaviour, provision of alcohol by parents, and previous use of other substances were associated with substance use outcomes at follow-up. Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that parenting style may be less important for adolescent substance use outcomes than what has previously been assumed, and that association with deviant peers and delinquent behaviour may be more important for adolescent substance use outcomes than general parenting style. PMID:26769781

'That's OK. He's a guy': a mixed-methods study of gender double-standards for alcohol use.

PubMed

de Visser, Richard O; McDonnell, Elizabeth J

2012-01-01

Although drinking and drunkenness have traditionally been considered masculine behaviours, young women's alcohol consumption has increased in recent years. This mixed methods study was conducted to examine the extent to which young people endorse gender double-standards for alcohol use--i.e., less acceptance of drinking and drunkenness in women than men--and how these influence men's and women's alcohol consumption. A sample of 731 English university students completed an online survey of gender role attitudes, beliefs about the gendered nature of alcohol use and recent alcohol consumption. Sixteen participants were then purposively selected for individual interviews: eight women and men with the most egalitarian gender role beliefs, and eight women and men with the least egalitarian beliefs. The two sets of data revealed that although there were few sex differences in actual levels of drinking or drunkenness, gender double-standards for alcohol use persist: beer drinking, binge drinking and public drunkenness tended to be perceived as masculine, and even the most egalitarian respondents were more judgemental of women's drinking. Participants modified their drinking style so as to maintain a desired gender identity. Although gender double-standards could be a focus of interventions to encourage moderate drinking, such approaches could reinforce gender inequalities.

Leadership Styles for the Five Stages of Radical Change

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-04-01

radical change. This article continues prior work on radical change with theory and research on leadership style. The result is a model of radical...every stage of that process. Leadership style and organiza- tional change theory and re- search have ex- isted for de- cades, but have rarely con... Leadership Styles for the Five Stages of Radical Change 129 TUTORIAL LEADERSHIP STYLES FOR THE FIVE STAGES OF RADICAL CHANGE Dr. Kathleen K. Reardon

Adolescents' sense-making of alcohol-related risks: The role of drinking situations and social settings.

PubMed

Katainen, Anu; Lehto, Anna-Sofia; Maunu, Antti

2015-09-01

The article explores how young people understand the risks of alcohol use and how these understandings are associated with differing drinking situations and social settings. By taking account of situational factors, the aim is to demonstrate how young people have highly nuanced notions of drinking styles that suit different drinking situations and of associated risks. The data for the research were gathered in 18 group interviews with Finnish ninth graders aged 14-15 years. Short film clips portraying young people in different drinking situations were used as stimulus material for the interviews. Data analysis focussed on the risk factors related to the social situations illustrated in the film clips. The results show that young people's risk assessments are not based on alcohol itself, but the magnitude of risk is estimated in relation to the social setting of the drinking situation. What is relevant for young people is whether the social situation allows them to make choices with which they feel comfortable. At the opposite pole of problem drinking was social drinking for the purpose of having fun together with other people in such a way that one remains in control of the drinking situation. From a prevention point of view, a key implication is that awareness of the risks is closely associated with situational and social factors. However, the awareness of those risks does not necessarily prevent young people from drinking because they may be accepted as part of the drinking experience. © The Author(s) 2014.

Perceived legitimacy of parental authority and tobacco and alcohol use during early adolescence.

PubMed

Jackson, Christine

2002-11-01

To assess the likelihood that young adolescents perceive that parents have legitimate authority regarding cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption; to test whether perceived parental authority predicts adolescents' use of tobacco and alcohol, and to test the association between parenting style and the legitimacy of parental authority regarding tobacco and alcohol. Survey data were obtained in 1997 from 1220 sixth and eighth grade adolescents enrolled in a central North Carolina school district. The sample comprised 72.3% of 1687 eligible students and 92.3% of 1321 students with parental consent; 83.8% of the sample was European-American and 16.2% African-American. Students completed self-report questionnaires administered in classrooms. Logistic regression models were used to test the study hypotheses. Adolescents were significantly more likely to legitimize parental authority regarding tobacco and alcohol than parental authority regarding conventional or contemporary issues. Failure to legitimize parental authority was associated with significantly greater odds of current smoking (OR = 4.06; p <.000) or drinking (OR = 3.81; p <.000) among all respondents, and significantly greater odds of intending to smoke (OR = 3.38; p <.000) or drink (OR = 3.38; p <.000) among abstinent respondents. Adolescents' perceptions of parental authority regarding tobacco and alcohol varied significantly by parenting style. The results discredit the myth that adolescents uniformly disregard parental values and rules regarding tobacco and alcohol. The results also showed that general parenting style covaried strongly with adolescents' perceptions of parental authority regarding substance use. Additional research is warranted to test for causal relations between general parenting style, adolescents' perceptions of parental authority regarding substance use, and adolescents' risk of substance use.

Motivational versus confrontational interviewing: a comparison of substance abuse assessment practices at employee assistance programs.

PubMed

Schneider, R J; Casey, J; Kohn, R

2000-02-01

The aim of this study was to conduct a quasi-experimental comparison of two employee assistance program (EAP) assessment approaches with substance abusers: confrontational interviewing (CI) and motivational interviewing (MI). A total of 176 EAP clients from 14 study sites met the study criteria, and 89 (51%) agreed to participate in the study. At three and nine months postassessment, both the MI and CI groups showed similar changes in readiness for change, completion of initial treatment plans, and subsequent treatment. Most important, both the MI and CI participants showed significant and comparable improvement on all of the substance abuse baseline measures as well as measures of family-social well-being and effects of drinking/drugging on work performance. The results open the door for EAP counselors to use an empirically supported assessment style that is at least as effective as the traditional confrontational approach.

Role of parenting styles in adolescent substance use: results from a Swedish longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Berge, J; Sundell, K; Öjehagen, A; Håkansson, A

2016-01-14

Adolescent substance use is an area of concern because early substance use is associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes. Parenting style, defined as the general style of parenting, as well as substance-specific parenting practices may influence children's substance use behaviour. The present study aims to probe the impact of parenting style on adolescent substance use. A cohort of 1268 adolescents (48% girls), aged 12-13 years at baseline, from 21 junior high schools was assessed in the first semester of junior high school, and then again in the last semester of the 9th grade, 32 months later. Parenting style, operationalised as a fourfold classification of parenting styles, including established risk factors for adolescent substance use, were measured at baseline. Neglectful parenting style was associated with worse substance use outcomes across all substances. After adjusting for other proximal risk factors in multivariate analyses, parenting style was found to be unrelated to substance use outcomes with one exception: authoritative parenting style was associated with less frequent drinking. Association with deviant peers, delinquent behaviour, provision of alcohol by parents, and previous use of other substances were associated with substance use outcomes at follow-up. The results of the present study indicate that parenting style may be less important for adolescent substance use outcomes than what has previously been assumed, and that association with deviant peers and delinquent behaviour may be more important for adolescent substance use outcomes than general parenting style. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

[Impact of people's social behavior on schistosomiasis transmission in the Three Gorges Reservoir area].

PubMed

Zhang, Hui-Juan; Zhu, Rong; Wu, Cheng-Guo; Guo, Jia-Gang

2007-06-01

To investigate the changes in natural ecology and social environment after the construction of the dam in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, and to understand the social behavior status and education backgrounds of the local residents, and to analyze the potential impact of these factors on schistosomiasis spreading. Data of nature and social economy after the construction of the dam in the Three Gorge area were collected, and a cross-sectional study with questionnaire survey on information including social demographic characteristics, people's production and life style, knowledge about schistosomiasis was conducted among natives, emigrations. After the construction of the dam, as the stream became slower, the water-level fluctuating zone on the bank of the reservoir was formed. The main source of drinking water and daily life activity are mainly depends on the river supplying (accounting about 68.7% and 75.8%, respectively); due to the needs of farming, washing cloths and vegetables, 45.6% of resident had a close contact with river water. People with away-from-home employment among emigrations were increased from 5.7% to 18.7%. The proportion of using hygienic lavatory was 88.6%. The main source of water for drinking and daily life among emigrations was tap water (85.4% and 87.0%). The residents had no awareness about the health hazard for schistosomiasis, with less health information The natural environment of reservoir areas and the life style are risk factors for the spread of schistosomiasis. The improved sanitation condition and the economy construction after the construction of the dam is propitious to keeping away from the introduction of schistosomiasis. However, people with away-from-home employment among emigrations are still at risk of schistosomiasis.

Relationship between Principal Change and Influence Styles: Is There an Impact on Teacher Retention?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howder, Leslie Johnson

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between principal leadership styles, specifically change and influence styles, and teacher retention in the Low-Country region of South Carolina. Utilizing the Change Style Indicator and Influence Style Indicator, the researcher surveyed 25 principals from Berkeley, Charleston,…

Sexual Orientation Self-Concept Ambiguity and Alcohol Use Disorder Symptomology: The Roles of Motivated Psychological Distancing and Drinking to Cope.

PubMed

Hancock, David W; Talley, Amelia E; Bohanek, Jennifer; Iserman, Micah D; Ireland, Molly

2018-01-01

Women whose sexual identity is not exclusively heterosexual are at risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and problematic drinking. A textual analytic approach focusing on motivated psychological distancing in language style use was used to detect sexual minority women who are at greatest risk for an AUD. Young adult women (N = 254) were asked to complete a self-report measure of sexual orientation self-concept ambiguity as well as free-write about their sexuality. In addition, they completed a questionnaire assessing AUD symptoms according to criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) program assessed language markers within participant-written essays that reflected acute states of aversive self-focus (i.e., fewer first-person pronouns, fewer present-tense verbs). Drinking to cope with negative affectivity mediated the relationship between sexual orientation self-concept ambiguity and AUD symptomology. This indirect effect was conditional, moderated by higher use of language reflecting motivated psychological distancing, such that the indirect effect was significant only for women whose writing included fewer instances of first-person pronouns and present-tense verbs (-1 SD) compared with those with greater instances of first-person pronouns and present-tense verbs (+1 SD), reflecting motivated psychological distancing. Sexual minority women are at an increased risk for AUD. Further, this study suggests mechanisms that may exacerbate the relationship between sexual identity uncertainty and problematic drinking. The study presents a novel method of identifying individuals most at risk for alcohol misuse: detecting aversive self-focus in language style and word choice.

Development of a Framework and Measure for Assessing Principal Change Facilitator Style.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Gene E.; George, Archie

A framework is proposed for describing the underlying dimensions of different styles that principals have as facilitators of change. A measure, the Change Facilitator Style Questionnaire, was developed to assess these dimensions and change facilitator styles. A review of the literature suggested an organizing framework of the following dimensions:…

Texting Styles and Information Change of SMS Text Messages in Filipino

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabatbat, Josephine Jill T.; Tapang, Giovanni A.

2013-02-01

We identify the different styles of texting in Filipino short message service (SMS) texts and analyze the change in unigram and bigram frequencies due to these styles. Style preference vectors for sample texts were calculated and used to identify the style combination used by an average individual. The change in Shannon entropy of the SMS text is explained in light of a coding process.

Dietary Habits of Saudi Medical Students at University of Dammam.

PubMed

Al-Qahtani, Mohammad H

2016-07-01

To evaluate the dietary habits and life style of medical students. This is a cross sectional study as self-reported questionnaire for the male and female medical students at College of Medicine University of Dammam, eastern province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, comparing their habits and life style according to their gender and to their academic levels; 1(st), 3(rd) and 6(th) year. 562 students participated in the study with response rate of 91%, average age: 20.2776± 2.06175), males students were 333 (59.25%) and female students were 229 (40.75%) corresponding to the actual male to female ratio in this medical school. The majority of the students (91.3%) were consuming fast foods, majority are males (85%) do it 3 times or more per week, only 8.7% denied eating fast food with no significant difference between the three academic levels. Majority of students are aware of the benefits of the vegetables and fruits and the disadvantage of the soft drinks yet most of them consume a lot of soft drinks and less of vegetables and fruits. Physical exercise was not done regularly in 65% of the male medical students and 80% of the female with almost similar percentage in all the three levels. Contrary to the expectations and regardless of studying in medical college, our medical students; both male and females at different academic levels are having major bad dietary habits and life style that is comparable to the general population in the kingdom.

An Examination of the Impact of Maladaptive Coping on the Association between Stressor Type and Alcohol Use in College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metzger, Isha W.; Blevins, Claire; Calhoun, Casey D.; Ritchwood, Tiarney D.; Gilmore, Amanda K.; Stewart, Regan; Bountress, Kaitlin E.

2017-01-01

Objective: Examine the impact of maladaptive coping style on the association between source of stress (academic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, environmental) and alcohol use (consumption, heavy episodic drinking, driving under the influence) among college students. Participants: 1,027 college students completed an online survey in April 2014.…

Reciprocal Relations between Perceived Parental Knowledge and Adolescent Substance Use and Delinquency: The Moderating Role of Parent-Teen Relationship Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abar, Caitlin C.; Jackson, Kristina M.; Wood, Mark

2014-01-01

The current study prospectively examined hypothesized short- and long-term reciprocal relations between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent heavy episodic drinking, marijuana use, and delinquency. Using the contextual model of parenting style (Darling & Steinberg, 1993), we examined the extent to which the bidirectional nature of…

Why Drink Less? Diffidence, Self-Presentation Styles, and Alcohol Use among University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korn, Marcella E.; Maggs, Jennifer L.

2004-01-01

Through the theoretical lens of the self-presentation model, this paper addresses conflicting results from past research on the links between the components of diffidence (i.e., high levels of introversion and loneliness, and low levels of self-esteem) and alcohol use among undergraduate college students (N = 548). Correlational and multiple…

5C.08: AGE AND GENDER SPECIFIC CARDIO-METABOLIC RISKS AND THEIR RELATIONS TO LIFE STYLE DISORDER IN THE GENERAL POPULATION: THE WATARI STUDY.

PubMed

Munakata, M; Hattori, T; Konno, S

2015-06-01

In developed countries, systolic blood pressure is known to increase with age. Metabolic risks may generally worse with increasing age. But this trend may be modified by environmental factors which are different between gender and generation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between age and gender-related difference in cardio-metabolic risks and life style factors in the Japanese general population. We studied 3628 inhabitants of Watari (mean age 63.9 yrs, 42.5% men), Miyagi prefecture, who participated in a health check-up in 2009. Anthropometry, sitting blood pressures, fasting blood samples were examined. Unhealthy dietary behaviors (night meal, late dinner, fast eating, skipping breakfast, smoking, heavy drinking, lack of regular exercise) were evaluated by standard questionnaire. Presence or absence of each behavior was scored 0 or 1 and total score was calculated as healthy life style score (range 0 to 7, higher the better). Gender difference in age-related changes in blood pressures, BMI, lipid and glucose metabolism were examined by two way ANOVA. Systolic blood pressure was continuously increased from age 30 s to 70 s in both genders. Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in men than in women in age 30 s (122.0 ± 13.9 vs. 113.3 ± 12.8 mmHg, p < 0.001) but the difference decreased with an increase in age. Similar gender interaction was observed for diastolic blood pressure, BMI, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (all p < 0.001) but was not for HbA1c. The healthy life style score was lowest in men age 30 s (5.1 ± 1.5) and it increased with an increase in age. Women demonstrated significantly higher healthy life style score than men in all generations. The gender difference in the score was largest in age 30 s and decreased with an increase in age. Cardio-metabolic risks are worse in men than in women in young generation but this gender difference diminishes with age. The gender difference in the young may be largely attributable to life style factors. Glucose metabolism may be less affected by life style than blood pressure or lipid.

Psychoanalytic Treatment of Psychological Addiction to Alcohol (Alcohol Abuse)

PubMed Central

Johnson, Brian

2011-01-01

The DSM-V Committee plans to abolish the distinction between Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependence (dsm5.org). The author presents a case report as a proof of concept that this distinction should be retained. The author has asserted that Alcohol Abuse is a purely psychological addiction, while Alcohol Dependence involves capture of the ventral tegmental dopaminergic SEEKING system (Johnson, 2003). In psychological addiction the brain can be assumed to function normally, and ordinary psychoanalytic technique can be followed. For the patient described, transference interpretation was the fundamental key to recovery. Alcoholic drinking functioned to prevent this man from remembering overwhelming childhood events; events that were also lived out in his current relationships. Murders that occurred when he was a child were hidden in a screen memory. The patient had an obsessional style of relating where almost all feeling was left out of his associations. After he stopped drinking compulsively, he continued to work compulsively. The maternal transference had to be enacted and then interpreted in order for overwhelming memories to be allowed into conscious thought. After psychoanalysis, the patient resumed drinking and worked a normal schedule that allowed more fulfilling relationships. He had no further symptoms of distress from drinking over a 9-year followup. This case illustrates that Alcohol Abuse is a purely psychological illness, that it does not have the brain changes typical of Alcohol Dependence. Combining epidemiological, neurobiological, longitudinal, and psychoanalytic observations would allow multiple sources of information to be used in creating diagnostic categories. Losing details of human behavior by relying only on epidemiological studies is likely to cause errors in categorization of disorders. In turn, having faulty categories as the basis of further research is likely to impair identification of specific effective treatments. PMID:22144975

Predictors of attributional style change in children.

PubMed

Gibb, Brandon E; Alloy, Lauren B; Walshaw, Patricia D; Comer, Jonathan S; Shen, Gail H C; Villari, Annette G

2006-06-01

A number of studies have supported the hypothesis that negative attributional styles may confer vulnerability to the development of depression. The goal of this study was to explore factors that may contribute to the development of negative attributional styles in children. As hypothesized, elevated levels of depressive symptoms and hopelessness at the initial assessment predicted negative changes in children's attributional styles over the 6-month follow-up period. In addition, elevated levels of verbal victimization occurring between the 2 assessments, as well as that occurring in the 6 months preceding the initial assessment, prospectively predicted negative changes in children's attributional styles over the follow-up. Further, initial depressive symptoms and verbal victimization during the follow-up continued to significantly predict attributional style change even when the overlap among the predictors was statistically controlled. Contrary to the hypotheses, however, neither parent-reported levels of overall negative life events nor parents' attributions for their children's events predicted changes in children's attributional styles.

Exposure to alcohol use in motion pictures and teen drinking in Latin America

PubMed Central

Mejia, Raul; Pérez, Adriana; Abad-Vivero, Erika N.; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Gutierrez, Inti Barrientos; Thrasher, James F.; Sargent, James D.

2015-01-01

Objectives To assess whether exposure to alcohol use in films (AUF) is associated with alcohol use susceptibility, current alcohol use, and binge drinking in adolescents from two Latin American countries. Methods Cross-sectional study with 13,295 middle school students from public and private schools in Mexico and Argentina. Exposure to alcohol use in over 400 contemporary top box office films in each country was estimated using previously validated methods. Outcome measures included current drinking (i.e., any drink in the last 30 days), ever binge-drinking (i.e., more than 4 or 5 drinks in a row for females and males, respectively) and, among never drinkers, alcohol susceptibility (i.e., might drink in the next year or accept a drink from a friend). Multivariate models were adjusted for age, sex, parental education, peer drinking, sensation seeking, parenting style and media access. Results Mean age was 12.5 years (SD = 0.7) and the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking was 19.8% and 10.9% respectively. Mean exposure to alcohol from the film sample was about 7 hours in both countries. Adjusted models indicated independent dose-response associations between higher levels of exposure to AUF and all outcomes; the adjusted odds ratios (OR) comparing quartiles 4 and 1 1.99 (95% CI 1.73 - 2.30) for current drinking, 1.68 (1.39 - 2.02) for binge drinking, and 1.80 (1.52 - 2.12) for alcohol susceptibility. Compared to Mexican adolescents, Argentine adolescents were significantly more likely to have engaged in binge drinking (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12 - 1.76.) and, among never drinkers, were more susceptible to trying drinking (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.20 - 1.64). Conclusions Higher levels of exposure to alcohol use in films was associated with higher likelihood of alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol susceptibility in Latin American adolescents. PMID:26857804

PNF 2.0? Initial evidence that gamification can increase the efficacy of brief, web-based personalized normative feedback alcohol interventions.

PubMed

Boyle, Sarah C; Earle, Andrew M; LaBrie, Joseph W; Smith, Daniel J

2017-04-01

Gamified interventions exploit the motivational characteristics of a game in order to provide prevention information and promote behavior change. Despite the modest effect sizes observed in increasingly popular web-based personalized normative feedback (PNF) alcohol interventions for college students, previous research has yet to consider how gamification might be used to enhance efficacy. This study examines whether a novel, gamified PNF intervention format, which includes a point-based reward system, the element of chance, and personal icons to visually represent users, is more effective in reducing short-term alcohol use than the standard web-based style of PNF currently used on college campuses. Two-hundred and thirty-seven college students were randomly assigned to receive either a standard brief, web-based PNF alcohol intervention or the same alcohol intervention components delivered within a Facebook-connected social game called CampusGANDR (Gamified Alcohol Norm Discovery and Readjustment). In both study conditions participants answered identical questions about their perceptions of peer drinking norms and own drinking and then received the same PNF slides. Two weeks following PNF delivery, participants again reported their perceptions of peers' alcohol use and own drinking. Students in the CampusGANDR condition reported significantly reduced peer drinking norms and alcohol use at the two-week follow-up relative to students who received identical PNF delivered by standard online survey. Further, a mediation model demonstrated that this effect was driven by larger reductions in perceived drinking norms among participants assigned to receive CampusGANDR, relative to control. As web-based PNF is becoming an increasingly universal prevention strategy, findings from this study suggest gamification may represent one method by which intervention efficacy could be substantially improved. The potential methodological and economic benefits associated with gamified PNF interventions are emphasized and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PNF 2.0? Initial Evidence that Gamification Can Increase the Efficacy of Brief, Web-based Personalized Normative Feedback Alcohol Interventions

PubMed Central

Boyle, Sarah C.; Earle, Andrew M.; LaBrie, Joseph W.; Smith, Daniel J.

2017-01-01

Gamified interventions exploit the motivational characteristics of a game in order to provide prevention information and promote behavior change. Despite the modest effect sizes observed in increasingly popular web-based personalized normative feedback (PNF) alcohol interventions for college students, previous research has yet to consider how gamification might be used to enhance efficacy. This study examines whether a novel, gamified PNF intervention format, which includes a point-based reward system, the element of chance, and personal icons to visually represent users, is more effective in reducing short-term alcohol use than the standard web-based style of PNF currently used on college campuses. Two-hundred and thirty-seven college students were randomly assigned to receive either a standard brief, web-based PNF alcohol intervention or the same alcohol intervention components delivered within a Facebook-connected social game called CampusGANDR (Gamified Alcohol Norm Discovery and Readjustment). In both study conditions participants answered identical questions about their perceptions of peer drinking norms and own drinking and then received the same PNF slides. Two weeks following PNF delivery, participants again reported their perceptions of peers’ alcohol use and own drinking. Students in the CampusGANDR condition reported significantly reduced peer drinking norms and alcohol use at the two-week follow-up relative to students who received identical PNF delivered by standard online survey. Further, a mediation model demonstrated that this effect was driven by larger reductions in perceived drinking norms among participants assigned to receive CampusGANDR, relative to control. As web-based PNF is becoming an increasingly universal prevention strategy, findings from this study suggest gamification may represent one method by which intervention efficacy could be substantially improved. The potential methodological and economic benefits associated with gamified PNF interventions are emphasized and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:27978426

Parenting, self-control, and the gender gap in heavy drinking: the case of Russia.

PubMed

Botchkovar, Ekaterina V; Broidy, Lisa

2013-03-01

Drawing on Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory linking parenting to deviant behavior via development of self-control, the authors assess the association between parenting styles, self-control ability, and frequent alcohol use separately for males and females. The authors' findings from a random sample of 440 Russian respondents provide mixed support for self-control theory. Contrary to the theory, but in line with extant research, the authors failed to uncover significant gender differences in childhood upbringing or establish a strong link between parenting techniques and self-control. Furthermore, whereas parental upbringing appears to increase the likelihood of frequent drinking among men, self-control does not mediate this relationship but rather acts as an independent predictor of men's alcohol abuse. Finally, the relatively modest contribution of self-control differences to the gender gap in frequent drinking suggests that higher alcohol consumption among men likely stems from alternative, possibly context-embedded factors.

Tau Fifine Fiafia: the binge drinking behaviours of nine New Zealand born Niuean women living in Auckland.

PubMed

Gray, Josephine; Nosa, Vili

2009-02-01

The aim of this paper is to explore the binge drinking behaviours and attitudes of nine New Zealand born Niuean women aged 18 to 45 plus years living in Auckland who are heavy binge drinkers. Taped interviews were conducted individually with nine Niuean participants, utilising a semi-structured interviewing schedule in both Niuean and English languages. This study argues that excessive drinking style of binge drinking commonly practised with the younger generation of Niuean women. The study highlighted the important role of supportive friends and women within a drinking circle compared to the cultural and gender restrictions when drinking with males. NZ born Niuean women outlined there were fewer limitations on alcohol use and behaviour associated with drunkenness; the reason for drinking was to reach a level of intoxication. Alcohol consumption was seen as a way of socialising, having fun, being happy and feeling safe primarily when drinking with other women, even though participants experienced negative behaviour when safety was threatened. The Niuean community needs to address alcohol related issues affecting Niuean women through education awareness within social and cultural gatherings. This study is not a representative study and it cannot be generalised to all New Zealand born Niuean women because the sampling size is too small. The aim of this paper is to look at the binge drinking behaviours of nine New Zealand born Niuean women living in Auckland. A qualitative research methodology offace to face interviews was used to interview NZ born Niuean women and their alcohol consumption. Participants were recruited by using a snow ball methodology. Participants were also approached throughout the community on the telephone and via email/internet about the research. Participants were also from Niuean gatherings such as Niuean cultural workshops, weaving groups, church groups, and sports groups, Niuean websites. A semi-structured interview format was used making it more informal and comfortable for the participant by using open ended questions. These questions include first drinking experiences, reasons for drinking, drinking styles, drinking venues and environments, times to drink, risky behaviours and attitudes, pregnancy and sexual behaviours. The interviews ranged from 1-2 hours. Ethical approval for the research was obtained from the University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee in June 2004. Interviews were done in Niuean or English optional for the participants in the study. An important feature of the research process and cultural appropriateness is that I am New Zealand born but was raised in Niue Island as a young child. I am fluent in both English and Niuean languages. My Niuean cultural back ground and knowledge will be beneficial in the formulation of ideas and interpretations in the interview discussions and research data analysis. The researcher will interpret the cultural knowledge and understanding throughout the discussions which will be useful when gathering and analysing empirical information gathered from the research. There were nine New Zealand born Niuean women aged between 18-45yrs plus living in Auckland who participated. Two of the participants are half palagi (European) and half Niuean. This is a reflection of the young population that many Niuean women today are born into in New Zealand, as the majority of Niues population is New Zealand born. The NZ born young women views were highlighted in this study because of the growing population of Niue communities in Auckland, New Zealand. The participants were from diverse backgrounds, from professional career minded women, beneficiaries, single, married, mothers, solo parent, tertiary students.

The efficacy of a brief intervention in reducing hazardous drinking in working age men in Russia: the HIM (Health for Izhevsk men) individually randomised parallel group exploratory trial

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Russia has particularly low life expectancy for an industrialised country, with mortality at working ages having fluctuated dramatically over the past few decades, particularly among men. Alcohol has been identified as the most likely cause of these temporal variations. One approach to reducing the alcohol problem in Russia is 'brief interventions' which seek to change views of the personal acceptability of excessive drinking and to encourage self-directed behaviour change. Very few studies to evaluate the efficacy of brief interventions in Russia have been conducted. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a person-centred counselling style which can be adapted to brief interventions in which help is offered in thinking through behaviour in the context of values and goals, to decide whether change is needed, and if so, how it may best be achieved. Methods This paper reports on an individually randomised two-armed parallel group exploratory trial. The primary hypothesis is that a brief adaptation of MI will be effective in reducing self-reported hazardous and harmful drinking at 3 months. Participants were drawn from the Izhevsk Family Study II, with eligibility determined based on proxy reports of hazardous and harmful drinking in the past year. All participants underwent a health check, with MI subsequently delivered to those in the intervention arm. Signed consent was obtained from those in the intervention arm only at this point. Both groups were then invited for 3 and 12 month follow ups. The control group did not receive any additional intervention. Results 441 men were randomised. Of these 61 did not have a health check leaving 190 in each trial arm. Follow up at 3 months was high (97% of those having a health check), and very similar in the two trial arms (183 in the intervention and 187 in the control). No significant differences were detected between the randomised groups in either the primary or the secondary outcomes at three months in the intention to treat analyses. The unadjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for the effect of MI on hazardous and harmful drinking was 0.77 (0.51, 1.16). An adjusted odds ratio of 0.52 (0.28, 0.94) was obtained in the pre-specified per protocol analysis. Conclusions This trial demonstrates that it is possible to engage Russian men who drink hazardously in a brief intervention aimed at reducing alcohol related harm. However the results with respect to the efficacy are equivocal and further, larger-scale trials are warranted. Trial Registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN82405938 PMID:22053775

Gifted Achievers and Gifted Underachievers: The Impact of Learning Style Preferences in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rayneri, Letty J.; Gerber, Brian L.; Wiley, Larry P.

2003-01-01

A study involving 62 gifted students (grades 6-8) found many low-achievers (n=16) showed a strong need for tactile and kinesthetic modalities; intake of food, drinks, or both; sound in the learning environment; informal seating design; and dim lighting. The low achievers did not perceive themselves to be persistent. (Contains references.)…

Associations between general parenting styles and specific food-related parenting practices and children's food consumption.

PubMed

Vereecken, Carine; Legiest, Erwin; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Maes, Lea

2009-01-01

Explore the impact of general parenting style and specific food-related parenting practices on children's dietary habits. Cross-sectional study of sixth graders and their parents. Data were gathered (in 2003) in 69 of 100 randomly selected elementary schools in Belgium. All sixth graders (N = 1957) were invited to participate; 82.4% of their parents gave consent and completed questionnaires, resulting in 1614 parent-child pairs. Children's consumption of breakfast, fruit, vegetables, soft drinks, and sweets was assessed by self-administered food frequency questionnaires. Parents completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, general parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent, or neglecting) and specific food-related parenting practices (pressure, reward, encouragement through negotiation, catering on children's demands, permissiveness, avoiding negative modeling, and praise). Logistic regression analyses were performed, with general parenting style and specific food-related parenting practices as predictors and dietary habits as dependent variables, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and children's weight status. General parenting style did not show any significant impact on dietary habits. In contrast, the food-related parenting practice "encouragement through negotiation" showed a significant positive impact, whereas "pressure," "catering on demand," and "permissiveness" were practices with an unhealthy impact. Nutrition education programs that guide parents in firm but not coercive food parenting skills are likely to have a positive impact upon children's dietary habits.

The social image of drinking - mass media campaigns may inadvertently increase binge drinking.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Friederike; Kohlmann, Karoline; Monter, Anne; Ameis, Nina

2017-10-01

Mass media campaigns that promote responsible drinking are rarely tested for their usefulness in reducing heavy alcohol consumption. Existing campaigns that appeal to responsible drinking while simultaneously displaying young people in social drinking situations may even have paradoxical effects. To examine such possible effects, we drew on a real-world media campaign, which we systematically modified on the basis of recent prototype research. We pilot tested questionnaires (using n = 41 participants), developed two different sets of posters in the style of an existing campaign (n = 39) and investigated their effectiveness (n = 102). In the main study, young men were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: sociable or unsociable binge drinker prototype condition or a control group. Outcome variables were intention, behavioural willingness, attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy, prototype evaluation and prototype similarity with respect to binge drinking. Binge drinking as a habit was included to control for the fact that habitual drinking in social situations is hard to overcome and poses a particular challenge to interventions. The manipulation check showed that the experimental variation (sociable vs. unsociable drinker prototype condition) was successful. Results of the main study showed that the sociable drinker prototype condition resulted in a higher willingness and - for those with less of a habit - a higher intention to binge drink the next weekend. The unsociable drinker prototype condition had no effects. The results imply that the social components of mass media campaigns might inadvertently exacerbate binge drinking in young men. We therefore advocate against campaigns including aspects of alcohol consumption that might be positively associated with drinker prototype perception. Finally, we provide suggestions for future research.

Dietary intervention for people with mental illness in South Australia.

PubMed

Bogomolova, Svetlana; Zarnowiecki, Dorota; Wilson, Amy; Fielder, Andrea; Procter, Nicholas; Itsiopoulos, Catherine; O'Dea, Kerin; Strachan, John; Ballestrin, Matt; Champion, Andrew; Parletta, Natalie

2018-02-01

People with serious mental illness (SMI) have a 25-30 year lower life expectancy than the general population due largely to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mediterranean diet can reduce CVD risk and repeat events by 30-70%. We conducted a pilot feasibility study (HELFIMED) with people who have SMI residing within a Community Rehabilitation Centre in South Australia, aimed at improving participants' diets according to Mediterranean diet principles. During a 3-month intervention, participants were provided with nutrition education, food hampers, and twice-weekly cooking workshops and guided shopping trips. This report presents the results of a mixed method evaluation of the programme using thorough in-depth interviews with participants and support staff (n = 20), contextualized by changes in dietary biomarkers and CVD risk factors. The framework thematic analysis revealed evidence of improvements in participants' knowledge of and intake of the key elements of a Mediterranean-style diet (fruit and vegetables, olive oil, fish, legumes), reduction in poor nutrition habits (soft drinks, energy drinks, take away meals) and development of independent living skills-culinary skills such as food preparation and cooking based on simple recipes, food shopping and budgeting, healthy meal planning and social interaction. These changes were supported by dietary biomarkers, and were associated with reduced CVD risk factors. A Mediterranean diet-based pilot study achieved positive change in dietary behaviours associated with CVD risk for participants with SMI. This supports a need to include dietary education and cooking skills into rehabilitation programmes for people with SMI. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The influence of parenting style on health related behavior of children: findings from the ChiBS study.

PubMed

Philips, Nele; Sioen, Isabelle; Michels, Nathalie; Sleddens, Ester; De Henauw, Stefaan

2014-07-23

Exploring associations between parenting behavior and children's health related behavior including physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet and sleep. We recruited 288 parents and their children (6-12y old). Children's weight and height were measured. Fat percentage was determined by air displacement plethysmography. Parents reported socio-demographic data, sleep information, physical activity and sedentary behavior of their child and completed the Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire (CGPQ) and a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Children completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Associations between parenting behavior (CGPQ) and children's health related behavior were assessed with univariate and multiple regression analyses. A small positive correlation was found between sweet food consumption frequency and "coercive control" (r = 0.139) and a small negative correlation between fruit and vegetables consumption frequency and "overprotection" (r = -0.151). Children consumed more frequently soft drinks when their parents scored lower on "structure" (r = -0.124) and higher on "overprotection" (r = 0.123); for the light soft drinks separately, a small positive correlation with "behavioral control" was found (r = 0.172). A small negative correlation was found between "emotional eating" and "structure" (r = -0.172) as well as "behavioral control" (r = -0.166). "Coercive control" was negatively correlated with the child's sleep duration (r = -0.171). After correction for confounding factors, the following significant associations were found: (1) a small negative association between "structure" and soft drinks consumption (β = -0.17 for all soft drinks and -0.22 for light soft drinks), (2) a small positive association between "behavioral control" and light soft drinks (β = 0.34), (3) a small positive association of "nurturance" and "coercive control" with sedentary behavior (β = 0.16 for both parent constructs) and (4) a small negative association between the parenting construct "coercive control" and sleep duration (β = -0.23). The significant but small associations between parenting constructs and the investigated variables suggest that different aspects of parenting style play an important role in the genesis of the health related behavior of children. Overall, our findings suggest that health professionals should encourage parents to apply the more positive parenting constructs i.e., more "structure" and "behavioral control", and less "coercive control". They could, for instance, supervise and manage their child's activities and help their child to achieve certain goals.

Alcohol harm reduction advertisements: a content analysis of topic, objective, emotional tone, execution and target audience.

PubMed

Dunstone, Kimberley; Brennan, Emily; Slater, Michael D; Dixon, Helen G; Durkin, Sarah J; Pettigrew, Simone; Wakefield, Melanie A

2017-04-11

Public health mass media campaigns may contribute to reducing the health and social burden attributed to alcohol consumption, but little is known about which advertising characteristics have been used, or have been effective, in alcohol harm reduction campaigns to date. As a first step towards encouraging further research to identify the impact of various advertising characteristics, this study aimed to systematically identify and examine the content of alcohol harm reduction advertisements (ads). Ads were identified through an exhaustive internet search of Google, YouTube, Vimeo, and relevant government and health agency websites. Eligible ads were: English language, produced between 2006 and 2014, not primarily focused on drink-driving or alcohol in pregnancy, and not alcohol industry funded. Systematic content analysis of all ads was performed; each ad was double-coded. In total, 110 individual ads from 72 different alcohol harm reduction campaigns were identified, with the main source countries being Australia (40%) and the United Kingdom (26%). The dominant topic for 52% of ads was short-term harms, while 10% addressed long-term harms, 18% addressed underage drinking, 17% communicated a how-to-change message, and 3% advocated for policy change. The behavioural objective of most ads was to motivate audiences to reduce their alcohol consumption (38%) or to behave responsibly and/or not get drunk when drinking (33%). Only 10% of all ads mentioned low-risk drinking guidelines. Eighty-seven percent of ads used a dramatisation execution style and 74% had a negative emotional tone. Ninety percent of ads contained messages or content that appeared to target adults, and 36% specifically targeted young adults. Some message attributes have been employed more frequently than others, suggesting several promising avenues for future audience or population-based research to compare the relative effectiveness of different characteristics of alcohol harm reduction ads. Given most alcohol-attributable harm is due to long-term disease, these findings suggest future campaigns may fill a potentially important gap if they were to focus on long-term harms. There is scope for such long-term harm campaigns to place greater emphasis on encouraging reduced personal consumption of alcohol, potentially through more frequent communication of low-risk drinking guidelines.

Alcohol and drug use in early adolescence.

PubMed

Hotton, Tina; Haans, Dave

2004-05-01

This analysis presents the prevalence of substance use among young adolescents. The extent to which factors such as peer behaviour, parenting practices and school commitment and achievement are associated with drinking to intoxication and other drug use is investigated. The data are from the 1998/99 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Analysis is based on a cross-sectional file from 4,296 respondents aged 12 to 15. Prevalence estimates for alcohol and drug use were calculated by sex. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the odds of drinking to intoxication and drug use, adjusted for socio-demographic factors, peer and parent substance use, parenting practices, school commitment/attachment, emotional health and religious attendance. In general, drinking to intoxication and drug use were more common among 14- and 15-year-olds than among 12- and 13-year-olds. The odds of drinking to intoxication and drug use were highest among adolescents whose friends used alcohol or drugs or were often in trouble, who reported low commitment to school, or whose parents had a hostile and ineffective parenting style.

Dietary Habits of Saudi Medical Students at University of Dammam

PubMed Central

Al-Qahtani, Mohammad H.

2016-01-01

Objective To evaluate the dietary habits and life style of medical students. Design: Methods This is a cross sectional study as self-reported questionnaire for the male and female medical students at College of Medicine University of Dammam, eastern province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, comparing their habits and life style according to their gender and to their academic levels; 1st, 3rd and 6th year. Results 562 students participated in the study with response rate of 91%, average age: 20.2776± 2.06175), males students were 333 (59.25%) and female students were 229 (40.75%) corresponding to the actual male to female ratio in this medical school. The majority of the students (91.3%) were consuming fast foods, majority are males (85%) do it 3 times or more per week, only 8.7% denied eating fast food with no significant difference between the three academic levels. Majority of students are aware of the benefits of the vegetables and fruits and the disadvantage of the soft drinks yet most of them consume a lot of soft drinks and less of vegetables and fruits. Physical exercise was not done regularly in 65% of the male medical students and 80% of the female with almost similar percentage in all the three levels. Conclusion Contrary to the expectations and regardless of studying in medical college, our medical students; both male and females at different academic levels are having major bad dietary habits and life style that is comparable to the general population in the kingdom. PMID:27610058

Drink refusal training as part of a combined behavioral intervention: Effectiveness and mechanisms of change

PubMed Central

Witkiewitz, Katie; Donovan, Dennis M.; Hartzler, Bryan

2012-01-01

Objective Many trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence, yet few studies have examined why particular treatments are effective. This study was designed to evaluate whether drink refusal training was an effective component of a combined behavioral intervention (CBI) and whether change in self-efficacy was a mechanism of change following drink refusal training for individuals with alcohol dependence. Method The current study is a secondary analysis of data from the COMBINE study, a randomized clinical trial that combined pharmacotherapy with behavioral intervention in the treatment of alcohol dependence. The goal of the current study was to examine whether a drink refusal skills training module, administered as part of a 16-week CBI (n=776; 31% female, 23% non-White, average age=44) predicted changes in drinking frequency and self-efficacy during and following the CBI, and whether changes in self-efficacy following drink refusal training predicted changes in drinking frequency up to one year following treatment. Results Participants (n=302) who received drink refusal skills training had significantly fewer drinking days during treatment (d=0.50) and up to one year following treatment (d=0.23). In addition the effect of the drink refusal skills training module on drinking outcomes following treatment was significantly mediated by changes in self-efficacy, even after controlling for changes in drinking outcomes during treatment (proportion mediated = 0.47). Conclusions Drink refusal training is an effective component of CBI and some of the effectiveness may be attributed to changes in client self-efficacy. PMID:22289131

Cognitive Style Predictors of Affect Change in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacowitz, Derek M.; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2002-01-01

Cognitive styles are the lenses through which individuals habitually process information from their environment. In this study, we evaluated whether different cognitive style individual difference variables, such as explanatory style and dispositional optimism, could predict changes in affective state over time in community-dwelling older adults.…

Parenting Style Transitions and Delinquency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Ryan D.; Mowen, Thomas J.

2014-01-01

Parenting style has been extensively analyzed as a contributor to juvenile delinquency in the criminological literature, but no research to date has assessed the prevalence of parenting style changes during adolescence or the influence of such parenting style changes on juvenile delinquency. Drawing from the life course theory, the results show…

Caregiver and adolescent responses to food and beverage marketing exposures through an online survey.

PubMed

Kumar, Gayathri; Zytnick, Deena; Onufrak, Stephen; Harris, Jennifer L; Wethington, Holly; Kingsley, Beverly; Park, Sohyun

2014-02-01

The Institute of Medicine noted that current food and beverage marketing practices promote unhealthful diets. However, little public health research has been conducted on food marketing directed toward adolescents, especially using caregiver- and adolescent-reported data. We assessed perceived frequency of food/beverage advertising exposure and common locations of food/beverage marketing exposure for adolescents using 2012 Summer ConsumerStyles and YouthStyles survey data on US adults ≥18 years of age and their children ages 12-17 (n=847), respectively. Exposure to advertisements for fast food, soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and bottled water were categorized as <1 time/week, 1-6 times/week, and ≥1 time/day, and don't know. Weighted chi-square tests were used to examine the difference between caregivers' and adolescents' responses. The majority of caregivers and adolescents reported that adolescents viewed advertisements ≥1 time/day across all food/beverage categories with the highest, at least daily, exposure reported for fast food. Caregivers more frequently reported that adolescents viewed all food/beverage advertisements ≥1 time/day than the adolescents reported (chi-square tests, p<0.0001). Both caregivers and adolescents reported that the adolescents view food/beverage marketing most frequently on television followed by at the supermarket. Our study showed that adolescents reported lower frequency of food and beverage advertising exposure than their caregivers. Further research may be needed to verify self-reported exposure data on food and beverage advertising as a way to obtain data for use in research on its relationship with diet quality and obesity.

Understanding the Change Styles of Teachers to Improve Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigby, Arlene May Green

2009-01-01

The topic of this dissertation is the understanding of teacher change styles to improve student achievement. Teachers from public schools in a state located in the northern plains were surveyed regarding their Change Styles (preferred approaches to change) and flexibility scores. The results were statistically analyzed to determine if there were…

Drinking patterns of adolescents who develop alcohol use disorders: results from the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Olsson, Craig A; Romaniuk, Helena; Salinger, Jodi; Staiger, Petra K; Bonomo, Yvonne; Hulbert, Carol; Patton, George C

2016-01-01

Objective We identify drinking styles that place teens at greatest risk of later alcohol use disorders (AUD). Design Population-based cohort study. Setting Victoria, Australia. Participants A representative sample of 1943 adolescents living in Victoria in 1992. Outcome measures Teen drinking was assessed at 6 monthly intervals (5 waves) between mean ages 14.9 and 17.4 years and summarised across waves as none, one, or two or more waves of: (1) frequent drinking (3+ days in the past week), (2) loss of control over drinking (difficulty stopping, amnesia), (3) binge drinking (5+ standard drinks in a day) and (4) heavy binge drinking (20+ and 11+ standard drinks in a day for males and females, respectively). Young Adult Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) was assessed at 3 yearly intervals (3 waves) across the 20s (mean ages 20.7 through 29.1 years). Results We show that patterns of teen drinking characterised by loss of control increase risk for AUD across young adulthood: loss of control over drinking (one wave OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.8; two or more waves OR 1.9, CI 1.4 to 2.7); binge drinking (one wave OR 1.7, CI 1.3 to 2.3; two or more waves OR 2.0, CI 1.5 to 2.6), and heavy binge drinking (one wave OR 2.0, CI 1.4 to 2.8; two or more waves OR 2.3, CI 1.6 to 3.4). This is not so for frequent drinking, which was unrelated to later AUD. Although drinking was more common in males, there was no evidence of sex differences in risk relationships. Conclusions Our results extend previous work by showing that patterns of drinking that represent loss of control over alcohol consumption (however expressed) are important targets for intervention. In addition to current policies that may reduce overall consumption, emphasising prevention of more extreme teenage bouts of alcohol consumption appears warranted. PMID:26868948

Ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise and initiation of teen drinking.

PubMed

McClure, Auden C; Dal Cin, Sonya; Gibson, Jennifer; Sargent, James D

2006-04-01

The alcohol industry spends over $5 billion a year on marketing, much of which is accessible to children. The distribution of branded articles of clothing and other personal items is one aspect of alcohol marketing that has not been adequately studied. In this study, the prevalence of ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise (ABM) was determined in a sample of rural northern New England adolescents, and the relationship between ownership of such items and initiation of alcohol use was examined. Northern New England middle school students who had not yet initiated alcohol use were captured at baseline in a 1999 school-based survey, and ownership of an ABM item and initiation of alcohol use were determined 1 to 2 years later by telephone. The analysis controlled for demographics (gender, grade in school); characteristics of the child (school performance, sensation seeking, rebelliousness); parenting style; and peer alcohol use. Of 2406 baseline never-drinkers, 15% had initiated alcohol use and 14% owned an ABM item by follow-up. ABM items consisted primarily of articles of clothing such as t-shirts and hats. ABM ownership was associated with higher grade in school, male gender, exposure to peer drinking, having tried smoking, poorer academic performance, higher levels of sensation seeking and rebelliousness, and less-responsive and restrictive parenting styles. Owners of ABM items at follow-up had higher rates of alcohol initiation compared with non-owners (25.5% vs 13.1%, respectively, p<0.001). After adjusting for the above confounders, students who owned an ABM item were significantly more likely to have initiated alcohol use compared with students who did not own one (adjusted odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.0). In this northern New England adolescent sample, ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise was prevalent and exhibited an independent cross-sectional association with onset of adolescent drinking. Further studies are necessary to determine whether the relationship is causal, and whether teen use of ABM items influences peer drinking norms and behavior.

Adult attachment and drinking context as predictors of alcohol problems and relationship satisfaction in college students.

PubMed

Hocking, Elise C; Simons, Raluca M; Simons, Jeffrey S; Freeman, Harry

2018-01-01

Evidence suggests that for young adults, intimate partners influence each other's drinking patterns. Therefore, exploration of variables related to intimate partner relationships (such as attachment style) could broaden the current understanding of risk factors for alcohol problems in this demographic. The current study examined the role of drinking context in the relationships among insecure attachment, alcohol problems, and relationship satisfaction. A path model was hypothesized where the relationship between insecure attachment and alcohol problems would be explained via two distinct drinking contexts (i.e., drinking with one's partner and drinking away from one's partner). It was also hypothesized that the relationship between insecure attachment and relationship satisfaction would be explained via these same two drinking contexts. Participants were 194 undergraduate students ages 18-25 who reported being in a monogamous intimate partner relationship for at least 90 days and had also consumed alcohol in the past 90 days. The sample was comprised of 76% women and 24% men. The hypothesized direct relationship from anxious attachment to alcohol problems was significant; there were also significant direct paths from both anxious and avoidant attachment to relationship satisfaction. The hypotheses regarding indirect relationships were not supported. The results of this study contribute to the existing literature, in that they suggest that drinking in the context of an intimate relationship may not directly affect relationship satisfaction in this population. However, relationship functioning still appears to be an important variable to consider in the prevention and treatment of alcohol-related problems affecting college students.

Changes to Students' Learning Processes Following Instruction on the Topic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clump, Michael A.

2005-01-01

Previous research indicates that students' learning styles, as assessed by the Inventory of Learning Processes (ILP; Schmeck, Ribich, & Ramanaiah, 1977), change during college. Additionally, prior research indicates that teaching students about their learning styles enables them to change those learning styles. The current study investigated…

Exposure to Alcohol Use in Motion Pictures and Teen Drinking in Latin America.

PubMed

Mejia, Raul; Pérez, Adriana; Abad-Vivero, Erika N; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Barrientos-Gutierrez, Inti; Thrasher, James F; Sargent, James D

2016-03-01

Our objective was to assess whether exposure to alcohol use in films (AUF) is associated with alcohol use susceptibility, current alcohol use, and binge drinking in adolescents from 2 Latin American countries. We performed a cross-sectional study with 13,295 middle school students from public and private schools in Mexico and Argentina. Exposure to alcohol use in over 400 contemporary top box office films in each country was estimated using previously validated methods. Outcome measures included current drinking (i.e., any drink in the last 30 days), ever binge drinking (i.e., more than 4 or 5 drinks in a row for females and males, respectively) and, among never drinkers, alcohol susceptibility (i.e., might drink in the next year or accept a drink from a friend). Multivariate models were adjusted for age, sex, parental education, peer drinking, sensation seeking, parenting style, and media access. Mean age was 12.5 years (SD = 0.7), and the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking was 19.8 and 10.9%, respectively. Mean exposure to alcohol from the film sample was about 7 hours in both countries. Adjusted models indicated independent dose-response associations between higher levels of exposure to AUF and all outcomes; the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) comparing quartiles 4 and 1, 1.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73 to 2.30) for current drinking, aOR 1.68 (CI 1.39 to 2.02) for binge drinking, and aOR 1.80 (1.52 to 2.12) for alcohol susceptibility. Compared to Mexican adolescents, Argentine adolescents were significantly more likely to have engaged in binge drinking (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.76) and, among never drinkers, were more susceptible to try drinking (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.64). Higher levels of exposure to AUF were associated with higher likelihood of alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol susceptibility in Latin American adolescents. Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Changes in regulation of a transcription factor lead to autogamy in cultivated tomatoes.

PubMed

Chen, Kai-Yi; Cong, Bin; Wing, Rod; Vrebalov, Julia; Tanksley, Steven D

2007-10-26

We report the cloning of Style2.1, the major quantitative trait locus responsible for a key floral attribute (style length) associated with the evolution of self-pollination in cultivated tomatoes. The gene encodes a putative transcription factor that regulates cell elongation in developing styles. The transition from cross-pollination to self-pollination was accompanied, not by a change in the STYLE2.1 protein, but rather by a mutation in the Style2.1 promoter that results in a down-regulation of Style2.1 expression during flower development.

[Life style: instrument in health promotion programs].

PubMed

Jiménez, D

1993-05-01

Non communicable diseases are increasing in third world countries, including Chile. Life style is one of the principal factors influencing this increase. Therefore programs and health strategies to modify the population life styles are needed. The programs developed to change life styles depend on the medical sociocultural scenery and the concept becomes outstanding when disease prevention is replaced by health promotion. The requirements for the application of the concept of life style in health promotion plans and fostering of healthy life styles are: 1) Training in behavioral epidemiology. 2) Election of a biopsychosocial concept of life style. 3) Identify the predominant scenery and target population. 4) Choose the appropriate educational methodologies to change behaviors. 5) Formalize strategies according to the boundaries where the program is applied. 6) Specify the qualifying requisites of the change agents, health promoters and program operators.

Hydrogen in drinking water reduces dopaminergic neuronal loss in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Fujita, Kyota; Seike, Toshihiro; Yutsudo, Noriko; Ohno, Mizuki; Yamada, Hidetaka; Yamaguchi, Hiroo; Sakumi, Kunihiko; Yamakawa, Yukiko; Kido, Mizuho A; Takaki, Atsushi; Katafuchi, Toshihiko; Tanaka, Yoshinori; Nakabeppu, Yusaku; Noda, Mami

2009-09-30

It has been shown that molecular hydrogen (H(2)) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant and suppresses brain injury by buffering the effects of oxidative stress. Chronic oxidative stress causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that drinking H(2)-containing water significantly reduced the loss of dopaminergic neurons in PD model mice using both acute and chronic administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The concentration-dependency of H(2) showed that H(2) as low as 0.08 ppm had almost the same effect as saturated H(2) water (1.5 ppm). MPTP-induced accumulation of cellular 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a marker of DNA damage, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a marker of lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased in the nigro-striatal dopaminergic pathway in mice drinking H(2)-containing water, whereas production of superoxide (O(2)*(-)) detected by intravascular injection of dihydroethidium (DHE) was not reduced significantly. Our results indicated that low concentration of H(2) in drinking water can reduce oxidative stress in the brain. Thus, drinking H(2)-containing water may be useful in daily life to prevent or minimize the risk of life style-related oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.

Comparing the AUDIT and 3 Drinking Indices as Predictors of Personal and Social Drinking Problems in Freshman First Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hare, Thomas

2005-01-01

The current study of 376 college freshman adjudicated the first time for breaking university drinking rules tested the predictive power of four alcohol consumption and problem drinking indices--recent changes in drinking (the Alcohol Change Index: ACI), heavy drinking, binge drinking index, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)…

Leadership Styles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzarella, Jo Ann; Smith, Stuart C.

Chapter 2 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter reviews theories of leadership style--the way a leader leads. Although most experts agree that leadership style is important, they disagree concerning style components, leaders' capabilities for changing styles, the effects of personality traits on style, and the desirability of…

Changing the perception of the norm: a strategy to decrease binge drinking among college students.

PubMed

Haines, M; Spear, S F

1996-11-01

A reduction in college students' binge drinking associated with an intervention to change perceptions of drinking norms is described. The 5-year study was conducted at a public residential campus of 23,000 students. A traditional intervention proved unsuccessful, but a media campaign designed to change student perceptions of the amount of binge drinking showed an 18.5% drop in the number of students who perceived binge drinking as the norm (from 69.7% to 51.2%) and a corresponding reduction in self-reported binge drinking of 8.8% (from 43.0% to 34.2%). The apparent effectiveness of this prevention effort suggested that changing college students' perceptions of drinking norms may lower the proportion of students who engage in binge drinking.

Thinking style changes among deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students.

PubMed

Cheng, Sanyin; Zhang, Li-fang

2015-01-01

This study explores how university students' thinking styles changed over a single academic year by twice administering the Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised II to 256 deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) students and 286 hearing students from art and design academic disciplines in China. Results showed that after having studied at the university for one academic year, hearing students showed increased use of Type I thinking styles (more creativity generated, less structured, and more complex) and less use of Type II thinking styles (more norm favoring, more structured, and more simplistic), whereas DHH students demonstrated increased use of both Type I and Type II thinking styles. Moreover, students' changes in thinking styles differed across university class levels. The contributions, limitations, and implications of the present research are discussed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The effect of wheelchair propulsion style on changes in time spent in extreme wrist orientations after a bout of fatiguing propulsion.

PubMed

Zukowski, Lisa A; Hass, Chris J; Shechtman, Orit; Christou, Evangelos A; Tillman, Mark D

2017-10-01

This study compared how wheelchair propulsion styles affect changes in percentage of time spent in extreme wrist orientations, which have been associated with median nerve injury, after a fatiguing bout of propulsion. Twenty novice, non-disabled adult males learned arcing (ARC) and semicircular (SEMI) propulsion styles and utilised each to perform a wheelchair fatigue protocol. ARC and SEMI did not significantly differ in terms of changes after the fatigue protocol in percentage of time spent in extreme flexion/extension or radial/ulnar deviation at the push phase beginning or end. A pattern was observed, although not significant, of greater increases in percentage of time spent in extreme wrist extension and ulnar deviation during the push phase beginning and ulnar deviation during the push phase end while utilising SEMI relative to ARC. This study evinces that individual differences are greater than observed changes in extreme wrist orientations for both propulsion styles. Practitioner Summary: How wheelchair propulsion styles change with fatigue in terms of extreme wrist orientations was examined. This study evinces that individual differences are greater than observed changes in extreme wrist orientations for both propulsion styles and point towards the need for future research on individual differences utilising propulsion styles.

Changes in BSc Business Administration and Psychology Students' Learning Styles over One, Two and Three Years of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Tine

2013-01-01

Knowledge on general or discipline-specific changes in the learning styles of university students can be utilised in the design and execution of courses, but little is known of such changes. The study examined the changes in the learning styles of three year groups of BSc Business Administration and Psychology students from admittance to one, two…

Student-Reported School Drinking Fountain Availability by Youth Characteristics and State Plumbing Codes

PubMed Central

Park, Sohyun; Wilking, Cara

2014-01-01

Introduction Caloric intake among children could be reduced if sugar-sweetened beverages were replaced by plain water. School drinking water infrastructure is dictated in part by state plumbing codes, which generally require a minimum ratio of drinking fountains to students. Actual availability of drinking fountains in schools and how availability differs according to plumbing codes is unknown. Methods We abstracted state plumbing code data and used the 2010 YouthStyles survey data from 1,196 youth aged 9 through 18 years from 47 states. We assessed youth-reported school drinking fountain or dispenser availability and differences in availability according to state plumbing codes, sociodemographic characteristics, and area-level characteristics. Results Overall, 57.3% of youth reported that drinking fountains or dispensers in their schools were widely available, 40.1% reported there were only a few, and 2.6% reported that there were no working fountains. Reported fountain availability differed significantly (P < .01) by race/ethnicity, census region, the fountain to student ratio specified in plumbing codes, and whether plumbing codes allowed substitution of nonplumbed water sources for plumbed fountains. “Widely available” fountain access ranged from 45.7% in the West to 65.4% in the Midwest and was less common where state plumbing codes required 1 fountain per more than 100 students (45.4%) compared with 1 fountain per 100 students (60.1%) or 1 fountain per fewer than 100 students (57.6%). Conclusion Interventions designed to increase consumption of water may want to consider the role of plumbing codes in availability of school drinking fountains. PMID:24742393

Student-reported school drinking fountain availability by youth characteristics and state plumbing codes.

PubMed

Onufrak, Stephen J; Park, Sohyun; Wilking, Cara

2014-04-17

Caloric intake among children could be reduced if sugar-sweetened beverages were replaced by plain water. School drinking water infrastructure is dictated in part by state plumbing codes, which generally require a minimum ratio of drinking fountains to students. Actual availability of drinking fountains in schools and how availability differs according to plumbing codes is unknown. We abstracted state plumbing code data and used the 2010 YouthStyles survey data from 1,196 youth aged 9 through 18 years from 47 states. We assessed youth-reported school drinking fountain or dispenser availability and differences in availability according to state plumbing codes, sociodemographic characteristics, and area-level characteristics. Overall, 57.3% of youth reported that drinking fountains or dispensers in their schools were widely available, 40.1% reported there were only a few, and 2.6% reported that there were no working fountains. Reported fountain availability differed significantly (P < .01) by race/ethnicity, census region, the fountain to student ratio specified in plumbing codes, and whether plumbing codes allowed substitution of nonplumbed water sources for plumbed fountains. "Widely available" fountain access ranged from 45.7% in the West to 65.4% in the Midwest and was less common where state plumbing codes required 1 fountain per more than 100 students (45.4%) compared with 1 fountain per 100 students (60.1%) or 1 fountain per fewer than 100 students (57.6%). Interventions designed to increase consumption of water may want to consider the role of plumbing codes in availability of school drinking fountains.

Learning styles of medical students change in relation to time.

PubMed

Gurpinar, Erol; Bati, Hilal; Tetik, Cihat

2011-09-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate if any changes exist in the learning styles of medical students over time and in relation to different curriculum models with these learning styles. This prospective cohort study was conducted in three different medical faculties, which implement problem-based learning (PBL), hybrid, and integrated curriculum models. The study instruments were Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) and a questionnaire describing the students' demographic characteristics. Sample selection was not done, and all first-year students (n = 547) were targeted. This study was designed in two phases. In the first year, the study instruments were delivered to the target group. The next year, the same instruments were delivered again to those who had fully completed the first questionnaire (n = 525). Of these, 455 students had completed the instruments truly and constituted the study group. The majority of the students were assimilators and convergers in both the first and second years. A change in learning style was observed between 2 yr in 46.9% of the students in the integrated curriculum, in 49.3% of the students in the hybrid curriculum, and 56.4% of the students in the PBL curriculum. The least and most changes observed between the learning style groups were in assimilators and divergers, respectively. Curriculum models and other independent variables had no significant effect on the change between learning styles. The learning styles of medical students may change over time. Further followup studies in larger groups are needed to clarify this relation.

Changes in Life-Style Characteristics, Health, and Mood of Freshman Medical Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Thomas M.; Kissling, Grace E.

1984-01-01

A questionnaire on life-style was completed by freshman medical students at orientation and again seven months later. Life-style changes were related to physical-psychological health and affect mood changes. There was an increase in perceived stress as the school year progressed and a tendency to improve coping effectiveness. (Author/MLW)

Leaders of School Technology Innovation: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Change Facilitator Style Questionnaire (CFSQ)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Feng; Ritzhaupt, Albert; Cavanaugh, Cathy

2013-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to describe a construct validation study of the Change Facilitator Style Questionnaire (CFSQ), an instrument designed to measure the leadership style of school principals as change facilitators. Design/methodology/approach: Participants included 614 K-12 teachers across the state of Florida involved in the Enhancing…

Plain water intake of Korean adults according to life style, anthropometric and dietary characteristic: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2008-2010

PubMed Central

Kim, Jihye

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to provide useful insights into plain water intake of Korean adults according to life style, anthropometric, and dietary characteristics. SUBJECTS/METHODS The data from the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. The subjects were 14,428 aged 20-64 years. Water intake was estimated by asking the question "How much water do you usually consume per day?". Dietary intake was estimated by 24-hour dietary recall. A qualitative food frequency questionnaire including 63 food items was also administered. RESULTS The mean plain water intake for men and women were 6.3 cup/day and 4.6 cup/day, respectively. Plain water intake increased as lean body mass, waist circumference, and body mass index levels increased, except for percentage of body fat. As energy and alcohol intakes increased, plain water intake increased. As total weight of food intake and total volume of food intake increased, plain water intake increased. Plain water intake increased as consumption of vegetables increased. Plain water intake increased as frequencies of green tea, alcoholic drink, and all beverages were increased in men. Plain water intake increased with increased frequencies of green tea, milk, soy milk, and alcoholic drink and decreased frequencies of coffee and soda in women. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that persons who had a higher waist circumference or lean body mass and women with higher BMI consumed more plain water. The persons eating high quality diet, or the persons who had more vegetables, green tea, milk, soy milk, or alcoholic drink consumed more plain water. PMID:25324940

Drinking-water quality management: the Australian framework.

PubMed

Sinclair, Martha; Rizak, Samantha

The most effective means of assuring drinking-water quality and the protection of public health is through adoption of a preventive management approach that encompasses all steps in water production from catchment to consumer. However, the reliance of current regulatory structures on compliance monitoring of treated water tends to promote a reactive management style where corrective actions are initiated after monitoring reveals that prescribed levels have been exceeded, and generally after consumers have received the noncomplying water. Unfortunately, the important limitations of treated water monitoring are often not appreciated, and there is a widespread tendency to assume that intensification of compliance monitoring or lowering of compliance limits is an effective strategy to improving the protection of public health. To address these issues and emphasize the role of preventive system management, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council in collaboration with the Co-operative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment has developed a comprehensive quality management approach for drinking water. This Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality will assist water suppliers in providing a higher level of assurance for drinking water quality and safety. The framework integrates quality and risk management principles, and provides a comprehensive, flexible, and proactive means of optimizing, drinking-water quality and protecting public health. It does not eliminate the requirement for compliance monitoring but allows it to be viewed in the proper perspective as providing verification that preventive measures are effective, rather than as the primary means of protecting public health.

Developing a tablet computer-based application ('App') to measure self-reported alcohol consumption in Indigenous Australians.

PubMed

Lee, K S Kylie; Wilson, Scott; Perry, Jimmy; Room, Robin; Callinan, Sarah; Assan, Robert; Hayman, Noel; Chikritzhs, Tanya; Gray, Dennis; Wilkes, Edward; Jack, Peter; Conigrave, Katherine M

2018-01-15

The challenges of assessing alcohol consumption can be greater in Indigenous communities where there may be culturally distinct approaches to communication, sharing of drinking containers and episodic patterns of drinking. This paper discusses the processes used to develop a tablet computer-based application ('App') to collect a detailed assessment of drinking patterns in Indigenous Australians. The key features of the resulting App are described. An iterative consultation process was used (instead of one-off focus groups), with Indigenous cultural experts and clinical experts. Regular (weekly or more) advice was sought over a 12-month period from Indigenous community leaders and from a range of Indigenous and non-Indigenous health professionals and researchers. The underpinning principles, selected survey items, and key technical features of the App are described. Features include culturally appropriate questioning style and gender-specific voice and images; community-recognised events used as reference points to 'anchor' time periods; 'translation' to colloquial English and (for audio) to traditional language; interactive visual approaches to estimate quantity of drinking; images of specific brands of alcohol, rather than abstract description of alcohol type (e.g. 'spirits'); images of make-shift drinking containers; option to estimate consumption based on the individual's share of what the group drank. With any survey platform, helping participants to accurately reflect on and report their drinking presents a challenge. The availability of interactive, tablet-based technologies enables potential bridging of differences in culture and lifestyle and enhanced reporting.

Components of Brief Alcohol Interventions for Youth in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Walton, Maureen A; Chermack, Stephen T; Blow, Frederic C; Ehrlich, Peter F; Barry, Kristen L; Booth, Brenda M; Cunningham, Rebecca M

2015-01-01

Alcohol brief interventions (BIs) delivered by therapists are promising among underage drinkers in the emergency department (ED); however, integration into routine ED care is lacking. Harnessing technology for identification of at-risk drinkers and delivery of interventions could have tremendous public health impact by addressing practical barriers to implementation. The paper presents baseline, within BI session, and posttest data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) of youth in the ED. Patients (ages 14-20) who screened positive for risky drinking were randomized to computer BI (CBI), therapist BI (TBI), or control. Measures included demographics, alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test--Consumption [AUDIT-C]), process questions, BI components (e.g., strengths, tools), and psychological constructs (i.e., importance of cutting down, likelihood of cutting down, readiness to stop, and wanting help). Among 4389 youth surveyed (13.7% refused), 24.0% (n = 1053) screened positive for risky drinking and 80.3% (n = 836) were enrolled in the RCT; 93.7% (n = 783) completed the posttest. Although similar in content, the TBI included a tailored, computerized workbook to structure the session, whereas the CBI was a stand-alone, offline, Facebook-styled program. As compared with controls, significant increases were found at posttest for the TBI in "importance to cut down" and "readiness to stop" and for the CBI in "importance and likelihood to cut down." BI components positively associated with outcomes at posttest included greater identification of personal strengths, protective behavioral strategies, benefits of change, and alternative activities involving sports. In contrast, providing information during the TBI was negatively related to outcomes at posttest. Initial data suggest that therapist and computer BIs are promising, increasing perceived importance of reducing drinking. In addition, findings provide clues to potentially beneficial components of BIs. Future studies are needed to identify BI components that have the greatest influence on reducing risky drinking behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults.

JPRS Report, China Red Flag No 17, 1 September 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-17

child drinks Coca Cola ; the parents wear low quality clothes and cloth shoes while the child wears Western-style suits and leather shoes. But some...job in handling the relationship between the state and enterprises, and making complete and perfect the operational mechanism of enterprises, our...he refused to turn off his light at bedtime because he wanted to read novels. So, his relationships with his fellow students were not harmonious

College Drinking - Changing the Culture

MedlinePlus

... Out More about college alcohol policies College Drinking - Changing the Culture This is your one-stop resource for comprehensive ... Help Read More about special features College Drinking - Changing the Culture This is your one-stop resource for comprehensive ...

Toward the Style of the Community Change Educator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Richard

Variations and implications of change agents' patterns or styles of interaction with client systems (individuals, groups, or multigroups) are discussed. Five styles are defined: (1) the instructor, who imparts information to clients and interacts only with his agency; (2) the paterfamilias, who exercises personal, paternalistic influence and…

Hydrogen in Drinking Water Reduces Dopaminergic Neuronal Loss in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Fujita, Kyota; Seike, Toshihiro; Yutsudo, Noriko; Ohno, Mizuki; Yamada, Hidetaka; Yamaguchi, Hiroo; Sakumi, Kunihiko; Yamakawa, Yukiko; Kido, Mizuho A.; Takaki, Atsushi; Katafuchi, Toshihiko; Tanaka, Yoshinori

2009-01-01

It has been shown that molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant and suppresses brain injury by buffering the effects of oxidative stress. Chronic oxidative stress causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that drinking H2-containing water significantly reduced the loss of dopaminergic neurons in PD model mice using both acute and chronic administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The concentration-dependency of H2 showed that H2 as low as 0.08 ppm had almost the same effect as saturated H2 water (1.5 ppm). MPTP-induced accumulation of cellular 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a marker of DNA damage, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a marker of lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased in the nigro-striatal dopaminergic pathway in mice drinking H2-containing water, whereas production of superoxide (O2•−) detected by intravascular injection of dihydroethidium (DHE) was not reduced significantly. Our results indicated that low concentration of H2 in drinking water can reduce oxidative stress in the brain. Thus, drinking H2-containing water may be useful in daily life to prevent or minimize the risk of life style-related oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. PMID:19789628

Association between reported screening and counseling about energy drinks and energy drink intake among U.S. adolescents.

PubMed

Kumar, Gayathri Suresh; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen

2014-02-01

Possible adverse health consequences of excessive energy drink (ED) consumption have led to recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics discouraging ED intake by youth. However, limited information on ED counseling by health care providers exists. Data was obtained from the 2011 YouthStyles Survey administered to youth aged 12-17 (n=815). The outcome variable was ED consumption (none vs. ≥1 time/week) and exposure variables were screening and counseling about ED (if doctor/nurse asked about ED consumption and if doctor/nurse recommended against ED consumption). Approximately 8.5% of youth consumed energy drinks weekly, 11.5% reported being asked by their doctor/nurse about frequency of ED consumption, and 11.1% were advised by their doctor/nurse against ED intake. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds for drinking ED ≥1 time/week was significantly higher in youth who were asked how often they drank ED by their doctor/nurse (odds ratio=2.46) vs. those who were not asked. About 1 in 9 youth reported receiving counseling discouraging ED consumption from their doctor/nurse, and a greater proportion of youth who were screened about ED also reported ED consumption. Efforts by health care providers to educate youth about potential harms of consuming ED are needed. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Gender differences and gender convergence in alcohol use over the past three decades (1984-2008), The HUNT Study, Norway.

PubMed

Bratberg, Grete Helen; C Wilsnack, Sharon; Wilsnack, Richard; Håvås Haugland, Siri; Krokstad, Steinar; Sund, Erik Reidar; Bjørngaard, Johan Haakon

2016-08-05

To examine changes in men's and women's drinking in Norway over a 20-year period, in order to learn whether such changes have led to gender convergence in alcohol drinking. Repeated cross-sectional studies (in 1984-86, 1995-97, and 2006-08) of a large general population living in a geographically defined area (county) in Norway. Information about alcohol drinking is based on self-report questionnaires. Not all measures were assessed in all three surveys. Adult alcohol drinking patterns have changed markedly over a 20-year period. Abstaining has become rarer while consumption and rates of recent drinking and problematic drinking have increased. Most changes were in the same direction for men and women, but women have moved towards men's drinking patterns in abstaining, recent drinking, problematic drinking and consumption. Intoxication (among recent drinkers) has decreased in both genders, but more in men than in women. The declines in gender differences, however, were age-specific and varied depending on which drinking behavior and which beverage was taken into account. There has been a gender convergence in most drinking behaviours, including lifetime history of problem drinking, over the past 2-3 decades in this Norwegian general population, but the reasons for this convergence appear to be complex.

Age-Related Changes in Associations Between Reasons for Alcohol Use and High-Intensity Drinking Across Young Adulthood.

PubMed

Patrick, Megan E; Evans-Polce, Rebecca; Kloska, Deborah D; Maggs, Jennifer L; Lanza, Stephanie T

2017-07-01

Analyses focus on whether self-reported reasons for drinking alcohol change in their associations with high-intensity drinking across the transition to adulthood. Self-report data on high-intensity drinking (10+ drinks) collected from the national Monitoring the Future study in 2005 to 2014 from those ages 18-26 were used (N = 2,664 [60% women] for all drinkers and 1,377 for heavy episodic [5+] drinkers; up to 6,541 person-waves). Time-varying effect modeling examined changes in the direction and magnitude of associations between eight reasons for drinking and high-intensity alcohol use across continuous age. Four reasons to drink showed quite stable associations with high-intensity drinking across age: drinking to get away from problems, to get high, to relax, and to sleep. Associations between two reasons and high-intensity drinking decreased with age: anger/frustration and to have a good time. The association between drinking because of boredom and high-intensity drinking increased with age. Drinking because it tastes good had a weak association with high-intensity drinking. Among heavy episodic drinkers, reasons for use also differentiated high-intensity drinking, with two exceptions: drinking to have a good time and to relax did not distinguish drinking 10+ drinks from drinking 5-9 drinks. Reasons for drinking are differentially associated with high-intensity drinking, compared with any other drinking and compared with lower intensity heavy drinking, across age during the transition to adulthood. Intervention programs seeking to mitigate alcohol-related harms should focus on reasons for use when they are the most developmentally salient.

The variable effects of stress on alcohol use from adolescence to early adulthood.

PubMed

Aseltine, R H; Gore, S L

2000-04-01

Despite evidence of a strong association between stress and level of drinking in adolescent populations, the role of stress in accounting for changes in drinking behavior throughout the adolescent years is unclear. This study uses a linear growth curve analysis to examine the determinants of within-individual changes in drinking frequency and binge drinking across five waves of data from a community sample of adolescents who were followed into young adulthood. Predictors of drinking include: stressful life events, parental and peer social support, and parental and peer relationship problems. Findings indicate significant effects of stressful life events and parental support and conflict on both the frequency and intensity of alcohol use. Although age-related changes in these variables coincide with changes in drinking behavior, they do not account for drinking variability over this period. Results from conditional models demonstrate that the impact of the stress is contingent on age, and that the strong associations between drinking and stress evidenced during the high school years weaken considerably as individuals move into their late teens and early twenties. Discussion centers on the complex motivations for and facilitators of drinking as young people mature and change environments over the adolescent years.

On the Outs: Learning Styles, Resistance to Change, and Teacher Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overbay, Amy; Patterson, Ashley Seaton; Grable, Lisa

2009-01-01

This study examined the relationship between learning style, level of resistance to change, and teacher retention in schools implementing an intensive schoolwide technology and media integration model. Researchers found that teachers with ST (sensing-thinking) and SF (sensing-feeling) learning style preferences, as described by the Myers-Briggs…

Espresso coffee consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in a large Italian cohort.

PubMed

Grioni, Sara; Agnoli, Claudia; Sieri, Sabina; Pala, Valeria; Ricceri, Fulvio; Masala, Giovanna; Saieva, Calogero; Panico, Salvatore; Mattiello, Amalia; Chiodini, Paolo; Tumino, Rosario; Frasca, Graziella; Iacoviello, Licia; de Curtis, Amalia; Vineis, Paolo; Krogh, Vittorio

2015-01-01

The relationship between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been investigated in several studies with discrepant results. We examined the association between Italian-style (espresso and mocha) coffee consumption and CHD risk. We investigated 12,800 men and 30,449 women without history of cardiovascular disease recruited to the EPICOR prospective cohort study. Coffee consumption was assessed at baseline. In a random sub-cohort of 1472 subjects, plasma triglycerides, and total, LDL and HDL cholesterol were determined to investigate the effect of coffee consumption on plasma lipids. After a mean follow up of 10.9 years, 804 cases of CHD (500 acute events, 56 fatal events and 248 revascularizations, all first events) were identified. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for CHD were: 1.18 (95% CI 0.87-1.60) for drinking 1-2 cups/day, 1.37 (95% CI 1.03-1.82) for >2-4 cups/day and 1.52 (95% CI 1.11-2.07) for over 4 cups/day (P trend <0.001) compared to reference (<1 cup/day). Plasma triglycerides, and total, LDL and HDL cholesterol did not vary significantly (ANOVA) with coffee consumption. Consumption of over 2 cups/day of Italian-style coffee is associated with increased CHD risk, but coffee consumption was not associated with plasma lipid changes, so the adverse effect of consumption appears unrelated to lipid profile.

'From Kava to Lager'--alcohol consumption and drinking patterns for older adults of Pacific ethnic groups, and Europeans in the Diabetes Heart and Health Study (DHAHS) 2002-2003, Auckland New Zealand.

PubMed

Sundborn, Gerhard; Metcalf, Patricia A; Gentles, Dudley; Scragg, Robert; Schaaf, David; Dyall, Lorna; Black, Peter; Jackson, Rod

2009-02-01

This paper describes and compares alcohol consumption and drinking patterns for Pacific ethnic groups (Samoan, Tongan, Niue, Cook Islands) and European New Zealanders by gender participating in the 2002-03 Diabetes Heart and Health Study (DHAHS). The DHAHS was a cross-sectional population based study of people age 35-74 years carried out in Auckland between 2002-03. A total of 1011 Pacific people comprising of 484 Samoan, 252 Tongan, 109 Niuean, 116 Cook Islanders and 47 'Other Pacific' (mainly Fijian) and 1745 European participants took part in the survey Participants answered a self-administered questionnaire to assess whether they consumed alcohol, their drinking patterns and consumption levels and reasons for stopping drinking. Approximately half (51.3%) of all Pacific people did not currently drink compared to 6.2% of the European population. Of 'non-drinkers'--never Drinking'was significantly more common in Pacific (40%) compared to Europeans (13%) p < 0.0001. Ex-drinkers comprised 6.3% of the 'ever-drank' population for European compared to 27.6% for Pacific. The majority of Pacific men and women drinkers (>60%) consumed alcohol 'weekly' or 'less than weekly'. In contrast the majority of European men and women drinkers (>60%) consumed alcohol '2-3 days per week' or 'daily'. European men were significantly more likely to drink wine and spirits, and European women were significantly more likely to drink wine than their Pacific counterparts. Pacific drinkers consumed an average of 6.9 drinks on a typical occasion and 82 mls of pure alcohol per week, compared to 3.6 drinks and 126 mls per week for Europeans. Middle-aged and older Pacific adults are less likely to consume alcohol than Europeans however those who drink consume more on a typical occasion but drink less regularly resulting in lower weekly consumption of pure alcohol. Drinking patterns in these Pacific adults tend to show substantial diversity by age (older are less likely to drink), sex (women less likely to drink), and financial deprivation (middle groups consume more than least and most financially deprived). For Europeans a more homogenous drinking style prevailed by age, sex, and deprivation. Pacific drinkers were also approximately five times more likely to stop drinking compared to Europeans, citing family and social reasons as their main motivation for stopping drinking.

Differences in change in coping styles between good responders, moderate responders and non-responders to pulmonary rehabilitation.

PubMed

Stoilkova-Hartmann, Ana; Janssen, Daisy J A; Franssen, Frits M E; Wouters, Emiel F M

2015-12-01

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves exercise tolerance and health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data on the effects of PR on coping styles are limited. Aim of the present study was to compare changes in coping styles between patients who had a good, moderate and no improvement in either exercise tolerance or health status after PR. Coping styles of 439 COPD patients undergoing PR were assessed by the Utrecht Coping List (UCL) at baseline and after PR. Patients' pulmonary function, six-minute walking distance (6MWD), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D) were recorded. Good, moderate and non-responders were defined on the basis of minimally clinically important difference (MCID) for SGRQ total score and/or 6MWD. Overall, 54.0% of the patients fulfilled the criteria for good responders, while 22.1% were moderate responders. Change in passive reaction pattern coping style differed significantly between good responders and non-responders following PR (p < 0.001). Moreover, within the groups, changes in coping styles after PR occurred among the good responders, whereas the majority of moderate responders' and non-responders' coping styles were not significantly influenced by PR. Good responders decreased their passive reaction pattern coping style in contrast to non-responders after PR. In general, PR did not change the coping among moderate and non-responders. Further research is warranted to determine whether including interventions targeting coping styles may modify coping behaviour of COPD patients, as well as improvement in exercise tolerance or health status after PR. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heavy Drinking on College Campuses: No Reason to Change Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saylor, Drew K.

2011-01-01

The recent Amethyst Initiative argues that a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21 has created a culture of heavy alcohol use on college campuses by making drinking clandestine and extreme. This group and others argue that lowering the MLDA will reduce the problem of "binge drinking" on college campuses. However, such a policy change would…

Changes in social roles as predictors of changes in drinking behaviour.

PubMed

Hajema, K J; Knibbe, R A

1998-11-01

To assess the possible effects of changes in marital status, employment status and having children at home on alcohol consumption and the frequency of heavy drinking. With role theory as a starting point it was expected that a shift into more social roles would decrease consumption and heavy drinking while the shift away from social roles would be associated with an increase in consumption and heavy drinking. Prospective cohort study. The province of Limburg, The Netherlands (1980-89). 1327 men and women aged 16-69 years at first measurement. Weekly consumption of standard units (10 g ethanol) of alcoholic beverages; frequency of drinking six units or more; self-reported social role. The acquisition of a spouse role and a parental role but not an employment role was associated with a decrease in consumption or heavy drinking. The loss of the spouse role among women was associated with an increase in heavy drinking. Otherwise, losing a role was not linked with a change in consumption and heavy drinking. Limited support was found for the expectation that role transitions influence drinking behaviour. Our study suggests that other theories must be sought to explain social differences in drinking behaviour.

Personal and contextual factors in the escalation of driving after drinking across the college years.

PubMed

Quinn, Patrick D; Fromme, Kim

2012-12-01

College students continue to drive after drinking at alarmingly high rates. Age trends suggest that driving after drinking increases from late adolescence across the college years, largely mirroring trends in binge drinking. Relatively little research, however, has examined change over time in driving after drinking among college students or tested whether some students might be at greater risk of escalations in driving after drinking. Using a sample of 1,833 nonabstaining students who completed surveys for seven semesters across the college years, we tested whether personal (i.e., age of drinking onset, gender, risk perceptions, and sensation seeking) and contextual (i.e., college residence) factors were associated with changes in driving after drinking. Using latent growth curve modeling, we found significant individual differences in rates of change in driving after drinking. Male students and students who began drinking earlier in life increased in driving after drinking more rapidly, whereas living in on-campus housing was associated with time-specific decreases in driving after drinking. These results demonstrate the value of considering driving after drinking from a longitudinal perspective and suggest possible avenues toward preventing the public health consequences of intoxicated driving. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Personal and Contextual Factors in the Escalation of Driving after Drinking Across the College Years

PubMed Central

Quinn, Patrick D.; Fromme, Kim

2014-01-01

College students continue to drive after drinking at alarmingly high rates. Age trends suggest that driving after drinking increases from late adolescence across the college years, largely mirroring trends in binge drinking. Relatively little research, however, has examined change over time in driving after drinking among college students or tested whether some students might be at greater risk of escalations in driving after drinking. Using a sample of 1,833 non-abstaining students who completed surveys for 7 semesters across the college years, we tested whether personal (i.e., age of drinking onset, gender, risk perceptions, and sensation seeking) and contextual (i.e., college residence) factors were associated with changes in driving after drinking. Using latent growth curve modeling, we found significant individual differences in rates of change in driving after drinking. Male students and students who began drinking earlier in life increased in driving after drinking more rapidly, whereas living in on-campus housing was associated with time-specific decreases in driving after drinking. These results demonstrate the value of considering driving after drinking from a longitudinal perspective and suggest possible avenues toward preventing the public health consequences of intoxicated driving. PMID:22229535

Now That the Law Has Changed: Assessing the Impact of the 21 Year Old Drinking Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Terry; And Others

To determine the effects of raising the legal drinking age on the drinking patterns of college students, especially those whose status changed from legal to illegal, a survey was designed and administered to college students before and after the legal drinking age was changed from 19 to 21. College students (N=799) completed surveys in April of…

Learning Styles: Fashion Fad or Lever for Change? The Application of Learning Style Theory to Inclusive Curriculum Delivery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Jan

2002-01-01

Examines how four classifications of learning styles--field dependence/independence, holistic/sequential, styles linked to the experiential learning cycle, and "deep" and "surface" learning--relate to curriculum values. Draws on research at Sheffield Hallam University into the learning styles of General National Vocational…

"Periodic-table-style" paper device for monitoring heavy metals in water.

PubMed

Li, Miaosi; Cao, Rong; Nilghaz, Azadeh; Guan, Liyun; Zhang, Xiwang; Shen, Wei

2015-03-03

If a paper-based analytical device (μ-PAD) could be made by printing indicators for detection of heavy metals in chemical symbols of the metals in a style of the periodic table of elements, it could be possible for such μ-PAD to report the presence and the safety level of heavy metal ions in water simultaneously and by text message. This device would be able to provide easy solutions to field-based monitoring of heavy metals in industrial wastewater discharges and in irrigating and drinking water. Text-reporting could promptly inform even nonprofessional users of the water quality. This work presents a proof of concept study of this idea. Cu(II), Ni(II), and Cr(VI) were chosen to demonstrate the feasibility, specificity, and reliability of paper-based text-reporting devices for monitoring heavy metals in water.

Learning Styles of Medical Students Change in Relation to Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurpinar, Erol; Bati, Hilal; Tetik, Cihat

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate if any changes exist in the learning styles of medical students over time and in relation to different curriculum models with these learning styles. This prospective cohort study was conducted in three different medical faculties, which implement problem-based learning (PBL), hybrid, and integrated…

Forecasting land cover change impacts on drinking water treatment costs in Minneapolis, Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woznicki, S. A.; Wickham, J.

2017-12-01

Source protection is a critical aspect of drinking water treatment. The benefits of protecting source water quality in reducing drinking water treatment costs are clear. However, forecasting the impacts of environmental change on source water quality and its potential to influence future treatment processes is lacking. The drinking water treatment plant in Minneapolis, MN has recognized that land cover change threatens water quality in their source watershed, the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). Over 1,000 km2 of forests, wetlands, and grasslands in the UMRB were lost to agriculture from 2008-2013. This trend, coupled with a projected population increase of one million people in Minnesota by 2030, concerns drinking water treatment plant operators in Minneapolis with respect to meeting future demand for clean water in the UMRB. The objective of this study is to relate land cover change (forest and wetland loss, agricultural expansion, urbanization) to changes in treatment costs for the Minneapolis, MN drinking water utility. To do this, we first developed a framework to determine the relationship between land cover change and water quality in the context of recent historical changes and projected future changes in land cover. Next we coupled a watershed model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to projections of land cover change from the FOREcasting SCEnarios of Land-use Change (FORE-SCE) model for the mid-21st century. Using historical Minneapolis drinking water treatment data (chemical usage and costs), source water quality in the UMRB was linked to changes in treatment requirements as a function of projected future land cover change. These analyses will quantify the value of natural landscapes in protecting drinking water quality and future treatment processes requirements. In addition, our study provides the Minneapolis drinking water utility with information critical to their planning and capital improvement process.

Critical thinking in higher education: The influence of teaching styles and peer collaboration on science and math learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quitadamo, Ian Joseph

Many higher education faculty perceive a deficiency in students' ability to reason, evaluate, and make informed judgments, skills that are deemed necessary for academic and job success in science and math. These skills, often collected within a domain called critical thinking (CT), have been studied and are thought to be influenced by teaching styles (the combination of beliefs, behavior, and attitudes used when teaching) and small group collaborative learning (SGCL). However, no existing studies show teaching styles and SGCL cause changes in student CT performance. This study determined how combinations of teaching styles called clusters and peer-facilitated SGCL (a specific form of SGCL) affect changes in undergraduate student CT performance using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test research design and valid and reliable CT performance indicators. Quantitative analyses of three teaching style cluster models (Grasha's cluster model, a weighted cluster model, and a student-centered/teacher-centered cluster model) and peer-facilitated SGCL were performed to evaluate their ability to cause measurable changes in student CT skills. Based on results that indicated weighted teaching style clusters and peer-facilitated SGCL are associated with significant changes in student CT, we conclude that teaching styles and peer-facilitated SGCL influence the development of undergraduate CT in higher education science and math.

Oral nutritional supplementation increases caloric and protein intake in peritoneal dialysis patients.

PubMed

Boudville, Neil; Rangan, Anna; Moody, Harry

2003-03-01

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. Attempts to improve nutritional status with enteral supplements have yielded poor results. We performed a crossover-design trial on 13 PD patients to investigate whether these patients reduce their food intake after drinking oral nutritional supplements. Patients attended three visits in which they were administered a standard oral nutritional supplement either 2 hours or 30 minutes before lunch or a placebo drink 30 minutes before lunch. Lunch was provided as a self-select buffet-style meal, and food intake was measured. Total intake was calculated by adding the nutritional content of the oral supplement. Patients showed poor food intake, with mean values equaling only 18% of the recommended daily intake for calories and 34% for protein. Drinking the supplement 2 hours before lunch resulted in a significant increase compared with the placebo visit in total caloric (430 to 843 kcal; P < 0.001) and protein intake (27.6 to 41.3 g; P = 0.006). No significant difference in total intake was detected between drinking the supplement 2 hours versus 30 minutes before lunch. These results indicate that oral nutritional supplements administered before a meal may significantly increase caloric and protein intakes of PD patients. Copyright 2003 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.

Developmental Changes in Conflict Resolution Styles in Parent-Adolescent Relationships: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Doorn, Muriel D.; Branje, Susan J. T.; Meeus, Wim H. J.

2011-01-01

In this study, changes in three conflict resolution styles in parent-adolescent relationships were investigated: positive problem solving, conflict engagement, and withdrawal. Questionnaires about these conflict resolution styles were completed by 314 early adolescents (M = 13.3 years; 50.6% girls) and both parents for four consecutive years.…

The Swedish Principal: Leadership Style, Decision-Making Style, and Motivation Profile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Per H.; Andersen, Jon Aarum

2007-01-01

The Swedish schools have been under pressure for change for several decades. How leaders behave can be of vital importance in times of change. The principal is responsible for both the educational program and for the school budget. Two hundred Swedish principals (male and female) responded to questionnaires concerning their leadership style,…

The Impact of a Hospital Based Educational Program on Adolescent Attitudes toward Drinking and Driving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dearing, Beverly; And Others

1991-01-01

Adolescents (n=351) who participated in High Risk Adolescent Trauma Prevention Program toured hospital shock trauma unit. Pretest-posttest findings revealed marked changes in participants' attitudes toward driving after drinking, riding with someone who had been drinking, and preventing friend from drinking and driving. Attitude changes were still…

Teen Drinking Prevention Program: Teen Action Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

This guide was designed to help teenagers become involved in fun, alcohol-free activities. It provides youth with ideas on how to influence and change the factors that encourage teenage drinking. The guide has four purposes: (1) raise public awareness of the underage drinking crisis; (2) change community norms that encourage underage drinking; (3)…

Perceived parenting style and adolescent adjustment: revisiting directions of effects and the role of parental knowledge.

PubMed

Kerr, Margaret; Stattin, Håkan; Ozdemir, Metin

2012-11-01

In the present research on parenting and adolescent behavior, there is much focus on reciprocal, bidirectional, and transactional processes, but parenting-style research still adheres to a unidirectional perspective in which parents affect youth behavior but are unaffected by it. In addition, many of the most cited parenting-style studies have used measures of parental behavioral control that are questionable because they include measures of parental knowledge. The goals of this study were to determine whether including knowledge items might have affected results of past studies and to test the unidirectional assumption. Data were from 978 adolescents participating in a longitudinal study. Parenting-style and adolescent adjustment measures at 2 time points were used, with a 2-year interval between time points. A variety of internal and external adjustment measures were used. Results showed that including knowledge items in measures of parental behavioral control elevated links between behavioral control and adjustment. Thus, the results and conclusions of many of the most highly cited studies are likely to have been stronger than if the measures had focused strictly on parental behavior. In addition, adolescent adjustment predicted changes in authoritative and neglectful parenting styles more robustly than these styles predicted changes in adolescent adjustment. Adolescent adjustment also predicted changes in authoritativeness more robustly than authoritativeness predicted changes in adjustment. Thus, parenting style cannot be seen as independent of the adolescent. In summary, both the theoretical premises of parenting-style research and the prior findings should be revisited.

Changes in Leisure Styles and Satisfaction of Older People: A Five Years Follow-Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagliardi, Cristina; Spazzafumo, Liana; Papa, Roberta; Marcellini, Fiorella

2012-01-01

The present study examines the leisure style and leisure satisfaction of a sample of older people at baseline and after a period of 5 years. Three groups were identified by factorial and cluster analyses and labelled under the headings of: Organised Style, Surrounding Style and Indoor Style. Each group represented a different typology of leisure,…

Ammonia pollution characteristics of centralized drinking water sources in China.

PubMed

Fu, Qing; Zheng, Binghui; Zhao, Xingru; Wang, Lijing; Liu, Changming

2012-01-01

The characteristics of ammonia in drinking water sources in China were evaluated during 2005-2009. The spatial distribution and seasonal changes of ammonia in different types of drinking water sources of 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities were investigated. The levels of ammonia in drinking water sources follow the order of river > lake/reservoir > groundwater. The levels of ammonia concentration in river sources gradually decreased from 2005 to 2008, while no obvious change was observed in the lakes/reservoirs and groundwater drinking water sources. The proportion of the type of drinking water sources is different in different regions. In river drinking water sources, the ammonia level was varied in different regions and changed seasonally. The highest value and wide range of annual ammonia was found in South East region, while the lowest value was found in Southwest region. In lake/reservoir drinking water sources, the ammonia levels were not varied obviously in different regions. In underground drinking water sources, the ammonia levels were varied obviously in different regions due to the geological permeability and the natural features of regions. In the drinking water sources with higher ammonia levels, there are enterprises and wastewater drainages in the protected areas of the drinking water sources.

[Personality traits of drivers serving a custodial sentence for drink driving].

PubMed

Pawłowska, Beata; Rzeszutko, Ewa

2015-01-01

The aim of the work was the analysis of personality traits of men serving a custodial sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol. The study included 44 males serving a custodial sentence for drink driving, 45 males serving a custodial sentence for assault and robbery as well as 32 men with no criminal record, who had never driven a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The following research methods were used during the study: the Socio-demographic Questionnaire designed by the authors, the KRS, the Cattell's IPAT, the NI, the ACL and the Life style Questionnaire. The obtained results indicate significant statistical differences between the men serving the custodial sentence for drink driving as regards stress coping, anxiety level, intensified need to look for new experiences as well as anti-social personality traits. The men serving a custodial sentence for drink driving show intensified traits of antisocial personality, higher level of anxiety, intensified impulsiveness irritability, distrust, aggression, egocentrism, eccentricity, intensified need for recognition, breaking social standards, experiencing various stimuli, new impressions, greater adaptation difficulties, less self-discipline, lower self-esteem as well as more frequently used destructive, escapist and emotional stress coping strategies as compared to the people with no criminal record, who never drove while under the influence of alcohol. As regards the intensity of personality disorders, stress coping strategies and self-image no significant differences were found between the men serving a custodial sentence for drink driving and those imprisoned for assault and robbery.

Effect of diet, life style, and other environmental/chemopreventive factors on colorectal cancer development, and assessment of the risks.

PubMed

Ahmed, Farid E

2004-01-01

This review presents a comprehensive, evenhanded evaluation of the evidence from experimental, in vitro and human studies associating environmental and therapeutic factors with risk of colorectal cancer. Life styles correlated with the greatest increase in colorectal cancer risk are the ones that typify a diet rich in fat and calories, alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking, and low intake of vegetable, fruits and fibers, referred to as a "western diet," as well as sedentary style (i.e., no- or low-exercise). This kind of life style has also been associated with other chronic diseases (other cancers, obesity, dyslipedemia, diabetes, hypertension cardiovascular, and hypertension). The evidence does not implicated red meat as a risk factor, and fiber has been shown to protect against colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. Calcium, vitamin D, folate, and some antioxidant vitamins and minerals (gamma-tocopherol and selenium) have protective effects, and daily exercise for > or =30 min results in a significant decrease in risk. Estrogen use (hormone replacement therapy) substantially reduces colorectal cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., aspirin) in excessive doses is protective, especially in high risk populations, but the side effects of its use and cost incurred due to its continued intake over long periods must be carefully scrutinized before any recommendations are made for the general public.

Divergent drinking patterns and factors affecting homemade alcohol consumption (the case of Russia).

PubMed

Radaev, Vadim

2016-08-01

Unrecorded homemade alcohol consumption has been less examined in the literature. Previous studies of homemade alcohol in Russia have almost entirely focused upon the use of samogon (moonshine) attributed to the northern style of drinking. No systematic analysis is available regarding the production and consumption of homemade wine. This paper explores the drinking patterns demonstrated by consumers of samogon and homemade wine in Russia. The main factors affecting the consumption of these beverages are investigated. Data were collected from a 2014 nationwide survey of 14,986 respondents aged 15+ years. Beverage preferences, volume of consumed alcohol, drinking habits, and alcohol availability were the main measures reported. Demographic, socio-economic, spatial, and policy-related factors affecting homemade alcohol consumption are examined using logistic regression. The percentages of samogon and homemade wine consumers were similar, although a greater volume of samogon in pure alcohol was consumed compared to homemade wine. The groups of samogon and homemade wine consumers showed very little overlap. Unlike homemade wine consumers, samogon drinkers consumed larger amounts of alcohol and were more engaged in frequent and excessive drinking, drinking without meals and drinking in marginal public settings. Gender, education, regional affiliation, and type of residence showed opposite associations with regard to the consumption of samogon and homemade wine. Availability of homemade alcohol in the neighbourhood was the most influential predictor due to respondents' own production, presence of homemade alcohol in friendship networks and at illegal market. The prices of manufactured alcohol and the consumption of homemade alcohol did not show significant relationships. Consumers of samogon and homemade wine demonstrate contrasting drinking patterns that are largely driven by different factors. Samogon is consumed in a more hazardous manner, whereas homemade wine is consumed in a more moderate and law-abiding way. Illegal commercial samogon should be a special concern for alcohol policy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Examining Leadership Style Influence on Engagement in a National Change Process: Implications for Leadership Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamm, Alexa J.; Lamm, Kevan W.; Rodriguez, Mary T.; Owens, Courtney T.

2016-01-01

Individuals expected to offer leadership are often chosen based on their power position within the field of interest and specialization in the context area being addressed and not on their leadership style. Leadership education curriculum often focuses on change as a product of leadership and leadership styles but places little emphasis on how the…

The influence of parenting style on health related behavior of children: findings from the ChiBS study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objective Exploring associations between parenting behavior and children’s health related behavior including physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet and sleep. Methods We recruited 288 parents and their children (6-12y old). Children’s weight and height were measured. Fat percentage was determined by air displacement plethysmography. Parents reported socio-demographic data, sleep information, physical activity and sedentary behavior of their child and completed the Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire (CGPQ) and a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Children completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Associations between parenting behavior (CGPQ) and children’s health related behavior were assessed with univariate and multiple regression analyses. Results A small positive correlation was found between sweet food consumption frequency and “coercive control” (r = 0.139) and a small negative correlation between fruit and vegetables consumption frequency and “overprotection” (r = −0.151). Children consumed more frequently soft drinks when their parents scored lower on “structure” (r = −0.124) and higher on “overprotection” (r = 0.123); for the light soft drinks separately, a small positive correlation with “behavioral control” was found (r = 0.172). A small negative correlation was found between “emotional eating” and “structure” (r = −0.172) as well as “behavioral control” (r = −0.166). “Coercive control” was negatively correlated with the child’s sleep duration (r = −0.171). After correction for confounding factors, the following significant associations were found: (1) a small negative association between “structure” and soft drinks consumption (β = −0.17 for all soft drinks and −0.22 for light soft drinks), (2) a small positive association between “behavioral control” and light soft drinks (β = 0.34), (3) a small positive association of “nurturance” and “coercive control” with sedentary behavior (β = 0.16 for both parent constructs) and (4) a small negative association between the parenting construct “coercive control” and sleep duration (β = −0.23). Conclusion The significant but small associations between parenting constructs and the investigated variables suggest that different aspects of parenting style play an important role in the genesis of the health related behavior of children. Overall, our findings suggest that health professionals should encourage parents to apply the more positive parenting constructs i.e., more “structure” and “behavioral control”, and less “coercive control”. They could, for instance, supervise and manage their child’s activities and help their child to achieve certain goals. PMID:25052905

Brief motivational intervention for college drinking: the synergistic impact of social anxiety and perceived drinking norms.

PubMed

Terlecki, Meredith A; Buckner, Julia D; Larimer, Mary E; Copeland, Amy L

2012-12-01

Despite the efficacy of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), students with higher social anxiety appear vulnerable to poorer outcomes. A possible explanation for these outcomes is that corrective normative feedback (an active component of BASICS) may be less effective for socially anxious students if their beliefs about others' drinking are less malleable because of intense fear of negative evaluation for deviating from perceived drinking norms. This study evaluated whether socially anxious students demonstrated less change in perceived norms during BASICS. We also examined whether change in norm endorsement moderated the relation between social anxiety and BASICS outcomes. Undergraduates (n = 52) who underwent BASICS completed measures of drinking, social anxiety, and perceived norms at baseline and 4 weeks post-BASICS. Higher social anxiety was related to less change in norm endorsement after receiving BASICS. Change in perceived norms during treatment moderated the relation between social anxiety and follow-up drinking. Among students with smaller change in norm endorsement after BASICS, higher social anxiety was related to heavier follow-up drinking. Among students with greater changes to norm endorsement during BASICS, the effect of social anxiety was nonsignificant. Results suggest that corrective perceived norms interventions may be less effective among socially anxious students, contributing to continued heavy drinking. Development of social anxiety-specific BASICS components warrants attention. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Brief Motivational Intervention for College Drinking: The Synergistic Impact of Social Anxiety and Perceived Drinking Norms

PubMed Central

Terlecki, Meredith A.; Buckner, Julia D.; Larimer, Mary E.; Copeland, Amy L.

2012-01-01

Despite the efficacy of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), students with higher social anxiety appear vulnerable to poorer outcomes. A possible explanation for these outcomes is that corrective normative feedback (an active component of BASICS) may be less effective for socially anxious students if their beliefs about others’ drinking are less malleable due to intense fear of negative evaluation for deviating from perceived drinking norms. This study evaluated whether socially anxious students demonstrated less change in perceived norms during BASICS. We also examined whether change in norm endorsement moderated the relation between social anxiety and BASICS outcomes. Undergraduates (N = 52) who underwent BASICS completed measures of drinking, social anxiety, and perceived norms at baseline and 4-weeks post-BASICS. Higher social anxiety was related to less change in norm endorsement after receiving BASICS. Change in perceived norms during treatment moderated the relation between social anxiety and follow-up drinking. Among students with smaller change in norm endorsement after BASICS, higher social anxiety was related to heavier follow-up drinking. Among students with greater changes to norm endorsement during BASICS, the effect of social anxiety was non-significant. Results suggest that corrective perceived norms interventions may be less effective among socially anxious students, contributing to continued heavy drinking. Development of social anxiety-specific BASICS components warrants attention. PMID:22612254

Change in college students' perceived parental permissibility of alcohol use and its relation to college drinking.

PubMed

Calhoun, Brian H; Maggs, Jennifer L; Loken, Eric

2018-01-01

College students who perceive their parents to hold permissive views about their alcohol use engage in heavier drinking. However, few studies have assessed perceived parental permissibility of alcohol use (PPP) longitudinally across the later college years, and few have assessed variation in changes in PPP and whether or not these changes differentially predict drinking. This study assessed whether PPP changed across college and used two approaches to determine whether PPP predicted binge drinking frequency and peak drinking. Data on college students' daily lives and risk behaviors were collected from 687 students (51% female) in a large university in the Northeast United States over four years. Perceived parental permissibility of alcohol use increased from the last year of high school through the third year of college with males reporting significantly higher PPP by the third year of college. From 12th grade through the third year of college, between-person differences in mean PPP were positively associated with binge drinking frequency and peak drinking, and patterns of PPP change differentially predicted both drinking outcomes through fourth year. These findings suggest that PPP is a dynamic construct that may evidence important developmental changes across college and the transition to adulthood. More broadly, the results indicate that aspects of the parent-child relationship continue to change after high school and may be important as they are linked with college student risk behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in leadership styles as a function of a four-day leadership training institute for nurse managers: a perspective on continuing education program evaluation.

PubMed

Wolf, M S

1996-01-01

This study measured changes in knowledge acquisition and application of the Hersey and Blanchard model of leadership styles and leadership style adaptability among 144 registered nurses who participated in a four-day management institute. A pre- and post-institute administration of the LEAD-Self instrument was conducted. Although the findings demonstrated a significant change in the participants' leadership styles, the data revealed that outcomes were not as positive as had been assumed based on participants' self-reports. The discussion of findings reveals the complexity and the necessity of measuring learning outcomes for continuing education program improvement.

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL METHOD FOR ANALYSIS OF TRANSCRIPTIONAL CHANGES IN TRANSITIONAL EPITHELIUM FROM URINARY BLADDERS OF RATS EXPOSED TO DRINKING WATER DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS

EPA Science Inventory

Development of a Novel Method for Analysis of Transcriptional Changes in Transitional Epithelium from Urinary Bladders of Rats Exposed to Drinking Water Disinfection By- products.

Epidemiologic studies in human populations that drink chemically disinfected drinking wa...

Six-Month Changes in Spirituality and Religiousness in Alcoholics Predict Drinking Outcomes at Nine Months*

PubMed Central

Robinson, Elizabeth A. R.; Krentzman, Amy R.; Webb, Jon R.; Brower, Kirk J.

2011-01-01

Objective: Although spiritual change is hypothesized to contribute to recovery from alcohol dependence, few studies have used prospective data to investigate this hypothesis. Prior studies have also been limited to treatment-seeking and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) samples. This study included alcohol-dependent individuals, both in treatment and not, to investigate the effect of spiritual and religious (SR) change on subsequent drinking outcomes, independent of AA involvement. Method: Alcoholics (N = 364) were recruited for a panel study from two abstinence-based treatment centers, a moderation drinking program, and untreated individuals from the local community. Quantitative measures of SR change between baseline and 6 months were used to predict 9-month drinking outcomes, controlling for baseline drinking and AA involvement. Results: Significant 6-month changes in 8 of 12 SR measures were found, which included private SR practices, beliefs, daily spiritual experiences, three measures of forgiveness, negative religious coping, and purpose in life. Increases in private SR practices and forgiveness of self were the strongest predictors of improvements in drinking outcomes. Changes in daily spiritual experiences, purpose in life, a general measure of forgiveness, and negative religious coping also predicted favorable drinking outcomes. Conclusions: SR change predicted good drinking outcomes in alcoholics, even when controlling for AA involvement. SR variables, broadly defined, deserve attention in fostering change even among those who do not affiliate with AA or religious institutions. Last, future research should include SR variables, particularly various types of forgiveness, given the strong effects found for forgiveness of self. PMID:21683048

Revising Psychology Misconceptions by Integrating a Refutation-Style Text Framework into Poster Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lassonde, Karla A.; Kolquist, Molly; Vergin, Megan

2017-01-01

Refutation-style texts have been considered a viable strategy for changing psychological misconceptions. The current study aims to integrate refutation-style texts into a classroom-based method of learning. Psychology students were administered a true/false misconception survey and then viewed several refutation-style poster presentations…

Parenting style and dietary behaviour of young children. Findings from the Healthy Beginnings Trial.

PubMed

Xu, Huilan; Wen, Li Ming; Rissel, Chris; Flood, Victoria M; Baur, Louise A

2013-12-01

Parenting style may have a role in the development of young children's dietary behaviour, and a better understanding of parenting style may lead to better-targeted childhood obesity prevention interventions. This study aimed to investigate the association of parental self-efficacy, parenting style and dietary behaviour of young children. A cross-sectional study with 242 first-time mothers and their children was conducted using the data from the Healthy Beginnings Trial undertaken in one of the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas of south-western Sydney, in 2007-2010. Parental self-efficacy, parenting style (warmth and hostility) and children's dietary behaviours (consumption of vegetables, fruit, soft-drink and snacks) were assessed by face-to-face interviews with participating mothers in the control group when their children were 2 years old. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between parenting style and the child's dietary behaviour. Mothers with higher levels of global parental self-efficacy and self-efficacy for an infant were more likely to report their children had 2 serves of vegetables per day, with odds ratio (OR) 2.40 (95%CI 1.35-4.27, P=0.003) and OR 1.88 (95%CI 1.06-3.36, P=0.03), respectively. A higher level of global parental self-efficacy or self-efficacy for an infant was significantly associated with having 2 serves of fruit per day with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.46 (95%CI 1.35-4.48, P=0.003) and AOR 1.85 (95%CI 1.00-3.41, P=0.048), respectively, after adjusting for annual household income. Mothers with a higher level of parental warmth were more likely to report their children had 2 serves of vegetable per day with OR 1.85 (95%CI 1.06-3.25, P=0.03). Parental self-efficacy and parenting style were associated, cross-sectionally, with important children's dietary behaviours. Interventions which target parental self-efficacy and parenting style may improve eating habits of young children, and contribute to childhood obesity prevention. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Trajectories of Reasons for Alcohol Use Relate to Trajectories of Binge Drinking: National Panel Data Spanning Late Adolescence to Early Adulthood

PubMed Central

Patrick, Megan E.; Schulenberg, John E.

2010-01-01

Developmental changes in both alcohol use behaviors and self-reported reasons for alcohol use were investigated. Participants were surveyed every two years from ages 18 to 30 as part of the Monitoring the Future national study (analytic weighted sample size N=9,308; 53% women, 40% college attenders). Latent growth models were used to examine correlations among trajectories of binge drinking and trajectories of self-reported reasons for alcohol use across young adulthood. Results revealed developmental changes in reasons for use and correlations between the patterns of within-person change in frequency of binge drinking and within-person change in reasons for use. In particular, an increase in binge drinking between ages 18 and 22 was most positively correlated with slopes of using alcohol to get high and because of boredom. Continued binge drinking between ages 22 and 30 was most strongly correlated with using alcohol to get away from problems. Almost no moderation by gender, race, college attendance, employment, or marital status was found. Binge drinking and reasons for alcohol use traveled together, illustrating the ongoing and dynamic connections between changes in binge drinking and changes in reasons for use across late adolescence and early adulthood. PMID:21219061

A Field Investigation of the Effects of Drinking Consequences on Young Adults’ Readiness to Change

PubMed Central

Usala, Julie M.; Celio, Mark A.; Lisman, Stephen A.; Day, Anne M.; Spear, Linda P.

2014-01-01

In the research on readiness to change (RTC) one’s drinking, there has been little assessment of the influence of positive drinking consequences or other potential moderating variables. To address these limitations, we examined how young adults’ RTC their alcohol consumption shortly following a drinking episode was associated with self-reported drinking consequences, as well as any potential moderating effects of gender and Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC). In street interviews outside bars, 238 young adults were administered questionnaires about their drinking, including a measure examining participants’ current readiness to reduce their alcohol consumption. Within 72 hours of their drinking episode, 67 participants (36 males; Entire Sample Mage = 20.90 years, Range = 18–26 years) completed an online survey, once again measuring RTC as well as positive and negative drinking consequences. Consistent with our hypothesis, positive drinking consequences were negatively associated with participants’ changes in RTC. Additionally, a three-way interaction of gender x BrAC x Positive Drinking Consequences on RTC showed that females with low BrACs reported higher RTC scores when they had endorsed fewer positive drinking consequences. Interestingly, negative drinking consequences alone did not impact individuals’ RTC. Because positive drinking consequences were a significantly better predictor of RTC than were negative drinking consequences, researchers are advised to examine both types of consequences in future studies. Finally, effective alcohol education programs for those who have never consumed alcohol as well as social drinkers should include consideration of the experience of positive outcomes. PMID:25452061

Changing the Culture of Young People's Binge Drinking: From Motivations to Practical Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Lester; Cater, Suzanne

2007-01-01

Aims: This paper explores young people's own opinions about how the "drinking to get drunk" culture can be changed. More precisely, the two objectives of this study were to explore: (1) whether young people viewed binge drinking as a real "problem"; and (2) what they thought could be done to reduce binge drinking. Methods:…

Effect of Children's Drinks on Color Stability of Different Dental Composites: An in vitro Study.

PubMed

Habib, Ahmed Nour El-Din Ahmed; Abdelmoniem, Soad Abdelmoniem; Mahmoud, Sara Ahmed

To assess the effect of four different children's drinks on color stability of resin dental composites. A total of one hundred and twenty specimens were prepared from Grandio SO, Filtek Z350 XT and Filtek Z250 XT (forty specimens each). Specimens were thermocycled, then each group was further subdivided into four subgroups (n=10) according to the immersion media which were chocolate milk, mango juice, orange fizzy drink, and water (control). The initial color parameters of each specimen were recorded before immersion (baseline) and color change values were recorded three and seven days after immersion in each solution using a digital spectrophotometer. Atomic force microscope was used to measure the surface roughness in randomly selected samples after one week immersion in children's drinks. All the children's drinks produced color changes in the examined resin dental composites, yet there was no statistical significant difference between the effects of tested drinks on the color changes (mean ΔE) of the three different dental composites (P>0.05). All tested children's drinks caused clinically unacceptable color changes of the tested resin dental composites. Immersion in chocolate milk and orange fizzy led to the highest color changes in the tested resin dental composites.

Climate change and drinking water production in The Netherlands: a flexible approach.

PubMed

Ramaker, T A B; Meuleman, A F M; Bernhardi, L; Cirkel, G

2005-01-01

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in The Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upconing brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated and the drinking water supply has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. Flexibility and adaptivity are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralised systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. This implies that long-term strategies within an indicated time path have to be developed. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.

The Effect of Propulsion Style on Wrist Movement Variability During the Push Phase After a Bout of Fatiguing Propulsion.

PubMed

Zukowski, Lisa A; Christou, Evangelos A; Shechtman, Orit; Hass, Christopher J; Tillman, Mark D

2017-03-01

Wheelchair propulsion has been linked to overuse injuries regardless of propulsion style. Many aspects of the arcing (ARC) and semicircular (SEMI) propulsion styles have been compared, but differences in intracycle movement variability, which have been linked to overuse injuries, have not been examined. To explore how ARC and SEMI affect changes in intracycle wrist movement variability after a fatiguing bout of propulsion. Repeated measures crossover design. Wheelchair rollers and wheelchair fatigue course in a research laboratory. Twenty healthy, nondisabled adult men without previous wheelchair experience. Participants learned ARC and SEMI and used each to perform a wheelchair fatigue protocol. Thirty seconds of propulsion on rollers were recorded by motion-capture cameras before and after a fatigue protocol for each propulsion style on 2 testing days. Angular wrist orientations (flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation) and linear wrist trajectories (mediolateral direction) were computed, and intracycle movement variability was calculated as standard deviations of the detrended and filtered values during the push phase beginning and end. Paired samples t tests were used to compare ARC and SEMI based on the percent changes from pre- to postfatigue protocol. Both propulsion styles resulted in increased intracycle wrist movement variability postfatigue, but observed increases did not significantly differ between ARC and SEMI. This study evinces that intersubject variability exceeded average changes in intracycle wrist movement variability for both propulsion styles. Neither propulsion style resulting in a greater change in intracycle movement variability may suggest that no single propulsion style is ideal for everyone. The large intersubject variability may indicate that the propulsion style resulting in the smallest increase in intracycle movement variability after a fatiguing bout of propulsion may differ for each person and may help explain why wheelchair users self-select to use different propulsion styles. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Obesity among Saudi Female University Students: Dietary Habits and Health Behaviors.

PubMed

Al Qauhiz, Norah M

2010-01-01

The remarkable economic growth in Saudi Arabia has affected the population life style negatively. The increasing problem of obesity has been reported from different regions in the kingdom. The rate of overweight and obesity reached 65.4% in the eastern region among females aged 18-74 years old. Although there is considerable amount of data on prevalence of obesity, yet, data on dietary habits and food consumption pattern are limited. The present study is a cross- sectional descriptive study aimed at exploring the BMI distribution among university female students. Food consumption pattern and health related behaviors were also assessed. 799 students participated in the study; data were collected using self administered questionnaire. Body weight and height were measured to calculate the BMI. Among the study participants, overweight and obesity reached 47.9%. Marriage, presence of obesity among family members, frequency of drinking aerated beverages increased the risk of obesity significantly. Misperception of body image was reported by 17.4% and 54.2% of obese and overweight students respectively. Analysis of dietary habits and life styles indicated the predominance of unhealthy behaviors. The study results mandate the need for a national strategy to adopt healthy dietary habits and life styles.

Parental Style and Its Association With Substance Use in Youth in Argentina

PubMed Central

Peña, Lorena; Pérez, Adriana; Morello, Paola; Lorenzo-Blanco, Elma I.; Santillan, Edna Arillo; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Thrasher, James F.; Sargent, James; Mejia, Raúl

2017-01-01

Background In Europe and the United States, family relationships and parenting behavior can influence youth substance use, but less is known about their influence in Latin American countries. Objective To explore whether parenting behavior is associated with substance use among Latin American youth. Methods A cross-sectional, school-based survey of middle-school youth (n=3,172) in three Argentinian cities queried tobacco, alcohol, and drug use using items adapted from global youth surveys. Parenting behavior was assessed with previously validated items that tapped into demandingness and responsiveness, separately for mothers and fathers. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed associations between parenting behavior and substance use after adjusting for student characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, sensation seeking, and smoking amongst peers and family members. Results Substance use prevalence was 10% for current smoking, 32% for current drinking alcohol, 17% for past 30-day binge drinking (≥5 drinks), and 8% for previous year illicit drug use (marijuana or cocaine). Greater maternal demandingness was independently associated with lower likelihood of current smoking (AOR=0.77; 95% CI 0.64–0.92), current drinking (AOR=0.81; 95% CI 0.71 –0.92), binge drinking (AOR=0.77; 95% CI 0.66–0.99, and drug use (AOR=0.71; 95% CI 0.61–0.83). No other parenting behavior were independently associated with substance use, except for paternal demandingness and binge drinking (AOR=0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.97). For all outcomes, no interactions were found between parenting behavior and student gender. Conclusions Among Argentine adolescents, maternal demandingness was the strongest and most consistent correlate of substance use, regardless of adolescent substance use behavior or gender. PMID:28010167

Parental Style and Its Association With Substance Use in Argentinean Youth.

PubMed

Peña, Lorena; Lorenzo-Blanco, Elma I; Pérez, Adriana; Morello, Paola; Arillo Santillan, Edna; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Thrasher, James F; Sargent, James; Mejia, Raúl

2017-03-21

In Europe and the United States, family relationships and parenting behavior can influence youth substance use, but less is known about their influence in Latin American countries. To explore whether parenting behavior is associated with substance use among Latin American youth. A cross-sectional, school-based survey of middle-school youth (n = 3172) in three Argentinian cities queried tobacco, alcohol, and drug use using items adapted from global youth surveys. Parenting behavior was assessed with previously validated items that tapped into demandingness and responsiveness, separately for mothers and fathers. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed associations between parenting behavior and substance use after adjusting for student characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, sensation seeking, and smoking amongst peers and family members. Substance use prevalence was 10% for current smoking, 32% for current drinking alcohol, 17% for past 30-day binge drinking (≥5 drinks), and 8% for previous year illicit drug use (marijuana or cocaine). Greater maternal demandingness was independently associated with lower likelihood of current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64-0.92), current drinking (AOR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71-0.92), binge drinking (AOR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.66-0.99, and drug use (AOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61-0.83). No other parenting behavior were independently associated with substance use, except for paternal demandingness and binge drinking (AOR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.74-0.97). For all outcomes, no interactions were found between parenting behavior and student gender. Among Argentine adolescents, maternal demandingness was the strongest and most consistent correlate of substance use, regardless of adolescent substance use behavior or gender.

Evidence of anthropogenic tipping points in fluvial dynamics in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Notebaert, Bastiaan; Broothaerts, Nils; Verstraeten, Gert

2018-05-01

In this study the occurrence of thresholds in fluvial style changes during the Holocene are discussed for three different catchments: the Dijle and Amblève catchments (Belgium) and the Valdaine Region (France). We consider tipping points to be a specific type of threshold, defined as relatively rapid and irreversible changes in the system. Field data demonstrate that fluvial style has varied in all three catchments over time, and that different tipping points can be identified. An increase in sediment load as a result of human induced soil erosion lead to a permanent change in the Dijle floodplains from a forested peaty marsh towards open landscape with clastic deposition and a well-defined river channel. In the Valdaine catchment, an increase in coarse sediment load, caused by increased erosion in the mountainous upper catchment, altered the floodplains from a meandering pattern to a braided pattern. Other changes in fluvial style appeared to be reversible. Rivers in the Valdaine were prone to different aggradation and incision phases due to changes in peak water discharge and sediment delivery, but the impact was too low for these changes to be irreversible. Likewise the Dijle River has recently be prone to an incision phase due to a clear water effect, and also this change is expected to be reversible. Finally, the Amblève River did not undergo major changes in style during the last 2000 to 5000 years, even though floodplain sedimentation rates increased tenfold during the last 600 years. Overall, these examples demonstrate how changes in fluvial style depend on the crossing of thresholds in sediment supply and water discharge. Although changes in these controlling parameters are caused by anthropogenic land use changes, the link between those land use changes and changes in fluvial style is not linear. This is due to the temporal variability in landscape connectivity and sediment transport and the non-linear relationship between land use intensity and soil erosion.

76 FR 31575 - United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Onions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-01

... processors of frozen onions in the United States. The petition provided information on style, sample size... change in the style designations for minced style, and a correction to the text. The members agreed with the proposed section concerning requirements for Styles, Type I, Whole onions and Type II, Pearl...

Creating the Conditions for Educational Change: Learning Styles and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aviles, Rosa Maria Hervas; Moreno, Angela Hernandez

2010-01-01

This study identifies the learning styles of 1,289 secondary school students and indicates gender differences. Two conclusions were forthcoming: 1) the similar student distribution in each of the learning style typologies; 2) the significant differences that exist between the different styles of male and female secondary school students. Female…

The Presidential Sound: From Orotund to Instructional Speech, 1892-1912

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodale, Greg

2010-01-01

At the turn of the twentieth century, the sound of presidential address changed from an orotund style to an instructional style. The orotund style had featured the careful pronunciation of consonants, elongated vowels, trilled r's and repeated declamations. The instructional style, on the other hand, mimicked the conversational lectures of the…

77 FR 5073 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... features including size, expiration date, exercise style, and certain exercise prices. FLEX option trading... cleared by The Options Clearing Corporation (``OCC'') \\17\\ and would be European style.\\18\\ Upon exercise... of the Exchange's WCOs or FCOs). \\18\\ Unlike American style options, European style options may be...

The Effect of a Depression Prevention Program on Negative Cognitive Style Trajectories in Early Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindt, Karlijn C. M.; Kleinjan, Marloes; Janssens, Jan M. A. M.; Scholte, Ron H. J.

2016-01-01

As restructuring a negative cognitive style is a central skill taught in many depression prevention programs, we tested whether a universal prevention program evoked a change in negative cognitive style in adolescents. In addition, we examined distinct developmental trajectories of negative cognitive styles and assessed whether research condition…

Switching to a 10-day Mediterranean-style diet improves mood and cardiovascular function in a controlled crossover study.

PubMed

Lee, Jaime; Pase, Matthew; Pipingas, Andrew; Raubenheimer, Jessica; Thurgood, Madeline; Villalon, Lorena; Macpherson, Helen; Gibbs, Amy; Scholey, Andrew

2015-05-01

Even short-term adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet may benefit aspects of psychological functioning. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of switching to a 10-d Mediterranean-style diet on mood, cognition, and cardiovascular measures. Using a crossover design, 24 women were randomly assigned to either the diet change (where they switched to a Mediterranean-style diet) or no diet change (normal diet) condition for 10 days before switching to the other condition for the same duration. Mood, cognition, and cardiovascular measures of blood pressure, blood flow velocity, and arterial stiffness were assessed at baseline and at the completion of the two diets (days 11 and 22). Independent of whether the Mediterranean-style diet was undertaken before or after the crossover, it was associated with significantly elevated contentment and alertness, and significantly reduced confusion. Additionally, aspects of cognition, such as memory recall, improved significantly as a result of switching to the Mediterranean-style diet. Regarding cardiovascular measures, there was a significant reduction in augmentation pressure associated with the Mediterranean-style diet intervention, but blood flow velocity through the common carotid artery did not change. This Mediterranean-style diet has the potential to enhance aspects of mood, cognition, and cardiovascular function in a young, healthy adult sample. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coffee and caffeine intake and male infertility: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ricci, Elena; Viganò, Paola; Cipriani, Sonia; Somigliana, Edgardo; Chiaffarino, Francesca; Bulfoni, Alessandro; Parazzini, Fabio

2017-06-24

Semen quality, a predictor of male fertility, has been suggested declining worldwide. Among other life style factors, male coffee/caffeine consumption was hypothesized to influence semen parameters, but also sperm DNA integrity. To summarize available evidence, we performed a systematic review of observational studies on the relation between coffee/caffeine intake and parameters of male fertility including sperm ploidy, sperm DNA integrity, semen quality and time to pregnancy. A systematic literature search was performed up to November 2016 (MEDLINE and EMBASE). We included all observational papers that reported the relation between male coffee/caffeine intake and reproductive outcomes: 1. semen parameters, 2. sperm DNA characteristics, 3. fecundability. All pertinent reports were retrieved and the relative reference lists were systematically searched in order to identify any potential additional studies that could be included. We retrieved 28 papers reporting observational information on coffee/caffeine intake and reproductive outcomes. Overall, they included 19,967 men. 1. Semen parameters did not seem affected by caffeine intake, at least caffeine from coffee, tea and cocoa drinks, in most studies. Conversely, other contributions suggested a negative effect of cola-containing beverages and caffeine-containing soft drinks on semen volume, count and concentration. 2. As regards sperm DNA defects, caffeine intake seemed associated with aneuploidy and DNA breaks, but not with other markers of DNA damage. 3. Finally, male coffee drinking was associated to prolonged time to pregnancy in some, but not all, studies. The literature suggests that caffeine intake, possibly through sperm DNA damage, may negatively affect male reproductive function. Evidence from epidemiological studies on semen parameters and fertility is however inconsistent and inconclusive. Well-designed studies with predefined criteria for semen analysis, subject selection, and life style habits definition, are essential to reach a consistent evidence on the effect of caffeine on semen parameters and male fertility.

Change talk sequence during brief motivational intervention, towards or away from drinking.

PubMed

Bertholet, Nicolas; Faouzi, Mohamed; Gmel, Gerhard; Gaume, Jacques; Daeppen, Jean-Bernard

2010-12-01

To investigate whether different sequences of 'change talk' utterances within a brief motivational intervention (BMI) are associated with drinking outcomes. Speech content analysis of recorded BMI. BMI delivered in an emergency department for at-risk drinking. Ninety-seven subjects who received a BMI. Ninety-seven BMI were coded in duplicate by two psychologists with the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC), a Hidden Markov Model was used to identify three different patient states reflecting attitudes regarding changing their drinking behaviour within a BMI: towards change, away from change and non-determined. Adjusted regression models were used to predict drinking at 12 months' follow-up using patient attitudes regarding changing drinking at the beginning, during the intervention and at the end. The dynamic process at place within a BMI was marked mainly by stability: at each point during the intervention, staying in the same attitude was far more likely than transitioning from one attitude to another. When subjects did change from one attitude to another, they were more likely to move from an 'away from change' to a 'towards change' state. At 12 months, subjects with an attitude towards change at the end of the BMI drank significantly less (13.1 drinks per week) than subjects with an attitude away from change, independent of their attitude at the beginning of the intervention. Transition in 'change talk' between 'away from change' and 'towards change' appears to be rare in brief motivational intervention for excessive alcohol consumption. Moreover, change talk 'towards change' at the end of the intervention is associated with improved outcomes at follow-up, independently of the type of change talk at the beginning of the intervention, suggesting that it is important to end a BMI session with a positive attitude towards change by the client. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

“I’ll Never Drink Like That Again”: Characteristics of Alcohol-Related Incidents and Predictors of Motivation to Change in College Students*

PubMed Central

BARNETT, NANCY P.; GOLDSTEIN, ABBY L.; MURPHY, JAMES G.; COLBY, SUZANNE M.; MONTI, PETER M.

2011-01-01

Objective Alcohol use and its associated behaviors are among the most common reasons for medical treatment and disciplinary infractions among college students. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of students who had recent serious alcohol-related incidents and to identify predictors of motivation to change alcohol use and heavy drinking in particular, with specific attention to gender. Method Students (N = 227; 52% female) who had been mandated to attend a session of alcohol education following alcohol-related medical treatment and/or a disciplinary infraction were assessed on their alcohol use, alcohol problems, characteristics of their alcohol-related incident, reactions to the incident, attributions about the incident, and motivation to change drinking and heavy drinking. Path and regression analyses were used to identify the individual and incident-related characteristics that were related to motivation to change. Results Perceived aversiveness of the incident was directly and positively related to motivation to change drinking and heavy drinking. Alcohol consumption in the month before the incident and past-year alcohol problems were negatively related to motivation to change heavy drinking, and women were more motivated to change heavy drinking than men. The more students consumed in the incident, the more likely they were to feel responsible for it, and the more responsible they felt about the incident, the greater its aversiveness. Conclusions Individual and incident-related characteristics are both directly and indirectly associated with motivation to change following an alcohol-related incident, and therefore have implications for interventions with college drinkers who have experienced an alcohol-related incident. PMID:16847545

Do changes in social and economic factors lead to changes in drinking behavior in young adults? Findings from three waves of a population based panel study.

PubMed

van der Deen, Frederieke S; Carter, Kristie N; McKenzie, Sarah K; Blakely, Tony

2014-09-08

Social and economic measures in early childhood or adolescence appear to be associated with drinking behavior in young adulthood. Yet, there has been little investigation to what extent drinking behavior of young adults changes within young adulthood when they experience changes in social and economic measures in this significant period of their life. The impact of changes in living arrangement, education/employment, income, and deprivation on changes in average weekly alcohol units of consumption and frequency of hazardous drinking sessions per month in young adults was investigated. In total, 1,260 respondents of the New Zealand longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment (SoFIE) aged 18-24 years at baseline were included. Young adults who moved from a family household into a single household experienced an increase of 2.32 (95% CI 1.02 to 3.63) standard drinks per week, whereas those young adults who became parents experienced a reduction in both average weekly units of alcohol (β = -3.84, 95% CI -5.44 to -2.23) and in the frequency of hazardous drinking sessions per month (β = -1.17, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.57). A one unit increase in individual deprivation in young adulthood was associated with a 0.48 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.86) unit increase in average alcohol consumption and a modest increase in the frequency of hazardous drinking sessions (β = 0.25, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.39). This analysis suggests that changes in living arrangement and individual deprivation are associated with changes in young adult's drinking behaviors. Alcohol harm-minimization interventions therefore need to take into account the social and economic context of young people's lives to be effective.

Youth Development as Subjectified Subjectivity - a Dialectical-Ecological Model of Analysis.

PubMed

Pedersen, Sofie; Bang, Jytte

2016-09-01

The aim of this article is to shed light on how environmental standards in the life of youths influence the development of self. We propose the concept of 'subjectified subjectivity' to grasp these person-environment dialectics in a general form. By elaborating on these conceptual understandings of youth life, the article also seeks to understand young people from their own perspectives on life and from their developing life-perspectives, rather than from general categories. Based on one of the author's data from her study of young people in their transition to (and through the first year of) high school, we carry out an analysis of a 16-year old high school student and how her approach to beer, to beer drinking as a part of Danish high school life-style, and to herself changes over time. We suggest a dialectical-ecological model to analyze the dialectical and synthetic movements over time of the girl and her environments.

When climate change is a fact! Adaptive strategies for drinking water production in a changing natural environment.

PubMed

Meuleman, A F M; Cirkel, G; Zwolsman, G J J

2007-01-01

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, and water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in the Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upcoming of brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity due to temperature rise. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated aiming at maximum security and economic functions and the drinking water supply in the Netherlands has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. At a water catchment scale, flexibility and adaptation are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralized systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.

Espresso Coffee Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in a Large Italian Cohort

PubMed Central

Grioni, Sara; Agnoli, Claudia; Sieri, Sabina; Pala, Valeria; Ricceri, Fulvio; Masala, Giovanna; Saieva, Calogero; Panico, Salvatore; Mattiello, Amalia; Chiodini, Paolo; Tumino, Rosario; Frasca, Graziella; Iacoviello, Licia; de Curtis, Amalia; Vineis, Paolo; Krogh, Vittorio

2015-01-01

Background The relationship between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been investigated in several studies with discrepant results. We examined the association between Italian-style (espresso and mocha) coffee consumption and CHD risk. Methods We investigated 12,800 men and 30,449 women without history of cardiovascular disease recruited to the EPICOR prospective cohort study. Coffee consumption was assessed at baseline. In a random sub-cohort of 1472 subjects, plasma triglycerides, and total, LDL and HDL cholesterol were determined to investigate the effect of coffee consumption on plasma lipids. Results After a mean follow up of 10.9 years, 804 cases of CHD (500 acute events, 56 fatal events and 248 revascularizations, all first events) were identified. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for CHD were: 1.18 (95% CI 0.87–1.60) for drinking 1–2 cups/day, 1.37 (95% CI 1.03–1.82) for >2–4 cups/day and 1.52 (95% CI 1.11–2.07) for over 4 cups/day (P trend <0.001) compared to reference (<1 cup/day). Plasma triglycerides, and total, LDL and HDL cholesterol did not vary significantly (ANOVA) with coffee consumption. Conclusion Consumption of over 2 cups/day of Italian-style coffee is associated with increased CHD risk, but coffee consumption was not associated with plasma lipid changes, so the adverse effect of consumption appears unrelated to lipid profile. PMID:25946046

The Queensland "drinker" and the bad old, new Australia.

PubMed

Price, J

1987-11-02

Queensland "drinkers" in rehabilitation units have been compared with their counterparts on Merseyside, England. Substantial differences were found between the two populations: more drinkers in Queensland were divorced or separated, fewer were employed and far fewer expected to return to their families after discharge from the units. Queensland families were reported as more often unaware of the drinking, more rejecting and less concerned. Where the drinker was still living with family members, they were less aware of alcohol-related physical symptoms and put less pressure on the drinker to eat properly. Information that was provided by Queensland family members about a drinker's eating behaviour could be interpreted as indicative of an optimistic response style. Underinvolvement and optimism are put forward as characteristics of Queensland families where one member is a problem drinker. These characteristics are likely to have an adverse effect on the resolution of problem drinking.

Effect of increasing the price of sugar-sweetened beverages on alcoholic beverage purchases: an economic analysis of sales data.

PubMed

Quirmbach, Diana; Cornelsen, Laura; Jebb, Susan A; Marteau, Theresa; Smith, Richard

2018-04-01

Taxing soft-drinks may reduce their purchase, but assessing the impact on health demands wider consideration on alternative beverage choices. Effects on alcoholic drinks are of particular concern, as many contain similar or greater amounts of sugar than soft-drinks and have additional health harms. Changes in consumption of alcoholic drinks may reinforce or negate the intended effect of price changes for soft-drinks. A partial demand model, adapted from the Almost Ideal Demand System, was applied to Kantar Worldpanel data from 31 919 households from January 2012 to December 2013, covering drink purchases for home consumption, providing ~6 million purchases aggregated into 11 groups, including three levels of soft-drink, three of other non-alcoholic drinks and five of alcoholic drinks. An increase in the price of high-sugar drinks leads to an increase in the purchase of lager, an increase in the price of medium-sugar drinks reduces purchases of alcoholic drinks, while an increase in the price of diet/low-sugar drinks increases purchases of beer, cider and wines. Overall, the effects of price rises are greatest in the low-income group. Increasing the price of soft-drinks may change purchase patterns for alcohol. Increasing the price of medium-sugar drinks has the potential to have a multiplier-effect beneficial to health through reducing alcohol purchases, with the converse for increases in the price of diet-drinks. Although the reasons for such associations cannot be explained from this analysis, requiring further study, the design of fiscal interventions should now consider these wider potential outcomes. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effect of increasing the price of sugar-sweetened beverages on alcoholic beverage purchases: an economic analysis of sales data

PubMed Central

Quirmbach, Diana; Cornelsen, Laura; Jebb, Susan A; Marteau, Theresa; Smith, Richard

2018-01-01

Background Taxing soft-drinks may reduce their purchase, but assessing the impact on health demands wider consideration on alternative beverage choices. Effects on alcoholic drinks are of particular concern, as many contain similar or greater amounts of sugar than soft-drinks and have additional health harms. Changes in consumption of alcoholic drinks may reinforce or negate the intended effect of price changes for soft-drinks. Methods A partial demand model, adapted from the Almost Ideal Demand System, was applied to Kantar Worldpanel data from 31 919 households from January 2012 to December 2013, covering drink purchases for home consumption, providing ~6 million purchases aggregated into 11 groups, including three levels of soft-drink, three of other non-alcoholic drinks and five of alcoholic drinks. Results An increase in the price of high-sugar drinks leads to an increase in the purchase of lager, an increase in the price of medium-sugar drinks reduces purchases of alcoholic drinks, while an increase in the price of diet/low-sugar drinks increases purchases of beer, cider and wines. Overall, the effects of price rises are greatest in the low-income group. Conclusion Increasing the price of soft-drinks may change purchase patterns for alcohol. Increasing the price of medium-sugar drinks has the potential to have a multiplier-effect beneficial to health through reducing alcohol purchases, with the converse for increases in the price of diet-drinks. Although the reasons for such associations cannot be explained from this analysis, requiring further study, the design of fiscal interventions should now consider these wider potential outcomes. PMID:29363613

Small Beneficial Effect of Caffeinated Energy Drink Ingestion on Strength.

PubMed

Collier, Nora B; Hardy, Michelle A; Millard-Stafford, Mindy L; Warren, Gordon L

2016-07-01

Collier, NB, Hardy, MA, Millard-Stafford, ML, and Warren, GL. Small beneficial effect of caffeinated energy drink ingestion on strength. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1862-1870, 2016-Because caffeine ingestion has been found to increase muscle strength, our aim was to determine whether caffeine when combined with other potential ergogenic ingredients, such as those in commercial energy drinks, would have a similar effect. Fifteen young healthy subjects were used in a double-blind, repeated-measures experimental design. Each subject performed 3 trials, ingesting either a caffeinated energy drink, an uncaffeinated version of the drink, or a placebo drink. The interpolated twitch procedure was used to assess maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) strength, electrically evoked strength, and percent muscle activation during MVIC of the knee extensors both before and after drink ingestion, and after a fatiguing bout of contractions; electromyographic (EMG) amplitude of the knee extensors during MVIC was also assessed. The mean (±SE) change in MVIC strength from before to after drink ingestion was significantly greater for the caffeinated energy drink compared with placebo [+5.0 (±1.7) vs. -0.5 (±1.5)%] and the difference between the drinks remained after fatigue (p = 0.015); the strength changes for the uncaffeinated energy drink were not significantly different from those of the other 2 drinks at any time. There was no significant effect of drink type on the changes in electrically evoked strength, percent muscle activation, and EMG from before to after drink ingestion. This study indicates that a caffeinated energy drink can increase MVIC strength but the effect is modest and the strength increase cannot be attributed to increased muscle activation. Whether the efficacy of energy drinks can be attributed solely to caffeine remains unclear.

Personal Change and Intervention Style

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, John D. W.

1977-01-01

Presents a theory of personal change and analyzes growth-producing interventions using examples from the film, "Three Approaches to Psychotherapy". Compares the styles of Carl Rogers, Frttz Perls, and Albert Ellis to illustrate the theory. (Editor/RK)

Medical students' change in learning styles during the course of the undergraduate program: from 'thinking and watching' to 'thinking and doing'.

PubMed

Bitran, Marcela; Zúñiga, Denisse; Pedrals, Nuria; Padilla, Oslando; Mena, Beltrán

2012-01-01

Most students admitted to medical school are abstract-passive learners. However, as they progress through the program, active learning and concrete interpersonal interactions become crucial for the acquisition of professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how medical students' learning styles change during the course of their undergraduate program. All students admitted to the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) medical school between 2000 and 2011 (n = 1,290) took the Kolb's Learning Style Inventory at school entrance. Two years later 627 students took it again, and in the seventh and last year of the program 104 students took it for a third time. The distribution of styles at years 1, 3 and 7, and the mobility of students between styles were analyzed with Bayesian models. Most freshmen (54%) were classified as assimilators (abstract-passive learners); convergers (abstract-active) followed with 26%, whereas divergers (concrete-passive) and accommodators (concrete-active) accounted for 11% and 9%, respectively. By year 3, the styles' distribution remained unchanged but in year 7 convergers outnumbered assimilators (49% vs. 33%). In general, there were no gender-related differences. Medical students change their preferred way of learning: they evolve from an abstract-reflexive style to an abstract-active one. This change might represent an adaptation to the curriculum, which evolves from a lecture-based teacher-centered to a problem-based student-centered model.

A field investigation of the effects of drinking consequences on young adults' readiness to change.

PubMed

Usala, Julie M; Celio, Mark A; Lisman, Stephen A; Day, Anne M; Spear, Linda P

2015-02-01

In the research on readiness to change (RTC) one's drinking, there has been little assessment of the influence of positive drinking consequences or other potential moderating variables. To address these limitations, we examined how young adults' RTC their alcohol consumption shortly following a drinking episode was associated with self-reported drinking consequences, as well as any potential moderating effects of gender and Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC). In street interviews outside bars, 238 young adults were administered questionnaires about their drinking, including a measure examining participants' current readiness to reduce their alcohol consumption. Within 72h of their drinking episode, 67 participants (36 males; entire sample Mage=20.90years, Range=18-26years) completed an online survey, once again measuring RTC as well as positive and negative drinking consequences. Consistent with our hypothesis, positive drinking consequences were negatively associated with participants' changes in RTC. Additionally, a three-way interaction of gender×BrAC×positive drinking consequences on RTC showed that females with low BrACs reported higher RTC scores when they had endorsed fewer positive drinking consequences. Interestingly, negative drinking consequences alone did not impact individuals' RTC. Because positive drinking consequences were a significantly better predictor of RTC than were negative drinking consequences, researchers are advised to examine both types of consequences in future studies. Finally, effective alcohol education programs for those who have never consumed alcohol as well as social drinkers should include consideration of the experience of positive outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drinking and Dating: Examining the Link among Relationship Satisfaction, Hazardous Drinking, and Readiness-to-Change in College Dating Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khaddouma, Alexander; Shorey, Ryan C.; Brasfield, Hope; Febres, Jeniimarie; Zapor, Heather; Elmquist, Joanna; Stuart, Gregory L.

2016-01-01

For this study we examined the association between relationship satisfaction and readiness-to-change alcohol use, as well as the associations between hazardous drinking and readiness-to-change relationship issues in college dating relationships. A sample of 219 college students in a current dating relationship (aged 18-25) completed self-report…

When wanting to change is not enough: automatic appetitive processes moderate the effects of a brief alcohol intervention in hazardous-drinking college students.

PubMed

Ostafin, Brian D; Palfai, Tibor P

2012-12-07

Research indicates that brief motivational interventions are efficacious treatments for hazardous drinking. Little is known, however, about the psychological processes that may moderate intervention success. Based on growing evidence that drinking behavior may be influenced by automatic (nonvolitional) mental processes, the current study examined whether automatic alcohol-approach associations moderated the effect of a brief motivational intervention. Specifically, we examined whether the efficacy of a single-session intervention designed to increase motivation to reduce alcohol consumption would be moderated by the strength of participants' automatic alcohol-approach associations. Eighty-seven undergraduate hazardous drinkers participated for course credit. Participants completed an Implicit Association Test to measure automatic alcohol-approach associations, a baseline measure of readiness to change drinking behavior, and measures of alcohol involvement. Participants were then randomly assigned to either a brief (15-minute) motivational intervention or a control condition. Participants completed a measure of readiness to change drinking at the end of the first session and returned for a follow-up session six weeks later in which they reported on their drinking over the previous month. Compared with the control group, those in the intervention condition showed higher readiness to change drinking at the end of the baseline session but did not show decreased drinking quantity at follow-up. Automatic alcohol-approach associations moderated the effects of the intervention on change in drinking quantity. Among participants in the intervention group, those with weak automatic alcohol-approach associations showed greater reductions in the amount of alcohol consumed per occasion at follow-up compared with those with strong automatic alcohol-approach associations. Automatic appetitive associations with alcohol were not related with change in amount of alcohol consumed per occasion in control participants. Furthermore, among participants who showed higher readiness to change, those who exhibited weaker alcohol-approach associations showed greater reductions in drinking quantity compared with those who exhibited stronger alcohol-approach associations. The results support the idea that automatic mental processes may moderate the influence of brief motivational interventions on quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion. The findings suggest that intervention efficacy may be improved by utilizing implicit measures to identify those who may be responsive to brief interventions and by developing intervention elements to address the influence of automatic processes on drinking behavior.

Leadership and Gender in Higher Education: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Paula

2004-01-01

Literature concerning leadership styles in HE provides no distinct view on whether style relates to gender. Transformational styles are regarded by some as particularly suited to times of change, and likely to be adopted by women; but others argue such styles are unsuited to HE. In a study of leadership within an institute of higher education…

The Relationship of Future Agricultural Extension Educators' Cognitive Styles and Change Strategies for Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strong, Robert; Irani, Tracy

2011-01-01

The study expands reported here Extension education's knowledge regarding characteristics of potential change agents. Graduate students learning to become agricultural Extension educators were studied to determine their definition of a change agent. Participants' cognitive styles were assessed using Kirton's Adaptation-Innovation Inventory to…

Molecular assessment of bacterial pathogens - a contribution to drinking water safety.

PubMed

Brettar, Ingrid; Höfle, Manfred G

2008-06-01

Human bacterial pathogens are considered as an increasing threat to drinking water supplies worldwide because of the growing demand of high-quality drinking water and the decreasing quality and quantity of available raw water. Moreover, a negative impact of climate change on freshwater resources is expected. Recent advances in molecular detection technologies for bacterial pathogens in drinking water bear the promise in improving the safety of drinking water supplies by precise detection and identification of the pathogens. More importantly, the array of molecular approaches allows understanding details of infection routes of waterborne diseases, the effects of changes in drinking water treatment, and management of freshwater resources.

Effect of disopyramide on bacterial diversity in drinking water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qing; Zhao, Xiaofei; Tian, Qi; Wang, Lei; Zhao, Xinhua

2018-02-01

Disopyramide was detected in drinking water by LC-MS/MS and the microbial diversity was investigated by PCR and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that bacteria community structure in drinking water changed a lot when added different concentrations of disopyramide. The results of Shannon index showed that the total number and abundance of bacterial community species in drinking water samples decreased significantly after the addition of disopyramide. However, the number and abundance of community structure did not change with the concentration of disopyramide. Disopyramide inhibits the activity of bacterial community in drinking water and also can reduce the bacterial community diversity in drinking water.

"PHC leadership: are health centres in good hands? Perspectives from 3 districts in Malawi".

PubMed

Hana, J; Maleta, K; Kirkhaug, R; Hasvold, T

2012-09-01

The study aimed to document the kinds of leadership styles are practiced at health centres (H/C) and how these styles can be explained by the contexts, characteristics of the health centre in charge (IC) and subordinate trained health staff (STHS). A well-researched leadership style model was applied, which included task, relation and change styles. This is a cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires in 47 H/C in 3 districts. 347 STHSs (95%) and 46 ICs (98%) responded. Questions explored background data and perceived leadership behaviour. Style items were factor analysed, and bivariate analyses and hierarchical regressions determined how styles could be explained. Two leadership styles were revealed: "Trans" style contained all relation and the majority of task and change items; "Control" style focused on health statistics (Health Management Information System), reporting and evaluation. STHS and IC had a median age/median work experience of 34/5 years and 38,5/2 years, respectively. 48% of IC reported having no management training. CHAM H/Cs had the lowest score on "Control" style. Distance to referral hospital had no impact on style scores. No contexts or STHS characteristics predicted any leadership styles. For ICs, young age and increasing work experience were significant predictors for both styles, while Nurse ICs were negative predictors for "Control style". Management training was not a significant predictor for any style. Frontline PHC leadership may be forced by situation and context to use a comprehensive style which could lack the diversity and flexibility needed for effective leadership. The missing associations between staff characteristics and leadership styles might indicate that this group is not sufficiently considered and included in leadership processes in the PHC organization. Leadership competency for the ICs seems not to be based on formal training, but substituted by young age and work experience. Health centre organization could also influence the options for leadership behaviour. In conclusion this calls for a reassessment of H/C leadership and formal leadership training.

Evaluating guilt and shame in an expressive writing alcohol intervention.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Lindsey M; Young, Chelsie M; Neighbors, Clayton; Campbell, Michelle T; Lu, Qian

2015-08-01

Expressive writing interventions have shown positive physical and psychological health benefits over time, with the presumed mechanism being emotional disclosure. However, work utilizing expressive writing in behavior change has been minimal. The current research applied the expressive writing paradigm to reduce drinking intentions among college students, and evaluated the role of event-related guilt and shame in intervention effects. College students (N=429) completed a baseline survey and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Negative (write about a heavy drinking event that was negative); Positive (write about a heavy drinking event that was positive); or Neutral (write about their first day of college). After writing, readiness to change and future drinking intentions were assessed. Results revealed intervention effects on intended drinks per week and intended number of drinks during peak and typical drinking occasions. Participants in the negative condition also displayed higher levels of event-related guilt and shame. Results showed that guilt mediated intervention effects on readiness to change, which also mediated the association between guilt-reparative behavior and drinking intentions. Results provide initial support for an expressive writing intervention on alcohol use and underscore the importance of eliciting emotions associated with reparative behavior when considering negative past experiences and future behavior change. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating guilt and shame in an expressive writing alcohol intervention

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, Lindsey M.; Young, Chelsie M.; Neighbors, Clayton; Campbell, Michelle T.; Lu, Qian

2016-01-01

Expressive writing interventions have shown positive physical and psychological health benefits over time, with the presumed mechanism being emotional disclosure. However, work utilizing expressive writing in behavior change has been minimal. The current research applied the expressive writing paradigm to reduce drinking intentions among college students, and evaluated the role of event-related guilt and shame in intervention effects. College students (N = 429) completed a baseline survey and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Negative (write about a heavy drinking event that was negative); Positive (write about a heavy drinking event that was positive); or Neutral (write about their first day of college). After writing, readiness to change and future drinking intentions were assessed. Results revealed intervention effects on intended drinks per week and intended number of drinks during peak and typical drinking occasions. Participants in the negative condition also displayed higher levels of event-related guilt and shame. Results showed that guilt mediated intervention effects on readiness to change, which also mediated the association between guilt-reparative behavior and drinking intentions. Results provide initial support for an expressive writing intervention on alcohol use and underscore the importance of eliciting emotions associated with reparative behavior when considering negative past experiences and future behavior change. PMID:26074424

Social Factors Influencing Russian Male Alcohol Use over the Life Course: A Qualitative Study Investigating Age Based Social Norms, Masculinity, and Workplace Context.

PubMed

Keenan, Katherine; Saburova, Lyudmila; Bobrova, Natalia; Elbourne, Diana; Ashwin, Sarah; Leon, David A

2015-01-01

The massive fluctuations occurring in Russian alcohol-related mortality since the mid-1980s cannot be seen outside of the context of great social and economic change. There is a dearth of qualitative studies about Russian male drinking and especially needed are those that address social processes and individual changes in drinking. Conducted as part of a longitudinal study on men's alcohol consumption in Izhevsk, this qualitative study uses 25 semi-structured biographical interviews with men aged 33-60 years to explore life course variation in drinking. The dominant pattern was decreasing binge and frequent drinking as men reached middle age which was precipitated by family building, reductions in drinking with work colleagues, and health concerns. A minority of men described chaotic drinking histories with periods of abstinence and heavy drinking. The results highlight the importance of the blue-collar work environment for conditioning male heavy drinking in young adulthood through a variety of social, normative and structural mechanisms. Post-Soviet changes had a structural influence on the propensity for workplace drinking but the important social function of male drinking sessions remained. Bonding with workmates through heavy drinking was seen as an unavoidable and essential part of young men's social life. With age peer pressure to drink decreased and the need to perform the role of responsible breadwinner put different behavioural demands on men. For some resisting social pressure to drink became an important site of self-determination and a mark of masculine maturity. Over the lifetime the place where masculine identity was asserted shifted from the workplace to the home, which commonly resulted in a reduction in drinking. We contribute to existing theories of Russian male drinking by showing that the performance of age-related social roles influences Russian men's drinking patterns, drinking contexts and their attitudes. Further research should be conducted investigating drinking trajectories in Russian men.

Social Factors Influencing Russian Male Alcohol Use over the Life Course: A Qualitative Study Investigating Age Based Social Norms, Masculinity, and Workplace Context

PubMed Central

Keenan, Katherine; Saburova, Lyudmila; Bobrova, Natalia; Elbourne, Diana; Ashwin, Sarah; Leon, David A.

2015-01-01

The massive fluctuations occurring in Russian alcohol-related mortality since the mid-1980s cannot be seen outside of the context of great social and economic change. There is a dearth of qualitative studies about Russian male drinking and especially needed are those that address social processes and individual changes in drinking. Conducted as part of a longitudinal study on men’s alcohol consumption in Izhevsk, this qualitative study uses 25 semi-structured biographical interviews with men aged 33–60 years to explore life course variation in drinking. The dominant pattern was decreasing binge and frequent drinking as men reached middle age which was precipitated by family building, reductions in drinking with work colleagues, and health concerns. A minority of men described chaotic drinking histories with periods of abstinence and heavy drinking. The results highlight the importance of the blue-collar work environment for conditioning male heavy drinking in young adulthood through a variety of social, normative and structural mechanisms. Post-Soviet changes had a structural influence on the propensity for workplace drinking but the important social function of male drinking sessions remained. Bonding with workmates through heavy drinking was seen as an unavoidable and essential part of young men’s social life. With age peer pressure to drink decreased and the need to perform the role of responsible breadwinner put different behavioural demands on men. For some resisting social pressure to drink became an important site of self-determination and a mark of masculine maturity. Over the lifetime the place where masculine identity was asserted shifted from the workplace to the home, which commonly resulted in a reduction in drinking. We contribute to existing theories of Russian male drinking by showing that the performance of age-related social roles influences Russian men’s drinking patterns, drinking contexts and their attitudes. Further research should be conducted investigating drinking trajectories in Russian men. PMID:26575847

Forecasting land cover change impacts on drinking water treatment costs in Minneapolis, Minnesota

EPA Science Inventory

Source protection is a critical aspect of drinking water treatment. The benefits of protecting source water quality in reducing drinking water treatment costs are clear. However, forecasting the impacts of environmental change on source water quality and its potential to influenc...

Experiential learning and changing leadership style.

PubMed

Zanecchia, M D

1985-11-01

One of the many problems facing the nursing profession today is the lack of preparedness of its leaders. Nursing educators, collaborating with nursing service, can teach baccalaureate students leadership skills and to develop leadership styles. Experiential real-world management tasks selected by faculty and head nurses can serve as learning opportunities. Students can learn leadership ability and change style. Utilizing t-test, the before and after course mean scores on the standardized Leadership Ability Evaluation instrument were statistically analyzed. Significant differences and style changes were identified. Students in the total class became more effective leaders as did the students in both the traditional and experiential groups. Traditional students (lecture only) became less autocratic-submissive and more democratic. The experiential group significantly became less autocratic-aggressive, less laissez-faire and more democratic.

Mobilizing for change: a case study of a campus and community coalition to reduce high-risk drinking.

PubMed

Linowski, Sally A; DiFulvio, Gloria T

2012-06-01

Campus and community coalitions include a partnership between campus leaders and community stakeholders and can effectively address the environment that may promote high-risk drinking. Despite evidence suggesting that coalitions may be effective vehicles for producing sustainable changes in college drinking, few campuses work within such a structure. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a campus and community coalition to implement environmental changes and thereby reduce high-risk drinking and associated consequences. This study utilized a case study method to tell the story of a campus and community coalition (CCC) implemented on a large university campus in the Northeast. The study employed multiple methods including archival document review, review of campus and community level data (i.e. alcohol-related arrests and sanctions) and analysis of student level data. The case study discusses the strategies employed, the environmental changes that occurred and the impact these changes have had on student drinking and consequences. Since implementing the campus and community coalition, the campus has seen an increase in enforcement by campus and local police, changes in community by-laws, and significant reductions in student drinking and consequences. The data provide evidence that a comprehensive approach to reducing high-risk drinking can have an impact on the campus and community environment, which in turn impacts student drinking and associated consequences. The CCC utilized a strategic and comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention, allowing all participants to have a shared understanding of the challenges and best practices. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.

Are our people health conscious? Results of a patients survey in Karachi, Pakistan.

PubMed

Qidwai, Waris; Saleheen, Danish; Saleem, Sadia; Andrades, Marie; Azam, Syed Iqbal

2003-01-01

Life style is known to influence health and may be responsible for certain diseases. There is a need to document the life style on health among the Pakistani population. The study was conducted on patients visiting the Family Practice Center, the Aga Khan University, Karachi. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the demographic profile, and the life style on health. The ethical requirements for conducting the study were met. 393 patients were surveyed. The majority were young married men, in either private or government service. Preference for consumption of fats/oils, sweets, spicy foods, salt, fruits/vegetables, tea, coffee, cola drinks and alcohol was found among 103 (26%), 84 (22%), 86 (22%), 110 (28%), 239 (61%), 319 (81%), 117 (30%), 253 (64%) and 13 (03%) respondents respectively. Hand washing after defecation, before eating food and after work was seen among 341 (87%), 296 (75%) and 256 (65%) respondents respectively. Brushing of teeth after eating food, before breakfast and bedtime was seen in 56 (14%), 346 (88%) and 176 (45%) respondents respectively. Preventive dental check-up was practiced by 102 (26%) of the respondents. Sleep of less than 6 hours per day among 74 (19%), water consumption of less than 1 liter daily among 84 (21%) and fish consumption on once a week basis among 173 (44%) respondents was found. Tobacco and betel nuts use was found among 69 (17%) and 79 (20%) respondents. We have documented a clear need to raise public awareness on the issue of life style on health. There is a need and we strongly recommend debate and further research, along with interventional strategies in line with the available evidence on healthy life style.

Coping with fear through suppression and avoidance of threatening information.

PubMed

Nielsen, Jesper; Shapiro, Stewart

2009-09-01

Fear appeal communications are widely used by social marketers in their efforts to persuade individuals to refrain from engaging in risky behaviors. The present research shows that exposure to a fear appeal can lead to the suppression of concepts semantically related to the threat and bias attentional resources away from threat-relevant information. Participants in the experimental condition viewed a fear appeal advertisement depicting the negative consequences of drinking and driving. The results of a reaction time task showed inhibited responses to words semantically related to drinking (e.g., beer, party) relative to a baseline group that controlled for priming effects (Experiment 1a) and level of fear (Experiment 1b). Furthermore, those in the experimental condition were shown to adopt an attention avoidance processing style, decreasing attention to alcohol-related advertisements appearing in a mock magazine (Experiments 2a and 2b). Because processing of alcohol-related advertising has been linked previously to an increase in drinking and driving, inhibited processing of such advertisements suggests a positive outcome of suppression effects. This contrasts with prior claims suggesting that suppression is counter to prevention-based efforts. 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Drinking-water treatment, climate change, and childhood gastrointestinal illness projections for northern Wisconsin (USA) communities drinking untreated groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uejio, Christopher K.; Christenson, Megan; Moran, Colleen; Gorelick, Mark

2017-06-01

This study examined the relative importance of climate change and drinking-water treatment for gastrointestinal illness incidence in children (age <5 years) from period 2046-2065 compared to 1991-2010. The northern Wisconsin (USA) study focused on municipalities distributing untreated groundwater. A time-series analysis first quantified the observed (1991-2010) precipitation and gastrointestinal illness associations after controlling for seasonality and temporal trends. Precipitation likely transported pathogens into drinking-water sources or into leaking water-distribution networks. Building on observed relationships, the second analysis projected how climate change and drinking-water treatment installation may alter gastrointestinal illness incidence. Future precipitation values were modeled by 13 global climate models and three greenhouse-gas emissions levels. The second analysis was rerun using three pathways: (1) only climate change, (2) climate change and the same slow pace of treatment installation observed over 1991-2010, and (3) climate change and the rapid rate of installation observed over 2011-2016. The results illustrate the risks that climate change presents to small rural groundwater municipalities without drinking water treatment. Climate-change-related seasonal precipitation changes will marginally increase the gastrointestinal illness incidence rate (mean: ˜1.5%, range: -3.6-4.3%). A slow pace of treatment installation somewhat decreased precipitation-associated gastrointestinal illness incidence (mean: ˜3.0%, range: 0.2-7.8%) in spite of climate change. The rapid treatment installation rate largely decreases the gastrointestinal illness incidence (mean: ˜82.0%, range: 82.0-83.0%).

Parenting styles and body mass index trajectories from adolescence to adulthood.

PubMed

Fuemmeler, Bernard F; Yang, Chongming; Costanzo, Phil; Hoyle, Rick H; Siegler, Ilene C; Williams, Redford B; Ostbye, Truls

2012-07-01

Parenting styles such as authoritarian, disengaged, or permissive are thought to be associated with greater adolescent obesity risk than an authoritative style. This study assessed the relationship between parenting styles and changes in body mass index (BMI) from adolescence to young adulthood. The study included self-reported data from adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Factor mixture modeling, a data-driven approach, was used to classify participants into parenting style groups based on measures of acceptance and control. Latent growth modeling (LGM) identified patterns of developmental changes in BMI. After a number of potential confounders were controlled for, parenting style variables were entered as predictors of BMI trajectories. Analyses were also conducted for male and female individuals of 3 racial-ethnic groups (Hispanic, black, white) to assess whether parenting styles were differentially associated with BMI trajectories in these 6 groups. Parenting styles were classified into 4 groups: authoritarian, disengaged, permissive, and balanced. Compared with the balanced parenting style, authoritarian and disengaged parenting styles were associated with a less steep average BMI increase (linear slope) over time, but also less leveling off (quadratic) of BMI over time. Differences in BMI trajectories were observed for various genders and races, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. Adolescents who reported having parents with authoritarian or disengaged parenting styles had greater increases in BMI as they transitioned to young adulthood despite having a lower BMI trajectory through adolescence.

Parenting Styles and Body Mass Index Trajectories From Adolescence to Adulthood

PubMed Central

Fuemmeler, Bernard F.; Yang, Chongming; Costanzo, Phil; Hoyle, Rick H.; Ph.D.; Siegler, Ilene C.; Williams, Redford B.; Østbye, Truls

2013-01-01

Objective Parenting styles such as authoritarian, disengaged, or permissive are thought to be associated with greater adolescent obesity risk than an authoritative style. This study assessed the relationship between parenting styles and changes in body mass index (BMI) from adolescence to young adulthood. Methods The study included self-reported data from adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Factor mixture modeling, a data-driven approach, was used to classify participants into parenting style groups based on measures of acceptance and control. Latent growth modeling (LGM) identified patterns of developmental changes in BMI. After a number of potential cofounders were controlled for, parenting style variables were entered as predictors of BMI trajectories. Analyses were also conducted for males and females of three racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic, black, white) to assess whether parenting styles were differentially associated with BMI trajectories in these 6 groups. Results Parenting styles were classified into 4 groups: authoritarian, disengaged, permissive, and balanced. Compared with the balanced parenting style, authoritarian and disengaged parenting styles were associated with a less steep average BMI increase (linear slope) over time, but also less leveling off (quadratic) of BMI over time. Differences in BMI trajectories were observed for various genders and races, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions Adolescents who reported having parents with authoritarian or disengaged parenting styles had greater increases in BMI as they transitioned to young adulthood despite having a lower BMI trajectory through adolescence. PMID:22545979

Testing the predictions of coping styles theory in threespined sticklebacks

PubMed Central

Bensky, Miles K.; Paitz, Ryan; Pereira, Laura; Bell, Alison M.

2017-01-01

Coping styles theory provides a framework for understanding individual variation in how animals respond to environmental change, and predicts how individual differences in stress responsiveness and behavior might relate to cognitive differences. According to coping styles theory, proactive individuals are bolder, less reactive to stressors, and more routinized than their reactive counterparts. A key tenet of coping styles theory is that variation in coping styles is maintained by tradeoffs with behavioral flexibility: proactive individuals excel in stable environments while more flexible, reactive individuals perform better in variable environments. Here, we assess evidence for coping styles within a natural population of threespined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We developed a criterion-based learning paradigm to evaluate individual variation in initial and reversal learning. We observed strong individual differences in boldness, cortisol production, and learning performance. Consistent with coping styles, fish that released more cortisol were more timid in response to a predator attack and slower to learn a color discrimination task. However, there was no evidence that reactive individuals performed better when the environment changed (when the rewarded color was reversed). The failure to detect trade-offs between behavioral routinization and flexibility prompts other explanations for the maintenance of differing coping styles. PMID:28017848

Nurse managers' preferred and perceived leadership styles: a study at an Italian hospital.

PubMed

Zampieron, Alessandra; Spanio, Daniele; Bernardi, Paola; Milan, Rosalia; Buja, Alessandra

2013-04-01

The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to compare the different leadership styles based on perceptions of nurse managers and their staff. Nurse managers' styles are fundamental to improving subordinates' performance and achieving goals at health-care institutions. This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire developed by Ekvall & Arvonen, considering three leadership domains (Change, Production and Employee relations), was administered to all nurse managers and to their subordinates at a city hospital in north-east Italy. The comparison between the leadership styles actually adopted and those preferred by the nurse managers showed that the preferred style always scored higher than the style adopted, the difference reaching statistical significance for Change and Production. The leadership styles preferred by subordinates always scored higher than the styles their nurse managers actually adopted; in the subordinates' opinion, the differences being statistically significant in all three leadership domains. The study showed that nurse managers' expectations in relation to their leadership differ from those of their subordinates. These findings should be borne in mind when selecting and training nurse managers and other personnel, and they should influence the hospital's strategic management of nurses. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Assessing barriers to change in drinking behavior: results of an online employee screening program.

PubMed

Aseltine, Robert H; Demarco, Frank J; Wallenstein, Gene V; Jacobs, Douglas G

2009-01-01

The impact of alcohol abuse on worker productivity is considerable and appears to be increasing over time. Although early screening and intervention may help prevent or reduce the damaging health and productivity effects of problem drinking, barriers to behavioral change may render broad-based prevention efforts ineffectual. This study examined the correlates of two potential barriers to changes in drinking behavior--underestimation of drinking and lack of knowledge of helping resources--using data from web-based employee alcohol screenings. Anonymous screening data from 1185 employees of ten companies participating in the 2003 National Alcohol Screening Day were analyzed. The AUDIT, a 10-item screening instrument developed by the World Health Organization, was used to measure drinking behavior; employees' subjective assessments of their drinking were also obtained. Over 53% of participants subjectively underestimated their drinking relative to their AUDIT results, and 58% of respondents did not know whether their medical insurance included benefits for alcohol treatment. Logistic regression analysis revealed that younger and male respondents tended to have the highest AUDIT scores and also (along with married respondents) were most likely to underestimate their drinking. Younger, unmarried respondents were least likely to be aware of their alcohol treatment insurance benefits. Current corporate efforts to curtail problem drinking among employees may not adequately address barriers to change. Targeting at-risk employee groups for alcohol screening and dissemination of information about health insurance benefits and treatment options is recommended, as is providing personalized feedback based on screening results to raise awareness of at-risk drinking and available helping resources.

Instrumentational complexity of music genres and why simplicity sells.

PubMed

Percino, Gamaliel; Klimek, Peter; Thurner, Stefan

2014-01-01

Listening habits are strongly influenced by two opposing aspects, the desire for variety and the demand for uniformity in music. In this work we quantify these two notions in terms of instrumentation and production technologies that are typically involved in crafting popular music. We assign an 'instrumentational complexity value' to each music style. Styles of low instrumentational complexity tend to have generic instrumentations that can also be found in many other styles. Styles of high complexity, on the other hand, are characterized by a large variety of instruments that can only be found in a small number of other styles. To model these results we propose a simple stochastic model that explicitly takes the capabilities of artists into account. We find empirical evidence that individual styles show dramatic changes in their instrumentational complexity over the last fifty years. 'New wave' or 'disco' quickly climbed towards higher complexity in the 70s and fell back to low complexity levels shortly afterwards, whereas styles like 'folk rock' remained at constant high instrumentational complexity levels. We show that changes in the instrumentational complexity of a style are related to its number of sales and to the number of artists contributing to that style. As a style attracts a growing number of artists, its instrumentational variety usually increases. At the same time the instrumentational uniformity of a style decreases, i.e. a unique stylistic and increasingly complex expression pattern emerges. In contrast, album sales of a given style typically increase with decreasing instrumentational complexity. This can be interpreted as music becoming increasingly formulaic in terms of instrumentation once commercial or mainstream success sets in.

Chinese Women's Drinking Patterns Before and After the Hong Kong Alcohol Policy Changes.

PubMed

Wong, Eugene C; Kim, Jean H; Goggins, William B; Lau, Joseph; Wong, Samuel Y S; Griffiths, Sian M

2018-07-01

To examine the patterns of alcohol consumption in Hong Kong Chinese women before and after a period of major alcohol policy amendments. This study compared alcohol consumption patterns in Hong Kong Chinese women before and after a period of major alcohol policy amendments and found increased drinking among certain subgroups, particularly middle-aged women. These increases are likely due to personal factors (e.g. changing perceptions) as well as environmental influences (e.g. greater marketing). Cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted on adult Chinese women prior to the 2007-2008 beer and wine tax eliminations in 2006 (n = 4946) and in 2011 (n = 2439). Over the study period, only women in the 36-45 year age stratum reported significant increases in all three drinking patterns: past-year drinking (38.1-45.2%), past-month binge drinking (2.3-5.2%) and weekly drinking (4.0-7.3%) (P < 0.05); middle-aged women, unemployed or retired women and those ascribing to alcohol's health benefits emerged as new binge drinking risk groups. In 2011, 3.5% of all drinking-aged women (8.8% of past-year drinkers, 20.7% of binge drinkers and 23.1% of weekly drinkers) reported an increased drinking frequency after the tax policy changes. The main contexts of increased drinking were social events and with restaurant meals; moreover, beliefs of alcohol's health benefits were common to all contexts of increased drinking. Of women who increased their drinking frequency, the largest proportion attributed it to peer effects/social environment conducive to drinking, and brand marketing/advertising influences. Increased drinking among certain subgroups of Hong Kong Chinese women may be due to combined influences of: increased societal acceptance of social drinking, aggressive marketing promotions and personal beliefs in the health benefits of drinking that have recently emerged in the region. Hence, multi-prong strategies are required to combat potential drinking harms in these women.

Gender and Social Pressure to Change Drinking Behavior: Results from the National Alcohol Surveys from 1984-2010.

PubMed

Polcin, Douglas L; Korcha, Rachael A; Kerr, William C; Greenfield, Thomas K; Bond, Jason

2014-01-01

Research shows social and institutional pressure influences drinking, yet determinants of who receives pressure are understudied. This paper examines age, time period, and birth cohort (APC) effects on pressure to stop or reduce drinking among U.S. men and women. Data were drawn from six National Alcohol Surveys (NAS) conducted from 1984 to 2010 (N=32,534). Receipt of pressure during the past year to quit or change drinking from formal (police, doctor, work) and informal (spouse, family, friends) sources was assessed. Determinants of pressure were similar for men and women but varied in strength. They included younger age, less education, and younger cohort groups. Cohort effects were stronger for women than men. Cohort effects among women may be due to increased alcohol marketing to younger women and the changing social contexts of their drinking. Future studies should assess associations between drinking contexts, pressures, and outcomes.

Changes in coping and social motives for drinking and alcohol consumption across the menstrual cycle.

PubMed

Joyce, Kayla M; Hudson, Amanda; O'Connor, Roisin; Thompson, Kara; Hodgin, Megan; Perrot, Tara; Stewart, Sherry H

2018-04-01

Alcohol use has been reported to fluctuate over women's menstrual cycles (MCs), with increased intake occurring premenstrually/menstrually (phases characterized by heightened negative affect) and during the ovulatory phase (a phase characterized by positive affect). This suggests women may drink for particular emotion-focused reasons at specific points in their cycles. However, no research had yet examined MC variability in drinking motives, or links between cycle-related changes in drinking motives and alcohol consumption. Ninety-four normally cycling women (M age  = 22.9 years old, SD age  = 4.7) completed daily diary measures (via Smartphone surveys), with questions pertaining to state drinking motives and quantity of alcohol consumed for the course of a full MC. Drinking motives differed by cycle phase. Women reported a slight increase in drinking to self-medicate for negative affect premenstrually, with drinking to cope peaking in the menstrual phase and declining mid-cycle. Women reported a slight increasing trend across the cycle in social motives for drinking, while enhancement motives remained relatively stable across the cycle. Cycle-related changes in drinking motives predicted increases in the quantity of alcohol consumed. Drinking to cope with negative affect predicted a greater number of drinks menstrually (days 1-5). While social motives predicted a greater number of drinks during the follicular and ovulatory phases (days 5-16), enhancement motives were unrelated to drinking quantity across cycle phase. Clinicians should be attentive to cycle phase when treating reproductive-aged women with alcohol disorders (e.g., encouraging the use of healthier means of coping with negative affect during menses). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How the Ability to Manage Change Affects Leadership Style

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pujol, Kelley

2012-01-01

This study addressed how the ability to manage change affects leadership style. The problem addressed in this project was the natural human tendency to resist change and how the inability to mange this tendency can interfere with the development of leadership skills. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how an individual's change…

Impact of Pretreatment Change on Mechanism of Behavior Change Research: An Applied Example Using Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy.

PubMed

Noyes, Emily T; Levine, Jacob A; Schlauch, Robert C; Crane, Cory A; Connors, Gerard J; Maisto, Stephen A; Dearing, Ronda L

2018-03-01

With the growing recognition that, for some, significant changes in drinking occur before the first treatment session (i.e., pretreatment change), researchers have called for the careful assessment of when change occurs and its potential impact on mechanism of behavior change (MOBC) research. Using a commonly hypothesized MOBC variable, alcohol abstinence self-efficacy, the primary aim of this study was to examine the effect of pretreatment change on the study of MOBCs. Sixty-three individuals diagnosed with alcohol dependence were recruited to participate in a 12-week cognitive-behavioral treatment. Participants completed weekly assessments of self-efficacy and drinking behaviors. Multilevel time-lagged regression models indicated that pretreatment change significantly moderated the effect of self-efficacy on the number of drinking days, such that among those higher on pretreatment change, higher self-efficacy ratings predicted lower rates of drinking days in the week until the next treatment session. In contrast, pretreatment change did not moderate the effect of self-efficacy on the rate of heavy drinking days. Results from the current study add to a small but growing body of research highlighting the importance of pretreatment change when studying MOBCs. Further, these results provide important insights into the conditions in which self-efficacy may play an important role in treatment outcomes.

Objective test for food sensitivity in asthmatic children: increased bronchial reactivity after cola drinks.

PubMed Central

Wilson, N; Vickers, H; Taylor, G; silverman, M

1982-01-01

Ten asthmatic children with a history of cough and wheeze after drinking a cola drink performed histamine inhalation tests before and 30 minutes after a drink of Pepsi-Cola, soda water, and water on three separate study days. There was no significant change in baseline peak expiratory flow after any of the three drinks. Sensitivity to histamine was increased after the cola drink (p less than 0.005) but was not significantly different after soda water or water. The detection of change in sensitivity to histamine appears to be a simple and effective method of testing for food sensitivity in asthma. Images p1228-a PMID:6803911

Risk Assessment and effect of Penicillin-G on bacterial diversity in drinking water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qing; Zhao, Xiaofei; Peng, Sen; Wang, Lei; Zhao, Xinhua

2018-02-01

Penicillin-G was detected in drinking water by LC-MS/MS and the bacterial diversity was investigated by PCR and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that bacteria community structure in drinking water has undergone major changes when added different concentrations of penicillin-G. The diversity index of each sample was calculated. The results showed that the total number and abundance of bacterial community species in drinking water samples decreased significantly after the addition of penicillin-G. However, the number and abundance of community structure did not change with the concentration. Penicillin-G inhibits the activity of bacterial community in drinking water and can reduce the bacterial diversity in drinking water.

From an imbalance to a new imbalance: Italian-style gluten-free diet alters the salivary microbiota and metabolome of African celiac children.

PubMed

Ercolini, Danilo; Francavilla, Ruggiero; Vannini, Lucia; De Filippis, Francesca; Capriati, Teresa; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Iacono, Giuseppe; De Angelis, Maria; Gobbetti, Marco

2015-12-18

Fourteen Saharawi celiac children following an African-style gluten-free diet for at least two years were subjected to a change of diet to an Italian-style gluten-free diet for 60 days. Significant differences were identified in the salivary microbiota and metabolome when Saharawi celiac children switched from African- to Italian-style dietary habits. An Italian-style gluten-free diet caused increases in the abundance of Granulicatella, Porphyromonas and Neisseria and decreases in Clostridium, Prevotella and Veillonella, altering the 'salivary type' of the individuals. Furthermore, operational taxonomic unit co-occurrence/exclusion patterns indicated that the initial equilibrium of co-occurring microbial species was perturbed by a change in diet: the microbial diversity was reduced, with a few species out-competing the previously established microbiota and becoming dominant. Analysis of predicted metagenomes revealed a remarkable change in the metabolic potential of the microbiota following the diet change, with increased potential for amino acid, vitamin and co-factor metabolism. High concentrations of acetone and 2-butanone during treatment with the Italian-style gluten-free diet suggested metabolic dysfunction in the Saharawi celiac children. The findings of this study support the need for a translational medicine pipeline to examine interactions between food and microbiota when evaluating human development, nutritional needs and the impact and consequences of westernisation.

Labelling out: the personal account of an ex-alcoholic lesbian feminist.

PubMed

Staddon, Patsy

2005-01-01

In this paper, I look at my past alcohol dependency from a political as well as personal perspective. I consider the problems caused in my life and that of other lesbians by alcohol abuse, outdated treatment methods and self-help organizations such as AA, which misrepresent social factors leading to alcohol abuse. I focus on a series of themes: the personal and political; lesbian bar styles; alternative realities; lesbian problem drinking; problems facing lesbians in treatment and engaging with Alcoholics Anonymous; treatment as it often is and treatment as it should be.

Skylab beverage container filled with orange juice held by Astronaut Conrad

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

An accordian-style beverage dispenser filled with orange juice is held by Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., Skylab 2 commander, in this close-up view which is a reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by a TV camera aboard the Skylab 1 and 2 space station cluster in Earth orbit. Conrad (head and face not in view) is seated at the wardroom table in the crew quarters of the Orbital Workshop. The dispenser contained beverage crystals, and Conrad has just added the prescribed amount of water to make the orange drink.

Changing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Heavy Drinking Trajectories Through Young Adulthood: A Comparative Cohort Study.

PubMed

Williams, Edwina; Mulia, Nina; Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J; Lui, Camillia K

2018-01-01

There is evidence of racial/ethnic differences in the age at which young adults age out of heavy drinking. Some studies have found Black and Hispanic drinkers engage in more frequent heavy drinking than White people beyond adulthood. Yet, the alcohol-related disparities literature has produced contradictory findings on whether an age-crossover effect is evident among racial/ethnic groups; that is, whether racial/ethnic minorities' drinking levels or trajectories are lower than White people at young ages but later exceed (or crossover) those of White people. This study extends this scant literature by assessing whether racial/ethnic differences in heavy drinking have changed over time (possibly accounting for mixed findings from prior research); and tests for an age-crossover effect in heavy drinking using longitudinal data from 2 cohorts born 20 years apart. Data are from the 1979 (n = 10,963) and 1997 (n = 8,852) cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Generalized estimating equations were used to model trajectories of heavy drinking frequency from ages 17 to 31. Racial/ethnic differences were determined using sex-stratified models and 3-way interactions of race/ethnicity with age, age-squared, and cohort. Racial/ethnic differences in heavy drinking trajectories have changed over time in men and women. In the older NLSY cohort, Hispanic men and Black women surpassed White men's and women's heavy drinking frequency by age 31. This crossover was absent in the younger cohort, where trajectories of all racial-sex groups converged by age 31. Normative trajectories have changed in Hispanics and White people of both sexes, with a delay in age of peak frequency, and greater levels of heavy drinking in the younger cohort of women. Changes in heavy drinking trajectories over time suggest the need for targeted interventions during young adulthood. While disparities in young adult heavy drinking were no longer apparent in the more recent birth cohort, continued monitoring is important. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Prospective Changes in Alcohol Use Among Hazardous Drinkers in the Absence of Treatment

PubMed Central

Dearing, Ronda L.; Witkiewitz, Katie; Connors, Gerard J.; Walitzer, Kimberly S.

2012-01-01

Gaining a better understanding of the natural course of hazardous alcohol consumption could inform the development of brief interventions to encourage self-change. In the current study, hazardous drinkers (based on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score) were recruited using advertisements to participate in a 2-year multi-wave prospective study. Participants (N = 206) provided self-reports every six months during the study, including reports of daily alcohol consumption. The current investigation focuses on self-initiated change in participants’ frequency of heavy drinking days (i.e., ≥ 5/4 drinks per day for men/women), as predicted by a number of demographic (e.g., age) and psychosocial (e.g., guilt-proneness) variables. Latent growth curve models of the change in percent heavy drinking days over the 2-year period provided an excellent fit to the observed data and indicated a significant decline in percent heavy drinking days over time. Reductions in heavy drinking frequency were predicted by younger age and higher guilt-proneness. The identification of these predictors of reductions in heavy drinking frequency provides information to guide future work investigating self-change among hazardous drinkers. PMID:22612252

A review of studies of drinking patterns in the United States since 1940.

PubMed

O'Malley, Patrick M

2014-01-01

This article reviews changes in drinking patterns in the general U.S. population since the first appearance of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol in June 1940. Contents of the three iterations of the journal (Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, and Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs) were reviewed along with additional prominent key articles on the subject known to the author. Early articles in the field tended to focus on alcoholics and alcoholism, usually with a biological emphasis. The earliest "scientific investigation" of drinking patterns that appeared in iterations of JSAD reported data based on a survey in 1946, and the earliest report of trends in drinking patterns compared the 1946 data with data from 1963. Since then, there have been numerous evaluations of drinking patterns in the general U.S. population. There have been major changes over the past 75 years in the manner in which drinking patterns are measured and summarized. Perhaps the biggest change was the introduction of probability sampling. Additional major changes continue to occur, responding to technological changes (e.g., the use of computers, cell phones, and broadband connections) in how people interact with their environment.

Prospective changes in alcohol use among hazardous drinkers in the absence of treatment.

PubMed

Dearing, Ronda L; Witkiewitz, Katie; Connors, Gerard J; Walitzer, Kimberly S

2013-03-01

Gaining a better understanding of the natural course of hazardous alcohol consumption could inform the development of brief interventions to encourage self-change. In the current study, hazardous drinkers (based on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score) were recruited using advertisements to participate in a 2-year multiwave prospective study. Participants (n = 206) provided self-reports every six months during the study, including reports of daily alcohol consumption. The current investigation focuses on self-initiated change in participants' frequency of heavy drinking days (i.e., ≥ 5/4 drinks per day for men/women), as predicted by a number of demographic (e.g., age) and psychosocial (e.g., guilt-proneness) variables. Latent growth curve models of the change in percent heavy drinking days over the 2-year period provided an excellent fit to the observed data and indicated a significant decline in percent heavy drinking days over time. Reductions in heavy drinking frequency were predicted by younger age and higher guilt-proneness. The identification of these predictors of reductions in heavy drinking frequency provides information to guide future work investigating self-change among hazardous drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Ecological momentary assessment of acute alcohol use disorder symptoms: associations with mood, motives, and use on planned drinking days.

PubMed

Dvorak, Robert D; Pearson, Matthew R; Day, Anne M

2014-08-01

Several theories posit that alcohol is consumed both in relation to one's mood and in relation to different motives for drinking. However, there are mixed findings regarding the role of mood and motives in predicting drinking. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods provide an opportunity to evaluate near real-time changes in mood and motives within individuals to predict alcohol use. In addition, endorsement of criteria of an alcohol use disorder (AUD) may also be sensitive to changes within subjects. The current study used EMA with 74 moderate drinkers who responded to fixed and random mood, motive, alcohol use, and AUD criteria prompts over a 21-day assessment period. A temporal pattern of daytime mood, evening drinking motivation, and nighttime alcohol use and acute AUD symptoms on planned drinking days was modeled to examine how these associations unfold throughout the day. The results suggest considerable heterogeneity in drinking motivation across drinking days. Additionally, an affect regulation model of drinking to cope with negative mood was observed. Specifically, on planned drinking days, the temporal association between daytime negative mood and the experience of acute AUD symptoms was mediated via coping motives and alcohol use. The current study found that motives are dynamic, and that changes in motives may predict differential drinking patterns across days. Further, the study provides evidence that emotion-regulation-driven alcohol involvement may need to be examined at the event level to fully capture the ebb and flow of negative affect motivated drinking.

A Personalization Effect in Multimedia Learning: Students Learn Better When Words Are in Conversational Style Rather Than Formal Style

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Richard E.; Fennell, Sherry; Farmer, Lindsay; Campbell, Julie

2004-01-01

Students received a personalized or nonpersonalized version of a narrated animation explaining how the human respiratory system works. The narration for the nonpersonalized version was in formal style, whereas the narration for the personalized version was in conversational style in which "the" was changed to "your" in 12 places. In 3 experiments,…

Learning Styles in the e-Learning Environment: The Approaches and Research on Longitudinal Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doulik, Pavel; Skoda, Jiri; Simonova, Ivana

2017-01-01

The paper focuses on the field of learning styles in e-learning. The study is structured in two main parts: (1) a brief overview of traditional approaches to learning styles is presented and their role in the process of instruction is set; this part results in the reflection of current state, when learning styles are considered within e-learning;…

Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Changes When You Urinate

MedlinePlus

... caffeine (such as coffee and black tea) I Drinks that are carbonated (such as sodas and colas) I Spicy foods I Tobacco products Questions to ask your doctor or nurse: 1. What changes am ... How much liquid should I drink each day? 6. Are there any drinks or ...

Web intervention for OEF/OIF veterans with problem drinking and PTSD symptoms: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Brief, Deborah J; Rubin, Amy; Keane, Terence M; Enggasser, Justin L; Roy, Monica; Helmuth, Eric; Hermos, John; Lachowicz, Mark; Rybin, Denis; Rosenbloom, David

2013-10-01

Veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) commonly experience alcohol misuse and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following their return from deployment to a war zone. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed, 8-module, self-management web intervention (VetChange) based on motivational and cognitive-behavioral principles to reduce alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and PTSD symptoms in returning combat veterans. Six hundred participants, recruited through targeted Facebook ads, were randomized to either an Initial Intervention Group (IIG; n = 404) or a Delayed Intervention Group (DIG; n = 196) that waited 8 weeks for access to VetChange. Primary outcome measures were Drinks per Drinking Day, Average Weekly Drinks, Percent Heavy Drinking Days, and PTSD symptoms. Intent-to-treat analyses compared changes in outcome measures over time between IIG and DIG as well as within-group changes. IIG participants demonstrated greater reductions in drinking (p < .001 for each measure) and PTSD symptoms (p = .009) between baseline and end-of-intervention than did DIG participants between baseline and the end of the waiting period. DIG participants showed similar improvements to those in IIG following participation in VetChange. Alcohol problems were also reduced within each group between baseline and 3-month follow-up. Results indicate that VetChange is effective in reducing drinking and PTSD symptoms in OIF/OEF veterans. Further studies of VetChange are needed to assess web-based recruitment and retention methods and to determine VetChange's effectiveness in demographic and clinical sub-populations of returning veterans. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Exposure to revised drinking guidelines and 'COM-B' determinants of behaviour change: descriptive analysis of a monthly cross-sectional survey in England.

PubMed

Stevely, Abigail K; Buykx, Penny; Brown, Jamie; Beard, Emma; Michie, Susan; Meier, Petra S; Holmes, John

2018-02-14

January 2016 saw the publication of proposed revisions to the UK's lower risk drinking guidelines but no sustained promotional activity. This paper aims to explore the impact of publishing guidelines without sustained promotional activity on reported guideline exposure and determinants of behaviour (capability, opportunity and motivation) proposed by the COM-B model. Data were collected by a monthly repeat cross-sectional survey of adults (18+) resident in England over 15 months between November 2015 and January 2017 from a total of 16,779 drinkers, as part of the Alcohol Toolkit Study. Trends and associated 95% confidence intervals were described in the proportion of reported exposure to guidelines in the past month and measures of the capability, opportunity and motivation to consume alcohol within drinking guidelines. There was a rise in reported exposure to drinking guidelines in January 2016 (57.6-80.6%) which did not reoccur in January 2017. Following the increase in January 2016, reported exposure reduced slowly but remained significantly higher than in December 2015. In February 2016, there was an increase in measures of capability (31.1% reported tracking units of alcohol consumption and 87.8% considered it easier to drink safely) and opportunity (84.0% perceived their lifestyle as conducive to drinking within guidelines). This change was not maintained in subsequent months. Other measures showed marginal changes between January and February 2016 with no evidence of change in subsequent months. Following the publication of revised drinking guideline in January 2016, there was a transient increase in exposure to guidelines, and capability and opportunity to drink within the guidelines that diminished over time. The transience and size of the changes indicate that behaviour change is unlikely. Well-designed, theory-based promotional campaigns may be required for drinking guidelines to be an effective public health intervention.

Introduction to the General Campaign Analysis Model (GCAM). Version 3.3

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

uncomment and change the label line to label = blackhawk; 14. For the unit to be displayed on the map, it needs a sprite. Uncomment the display style and...sprite lines and change them to display style = SPRITE; and sprite = blackhawk; this associates the unit with the Blackhawk sprite defined in the...infantry #UNIT id=102; label=squad; display style = SPRITE; sprite = infantry; sprite index0 = 0; sprite rotates = FALSE; x0 = 147.82; y0 = -19.26; #END

Sexually selected sex differences in competitiveness explain sex differences in changes in drinking game participation.

PubMed

Hone, Liana S E; McCullough, Michael

2015-05-14

Drinking games are a risk factor for behavioral and health problems among university students. Previous cross-sectional research by Hone, Carter, and McCullough (2013) replicated well-established sex differences in drinking game behaviors (i.e., that men are more active drinking game participants than are women) and university drinking problems more generally. Hone et al. (2013) also found that these male-specific behavioral patterns are attributable in part to the fact that men's generally unrestricted sexual strategies, plus their social competitiveness, motivate them to participate in drinking games to display their fortitude and compete with same-sex rivals. Here, the authors conducted a study to evaluate with greater causal rigor whether sex differences in sexual restrictedness and social competitiveness-and sex differences in motivations for participating in drinking games in particular-are partially responsible for the sex differences in university students' drinking game behaviors and drinking problems. Sex differences in changes in frequency of drinking game participation were partially mediated by competitive motivations for participating in drinking games and by the effects of social competitiveness on competitive drinking game motivation. These findings lend additional support to the proposition that participation in drinking games is motivated in part by their suitability as a venue for sexual competition in university students' day-to-day lives.

Situational theory of leadership.

PubMed

Waller, D J; Smith, S R; Warnock, J T

1989-11-01

The situational theory of leadership and the LEAD instruments for determining leadership style are explained, and the application of the situational leadership theory to the process of planning for and implementing organizational change is described. Early studies of leadership style identified two basic leadership styles: the task-oriented autocratic style and the relationship-oriented democratic style. Subsequent research found that most leaders exhibited one of four combinations of task and relationship behaviors. The situational leadership theory holds that the difference between the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the four leadership styles is the appropriateness of the leader's behavior to the particular situation in which it is used. The task maturity of the individual or group being led must also be accounted for; follower readiness is defined in terms of the capacity to set high but attainable goals, willingness or ability to accept responsibility, and possession of the necessary education or experience for a specific task. A person's leadership style, range, and adaptability can be determined from the LEADSelf and LEADOther questionnaires. By applying the principles of the situational leadership theory and adapting their managerial styles to specific tasks and levels of follower maturity, the authors were successful in implementing 24-hour pharmacokinetic dosing services provided by staff pharmacists with little previous experience in clinical services. The situational leadership model enables a leader to identify a task, set goals, determine the task maturity of the individual or group, select an appropriate leadership style, and modify the style as change occurs. Pharmacy managers can use this model when implementing clinical pharmacy services.

Motivation to change as a mediator for the longitudinal relationships of gender and alcohol severity with one-year drinking outcome.

PubMed

Small, Jeon; Ounpraseuth, Songthip; Curran, Geoffrey M; Booth, Brenda M

2012-05-01

We examined whether motivation to change mediated the relationships between gender and baseline alcohol severity with drinking outcome at 12-month follow-up in a longitudinal community sample. Data were from baseline and 12-month interviews from the Rural Alcohol Study, a probability sample of rural and urban at-risk drinkers (N = 733) from six southern states. At-risk drinkers were identified through a telephone-screening interview. Measures of motivation (problem recognition and taking action) were the resultant two factors derived from the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale. Items on social consequences of drinking measured alcohol severity. Structural equation models examined relationships between baseline alcohol severity and motivation with drinks per drinking day at 12 months. We identified significant, direct paths between drinking at 12 months and alcohol severity and taking action with an unstandardized estimate of 0.116 (p < .05), alcohol severity and problem recognition (0.423, p < .01), and each of the two "motivation" latent constructs-problem recognition (1.846, p < .01) and taking action (-0.660, p < .01). Finally, the combined direct and negative effect of gender on alcohol consumption at 12-month follow-up was statistically significant, with an unstandardized estimate of -0.970 (p < .01). The current study offers evidence for motivation to change as a viable mechanism through which alcohol severity is associated with subsequent drinking outcomes. More research is needed to further explore the persistence of motivation to change on drinking outcomes over time.

The In-Session and Long-Term Role of a Significant Other in Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorders

PubMed Central

Bourke, Emilie; Magill, Molly; Apodaca, Timothy R.

2016-01-01

Objective To examine how significant other (SO) language in support of or against client abstinence from alcohol influences clients’ in-session speech and drinking behavior over the 9 months post-Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET). Method Sequential analyses were used to examine the language of Project MATCH clients who invited an SO to participate in an MET session. Hierarchical regressions investigated the predictive relationship between SO language and clients’ post-treatment drinking behavior. A cohort analytic design compared the change language of these SO-involved participants against a matched group who chose client-only therapy. Results 'SO Support Change' language increased the odds of client Change Talk in the next utterance (p < .01). SO Support Change did not significantly predict reduced post-treatment drinking whereas 'SO Against Change' significantly predicted an increase in average drinks per drinking day (DDD) across months 7-9 post-MET (p = .04). In the matched comparison, the proportion of change-related client language was comparable across the SO-involved and client-only groups. Conclusions Motivational interviewing theory was supported by the sequential association between SO and client language as well as the predictive link between SO Against Change and client drinking intensity. Given the centrality of pro-sobriety language in the literature, it was surprising that SO Support Change did not predict alcohol use outcomes. Findings are discussed in relation to contemporary treatment process research and clinical practice. PMID:26951920

Instrumentational Complexity of Music Genres and Why Simplicity Sells

PubMed Central

Percino, Gamaliel; Klimek, Peter; Thurner, Stefan

2014-01-01

Listening habits are strongly influenced by two opposing aspects, the desire for variety and the demand for uniformity in music. In this work we quantify these two notions in terms of instrumentation and production technologies that are typically involved in crafting popular music. We assign an ‘instrumentational complexity value’ to each music style. Styles of low instrumentational complexity tend to have generic instrumentations that can also be found in many other styles. Styles of high complexity, on the other hand, are characterized by a large variety of instruments that can only be found in a small number of other styles. To model these results we propose a simple stochastic model that explicitly takes the capabilities of artists into account. We find empirical evidence that individual styles show dramatic changes in their instrumentational complexity over the last fifty years. ‘New wave’ or ‘disco’ quickly climbed towards higher complexity in the 70s and fell back to low complexity levels shortly afterwards, whereas styles like ‘folk rock’ remained at constant high instrumentational complexity levels. We show that changes in the instrumentational complexity of a style are related to its number of sales and to the number of artists contributing to that style. As a style attracts a growing number of artists, its instrumentational variety usually increases. At the same time the instrumentational uniformity of a style decreases, i.e. a unique stylistic and increasingly complex expression pattern emerges. In contrast, album sales of a given style typically increase with decreasing instrumentational complexity. This can be interpreted as music becoming increasingly formulaic in terms of instrumentation once commercial or mainstream success sets in. PMID:25551631

Exam Success at Undergraduate and Graduate-Entry Medical Schools: Is Learning Style or Learning Approach More Important? A Critical Review Exploring Links Between Academic Success, Learning Styles, and Learning Approaches Among School-Leaver Entry ("Traditional") and Graduate-Entry ("Nontraditional") Medical Students.

PubMed

Feeley, Anne-Marie; Biggerstaff, Deborah L

2015-01-01

PHENOMENON: The literature on learning styles over many years has been replete with debate and disagreement. Researchers have yet to elucidate exactly which underlying constructs are measured by the many learning styles questionnaires available. Some academics question whether learning styles exist at all. When it comes to establishing the value of learning styles for medical students, a further issue emerges. The demographics of medical students in the United Kingdom have changed in recent years, so past studies may not be applicable to students today. We wanted to answer a very simple, practical question: what can the literature on learning styles tell us that we can use to help today's medical students succeed academically at medical school? We conducted a literature review to synthesise the available evidence on how two different aspects of learning-the way in which students like to receive information in a learning environment (termed learning "styles") and the motivations that drive their learning (termed learning "approaches")-can impact on medical students' academic achievement. Our review confirms that although learning "styles" do not correlate with exam performance, learning "approaches" do: those with "strategic" and "deep" approaches to learning (i.e., motivated to do well and motivated to learn deeply respectively) perform consistently better in medical school examinations. Changes in medical school entrant demographics in the past decade have not altered these correlations. Optimistically, our review reveals that students' learning approaches can change and more adaptive approaches may be learned. Insights: For educators wishing to help medical students succeed academically, current evidence demonstrates that helping students develop their own positive learning approach using "growth mind-set" is a more effective (and more feasible) than attempting to alter students' learning styles. This conclusion holds true for both "traditional" and graduate-entry medical students.

77 FR 39554 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Order Granting Approval of Proposed Rule Change...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-03

... investment objective by implementing a ``top-down'' portfolio management style. This management style begins...'' portfolio management style utilizes a tactical and globally diversified allocation strategy in an attempt to... open-end management investment company.\\4\\ The [[Page 39555

[Influence of learning styles of nursing students on teaching strategies choice].

PubMed

Vacas Pérez, Juan Crisostomo; Mérida Serrano, Rosario; Molina Recio, Guillermo; Mesa Blanco, María del Pilar

2012-12-01

The objective of this research focuses on the framework of teaching strategies, by acknowledging learning styles as first determination and, in relation to the changes that these are going through, identifying the teaching strategies best rated and preferred by the students. This is a prospective open cohort study with the students of Nursing Diploma 2007/2010 of the Universidad de Córdoba. Once the population was identified in the first year (first analysis), annual measurings were undertaken every year during their training. In order to study the learning styles, the questionnaire CHAEA was administered and a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = highest, 10 = lowest) was used to determine the preferences for learning strategies. The results show the variability of the learner (up to 11 styles). However, the dominant style is the reflective, followed by the theoretical and the pragmatic. The least developed was the active style. As the years of training go by, a tendency towards a dual style (reflective-theoretical) can be observed. In relation to teaching strategies, the preferred ones were those set in professional areas, workshops and debates. Relevant changes were also seen as they advanced in their training. The results establish a specific significant relationship between learning styles and teaching strategies.

Trajectories of binge drinking and personality change across emerging adulthood.

PubMed

Ashenhurst, James R; Harden, Kathryn P; Corbin, William R; Fromme, Kim

2015-12-01

College students binge drink more frequently than the broader population, yet most individuals "mature out" of binge drinking. Impulsivity and sensation seeking traits are important for understanding who is at risk for maintaining binge drinking across college and the transition to adult roles. We use latent class growth analysis (LCGA) to examine longitudinal binge-drinking trajectories spanning from the end of high school through 2 years after college (M ages = 18.4 to 23.8). Data were gathered over 10 waves from students at a large Southwestern university (N = 2,245). We use latent factor models to estimate changes in self-reported impulsive (IMP) and sensation-seeking (SS) personality traits across 2 time periods-(a) the end of high school to the end of college and (b) the 2-year transition out of college. LCGA suggested 7 binge-drinking trajectories: frequent, moderate, increasing, occasional, low increasing, decreasing, and rare. Models of personality showed that from high school through college, change in SS and IMP generally paralleled drinking trajectories, with increasing and decreasing individuals showing corresponding changes in SS. Across the transition out of college, only the increasing group demonstrated a developmentally deviant increase in IMP, whereas all other groups showed normative stability or decreases in both IMP and SS. These data indicate that "late bloomers," who begin binge drinking only in the later years of college, are a unique at-risk group for drinking associated with abnormal patterns of personality maturation during emerging adulthood. Our results indicate that personality targeted interventions may benefit college students. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Don't trust anyone over 30: parental legitimacy as a mediator between parenting style and changes in delinquent behavior over time.

PubMed

Trinkner, Rick; Cohn, Ellen S; Rebellon, Cesar J; Van Gundy, Karen

2012-02-01

Both law and society scholars and developmental psychologists have focused on the legitimacy of authority figures, although in different domains (police versus parents). The purpose of the current research is to bridge these two fields by examining the relations among parenting style (i.e., authoritarian, authoritative, permissive), the perception of parental legitimacy, and changes in delinquency over time. It is hypothesized that parental legitimacy mediates the relation between parenting style and future delinquent behavior. Middle school and high school students completed questionnaires three times over a period of 18 months. Parenting style and delinquent behavior were measured at time 1, parental legitimacy at time 2, and delinquency again at time 3. The results show that authoritative parenting was positively related to parental legitimacy, while authoritarian parenting was negatively associated with parental legitimacy. Furthermore, parental legitimacy was negatively associated with future delinquency. Structural equation modeling indicated that parental legitimacy mediated the relation between parenting styles and changes in delinquency over the 18-month time period. The implications for parenting style and parental legitimacy affecting delinquent behavior are discussed. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motivation to change and posttreatment temptation to drink: a multicenter study among alcohol-dependent patients.

PubMed

Fiabane, Elena; Ottonello, Marcella; Zavan, Valeria; Pistarini, Caterina; Giorgi, Ines

2017-01-01

An inpatient 28-day rehabilitation program for alcohol dependence is focused on detoxification, enhancing motivation to change, and coping strategies for the management of emotional distress and temptation to drink. The aims of the present study were to investigate 1) changes over time in motivation to change, anxiety, and depression in individuals undergoing residential rehabilitation treatment for alcohol addiction, and 2) which pretreatment factors are associated with posttreatment temptation to drink. We assessed 432 patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision) consecutively recruited from seven residential rehabilitation centers in Northern Italy. Patients were assessed by means of self-report questionnaires at the beginning of rehabilitation (pretreatment) and before their hospital discharge (posttreatment) regarding motivation to change and self-efficacy (motivation assessment of change - alcoholism version), readiness to change and temptation to drink (visual analog scales), and depression and anxiety (cognitive behavioral assessment - outcome evaluation). Results showed an overall improvement in motivation to change and a significant reduction over time in depression and anxiety levels for the total sample, particularly patients with low baseline level of temptation to drink. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that significant predictors of posttreatment temptation to drink were polysubstance dependence ( p <0.001), readiness to change ( p =0.01), and self-efficacy ( p =0.05). Inpatients' rehabilitation for alcohol dependence is associated with an overall improvement in motivation to change and a significant reduction of psychological distress. Treatments for alcohol-dependent patients should focus on motivation to change, negative moods, and relapse prevention strategies for the management of craving.

Motivation to change and posttreatment temptation to drink: a multicenter study among alcohol-dependent patients

PubMed Central

Fiabane, Elena; Ottonello, Marcella; Zavan, Valeria; Pistarini, Caterina; Giorgi, Ines

2017-01-01

Background An inpatient 28-day rehabilitation program for alcohol dependence is focused on detoxification, enhancing motivation to change, and coping strategies for the management of emotional distress and temptation to drink. The aims of the present study were to investigate 1) changes over time in motivation to change, anxiety, and depression in individuals undergoing residential rehabilitation treatment for alcohol addiction, and 2) which pretreatment factors are associated with posttreatment temptation to drink. Methods We assessed 432 patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision) consecutively recruited from seven residential rehabilitation centers in Northern Italy. Patients were assessed by means of self-report questionnaires at the beginning of rehabilitation (pretreatment) and before their hospital discharge (posttreatment) regarding motivation to change and self-efficacy (motivation assessment of change – alcoholism version), readiness to change and temptation to drink (visual analog scales), and depression and anxiety (cognitive behavioral assessment – outcome evaluation). Results Results showed an overall improvement in motivation to change and a significant reduction over time in depression and anxiety levels for the total sample, particularly patients with low baseline level of temptation to drink. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that significant predictors of posttreatment temptation to drink were polysubstance dependence (p<0.001), readiness to change (p=0.01), and self-efficacy (p=0.05). Conclusion Inpatients’ rehabilitation for alcohol dependence is associated with an overall improvement in motivation to change and a significant reduction of psychological distress. Treatments for alcohol-dependent patients should focus on motivation to change, negative moods, and relapse prevention strategies for the management of craving. PMID:29042778

College drinking behaviors: mediational links between parenting styles, parental bonds, depression, and alcohol problems.

PubMed

Patock-Peckham, Julie A; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A

2007-09-01

Mediational links between parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive), parental bond (positive, negative), depression, alcohol use and abuse were tested. A 2-group, multiple-indicator, multiple-cause structural equation model with 441 (216 female, 225 male) college students was examined. In general, a poor parental bond with one's father was highly predictive of depression, a well-known predictor of alcohol abuse and related problems for both genders. In contrast, a positive parental bond with one's father significantly mediated the positive effects of authoritative fathering on depression, which then decreased alcohol use problems for both genders. For women, a negative parental bond with one's father significantly mediated the effect of having an authoritarian father on depression, which increased alcohol use problems. These findings suggest that parental influences on pathways to alcohol abuse through depression (primarily through fathers for both genders) are distinct from pathways stemming from poor impulse control (with influences primarily from the same-sex parents for both genders).

Peer Victimization and Prospective Changes in Children's Inferential Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibb, Brandon E.; Stone, Lindsey B.; Crossett, Sarah E.

2012-01-01

There is evidence that the cognitive vulnerabilities featured in the hopelessness theory of depression--inferential styles for the causes, consequences, and self-worth implications of negative events--increase risk for depression. Given this, it is important to understand how these inferential styles develop. In this study, we examined the impact…

Leadership Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Val, Carlin; Kemp, Jess

2012-01-01

This study examines how a group's dynamic changes under the influence of different leadership styles, and determines what leadership style works best in a large group expedition. The main question identified was "What roles can a leader play in affecting the dynamic of a large group while partaking in a field expedition?" The following…

Designing Instructional Text in a Conversational Style: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginns, Paul; Martin, Andrew J.; Marsh, Herbert W.

2013-01-01

This article reviews research on the effects of conversational style on learning. Studies of conversational style have variously investigated "personalization" through changing instances of first-person address to second or third person, including sentences that directly address the learner; including more polite forms of address; and…

Students' Preferred Learning Styles in Graphic Communications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, Jeremy V.; Clark, Aaron C.

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify changes in dominant preferred learning styles of students based on instructional presentation of course content. This study evaluates dominant preferred learning styles of two groups of university students. The first group of students was enrolled in a course that introduces graphical representation in…

The role of the style as a sense-organ in relation to wilting of the flower.

PubMed

Gilissen, L J

1976-01-01

Pollen tube growth in the style (Petunia ♀xNicotiana ♂) accelerated wilting. Pollination and germination on the stigmatic surface (Petunia ♀xAtropa ♂) did not change the stage of flowering in comparison with unpollinated flowers. Wilting of the corolla was accelerated by cutting off the stigma or cutting the style half-way down. Removal of the entire style also brought about an acceleration, however, to a lesser extent. The role of the style as a sense-organ with regard to the transmission of information from stigma and style to other flower organs is discussed.

What changed during the axial age: Cognitive styles or reward systems?

PubMed Central

Baumard, Nicolas; Hyafil, Alexandre; Boyer, Pascal

2015-01-01

The ‘Axial Age’ (500–300 BCE) refers to the period during which most of the main religious and spiritual traditions emerged in Eurasian societies. Although the Axial Age has recently been the focus of increasing interest,1-5 its existence is still very much in dispute. The main reason for questioning the existence of the Axial Age is that its nature, as well as its spatial and temporal boundaries, remain very much unclear. The standard approach to the Axial Age defines it as a change of cognitive style, from a narrative and analogical style to a more analytical and reflective style, probably due to the increasing use of external memory tools. Our recent research suggests an alternative hypothesis, namely a change in reward orientation, from a short-term materialistic orientation to a long-term spiritual one.6 Here, we briefly discuss these 2 alternative definitions of the Axial Age. PMID:27066164

Role of life-style and dietary habits in risk of cancer among seventh-day adventists.

PubMed

Phillips, R L

1975-11-01

The Seventh-Day Adventist population abstains from smoking and drinking; about 50% follow a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet; and most avoid the use of coffee, tea, hot condiments, and spices. Existing data on cancer mortality in Seventh-Day Adventists clearly document mortality rates that are 50 to 70% of general population rates for most cancer sites that are unrelated to smoking and drinking. Several approaches to determining whether this reduced risk is due to the unique Seventh-Day Adventist life-style or selective factors related to who choses to become and remain a Seventh-Day Adventist are described. A comparison of the mortality experience of Seventh-Day Adventist and non-Seventh-Day Adventist physicians shows equal cancer mortality, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the apparent reduced risk of cancer death in all Adventists may be due to selective factors. However, the results of a small case-control study of colon and breast cancer among Adventists show statistically significant relative risks for colon cancer of 2.8 for past use of meat. For current food use, the significant relative risks are 2.3 for beef, 2.7 for lamb, and 2.1 for a combined group og highly saturated fat foods. This strongly suggests that the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet may protect against colon cancer. However, the evidence linking diet to breast cancer is less clear. Because of the marked variability in dietary habits within the Seventh-Day Adventist population, they will be a productive group for further study of diet and cancer.

Politics of Military Interventions: Coalition Building in the Post Cold War Era

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-10

between antagonists, cause regime changes, or to assist in disarmament and reintegration of guerrilla style soldiers after political solutions have...sanctioned regime changes, or to assist in disarmament and reintegration of guerrilla style soldiers after political solutions have been reached. Given the...

Turning 21 and the Associated Changes in Drinking and Driving after Drinking among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fromme, Kim; Wetherill, Reagan R.; Neal, Dan J.

2010-01-01

Objective: The authors examined drinking and driving after drinking before and after turning 21. Participants: Participants were drawn from first time college students who were taking part in a 4-year longitudinal study of alcohol use and behavioral risks. Methods: Web-based longitudinal surveys collected data on drinking and driving after…

Medical students’ change in learning styles during the course of the undergraduate program: from ‘thinking and watching’ to ‘thinking and doing’

PubMed Central

Bitran, Marcela; Zúñiga, Denisse; Pedrals, Nuria; Padilla, Oslando; Mena, Beltrán

2012-01-01

Background Most students admitted to medical school are abstract-passive learners. However, as they progress through the program, active learning and concrete interpersonal interactions become crucial for the acquisition of professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how medical students’ learning styles change during the course of their undergraduate program. Methods All students admitted to the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) medical school between 2000 and 2011 (n = 1,290) took the Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory at school entrance. Two years later 627 students took it again, and in the seventh and last year of the program 104 students took it for a third time. The distribution of styles at years 1, 3 and 7, and the mobility of students between styles were analyzed with Bayesian models. Results Most freshmen (54%) were classified as assimilators (abstract-passive learners); convergers (abstract-active) followed with 26%, whereas divergers (concrete-passive) and accommodators (concrete-active) accounted for 11% and 9%, respectively. By year 3, the styles’ distribution remained unchanged but in year 7 convergers outnumbered assimilators (49% vs. 33%). In general, there were no gender-related differences. Discussion Medical students change their preferred way of learning: they evolve from an abstract-reflexive style to an abstract-active one. This change might represent an adaptation to the curriculum, which evolves from a lecture-based teacher-centered to a problem-based student–centered model. PMID:26451190

Changes in alcohol consumption: United States, 2001-2002 to 2012-2013.

PubMed

Dawson, Deborah A; Goldstein, Risë B; Saha, Tulshi D; Grant, Bridget F

2015-03-01

Documenting changes in alcohol consumption is critical for assessing future health service and alcohol treatment needs, evaluating efforts to modify drinking behavior and understanding the impact of shifting demographics and social norms. For the period since 2000, published data on drinking trends have been scarce and inconsistent. Using data from two large, nationally representative surveys of U.S. adults (2001-2002 and 2012-2013) that contained virtually identical questions on consumption, we assessed differences by period in the prevalence of drinking, volume of intake, frequency of drinking and prevalence of ≥monthly heavy episodic drinking (HED) and determined whether changes in consumption were consistent across beverage types and in population subgroups. Between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, the prevalence of drinking increased, as did volume and frequency of drinking and prevalence of ≥monthly HED among drinkers. Increases were greater for women than men for all measures and smaller among the formerly married for consumption among drinkers. The increase in overall drinking prevalence was magnified among all race-ethnic minorities, whereas the increase in ≥monthly HED was magnified only among Blacks (all relative to Whites). Our findings are suggestive of a "wetter" drinking climate in 2012-2013 than in 2001-2002, indicating the need for continued and expanded efforts to prevent chronic and episodic heavy alcohol consumption. Given the across-the-board increases in alcohol consumption in recent years, policy efforts that address drinking at the population level are supported, even if specific drinking behaviors and subgroups of drinkers are additionally targeted for individualized approaches. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Bringing alcohol on campus to raise money: impact on student drinking and drinking problems

PubMed Central

Voas, Robert B.; Johnson, Mark; Turrisi, Robert J.; Taylor, Dexter; Honts, Charles Robert; Nelsen, Lisa

2010-01-01

Aims Universities are striving to raise funds, often attracting spectators by selling alcohol at campus events. This study evaluates the effect of a policy change on student drinking at a large western university that had historically banned alcohol on campus but transitioned to permitting the sale of alcohol in some of its facilities. Methods Surveys of student drinking and perceptions of other students' drinking were conducted before, during and after the policy change at the transition university (TU) and compared to similar data from a control university (CU). Surveys of student drinking at on-campus and off-campus venues and observations of alcohol service practices were also conducted. Results The policy change at the TU was introduced cautiously, and sales to underage drinkers were relatively well controlled. Despite this, student drinking rose initially, then declined after 1 year. Perceptions of the amount of drinking by other students increased slightly, but there was no overall measurable increase in student drinking during the first 3 years of the new policy. Conclusions The conservative TU policy—to sell alcohol only at select events and to control sales to minors—may have limited the impact of on-campus alcohol sales on student consumption. Although the study results did not find a stable increase in student drinking, they do not necessarily support the liberalization of campus alcohol policy, because the transition is still ‘in progress’ and the final outcome has not been evaluated. PMID:18482416

Bringing alcohol on campus to raise money: impact on student drinking and drinking problems.

PubMed

Voas, Robert B; Johnson, Mark; Turrisi, Robert J; Taylor, Dexter; Honts, Charles Robert; Nelsen, Lisa

2008-06-01

Universities are striving to raise funds, often attracting spectators by selling alcohol at campus events. This study evaluates the effect of a policy change on student drinking at a large western university that had historically banned alcohol on campus but transitioned to permitting the sale of alcohol in some of its facilities. Surveys of student drinking and perceptions of other students' drinking were conducted before, during and after the policy change at the transition university (TU) and compared to similar data from a control university (CU). Surveys of student drinking at on-campus and off-campus venues and observations of alcohol service practices were also conducted. The policy change at the TU was introduced cautiously, and sales to underage drinkers were relatively well controlled. Despite this, student drinking rose initially, then declined after 1 year. Perceptions of the amount of drinking by other students increased slightly, but there was no overall measurable increase in student drinking during the first 3 years of the new policy. The conservative TU policy-to sell alcohol only at select events and to control sales to minors-may have limited the impact of on-campus alcohol sales on student consumption. Although the study results did not find a stable increase in student drinking, they do not necessarily support the liberalization of campus alcohol policy, because the transition is still 'in progress' and the final outcome has not been evaluated.

When in Rome: factors associated with changes in drinking behavior among American college students studying abroad.

PubMed

Pedersen, Eric R; Larimer, Mary E; Lee, Christine M

2010-09-01

Study abroad programs have the potential to promote cultural, experiential, and personal development for escalating numbers of American college students each year. Despite reports that study abroad students may be at particular risk for increased and problematic alcohol use, there is limited empirical documentation of this risk. Thus, the present study used a longitudinal design to examine the factors associated with changes in alcohol use among college students studying in foreign countries. A sample of 177 students completed measures of demographics, drinking behavior, and perceived peer drinking behavior 1 month before departure and 1-month postreturn from study abroad trips. Analyses revealed that participants more than doubled their drinking during study abroad trips and those who drank at heavier levels while abroad returned home drinking at significantly elevated levels. This pattern of increased use while abroad was moderated by several factors, with participants studying abroad in Europe (e.g., Italy, France) and Oceania (e.g., Australia, New Zealand), those under the age of 21, those with higher intentions of drinking while abroad, and those with higher drinking perceptions of other study abroad students in their host country increased their alcohol consumption to a greater extent than other participants. Results suggest drinking while abroad is a concern warranting further investigation, especially regarding how changes in drinking may contribute to the experience of alcohol-related consequences abroad. Continued identification of the risk factors associated with increased drinking can help inform targeted predeparture preventive interventions with these students.

Cues that signal the alcohol content of a beverage and their effectiveness at altering drinking rates in young social drinkers.

PubMed

Higgs, Suzanne; Stafford, Lorenzo D; Attwood, Angela S; Walker, Stephanie C; Terry, Phil

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of cues that signal the alcoholic strength of a beverage on drinking rate in young social drinkers. In Experiment 1, two groups of young social drinkers (n=20 per group) consumed a lager-based drink containing either 3% or 7% alcohol-by-volume. The pattern of drinking behaviour was observed, and drinking time was recorded. Self-reported mood was measured across the session, and participants also provided ratings of the drinks' sensory and hedonic properties. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1, but used a within-subjects design (n=12). In both experiments, participants took significantly longer to consume the 7% drink compared with the 3% drink, and the total inter-sip interval was longer for the 7% drink. These effects were most closely related to the participants' changing estimates of alcohol strength across the test session, alongside concomitant changes in various aspects of self-reported mood. Sensory and hedonic evaluations of the drinks did not affect drinking behaviour in either experiment. The findings suggest that the consumption rate of an alcoholic beverage can be modulated by its alcohol content, and that the perceived pharmacological effect of the alcohol serves as an effective signal to alter drinking behaviour.

Attachment, parenting styles and bullying during pubertal years.

PubMed

van der Watt, Ronél

2014-01-01

Research that focuses on combining attachment, parenting styles, bullying and the reciprocal nature thereof in the parent-adolescent and peer relationships is limited. The bio-psychosocial changes that adolescents experience open up broader social realities and are perceived differently by parents and adolescents. Attachment processes and parenting styles may elicit dissimilar perceptions. These processes are also associated with the multifaceted dynamics of bullying. The aim of the article is to advocate for research on the possible link between the implications of attachment, parenting styles and bullying. Exploring the association between attachment, parenting styles and bullying can deepen the understanding of the developmental challenges within the parent-adolescent relationship, add insight to the different perceptions of adolescents and parents, and complement intervention programmes accordingly. Firstly, this article outlines bio-psychosocial changes in the pubertal years as related to the social realities of the adolescent. Secondly, a discussion on the concepts 'attachment', 'parenting styles', 'bullying', and the potential link between these concepts will follow. Thirdly, an outline of the clinical implications of the apparent association between these concepts is given. The article concludes with recommendations that researchers can consider while exploring the relationship between attachment, parenting styles, and bullying and the delineation thereof in the parent-adolescent relationship.

Interparental conflict, parenting, and childhood depression in a diverse urban population: the role of general cognitive style.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Ellen H; Moreau, Melissa; Cardemil, Esteban V; Pollastri, Alisha

2010-01-01

Research on the mechanisms by which interparental conflict (IPC) affects child depression suggests that both parenting and children's conflict appraisals play important roles, but few studies have explored the role of general cognitive style or included both parenting and cognitions in the same design. Moreover, the effects of IPC on minority children are not well understood. In this longitudinal study, parenting was examined as a mediator of the relation between increasing IPC and change in depression. General cognitive style was included as a moderator. The combined influence of parenting and cognitions was also explored. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 88 fifth and sixth graders from two urban schools reported their cognitive style, depressive symptoms, and perceptions of conflict and parenting at two time points separated by one year. Parental warmth/rejection mediated the relation between IPC and depression, and general cognitive style acted as a moderator. Parenting, cognitive style, and IPC did not significantly interact to predict change in depression over time. Findings indicate that both parenting and children's general cognitive style play a role in understanding the impact of increasing IPC on children's well-being.

Stress and Coping Styles of Middle-Aged Women Changing Jobs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Rosalie J.

Middle aged women who have previously been occupied with family and community activities often experience increased role stress when they begin to invest more time and energy in their work roles. To compare coping styles women use to adjust to job changes, 71 women, aged 30-62, who had changed jobs within a 3-year interval were classified into…

Family- and school-based correlates of energy balance-related behaviours in 10-12-year-old children: a systematic review within the ENERGY (EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth) project.

PubMed

Verloigne, Maïté; Van Lippevelde, Wendy; Maes, Lea; Brug, Johannes; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2012-08-01

To identify family- and school-based correlates of specific energy balance-related behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, breakfast consumption, soft drink consumption) among 10-12-year-olds, using the EnRG framework (Environmental Research framework for weight Gain prevention). A literature review to identify observational studies exploring at least one family- or school-based correlate of the specific behaviours, resulting in seventy-six articles. Eighteen studies were conducted in Europe, forty-one studies in North America and seventeen studies in Australasia. Healthy children aged 10-12 years. Parental and maternal physical activity, doing physical activities with parents and parental logistic support were identified as the most important, positive correlates of physical activity. Parental rules was the most important correlate of sedentary behaviour and was inversely related to it. School socio-economic status was positively related to physical activity and inversely related to sedentary behaviour. The available studies suggested a positive relationship between soft drink availability at home and consumption. Soft drink availability and consumption at school were the most important school-based correlates of soft drink consumption. A permissive parenting style was related to more soft drink consumption and less breakfast consumption. An important role has been awarded to parents, suggesting parents should be involved in obesity prevention programmes. Despite the opportunities a school can offer, little research has been done to identify school-environmental correlates of energy balance-related behaviours in this age group. Obesity prevention programmes can focus on the most important correlates to maximize the effectiveness of the programme. Future research should aim at longitudinal studies.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Behavioral Economic Supplement to Brief Motivational Interventions for College Drinking

PubMed Central

Murphy, James G.; Dennhardt, Ashley A.; Skidmore, Jessica R.; Borsari, Brian; Barnett, Nancy P.; Colby, Suzanne M.; Martens, Matthew P.

2012-01-01

Objective Behavioral economic theory suggests that a reduction in substance use is most likely when there is an increase in rewarding substance-free activities. The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the incremental efficacy of a novel behavioral economic supplement (Substance-Free Activity Session, SFAS) to a standard alcohol brief motivational interviewing (BMI) session for heavy drinking college students. Method Participants were 82 first-year college students (50% female, 81.7% White/European American, Mean age = 18.5 years, SD = .71) who reported two or more past-month heavy drinking episodes. After completing a baseline assessment and an individual alcohol-focused BMI, participants were randomized to either the SFAS or to a Relaxation Training (RT) control session. The SFAS was delivered in an MI style and attempted to increase the salience of delayed academic and career rewards and the patterns of behavior leading to those rewards. Results The combination of an alcohol BMI plus the SFAS was associated with significantly greater reductions in alcohol problems compared to an alcohol BMI plus RT at the 1-month and 6-month follow-up assessments (p = .015, ηp2 = .07), an effect that was partially mediated by increases in protective behavioral strategies. BMI + SFAS was also associated with greater reductions in heavy drinking among participants who at baseline reported low levels of substance-free reinforcement or symptoms of depression. Conclusion These results are consistent with behavioral economic theory and suggest that a single session focused on increasing engagement in alternatives to drinking can enhance the effects of brief alcohol interventions. PMID:22663899

The Mediating Role of Anxiety Sensitivity in Uncontrolled Drinking: A Look at Gender-Specific Parental Influences.

PubMed

Ebbert, Ashley M; Patock-Peckham, Julie A; Luk, Jeremy W; Voorhies, Kirsten; Warner, Olivia; Leeman, Robert F

2018-05-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) reflects an individual's belief that experiencing anxiety will cause illness or embarrassment, and may be a reason individuals self-medicate with alcohol. Harsh or indulgent parenting could contribute to the development of AS. We examined the direct and indirect associations between parenting styles and alcohol-related variables through AS and impaired control over drinking (IC; i.e., perceived failure to adhere to limits on alcohol consumption in the future). A multiple-group structural equation model with 614 university students (344 men; 270 women) was examined. Structural invariance tests were conducted to evaluate moderation by gender. We used a bias corrected bootstrap technique to obtain the mediated effects. Father authoritarianism and mother permissiveness were directly linked to AS among women, whereas father permissiveness was directly linked to AS among men. This suggests unique parental influences based on gender regarding AS. While AS was directly linked to alcohol-related problems for both men and women, several gender-specific associations were found. AS was directly linked to IC for men but not for women. For men, father permissiveness was directly related to AS, and AS mediated the indirect link between father permissiveness and IC along both the heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems pathways. Similar to other internalizing constructs (e.g., neuroticism and depression), higher AS was directly associated with less heavy episodic drinking but more alcohol-related problems. Our findings highlight the dangers of AS for men as an important correlate of under-controlled drinking behaviors. Additionally, permissive parenting of the same-gender parent was associated with AS, which is consistent with the gender-matching hypothesis. Together, these results underscore the importance of measuring the independent influence of both parents. Copyright © 2018 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Who drinks where: youth selection of drinking contexts.

PubMed

Lipperman-Kreda, Sharon; Mair, Christina F; Bersamin, Melina; Gruenewald, Paul J; Grube, Joel W

2015-04-01

Different drinkers may experience specific risks depending on where they consume alcohol. This longitudinal study examined drinking patterns, and demographic and psychosocial characteristics associated with youth drinking in different contexts. We used survey data from 665 past-year alcohol-using youths (ages 13 to 16 at Wave 1) in 50 midsized California cities. Measures of drinking behaviors and drinking in 7 contexts were obtained at 3 annual time points. Other characteristics included gender, age, race, parental education, weekly disposable income, general deviance, and past-year cigarette smoking. Results of multilevel regression analyses show that more frequent past-year alcohol use was associated with an increased likelihood of drinking at parties and at someone else's home. Greater continued volumes of alcohol (i.e., heavier drinking) was associated with increased likelihood of drinking at parking lots or street corners. Deviance was positively associated with drinking in most contexts, and past-year cigarette smoking was positively associated with drinking at beaches or parks and someone else's home. Age and deviance were positively associated with drinking in a greater number of contexts. The likelihood of youth drinking at parties and someone else's home increased over time, whereas the likelihood of drinking at parking lots/street corners decreased. Also, deviant youths progress to drinking in their own home, beaches or parks, and restaurants/bars/nightclubs more rapidly. The contexts in which youths consume alcohol change over time. These changes vary by individual characteristics. The redistribution of drinking contexts over the early life course may contribute to specific risks associated with different drinking contexts. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Motivation to change risky drinking and motivation to seek help for alcohol risk drinking among general hospital inpatients with problem drinking and alcohol-related diseases.

PubMed

Lau, Katharina; Freyer-Adam, Jennis; Gaertner, Beate; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; John, Ulrich; Hapke, Ulfert

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze motivation to change drinking behavior and motivation to seek help in general hospital inpatients with problem drinking and alcohol-related diseases. The sample consisted of 294 general hospital inpatients aged 18-64 years. Inpatients with alcohol-attributable disease were classified according to its alcohol-attributable fraction (AAF; AAF=1, AAF<1 and AAF=0). Baseline differences in alcohol-related variables, demographics and motivation between the AAF groups were analyzed. Furthermore, differences in motivation to change, in motivation to seek help and in the amount of alcohol consumed from baseline to follow-up between the AAF groups were evaluated. During hospital stay, motivation to change was higher among inpatients with alcohol-attributable diseases than among inpatients who had no alcohol-attributable diseases [F(2)=18.40, P<.001]. Motivation to seek help was higher among inpatients with AAF=1 than among inpatients with AAF<1 and AAF=0 [F(2)=21.66, P<.001]. While motivation to change drinking behavior remained stable within 12 months of hospitalization, motivation to seek help decreased. The amount of alcohol consumed decreased in all three AAF groups. Data suggest that hospital stay seems to be a "teachable moment." Screening for problem drinking and motivation differentiated by AAFs might be a tool for early intervention. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developmental processes across the first two years of parenthood: Stability and change in adult attachment style.

PubMed

Stern, Jessica A; Fraley, R Chris; Jones, Jason D; Gross, Jacquelyn T; Shaver, Phillip R; Cassidy, Jude

2018-05-01

The first months after becoming a new parent are a unique and important period in human development. Despite substantial research on the many social and biological changes that occur during the first months of parenthood, little is known about changes in mothers' attachment. The present study examines developmental stability and change in first-time mothers' attachment style across the first 2 years of motherhood. At Time 1, 162 economically stressed primiparous mothers (Mage = 23.98 years, SD = 5.18) completed measures of attachment anxiety and avoidance at five time points: when their children were 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Converging results of stability functions and latent growth curve models suggest that attachment styles were generally stable during the first 2 years of motherhood, even in this economically stressed sample. Furthermore, model comparisons revealed that a prototype model better characterized the developmental dynamics of mothers' attachment style than did a revisionist model, consistent with previous studies of adults and adolescents. This suggests that a relatively enduring prototype underlies mothers' attachment style and anchors the extent to which mothers experience attachment-related changes following the birth of their first child. Within this overall picture of continuity, however, some mothers did show change over time, and specific factors emerged as moderators of attachment stability, including maternal depressive symptoms and overall psychological distress, as well as sensitive care from their own mothers. Findings shed light on patterns of continuity and change in new parents' development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in the Values and Life Style Preferences of University Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Kenrick S.

1981-01-01

The values and life-style preferences of 1978-79 university students are compared with those studied 30 years ago to determine whether university students' preferential rankings of C. Morris's "Ways to Live" (self-sufficient, carefree, etc.) have changed significantly. Possible reasons for differences between the generations are…

Chlorine and Solute Transport and Reactions in Drinking Water Distribution: The Role of Flow Hydrodynamics on Water Quality Changes and Multi-Criteria Compliance

EPA Science Inventory

Safe drinking water supply is one of the most notable modern engineering achievements in the 20th century. It is a centerpiece of the U.S. environmental protection effort under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its amendments. In this chapter, water quality changes a...

No differences in satiety or energy intake after high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or milk preloads.

PubMed

Soenen, Stijn; Westerterp-Plantenga, Margriet S

2007-12-01

It is unclear whether energy-containing drinks, especially those sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), promote positive energy balance and thereby play a role in the development of obesity. The objective was to examine the satiating effects of HFCS and sucrose in comparison with milk and a diet drink. The effects of four 800-mL drinks [corrected] containing no energy or 1.5 MJ from sucrose, HFCS, or milk on satiety were assessed, first in 15 men and 15 women with a mean (+/-SD) body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) of 22.1 +/- 1.9 according to visual analogue scales (VAS) and blood variables and second in 20 men and 20 women (BMI: 22.4 +/- 2.1) according to ingestion of a standardized ad libitum meal (granola cereal + yogurt, 10.1 kJ/g). Fifty minutes after consumption of the 1.5-MJ preload drinks containing sucrose, HFCS, or milk, 170%-mm VAS changes in satiety were observed. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) (P < 0.001) and ghrelin (P < 0.05) concentrations changed accordingly. Compensatory energy intake did not differ significantly between the 3 preloads and ranged from 30% to 45%. Energy intake compensations were related to satiety (r = 0.35, P < 0.05). No differences were observed between the effects of the sucrose- and HFCS-containing drinks on changes in VAS and on insulin, glucose, GLP-1, and ghrelin concentrations. Changes in appetite VAS ratings were a function of changes in GLP-1, ghrelin, insulin, and glucose concentrations. Energy balance consequences of HFCS-sweetened soft drinks are not different from those of other isoenergetic drinks, eg, a sucrose-drink or milk.

How Does Brief Motivational Intervention Change Heavy Drinking and Harm Among Underage Young Adult Drinkers?

PubMed Central

Magill, Molly; Colby, Suzanne M.; Orchowski, Lindsay; Murphy, James G.; Hoadley, Ariel; Brazil, Linda A.; Barnett, Nancy P.

2017-01-01

Objective This study tested mediating processes hypothesized to explain the therapeutic benefit of an efficacious motivational interview (MI). The constructs of interest were motivation to change, cognitive dissonance about current drinking, self-efficacy for change, perceived young adult drinking norms, future drinking intentions, and the use of protective behavioral strategies. Method A randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of a brief MI to a time- and attention-matched control of meditation and relaxation training for alcohol use. Participants were underage, past-month heavy drinkers recruited from community (i.e., non four-year college or university) settings (N=167; ages 17–20; 58% female; 61% White). Statistical analyses assessed mechanisms of MI effects on follow up (6-week; 3-month) percent heavy drinking days (HDD) and alcohol consequences (AC) with a series of temporally-lagged mediation models. Results MI efficacy for reducing 6-week HDD was mediated by baseline to post-session changes in the following three processes: increasing motivation and self-efficacy, and decreasing the amount these young adults intended to drink in the future. For 6-week AC, MI efficacy was mediated through one process: decreased perceived drinking norms. At 3-month follow up, increased cognitive dissonance mediated HDD, but not AC. Further, increased use of certain protective behavioral strategies (i.e., avoidance of and seeking alternatives to drinking contexts) from baseline to 6-weeks mediated both 3-month HDD and AC. Conclusions Findings suggest that within-session cognitive changes are key mechanisms of MI’s effect on short-term alcohol outcomes among community young adults while protective behaviors may be more operative at subsequent follow up. PMID:28287800

User Preferences for Content, Features, and Style for an App to Reduce Harmful Drinking in Young Adults: Analysis of User Feedback in App Stores and Focus Group Interviews

PubMed Central

Khadjesari, Zarnie; Fincham-Campbell, Stephanie; Deluca, Paolo; Watson, Rod; Drummond, Colin

2016-01-01

Background Electronic screening and brief intervention (eSBI) is effective in reducing weekly alcohol consumption when delivered by a computer. Mobile phone apps demonstrate promise in delivering eSBI; however, few have been designed with an evidence-based and user-informed approach. Objective This study aims to explore from a user perspective, preferences for content, appearance, and operational features to inform the design of a mobile phone app for reducing quantity and frequency of drinking in young adults engaged in harmful drinking (18-30 year olds). Methods Phase 1 included a review of user reviews of available mobile phone apps that support a reduction in alcohol consumption. Apps were identified on iTunes and Google Play and were categorized into alcohol reduction support, entertainment, blood alcohol content measurement (BAC), or other. eSBI apps with ≥18 user reviews were subject to a content analysis, which coded praise, criticism, and recommendations for app content, functionality, and esthetics. Phase 2 included four focus groups with young adults drinking at harmful levels and residing in South London to explore their views on existing eSBI apps and preferences for future content, functionality, and appearance. Detailed thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Results In Phase 1, of the 1584 apps extracted, 201 were categorized as alcohol reduction, 154 as BAC calculators, 509 as entertainment, and 720 as other. We classified 32 apps as eSBI apps. Four apps had ≥18 user reviews: Change for Life Drinks Tracker, Drinksmeter, Drinkaware, and Alcohol Units Calculator. The highest proportion of content praises were for information and feedback provided in the apps (12/27, 44%), followed by praise for the monitoring features (5/27, 19%). Many (8/12, 67%) criticisms were for the drinking diary; all of these were related to difficulty entering drinks. Over half (18/32, 56%) of functionality criticisms were descriptions of software bugs, and over half of those (10/18, 56%) were for app crashing or freezing. Drinksmeter and Alcohol Units Calculator were the most highly praised apps overall (23/57 and 22/57; 39% of praise overall). In Phase 2, two main themes were identified. The meaningfulness theme reflected how young adults thought apps needed to be tailored to the interests and values of their age group, particularly emphasizing content and feedback around broader health and well-being factors such as exercise, diet, and image. The community theme suggested that young adults want to be able to engage with other app users, both in groups of friends and with online users for motivation and support. Conclusions Targeted and relevant information and feedback, in addition to easy-to-use monitoring tools, were found to be important features of a mobile phone app to support a reduction in drinking. Future app development should consider tailoring all app aspects to the needs of young adults, considering broader well-being monitoring tools and online community functions. PMID:27220371

User Preferences for Content, Features, and Style for an App to Reduce Harmful Drinking in Young Adults: Analysis of User Feedback in App Stores and Focus Group Interviews.

PubMed

Milward, Joanna; Khadjesari, Zarnie; Fincham-Campbell, Stephanie; Deluca, Paolo; Watson, Rod; Drummond, Colin

2016-05-24

Electronic screening and brief intervention (eSBI) is effective in reducing weekly alcohol consumption when delivered by a computer. Mobile phone apps demonstrate promise in delivering eSBI; however, few have been designed with an evidence-based and user-informed approach. This study aims to explore from a user perspective, preferences for content, appearance, and operational features to inform the design of a mobile phone app for reducing quantity and frequency of drinking in young adults engaged in harmful drinking (18-30 year olds). Phase 1 included a review of user reviews of available mobile phone apps that support a reduction in alcohol consumption. Apps were identified on iTunes and Google Play and were categorized into alcohol reduction support, entertainment, blood alcohol content measurement (BAC), or other. eSBI apps with ≥18 user reviews were subject to a content analysis, which coded praise, criticism, and recommendations for app content, functionality, and esthetics. Phase 2 included four focus groups with young adults drinking at harmful levels and residing in South London to explore their views on existing eSBI apps and preferences for future content, functionality, and appearance. Detailed thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. In Phase 1, of the 1584 apps extracted, 201 were categorized as alcohol reduction, 154 as BAC calculators, 509 as entertainment, and 720 as other. We classified 32 apps as eSBI apps. Four apps had ≥18 user reviews: Change for Life Drinks Tracker, Drinksmeter, Drinkaware, and Alcohol Units Calculator. The highest proportion of content praises were for information and feedback provided in the apps (12/27, 44%), followed by praise for the monitoring features (5/27, 19%). Many (8/12, 67%) criticisms were for the drinking diary; all of these were related to difficulty entering drinks. Over half (18/32, 56%) of functionality criticisms were descriptions of software bugs, and over half of those (10/18, 56%) were for app crashing or freezing. Drinksmeter and Alcohol Units Calculator were the most highly praised apps overall (23/57 and 22/57; 39% of praise overall). In Phase 2, two main themes were identified. The meaningfulness theme reflected how young adults thought apps needed to be tailored to the interests and values of their age group, particularly emphasizing content and feedback around broader health and well-being factors such as exercise, diet, and image. The community theme suggested that young adults want to be able to engage with other app users, both in groups of friends and with online users for motivation and support. Targeted and relevant information and feedback, in addition to easy-to-use monitoring tools, were found to be important features of a mobile phone app to support a reduction in drinking. Future app development should consider tailoring all app aspects to the needs of young adults, considering broader well-being monitoring tools and online community functions.

Examining the Relationship between Congruency of Perceived Principal Leadership Style and Leadership Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iwuanyanwu-Biemkpa, Catherine Chinedum

2017-01-01

Despite the constant interest in the theory and practice of leadership as it relates to leadership styles and leadership effectiveness, ongoing debate continues regarding the importance of leadership style and its effectiveness in the administration of underperforming schools. The problem addressed by this study was, despite frequent changes of…

Women in Leadership in Higher Education: Leadership Styles and the "Glass Ceiling"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Rebecka

2013-01-01

Women in upper-level leadership positions in higher education are underrepresented. This study examined the predominant leadership styles of women who have achieved upper-level leadership positions in higher education explored intentional changes in their leadership styles. Primarily, the study sought to determine if these leaders had similar…

Style in Swahili.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harries, Lyndon

1967-01-01

The purpose of this article is to suggest that there are standards of style in Swahili which every writer, whatever his ethnic origin, should be expected to observe. The changing linguistic situation does not give to any writer freedom to write in Swahili without regard to established standards. There is such a thing as style in Swahili. Knowledge…

Analysis of the Learning Styles of Diverse Student Populations and Implications for Higher Education Instructional Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novogrodsky, Dorothy

2012-01-01

Higher education is one of the last institutions of learning to embrace the challenge of learner diversity that exists everywhere today (Dunn & Griggs, 2000; Rowley, Lujan, Dolence, 1998). This investigation explored the relationships between perceived preferred instructional strategies and student learning styles of learning-style aware…

Love Styles, Self-Monitoring, and Relational Message Interpretation: What's Being in Love Got To Do with It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mongeau, Paul A.; And Others

A study tested the notion that falling in love causes changes in love styles, relational message interpretations, and personality characteristics such as self-monitoring. Subjects, 209 undergraduate communication students, completed measures of love styles, self-monitoring, and relational message interpretations. In addition, participants…

Patterns of Parenting during Adolescence: Perceptions of Adolescents and Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulson, Sharon E.; Sputa, Cheryl L.

1996-01-01

Explores differences in maternal and paternal parenting styles and involvement, the differences between parents' and adolescents' perceptions of parenting style and involvement, and changes in parenting style and involvement between the adolescents' 9th and 12th grade years. Subjects were 244 ninth graders from the Southeast and Midwest. Discusses…

Learning Styles and Vocational Education Practice. Practice Application Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Bettina Lankard

Learning styles and the creation of effective learning environments are of emerging significance in education as the changing nature of work requires higher-order thinking skills. Although learning style may be simply defined as the way people come to understand and remember information, the literature is filled with more complex definitions of…

Drill Sergeant Candidate Transformation

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

leadership styles of NCOs entering Drill Sergeant School (DSS). ARI also developed and administered a prototype DS Assessment Battery to assess...preferred leadership styles . DSS training increases both the degree to which the DSC feels obligated to and identifies with the Army. DSS training...4 TABLE 3. PREFERRED LEADERSHIP STYLES DEFINITIONS .............................................6 TABLE 4. DSC CHANGE IN

77 FR 29429 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Relating...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... investment objective by implementing a ``top-down'' portfolio management style. This management style begins...'' portfolio management style utilizes a tactical and globally diversified allocation strategy in an attempt to... open-end management investment company.\\5\\ The investment adviser to the Fund is AdvisorShares...

78 FR 15870 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-13

... the old style liners (paragraph (i) of the NPRM (77 FR 42457, July 19, 2012)) from the effective date... needs to have the flexibility to install the old style liners when replacing any that might become damaged. We agree to change the date of the prohibition of the installation of the old style liners for...

Drinking to Cope Motivation as a Prospective Predictor of Negative Affect.

PubMed

Armeli, Stephen; Sullivan, Tami P; Tennen, Howard

2015-07-01

Consistent with research indicating that drinking to cope (DTC) motivation might exacerbate negative affective states within or immediately proximal to discrete drinking episodes, we examined whether yearly deviations in more global levels of DTC motivation prospectively predicted depressive and anxious affect over several weeks. College students (N = 521, 52% women) completed baseline measures of drinking motives, recent depression and anxiety symptoms, recent alcohol use, and alcohol use disorder symptoms on a secure website. Approximately 2 weeks after completing this survey, participants completed the 30-day daily diary portion of the study in which they reported on their current-day affective states. This yearly assessment burst in which participants completed a baseline survey and a daily diary assessment was repeated for 3 additional years. We found that changes in DTC motivation were positively associated with changes in depressive and anxious affect in the subsequent month, after we controlled for changes in concurrent anxiety and depressive symptoms, drinking level, enhancement drinking motivation, and alcohol use disorder symptoms. Our findings are consistent with the notion that DTC motivation confers a unique vulnerability for emotion dysregulation, and that drinking for such reasons possibly prolongs or exacerbates negative affective states.

The impact of raising the minimum drinking age on driver fatalities.

PubMed

MacKinnon, D P; Woodward, J A

1986-12-01

Time series analysis was used to obtain statistical tests of the impact of raising the drinking age on monthly driver fatalities in Illinois, Michigan, and Massachusetts. A control series design permitted comparison between younger drivers (21 or less years) and older drivers (25 and older) within states where the minimum drinking age was raised. Since the two groups share the same driving conditions, it was important to demonstrate that any reduction in fatalities was limited to the young age group within which the drinking age change occurred. In addition, control states were selected to permit a comparison between driver fatalities of the young age group (21 or less) in states with the law change and young drivers in states without the law change. Significant immediate reductions in fatalities among 21 and younger drivers in Illinois and Michigan were observed after these states raised their minimum drinking age. No significant reductions in any control series were observed. A linear decrease in young driver fatalities was observed after the drinking age was raised in Massachusetts. There was also a significant linear decrease in young driver fatalities in the Connecticut control series, perhaps due to increasing awareness among young drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving.

Compliance with the Healthy Eating Standards in YMCA afterschool programs

PubMed Central

Beets, Michael W.; Weaver, R. Glenn; Turner-McGrievy, Brie; Beighle, Aaron; Moore, Justin B.; Webster, Collin; Khan, Mahmud; Saunders, Ruth

2016-01-01

Objective In 2011, the YMCA of the USA adopted Healthy Eating (HE) Standards for all their afterschool programs (ASPs). The extent to which YMCA-ASPs comply with the standards is unknown. Methods Twenty ASPs from all YMCA-ASPs across SC (N=102) were invited to participate. Direct observation of the foods/beverages served and staff behaviors were collected on four non-consecutive days/ASP. Results One ASP did not serve a snack. Of the remaining, a total of 26% ASPs served a fruit/vegetable and 32% served water every day; 26% served sugar-sweetened beverages, 47% served sugar-added foods, and only 11% served whole grains, when grains were served. Staff were sitting with the children (65%) or verbally promoting healthy eating (15%) on at least one observation day. Staff where drinking non-approved drinks (25%) or foods (45%) on at least one observation day. No ASPs served snacks family-style every day. Conclusions/Implications Additional efforts are required to assist YMCA-operated ASPs in achieving these important nutrition standards. PMID:27372234

Change IS Possible: Reducing High-Risk Drinking Using a Collaborative Improvement Model.

PubMed

Lanter, Patricia L; Wolff, Kristina B; Johnson, Lisa C; Ercolano, Ellyn M; Kilmer, Jason R; Provost, Lloyd

2015-01-01

To describe the adoption of public health and improvement methodologies to address college students' high-risk drinking behaviors and to aid in prevention efforts. Members of 32 colleges and universities, content experts, and staff members of the National College Health Improvement Program (NCHIP). A 2-year learning collaborative developed by NCHIP trained individuals from 32 different college and universities in using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle as a method to create and implement initiatives aimed at reducing students' high-risk drinking behaviors and related harms. Participants experienced success ranging from noteworthy increases in type and amount of interventions directed at reducing high-risk drinking, to creating collaboratives across campus, the local community, and stakeholders. Challenges related to data collection and creating lasting cultural change remain. The use of quality improvement methodologies and creation of a national collaborative successfully effected meaningful change in high-risk drinking behaviors on college campuses.

Use of parks or playgrounds: reported access to drinking water fountains among US adults, 2009.

PubMed

Park, Sohyun; Sherry, Bettylou; Wethington, Holly; Pan, Liping

2012-03-01

As a first step to determining the public availability of drinking water, self-reported access to water fountains in parks and playgrounds was examined. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a convenience sample of 4163 US adults (aged ≥ 18 years) using the 2009 HealthStyles Survey. The outcome measure was reported access to water fountains in parks/playgrounds. Among those who reported using parks/playgrounds, multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations between sociodemographic variables and reported access to water fountains. About half (54.7%) of participants used parks/playgrounds. Among those, 55.0% reported access to water fountains. Factors significantly associated with reported access to water fountains were being male [odds ratio (OR) = 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09, 1.85] and living in the Pacific region (versus East North Central region, OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.61, 4.06). Age, race/ethnicity, household income, marital status, education, smoking and physical activity were not significantly associated with reported access to water fountains. Among 54.7% of adults using parks/playgrounds, reported access to water fountains was significantly differed by sex and region. This study provides information that can be considered when developing interventions to increase access to drinking water in public facilities.

Association between arsenic exposure and diabetes mellitus in Cambodia.

PubMed

Huang, Jhih-Wei; Cheng, Ya-Yun; Sung, Tzu-Ching; Guo, How-Ran; Sthiannopkao, Suthipong

2014-01-01

Whereas studies in Taiwan found associations between arsenic exposure from drinking water and diabetes mellitus (DM), studies in other countries yielded inconsistent results, and diet might be a confounder. We conducted a study in Cambodia, where people have non-Western style diet, to evaluate the association. We measured well water and urine samples and examined skin signs of arsenicosis to assess arsenic exposure and used questionnaires to collect data on potential risk factors. We performed a fingertip blood glucose test followed by measurement of hemoglobin A1c to assess DM. The 43-male and 99-female participants had an average age of 40.4 years. We found that participants with skin signs of arsenicosis had a higher level of arsenic in the drinking water (1101.1 versus 972.2 μ g/L, P = 0.02). Drinking water with arsenic levels above the median (907.25 μ g/L) was associated with a nearly twofold increase in the risk of DM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5-5.8), so was having skin sings of arsenicosis (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.5-5.6). The ORs did not reach statistical significance most likely because of the small case number. Therefore, further studies with larger study populations are needed to confirm our findings.

The Effect of Concept Mapping on Student Understanding and Correlation with Student Learning Styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosley, William G.

This study investigated the use of concept mapping as a pedagogical strategy to promote change in the learning styles of pre-nursing students. Students' individual learning styles revealed two subsets of students; those who demonstrated a learning style that favors abstract conceptualization and those who demonstrated a learning style that favors concrete experience. Students in the experimental groups performed concept mapping activities designed to facilitate an integrative understanding of interactions between various organ systems of the body while the control group received a traditional didactic instruction without performing concept mapping activities. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in order to measure differences in student achievement. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed no significant change in the learning styles of students in either the control or experimental groups. Learning style groups were analyzed qualitatively for recurring or emergent themes that students identified as facilitating their learning. An analysis of qualitative data revealed that most students in the pre-nursing program were able to identify concepts within the class based upon visual cues, and a majority of these students exhibited the learning style of abstract conceptualization. As the laboratory experience for the course involves an examination of the anatomical structures of the human body, a visual identification of these structures seemed to be the most logical method to measure students' ability to identify anatomical structures.

Uneven reductions in high school students' alcohol use from 2007 to 2012 by age, sex, and socioeconomic strata.

PubMed

Jackson, Nicki; Denny, Simon; Sheridan, Janie; Fleming, Terry; Clark, Terryann; Peiris-John, Roshini; Ameratunga, Shanthi

2017-01-01

Many Western countries have reported declines in adolescent alcohol use. This study examined changes in adolescent alcohol use in New Zealand between 2007 and 2012 and explored variations across sociodemographic strata. Data from 2 nationally representative, cross-sectional high school surveys conducted in 2007 (n = 7709) and 2012 (n = 7266) were examined. Changes in the prevalence of drinking in the past 4 weeks were examined among the total sample, as well as the frequency of drinking in the past 4 weeks and typical drinking-occasion quantity among drinkers. Only students residing in urban areas were included. Variation in changes was investigated across 4 demographic groups characterized by age (<16 years, ≥16 years) and sex. Interactions with household- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic position (SEP) identified any differential changes between socioeconomic strata. From 2007 to 2012, significantly fewer students consumed alcohol in the past 4 weeks. Interaction analyses demonstrated that, among young females (<16 years), declines were significantly greater among those of high household SEP when compared with those of low household SEP. Among drinkers, reductions in the frequency of drinking were found among all demographic groups and SEP strata. Interaction analyses revealed that only young males (<16 years) showed significantly reduced typical drinking-occasion quantities. Among young females, significant interactions revealed a shift towards increasing typical drinking-occasion quantities among those of low household and neighborhood SEP, whereas their more advantaged counterparts showed no significant change over time. Fewer drinking occasions characterized the major declines in adolescent drinking between 2007 and 2012. Whereas young males showed reductions in the typical quantity consumed, young females of low household and neighborhood SEP progressed towards higher typical quantities. To address the uneven distribution of alcohol-related harm and improve the targeting of harm reduction initiatives, it remains imperative to examine changes in both the overall shift and shape of the distribution curve.

When in Rome: Factors associated with changes in drinking behavior among American college students studying abroad

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Eric R.; Larimer, Mary E.; Lee, Christine M.

2013-01-01

Study abroad programs have the potential to promote cultural, experiential, and personal development for escalating numbers of American college students each year. Despite reports that study abroad students may be at particular risk for increased and problematic alcohol use, there is limited empirical documentation of this risk. Thus, the present study used a longitudinal design to examine the factors associated with changes in alcohol use among college students studying in foreign countries. A sample of 177 students completed measures of demographics, drinking behavior, and perceived peer drinking behavior one month prior to departure and one-month post-study abroad return. Analyses revealed that participants more than doubled their drinking during study abroad trips and those who drank at heavier levels while abroad returned home drinking at significantly elevated levels. This pattern of increased use while abroad was moderated by several factors, with participants studying abroad in Europe (e.g., Italy, France) and Oceania (e.g., Australia, New Zealand), those under the age of 21, those with higher intentions of drinking while abroad, and those with higher drinking perceptions of other study abroad students in their host country increased their alcohol consumption to a greater extent than other participants. Results suggest drinking while abroad is a concern warranting further investigation, especially regarding how changes in drinking may contribute to the experience of alcohol-related consequences abroad. Continued identification of the risk factors associated with increased drinking can help inform targeted pre-departure preventive interventions with these students. PMID:20853940

Drinking and Dating: Examining the Link between Relationship Satisfaction, Hazardous Drinking, and Readiness-to-Change in College Dating Relationships

PubMed Central

Khaddouma, Alexander; Shorey, Ryan C.; Brasfield, Hope; Febres, Jeniimarie; Zapor, Heather; Elmquist, Joanna; Stuart, Gregory L.

2015-01-01

The present study examined the influence of relationship satisfaction on readiness-to-change alcohol use and the influence of hazardous drinking on readiness-to-change relationship issues in college student dating relationships. A sample of 219 college students in a current dating relationship (aged 18–25) completed self-report measures of dating relationship satisfaction, alcohol use, readiness-to-change alcohol use, and readiness-to-change relationship issues via an online survey from August to December 2011. Participants were grouped on the basis of their scores on measures of alcohol use (hazardous drinkers vs. nonhazardous drinkers) and relationship satisfaction (high vs. low). Results indicated that alcohol use was negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, hazardous drinkers with high relationship satisfaction indicated more readiness-to-change alcohol use than hazardous drinkers with low relationship satisfaction. Alcohol problems were not related to readiness-to-change relationship issues. These findings indicate that highly satisfied dating relationships during college may positively influence readiness-to-change heavy drinking habits among college students. PMID:26997754

Assessing the Role of Shape and Label in the Misleading Packaging of Food Imitating Products: From Empirical Evidence to Policy Recommendation

PubMed Central

Basso, Frédéric; Bouillé, Julien; Le Goff, Kévin; Robert-Demontrond, Philippe; Oullier, Olivier

2016-01-01

Food imitating products are chemical consumer items used frequently in the household for cleaning and personal hygiene (e.g., bleach, soap, and shampoo), which resemble food products. Their containers replicate elements of food package design such as possessing a shape close in style to drinking product containers or bearing labels that depict colorful fruits. In marketing, these incongruent forms are designed to increase the appeal of functional products, leading to chemical consumer product embellishment. However, due to the resulting visual ambiguity, food imitating products may expose consumers to the risk of being poisoned from ingestion. Thus, from a public health perspective, food imitating products are considered dangerous chemical products that should not be sold, and may merit being recalled for the safety of consumers. To help policymakers address the hazardous presence of food imitating products, the purpose of this article is to identify the specific design features that generate most ambiguity for the consumer, and therefore increase the likelihood of confusion with foodstuffs. Among the visual elements of food packaging, the two most important features (shape and label) are manipulated in a series of three lab studies combining six Implicit Association Tests (IATs) and two explicit measures on products' drinkability and safety. IATs were administered to assess consumers' implicit association of liquid products with tastiness in a within-subject design in which the participants (N = 122) were presented with two kinds of food imitating products with a drink shape or drink label compared with drinks (experiential products with congruent form) and classic chemical products (hygiene products) (functional products with congruent form). Results show that chemical consumer products with incongruent drink shapes (but not drink labels) as an element of food package design are both implicitly associated with tastiness and explicitly judged as safe and drinkable. These results require confirmation in other studies involving different shapes and labels. Notwithstanding, due to the misleading effect of this ambiguity, public health authorities are thus well advised to focus their market surveillance on chemical products emulating a food or drink shape. PMID:27065919

Improvements in Interpersonal Functioning Following Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) with Adolescents and their Association with Change in Depression.

PubMed

Spence, Susan H; O'Shea, Gabrielle; Donovan, Caroline L

2016-05-01

This study adds to the body of evidence regarding the theoretical underpinnings of interpersonal psychotherapy and the mechanisms through which it impacts upon depression in adolescents. The aims were to determine whether the interpersonal constructs proposed to underpin interpersonal psychotherapy do indeed change in response to this therapy and whether such changes are associated with changes in depression in young people. Thirty-nine adolescents, aged 13-19 years, with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder, were randomly assigned in blocks to group or individual treatment. Assessments were conducted at pre and posttreatment, and 12-month follow-up. The results supported the hypotheses, with significant improvements in social skills, social functioning, and the quality of parent-adolescent relationships, and an increase in secure attachment style and decrease in insecure attachment style being evident following treatment. Benefits were maintained at 12-month follow-up. Adolescents who showed greater reductions in depressive symptoms over this period tended to also show greater improvement in parent reported social skills, quality of the parent-adolescent relationship, and attachment style from pretreatment to 12-month follow-up. The findings are consistent with the proposed underpinnings of interpersonal psychotherapy. Adolescents showed significant improvements in interpersonal functioning and changes in attachment style following treatment, and changes in social skills, parent-adolescent conflict and attachment style were associated with reductions in depression. As such, the results add to the body of knowledge regarding the construct validity of interpersonal psychotherapy as an intervention for depression in young people. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

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

PubMed

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

2017-05-01

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

The Accident. Parenting Styles: Avoiding the Extremes. Student Guide--Footsteps. Report Number 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Sharon; And Others

This student guide for a program on styles in parenting discusses how attitudes toward childrearing have changed over the past 50 years, how children are affected by some extreme approaches to childrearing, and how a parenting style that is neither overpermissive nor overprotective is most likely to enhance children's growth. Designed around a…

Design of Inquiry-Oriented Science Labs: Impacts on Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baseya, J. M.; Francis, C. D.

2011-01-01

Background: Changes in lab style can lead to differences in learning. Two inquiry-oriented lab styles are guided inquiry (GI) and problem-based (PB). Students' attitudes towards lab are important to consider when choosing between GI and PB styles during curriculum design. Purpose: We examined the degree to which lab experiences are explained by a…

Growing with Driving Leadership Style in School: A Case Study on Leadership of Finnish Elementary Schools in Tampere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajbhandari, Mani Man Singh

2012-01-01

"Driving leadership style" of the school leadership proclaims to be important in bringing about changes in behavioural aspect of the followers. The hallmark of driving leadership style illustrated the characteristic of teaming, toning, tasking, timing and transforming with realistic view to subjective approach. This allowed the…

Attachment Style with Mother, Father, Best Friend, and Romantic Partner during Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Anna Beth; Lawford, Heather; Markiewicz, Dorothy

2009-01-01

Self-reported attachment styles with mother, father, best friend, and romantic partner were assessed longitudinally across adolescence. Three cohorts (ages 13, 16, and 19 years; N = 373) from a community sample were followed across 2 years. There was only one change in attachment styles with age: the oldest adolescents were more dismissive than…

An Examination of Online Instructional Practices Based on the Learning Styles of Graduate Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonsing-Meyer, Julie A.

2012-01-01

As technology has evolved, the way individuals learn and the way instructors teach has changed. Despite the general consensus that learning styles and instructional preferences should be addressed in e-learning, there remains a gap in the research into how different styles might be correlated with certain instructional preferences to improve the…

76 FR 80209 - Kiwifruit Grown in California; Change in Reporting Requirements and New Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-23

..., shipments by pack style, and acreage) from all kiwifruit handlers. Under this regulation, both reports are... gross f.o.b. sales of non-organic kiwifruit by pack style and size. Since 1984, the California Kiwifruit.../farm name, mailing address, location of farm by county, shipments by pack style, and acreage), on...

Modelling the impacts of global change on concentrations of Escherichia coli in an urban river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalliffier-Verne, Isabelle; Leconte, Robert; Huaringa-Alvarez, Uriel; Heniche, Mourad; Madoux-Humery, Anne-Sophie; Autixier, Laurène; Galarneau, Martine; Servais, Pierre; Prévost, Michèle; Dorner, Sarah

2017-10-01

Discharges of combined sewer system overflows (CSOs) affect water quality in drinking water sources despite increasing regulation and discharge restrictions. A hydrodynamic model was applied to simulate the transport and dispersion of fecal contaminants from CSO discharges and to quantify the impacts of climate and population changes on the water quality of the river used as a drinking water source in Québec, Canada. The dispersion model was used to quantify Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations at drinking water intakes. Extreme flows during high and low water events were based on a frequency analysis in current and future climate scenarios. The increase of the number of discharges was quantified in current and future climate scenarios with regards to the frequency of overflows observed between 2009 and 2012. For future climate scenarios, effects of an increase of population were estimated according to current population growth statistics, independently of local changes in precipitation that are more difficult to predict than changes to regional scale hydrology. Under ;business-as-usual; scenarios restricting increases in CSO discharge frequency, mean E. coli concentrations at downstream drinking water intakes are expected to increase by up to 87% depending on the future climate scenario and could lead to changes in drinking water treatment requirements for the worst case scenarios. The greatest uncertainties are related to future local discharge loads. Climate change adaptation with regards to drinking water quality must focus on characterizing the impacts of global change at a local scale. Source water protection planning must consider the impacts of climate and population change to avoid further degradation of water quality.

Impact of climate change on hydrological conditions in a tropical West African catchment using an ensemble of climate simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yira, Yacouba; Diekkrüger, Bernd; Steup, Gero; Yaovi Bossa, Aymar

2017-04-01

This study evaluates climate change impacts on water resources using an ensemble of six regional climate models (RCMs)-global climate models (GCMs) in the Dano catchment (Burkina Faso). The applied climate datasets were performed in the framework of the COordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX-Africa) project.

After evaluation of the historical runs of the climate models' ensemble, a statistical bias correction (empirical quantile mapping) was applied to daily precipitation. Temperature and bias corrected precipitation data from the ensemble of RCMs-GCMs was then used as input for the Water flow and balance Simulation Model (WaSiM) to simulate water balance components.

The mean hydrological and climate variables for two periods (1971-2000 and 2021-2050) were compared to assess the potential impact of climate change on water resources up to the middle of the 21st century under two greenhouse gas concentration scenarios, the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. The results indicate (i) a clear signal of temperature increase of about 0.1 to 2.6 °C for all members of the RCM-GCM ensemble; (ii) high uncertainty about how the catchment precipitation will evolve over the period 2021-2050; (iii) the applied bias correction method only affected the magnitude of the climate change signal; (iv) individual climate models results lead to opposite discharge change signals; and (v) the results for the RCM-GCM ensemble are too uncertain to give any clear direction for future hydrological development. Therefore, potential increase and decrease in future discharge have to be considered in climate change adaptation strategies in the catchment. The results further underline on the one hand the need for a larger ensemble of projections to properly estimate the impacts of climate change on water resources in the catchment and on the other hand the high uncertainty associated with climate projections for the West African region. A water-energy budget analysis provides further insight into the behavior of the catchment.

The relationship between group size, intoxication and continuing to drink after bar attendance.

PubMed

Reed, Mark B; Clapp, John D; Martell, Brandi; Hidalgo-Sotelo, Alexandra

2013-11-01

The present study was undertaken to explore multilevel determinants of planning to continue to drink alcohol after leaving public drinking events. We assessed whether individual-level factors, group-related factors, or event-level bar characteristics were associated with post-bar drinking. We recruited a total of 642 participants from 30 participating bars in urban Southern California. Groups who arrived to patron a bar were interviewed upon their entrance and exit. Given data nesting, we employed a multilevel modeling approach to data analysis. More than one-third (40%) of our sample reported the intention to continue drinking as they exited the bar. Results of our multilevel model indicated eight individual-level variables significantly associated with intending to continue to drink. Time of night moderated the relationship between BrAC change and intentions to continue to drink. Although none of the group factors were significant in our model, a significant cross-level interaction between BrAC change and number of group members indicated the effect of intoxication on planning to continue to drink increases as group members increase. At the bar level, the presence of temporary bars and server offers of non-alcoholic drinks significantly decreased intentions to continue to drink. Given the large percentage of participants who reported the intention to continue drinking after exiting a bar, this study draws attention to the fact that field studies of drinking behavior may assess drinking mid-event rather than at the end of a drinking event. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescents alcohol-use and economic conditions: a multilevel analysis of data from a period with big economic changes.

PubMed

Svensson, Mikael; Hagquist, Curt

2010-12-01

This paper examines how the unemployment rate is related to adolescent alcohol use and experience of binge drinking during a time period characterized by big societal changes. The paper uses repeated cross-sectional adolescent survey data from a Swedish region, collected in 1988, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002 and 2005, and merges this with data on local unemployment rates for the same time periods. Individual level frequency of alcohol use as well as experience of binge drinking is connected to local level unemployment rate to estimate the relationship using multilevel modeling. The model includes municipality effects controlling for time-invariant differences between municipalities as well as year fixed effects controlling for municipality-invariant changes over time in alcohol use. The results show that the unemployment rate is negatively associated with adolescents' alcohol use and the experience of binge drinking. When the unemployment rate increases, more adolescents do not drink at all. Regular drinking (twice per month or more) is, on the other hand, unrelated to the unemployment rate. Examining gender-differences in the relationship, it is shown that the results are driven by behavior in girls, whereas drinking among boys does not show any significant relationship with changes in the unemployment rate.

How community-level social and economic developments have changed the patterns of substance use in a transition economy?

PubMed

Yang, Xiaozhao Y

2017-07-01

Most social changes take place at the community level before indirectly affecting individuals. Although the contextual effect is far-reaching, few studies have investigated the important questions of: how do community-level developments affect drinking and smoking, and how do they change the existing gender and income patterns of drinking and smoking, particularly in transition economies? In this study, I used a Chinese panel dataset between 1991 and 2011 to reveal the moderating effects of community developments. Through multilevel growth curve modeling that controls for age, period, and cohort effects, as well as individual- and community-level covariates, I found that community-level economic development and social development are negatively associated with drinking and smoking. Moreover, economic and social developments also moderate the important influences of income and gender: women start to drink more in communities with higher economic development; the traditionally positive association between income and smoking/drinking is also reversed, i.e. the rich start to smoke and drink less in communities with higher social development. This study concludes that the rapid changes in communal social and economic structures have created new health disparities based on the gender and socioeconomic hierarchy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CBT for high anxiety sensitivity: alcohol outcomes.

PubMed

Olthuis, Janine V; Watt, Margo C; Mackinnon, Sean P; Stewart, Sherry H

2015-07-01

High anxiety sensitivity (AS) has been associated with greater alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems as well as greater sensitivity to the anxiety-reducing effects of alcohol and greater risky negative reinforcement motives for drinking. The present study reported on the alcohol-related outcomes of a telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) designed to reduce high AS. Eighty individuals with high AS (M age=36 years; 79% women; 76% Caucasian) seeking treatment for their AS-related concerns participated in the study and were randomly assigned to an eight week telephone CBT program or a waiting list control. Participants completed measures of drinking motives and problem drinking at pre- and post-treatment. Multilevel modeling showed that the treatment was successful in reducing AS. The treatment also resulted in specific reductions in drinking to cope with anxiety motives as well as physical alcohol-related problems. Mediated moderation analyses showed treatment-related changes in AS mediated changes in drinking to cope with anxiety motives. Changes in drinking to cope with anxiety motives mediated changes in physical alcohol-related problems. Results of the present study suggest that an AS-targeted intervention may have implications for reducing risky alcohol use cognitions and behaviors. Further research is needed in a sample of problem drinkers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alcohol-induced blackouts, subjective intoxication, and motivation to decrease drinking: Prospective examination of the transition out of college.

PubMed

Marino, Elise N; Fromme, Kim

2018-05-01

We prospectively examined whether subjective intoxication serves as a risk factor for experiencing alcohol-induced blackouts. We then examined whether subjective intoxication and/or blackouts predicted motivation to decrease their drinking, and whether this motivation to change would promote future changes in drinking behavior. Participants (N=1854, 62.1% female, 53.2% Caucasian, M age =21.8) were recruited the summer prior to matriculating into a large, public university to complete a 6-year longitudinal study. Self-reported motivation to decrease their drinking behavior, their frequency of blackouts, quantity of alcohol consumption, and subjective intoxication (i.e., feeling drunk) were assessed annually during the transition out of college (Years 4-6). In a cross-lagged model, subjective intoxication (i.e., feeling drunk) prospectively predicted experiencing blackouts (p<0.001). Controlling for both objective (e.g., quantity) and subjective intoxication, blackouts at Year 4 predicted greater motivation to decrease drinking behavior at Year 5 (p<0.01), but this motivation did not predict less quantity of alcohol use by Year 6 (p=0.076). Subjective intoxication is a robust predictor of blackouts across time. Additionally, blackouts are modest, developmentally-limited predictors of motivation to change drinking behavior, but blackouts do not predict future behavior change. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mid-tertiary volcano-tectonic development of the Southwestern Cordillera of North America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Kerri L.

1987-01-01

In the Southwestern Cordillera (SC) of North America, volcanic style changed from dominantly calcalkaline stratovolcanoes to caldera-related magmatism during the mid-Tertiary. The dominant tectonic process affecting the region during this time was convergence of the Farallon and North American Plates. The change in style of volcanism indicates a change in the operative stress regime: compressional for the earlier calcalkaline volcanism and tensional for development of the calderas. The development of the centers were compared to evaluate the volcano-tectonic relationship of caldera development within and between centers and determine the relationships between the earlier calcalkaline and later caldera-style volcanisms. The calderas exhibit three distinct stages of development that are closely associated with the East Pacific Rise/trench collision. The spatial and temporal association of the calcalkaline and caldera-related volcanism argues for the SC representing a region of continued arc magnetism in which the style of volcanism varied in response to differences in regional stresses.

The Impact of Social Support and Attachment Style on Quality of Life and Readiness to Change in a Sample of Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence.

PubMed

Cavaiola, Alan A; Fulmer, Barbara A; Stout, David

2015-01-01

A basic principle within the addictions treatment field is that social support is a vital ingredient in the recovery process. This study examines the nature of social support in a sample of opioid-dependent men and women who are currently being treated in a medication-assisted treatment program (methadone). This research examines the types of social support behaviors that the opioid-dependent individuals consider helpful and explores whether attachment style (i.e., secure, ambivalent, or anxious attachment) was a determining factor in whether social support was perceived as helpful. The dependent variables included readiness to change addictive behaviors and abstinence from other mood-altering drugs. Participants (N = 159) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Significant Others Scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Assessment, the Readiness to Change Scale, and an Attachment Style Questionnaire. The demographic questionnaire included subjective ratings of self-improvement. Social support predicted perceived improvement in all of the areas examined (e.g., health, family/social relationships) and abstinence; however, attachment style did not predict improvement or with readiness to change. Social support is an important factor in one's recovery from substance use disorders. Yet attachment style (i.e., anxious, avoidant, or secure) did not predict abstinence or overall improvement in functioning.

Associated factors of readiness to change in young adult risky drinkers.

PubMed

Alley, Ebon S; Velasquez, Mary M; von Sternberg, Kirk

2018-01-01

Readiness to change alcohol use has been associated with a number of predictors including emotional distress, drinking severity, and consequence severity, as well as with static demographic factors such as gender and race/ethnicity. To examine the relationships among these variables and readiness to change alcohol use in young adults. Structural equation modeling was used to test pathways of readiness to change in 1,256 young adult patients (78% male/22% female) ages 18-29 who were provided screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as part of a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Capacity Expansion Project. The strongest relationships were between emotional distress, drinking severity, and consequence severity with readiness to change. Results indicated that participants with more severe alcohol problems demonstrated higher levels of readiness to change alcohol use and therefore, may be more amenable to behavior change. Additionally, females, Hispanic/Latino, and Black non-Hispanic (Black) participants demonstrated higher levels of readiness to change when compared to other groups. These results lend support to the concept that young adults are using alcohol to modulate their emotions. Furthermore, resultant severity of consequences from drinking may play an important role in their readiness to change risky drinking. This may be especially true for females, who reported greater emotional distress, and for Hispanic/Latinos and Blacks, who reported greater drinking severity with greater emotional distress. Caregivers may be better equipped to address young adult alcohol use with this added understanding.

Risky drinking patterns are being continued into pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Anderson, Amy E; Hure, Alexis J; Forder, Peta M; Powers, Jennifer; Kay-Lambkin, Frances J; Loxton, Deborah J

2014-01-01

Risky patterns of alcohol use prior to pregnancy increase the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies and subsequent adverse outcomes. It is important to understand how consumption changes once women become pregnant. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of women that partake in risky drinking patterns before pregnancy and to examine how these patterns change once they become pregnant. A sample of 1577 women from the 1973-78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were included if they first reported being pregnant in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009 and reported risky drinking patterns prior to that pregnancy. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine which risky drinking patterns were most likely to continue into pregnancy. When reporting risky drinking patterns prior to pregnancy only 6% of women reported weekly drinking only, whereas 46% reported binge drinking only and 48% reported both. Women in both binge categories were more likely to have experienced financial stress, not been partnered, smoked, used drugs, been nulliparous, experienced a violent relationship, and were less educated. Most women (46%) continued these risky drinking patterns into pregnancy, with 40% reducing these behaviors, and 14% completely ceasing alcohol consumption. Once pregnant, women who binged only prior to pregnancy were more likely to continue (55%) rather than reduce drinking (29%). Of the combined drinking group 61% continued to binge and 47% continued weekly drinking. Compared with the combined drinking group, binge only drinkers prior to pregnancy were less likely to reduce rather than continue their drinking once pregnant (OR = 0.37, 95% CI  =  0.29, 0.47). Over a third of women continued risky drinking into pregnancy, especially binge drinking, suggesting a need to address alcohol consumption prior to pregnancy.

Acute alcohol intoxication among adolescents-the role of the context of drinking.

PubMed

Grüne, Bettina; Piontek, Daniela; Pogarell, Oliver; Grübl, Armin; Groß, Cornelius; Reis, Olaf; Zimmermann, Ulrich S; Kraus, Ludwig

2017-01-01

This study aims (1) to describe the context of drinking among adolescents with acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) by gender, (2) to explore temporal changes in the context of drinking and (3) to analyse the association between the context of drinking and blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A retrospective chart review of 12- to 17-year-old inpatients with AAI (n = 1441) of the years 2000 to 2006 has been conducted in five participating hospitals in Germany. Gender differences in the context of drinking were tested with t test and chi 2 test. Differences over time were analysed using logistic regressions. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict BAC. Girls and boys differed in admission time, drinking situation, drinking occasion and admission context. No temporal changes in drinking situation and in admission to hospital from public locations or places were found. Higher BAC coincided with male gender and age. Moreover, BAC was higher among patients admitted to hospital from public places and lower among patients who drank for coping. The results suggest gender differences in the context of drinking. The context of drinking needs to be considered in the development and implementation of target group-specific prevention and intervention measures. What is known: • The context of drinking, e.g. when, where, why and with whom is associated with episodic heavy drinking among adolescents. What is new: • Male and female inpatients with acute alcohol intoxication differ with regards to the context of drinking, i.e. in admission time, drinking situation, drinking occasion and admission context. • Being admitted to hospital from public places is associated with higher blood alcohol concentration.

University students' drinking patterns and problems: examining the effects of raising the purchase age.

PubMed

Engs, R C; Hanson, D J

1988-01-01

An extensive review of the literature on college students' drinking patterns and problems since the mid-1930s revealed no radical changes over the past several decades. However, during the past 10 years, drinking and problems related to drinking and driving have gradually decreased among college students. Results of a study of students at the same 56 colleges and universities throughout the United States (3,145 in 1982-83, 2,797 in 1984-85, and 3,375 in 1987-88) revealed few changes in collegiate drinking patterns and problems attributable to the nationwide increase in the minimum age for alcohol purchase. There was a decline in the proportion of students who drank in the period during which the law changed. However, the proportion of students categorized as heavy drinkers remained constant over time and the proportion of underage students (81 percent) who drank was higher than the proportion of legal age students who drank (75 percent). Of 17 problems related to drinking, all but 5 remained stable over the time periods. Three of the problems represent the continuum of an established trend of fewer students to indicating drinking and driving-related problems. As discussed in this paper, creative alcohol programming can assist in controlling alcohol abuse among college students.

Binge Drinking: A Confused Concept and its Contemporary History

PubMed Central

Berridge, Virginia; Herring, Rachel; Thom, Betsy

2009-01-01

Binge drinking is a matter of current social, political and media concern. It has a long-term, but also a recent, history. This paper discusses the contemporary history of the concept of binge drinking. In recent years there have been significant changes in how binge drinking is defined and conceptualised. Going on a ‘binge’ used to mean an extended period (days) of heavy drinking, while now it generally refers to a single drinking session leading to intoxication. We argue that the definitional change is related to the shifts in the focus of alcohol policy and alcohol science, in particular in the last two decades, and also in the role of the dominant interest groups. The paper is a case study in the relationship between science and policy. We explore key themes, raise questions and point to a possible agenda for future research.

The Relationship of Self-Efficacy, Identity Style, and Stage of Change with Academic Self-Regulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakubowski, Terrance G.; Dembo, Myron H.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic self-regulation, self-efficacy, and two student self-belief systems, identity style and stage of change, for 210 college students enrolled at a private research university. High scores on the informational identity, contemplation stage, and action stage subscales and low…

The Preferred Learning Styles of Neurosurgeons, Neurosurgery Residents, and Neurology Residents: Implications in the Neurosurgical Field.

PubMed

Lai, Hung-Yi; Lee, Ching-Yi; Chiu, Angela; Lee, Shih-Tseng

2014-01-01

To delineate the learning style that best defines a successful practitioner in the field of neurosurgery by using a validated learning style inventory. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, a validated assessment tool, was administered to all practicing neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, and neurology residents employed at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, an institution that provides primary and tertiary clinical care in 3 locations, Linkou, Kaohsiung, and Chiayi. There were 81 participants who entered the study, and all completed the study. Neurosurgeons preferred the assimilating learning style (52%), followed by the diverging learning style (39%). Neurosurgery residents were slightly more evenly distributed across the learning styles; however, they still favored assimilating (32%) and diverging (41%). Neurology residents had the most clearly defined preferred learning style with assimilating (76%) obtaining the large majority and diverging (12%) being a distant second. The assimilating and diverging learning styles are the preferred learning styles among neurosurgeons, neurosurgery residents, and neurology residents. The assimilating learning style typically is the primary learning style for neurosurgeons and neurology residents. Neurosurgical residents start off with a diverging learning style and progress toward an assimilating learning style as they work toward becoming practicing neurosurgeons. The field of neurosurgery has limited opportunities for active experimentation, which may explain why individuals who prefer reflective observation are more likely to succeed in this field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of depression level and identity styles between students in Allameh University and Islamic Seminary.

PubMed

Mahdavi, A; Aghaei, M; Besharat, M A; Khaki Seddigh, F; Akbari, S H; Hamidifar, Z

2015-01-01

This research was conducted to compare the depression level and the identity styles between students in Allameh University and Islamic Seminary in Tehran city. The research method was the ex post facto or causal-comparative kind. In this research, all the students of Allameh University and Islamic Seminary were chosen as the research population. Among the statistical population, by using the convenience sampling method, a sample consisting of 100 male students was chosen (50-50 from both universities). Afterwards, the Identity Styles Inventory (ISI-6G) and the Beck Depression Inventory (21 questions) were employed in order to collect the data. By using ANOVA and systematic regression, the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the research indicated that the average values of the normative component (p-value = 0.03) and the depression level (p-value = 0.000) of seminary's students were higher compared to the ones specific for the Allameh's students. Among the various identity styles, commitment style could totally predict 16% of depression variable changes of Allameh's students. Moreover, information and normative styles could totally predict 19% of the depression variable changes of the seminary's students.

Comparison of depression level and identity styles between students in Allameh University and Islamic Seminary

PubMed Central

Mahdavi, A; Aghaei, M; Besharat, MA; Khaki Seddigh, F; Akbari, SH; Hamidifar, Z

2015-01-01

This research was conducted to compare the depression level and the identity styles between students in Allameh University and Islamic Seminary in Tehran city. The research method was the ex post facto or causal-comparative kind. In this research, all the students of Allameh University and Islamic Seminary were chosen as the research population. Among the statistical population, by using the convenience sampling method, a sample consisting of 100 male students was chosen (50-50 from both universities). Afterwards, the Identity Styles Inventory (ISI-6G) and the Beck Depression Inventory (21 questions) were employed in order to collect the data. By using ANOVA and systematic regression, the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the research indicated that the average values of the normative component (p-value = 0.03) and the depression level (p-value = 0.000) of seminary’s students were higher compared to the ones specific for the Allameh’s students. Among the various identity styles, commitment style could totally predict 16% of depression variable changes of Allameh’s students. Moreover, information and normative styles could totally predict 19% of the depression variable changes of the seminary’s students. PMID:28316715

Parental feeding style, energy intake and weight status in young Scottish children.

PubMed

Montgomery, Colette; Jackson, Diane M; Kelly, Louise A; Reilly, John J

2006-12-01

Parental feeding style, as measured by the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), may be an important influence on child feeding behaviour and weight status in early to mid childhood, but more evidence on parental feeding style is required from samples outside the USA. We aimed to use the CFQ in a sample of 117 Scottish children (boys n 53, girls n 64 mean age 4.6 (SD 0.5) years) to: characterise gender differences and changes over time (in forty of the 117 children studied over 2 years); test associations between parental feeding style, free-living energy intake (measured over 3 days using the multiple pass 24-h recall), and weight status (BMI SD score). No dimensions of parental feeding style changed significantly over 2 years in the longitudinal study (P>0.05 in all cases). No aspects of parental feeding style as measured by the CFQ differed significantly between the sexes (P>0.05 in all cases). Parental perceptions of child weight status were generally significantly positively correlated with child weight status as measured by the BMI SD score. In this sample and setting, measures of parental control over child feeding were generally not associated with child energy intake or weight status.

Developing a corpus of spoken language variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmichael, Lesley; Wright, Richard; Wassink, Alicia Beckford

2003-10-01

We are developing a novel, searchable corpus as a research tool for investigating phonetic and phonological phenomena across various speech styles. Five speech styles have been well studied independently in previous work: reduced (casual), careful (hyperarticulated), citation (reading), Lombard effect (speech in noise), and ``motherese'' (child-directed speech). Few studies to date have collected a wide range of styles from a single set of speakers, and fewer yet have provided publicly available corpora. The pilot corpus includes recordings of (1) a set of speakers participating in a variety of tasks designed to elicit the five speech styles, and (2) casual peer conversations and wordlists to illustrate regional vowels. The data include high-quality recordings and time-aligned transcriptions linked to text files that can be queried. Initial measures drawn from the database provide comparison across speech styles along the following acoustic dimensions: MLU (changes in unit duration); relative intra-speaker intensity changes (mean and dynamic range); and intra-speaker pitch values (minimum, maximum, mean, range). The corpus design will allow for a variety of analyses requiring control of demographic and style factors, including hyperarticulation variety, disfluencies, intonation, discourse analysis, and detailed spectral measures.

Attributional intervention for depression in two people with multiple sclerosis (MS): single case design.

PubMed

Wain, Helen; Kneebone, Ian I; Cropley, Mark

2011-01-01

Depression is common in those with MS. The hopelessness theory of depression, emphasizing the role of attributional style, is supported in this population. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) that can affect attributional style can reduce depression in people who have MS. The present study aimed to consider whether changing attributional style would reduce depression in two people with MS, thereby supporting the importance of this component of CBT with this population. Two female participants with MS were offered a 5-session intervention designed to alter attributional style. The study followed an ABA design. Attributional style and depressive symptoms were the principal measures considered. Negative life events and MS related stresses were also monitored. The intervention appeared effective for one of the participants, with predicted changes in attributional style and sizeable reductions in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-treatment that were sustained at 3-month follow-up. Improvement was still evident at 6 months, although with some reduction of effect. The intervention was less successful for the other participant who declined further treatment after three sessions. Some support for the hopelessness theory of depression was found, indicating its relevance to CBT interventions for those who have MS and depression.

A Dangerous Transition: Women’s Drinking and Related Victimization From High School to the First Year at College*

PubMed Central

PARKS, KATHLEEN A.; ROMOSZ, ANN M.; BRADIZZA, CLARA M.; HSIEH, YA-PING

2008-01-01

Objective The current study assessed women’s risk for victimization during the first year at college, based on changes in drinking during the transition from high school to college. We were specifically interested in differential risk for victimization based on women’s change in drinking status over the transition to college. We compared continued abstainers with women who began drinking (“new” drinkers) and women who continued drinking but either decreased, increased, or did not change their level of weekly drinking. Method Data were collected using a Web-based survey each fall for the first 2 years at college with one cohort (N = 886) of incoming freshmen women at a large state university in New York. Women reported on their alcohol and other drug use, psychological symptoms, number of sexual partners, and experiences with physical and sexual victimization for the year before entering college (Year 1 survey) and for the first year at college (Year 2 survey). Results Abstainers were significantly less likely to experience physical or sexual victimization during the first year at college, compared with drinkers. Logistic regression indicated that there were differences in the predictors of physical and sexual victimization during the first year at college. These differences included history of victimization, psychological symptoms, and number of sexual partners, as well as the type of change in drinking over the transition. Conclusions In comparison with abstainers, having a history of physical victimization, greater psychological symptoms, and being a “new” drinker increased the odds of physical victimization, whereas having a greater number of current psychological symptoms, sexual partners, and increasing weekly drinking increased the odds of sexual victimization during the first year at college. These findings have implications for prevention efforts targeting young women entering college. PMID:18080066

A Case Study of University-Community Collaboration to Reduce the Negative Effects of Binge Drinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Michael B.

2013-01-01

Binge drinking is a prevalent, persistent problem within U.S. university cities. Consequences of students' binge drinking can result in injury, assault, disruption in neighborhoods, and even death. Proponents of one potential solution to the problem, the environmental approach, propose changing the context of drinking by altering factors such…

The Endless Picnic: Changing Food and Drink Policies in Academic Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Marc; Boyer, Janice

The problem of food and drink in libraries and the potential damage to library materials that may occur have always been troublesome issues. Most attempts to totally eliminate food and drink have produced mixed results at best and libraries have expended precious staff time trying to enforce such rules. The food and drink issue is particularly…

What Colleges Need to Know Now: An Update on College Drinking Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 2007

2007-01-01

The comprehensive reports released by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's (NIAAA's) Task Force on College Drinking turned a national spotlight on the problem of harmful drinking among college students. The central report, "A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges," has proven influential in the…

Evaluative conditioning: A brief computer-delivered intervention to reduce college student drinking.

PubMed

Tello, Nina; Bocage-Barthélémy, Yvana; Dandaba, Meira; Jaafari, Nematollah; Chatard, Armand

2018-07-01

Recent research suggests that a brief computer-delivered intervention based on evaluative conditioning (EC) can change the implicit evaluation of alcohol and reduce drinking behaviors among college students. We tested whether we could obtain similar findings in a high-powered preregistered study and whether hazardous drinking moderates these effects. Before the intervention, 122 French college students were screened for hazardous drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Implicit evaluation of alcohol was assessed before and immediately after the intervention using an Implicit Association Test (IAT). Drinking behavior was assessed before the intervention and approximately two weeks after using the TimeLine Follow Back (TLFB) method. The EC consisted of 120 trials of words (related to alcoholic beverages, soft drinks or neutral) paired with pictures (neutral, positive or negative). In the EC condition, alcohol-related words were systematically paired with negative pictures. In the control condition, alcohol-related words were systematically paired with neutral pictures. The EC did not change the implicit evaluation of alcohol, Cohen's d = 0.01, 95CI [-0.35, 0.35]. However, the EC reduced drinking behavior, Cohen's d = 0.37, 95CI [0.01, 0.72]. This effect was independent of hazardous drinking behavior, but it was especially pronounced among participants with the most positive implicit evaluation of alcohol before the intervention. This preregistered study suggests that evaluative conditioning can successfully reduce drinking behavior among college students by 31% (compared to 4% in the control condition) without causing an immediate change in the implicit evaluation of alcohol. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The beliefs about pros and cons of drinking and intention to change among hazardous and moderate alcohol users: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ansker, Fredrik G; Helgason, Asgeir R; Ahacic, Kozma

2014-08-01

Fundamental to supporting hazardous alcohol users are the rationales for reducing alcohol intake highlighted by the users themselves. This study analyses the relative importance of beliefs about pros and cons of drinking in relation to having an intention to reduce intake among both hazardous and moderate alcohol users. Intention to change was assessed in a representative sample of Stockholm's population (n = 4278, response rate 56.5%). Alcohol use was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test measure. A decisional balance inventory was used to examine various beliefs about the pros and cons of drinking, which covered affect changes, social gains and losses, and possible adverse effects. Independent correlations were determined by logistic regression using a backward exclusion procedure (P > 0.05). Higher ratings of importance were generally related to intent, whether or not the contrast was with having no intent or already having made a reduction. This was especially true for hazardous users. Only two beliefs were independently correlated with change among hazardous users: 'Drinking could get me addicted' and 'Drinking makes me more relaxed/less tense' (pseudo-R2 < 0.1). Among moderate users, there was no uniform pattern in the relationships. Unexpectedly, hazardous users with an intent to change rated pro arguments as more important than those with no intent to change. Of the investigated pros and cons, only a few were independently related to intention to change drinking behaviour. These arguments provide interesting topics in consultations. Little support was found for any rational decision making behind the intention to reduce alcohol intake. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Trade and investment liberalization, food systems change and highly processed food consumption: a natural experiment contrasting the soft-drink markets of Peru and Bolivia.

PubMed

Baker, Phillip; Friel, Sharon; Schram, Ashley; Labonte, Ron

2016-06-02

Free trade agreements (FTAs) can affect food environments and non-communicable disease risks through altering the availability of highly-processed foods. Few studies have quantified such effects. Using a natural experiment this paper quantifies changes in Peru's soft-drink market before/after entry into the US-Peru FTA, compared with Bolivia, a county with no such agreement. Difference-in-difference models were used to test for between country differences in the rate of per capita foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, soft-drink imports, the volumes of various soft-drinks sold, and the volumes of sugar from soft-drinks before/after FTA ratification (2006) and enforcement (2009). In Peru average per capita FDI-inflows rose from US$103.11 in the pre-ratification period to US$269.79 post-ratification, with little change in Bolivia. This corresponded with a 122 % increase in Peruvian soft-drink production. There was a significant between-country difference in FDI-inflows pre-/post-ratification (DID:1.07, 95 % CI:0.19-1.96; p = 0.01). Despite little difference in total per capita soft-drink sales volumes there was a significant between-country difference in per capita sugar from soft-drinks pre-/post enforcement (DID:-0.99, 95 % CI: -1.91-0.06; p = 0.03) with stagnated growth in Peru and continued growth in Bolivia. This resulted from stagnated sugar sweetened carbonates growth and increased bottled water, juice and sports & energy drinks growth in Peru, with continued carbonates growth in Bolivia. There was a significant between-country difference in per capita carbonates (DID: -1.44, 95 % CI: -2.52-0.36, p = 0.01) and bottled water (DID:0.63; 95 % CI: -0.01-1.26; p = 0.04) sales volumes. The FTA may have resulted in increased FDI-inflows and soft-drink production and also contributed to the diversification of soft drinks produced and sold in Peru with some positive (stagnated carbonates and increased bottled water) and some negative (increased juice and sports & energy drinks) implications for nutrition. These changes were not evident in Bolivia. These results should be interpreted cautiously given the study design limitations.

Using appreciative inquiry to help students identify strategies to overcome handicaps of their learning styles.

PubMed

Kumar, Latha Rajendra; Chacko, Thomas Vengail

2012-01-01

In India, as in some other neighboring Asian countries, students and teachers are generally unaware of the differences in the learning styles among learners, which can handicap students with learning styles alien to the common teaching/learning modality within the institution. This study aims to find out whether making students aware of their learning styles and then using the Appreciative Inquiry approach to help them discover learning strategies that worked for them and others with similar learning styles within the institution made them perceive that this experience improved their learning and performance in exams. The visual, auditory, read-write, and kinesthetic (VARK) inventory of learning styles questionnaire was administered to all 100 first-year medical students of the Father Muller's Medical College in Mangalore India to make them aware of their individual learning styles. An Appreciate Inquiry intervention was administered to 62 student volunteers who were counseled about the different learning styles and their adaptive strategies. Pre and post intervention change in student's perception about usefulness of knowing learning styles on their learning, learning behavior, and performance in examinations was collected from the students using a prevalidated questionnaire. Post intervention mean scores showed a significant change (P < 0.0001) in student's self-perceptions about usefulness of knowing one's learning style and discovering strategies that worked within the institutional environment. There was agreement among students that the intervention helped them become more confident in learning (84%), facilitating learning in general (100%), and in understanding concepts (100%). However, only 29% of the students agreed that the intervention has brought about their capability improvement in application of learning and 31% felt it improved their performance in exams. Appreciate Inquiry was perceived as useful in helping students discover learning strategies that work for different individual learning styles and sharing them within the group helped students choose strategies to help overcome the handicap presented by the school's teaching methods.

Seasonal change in a pollinator community and the maintenance of style length variation in Mertensia fusiformis (Boraginaceae).

PubMed

Forrest, Jessica R K; Ogilvie, Jane E; Gorischek, Alex M; Thomson, James D

2011-07-01

In sub-alpine habitats, patchiness in snowpack produces marked, small-scale variation in flowering phenology. Plants in early- and late-melting patches are therefore likely to experience very different conditions during their flowering periods. Mertensia fusiformis is an early-flowering perennial that varies conspicuously in style length within and among populations. The hypothesis that style length represents an adaptation to local flowering time was tested. Specifically, it was hypothesized that lower air temperatures and higher frost risk would favour short-styled plants (with stigmas more shielded by corollas) in early-flowering patches, but that the pollen-collecting behaviour of flower visitors in late-flowering patches would favour long-styled plants. Floral morphology was measured, temperatures were monitored and pollinators were observed in several matched pairs of early and late populations. To evaluate effects of cold temperatures on plants of different style lengths, experimental pollinations were conducted during mornings (warm) and evenings (cool), and on flowers that either had or had not experienced a prior frost. The effectiveness of different pollinators was quantified as seed set following single visits to plants with relatively short or long styles. Late-flowering populations experienced warmer temperatures than early-flowering populations and a different suite of pollinators. Nectar-foraging bumble-bee queens and male solitary bees predominated in early populations, whereas pollen-collecting female solitary bees were more numerous in later sites. Pollinators differed significantly in their abilities to transfer pollen to stigmas at different heights, in accordance with our prediction. However, temperature and frost sensitivity did not differ between long- and short-styled plants. Although plants in late-flowering patches tended to have longer styles than those in early patches, this difference was not consistent. Seasonal change in pollinator-mediated selection on style length may help maintain variation in this trait in M. fusiformis, but adaptation to local flowering time is not apparent. The prevalence of short styles in these populations requires further explanation.

Teaching Style: Where Are We Now?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heimlich, Joe E.; Norland, Emmalou

2002-01-01

Teaching style is a predilection toward teaching behaviors and congruence between behaviors and beliefs. Educators can achieve congruence by reflecting on teaching choices and changing behaviors, beliefs, both, or neither. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

Appraised leadership styles, psychosocial work factors, and musculoskeletal pain among public employees.

PubMed

Fjell, Ylva; Osterberg, Mia; Alexanderson, Kristina; Karlqvist, Lena; Bildt, Carina

2007-10-01

The main aim of this study was to explore the associations between appraised leadership styles, psychosocial work factors and musculoskeletal pain among subordinates in four different public service sectors from an epidemiological perspective. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted; data from 2,403 public sector employees in subordinate positions (86% women) were analysed. The appraised leadership styles were measured through items from a modified version of the CPE questionnaire (C change, P production/structure, E employee/relation). The structure validity of the CPE-model was examined by principal component analysis (PCA). Univariate and multivariate analyses of associations between levels of musculoskeletal pain and appraised leadership styles and with psychosocial work factors were conducted. Odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs) of 95% were used as a measure of associations. There were small variations in the appraisals of the immediate manager among the subordinates. However, the associations between musculoskeletal pain and leadership styles varied according to sector. Poor appraisals (low scores) on "change" and "employee relation" dimensions were associated with high levels of musculoskeletal pain in two sectors: home and health care services. In the domestic catering services, poor appraisals of managers in the "production/structure" dimension had the strongest association with high levels of pain. In general, poor appraisals of the "change" dimension was most strongly associated with high levels of musculoskeletal pain. "High work demands" had the strongest association with high levels of pain, particularly among the men. Poor appraisals of managers and their leadership styles were associated with high levels of musculoskeletal pain among both female and male subordinates in different public service sectors. There is therefore a great need of further studies of the mechanisms behind the relationships between the leadership styles and their impact on health among the genders.

Dietary habits and life style among the students of a private medical university Karachi.

PubMed

Nisar, Nighat; Qadri, Majid Hafeez; Fatima, Kiran; Perveen, Shakeela

2008-12-01

To determine the dietary habits and life style of the students of a private medical university in Karachi. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baqai Medical University, from August 2005 to September 2005. A total of 384 medical students from the batches of 2002 to 2005 participated in this study. A pre-tested semi structured questionnaire was self administered to the students after taking their consent. The data included socio-demographic characteristics, life style, exercise, dietary habits and family history of diabetes mellitus. The collected data was analyzed by statistical program SPSS version 11. Out of the total participants, 53.4% were male and 46.6% were female students. The mean age was 20 +/- 1.58 years. The average income of the household of students was 50,000 Pakistani rupees per month. Only 7% students were tobacco users. About 33% students had a history of diabetes mellitus among their parents. Nearly 97% reported consumption of junk food while 60% reported use of whole grain food in their diet. Seventy percent students walked 30 minutes and 47% exercised daily. According to the body mass index, 58.3% students were of normal weight and 41.7% were overweight. No significant difference was found among male and female students when dietary habits and life style were compared by sex. Junk food and soft-drink consumption was associated with being overweight. Eating whole grain food and doing exercise showed a protective association against overweight. Unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits were highly prevalent in the overweight study population. Type-2 diabetes mellitus was common among parents and grandparents of the students making them prone to this disorder. Our study concluded that dietary and exercise counselling is necessary as a preventive strategy.

Dietary habits and life style among the students of a private medical university Karachi.

PubMed

Nisar, Nighat; Qadri, Majid Hafeez; Fatima, Kiran; Perveen, Shakeela

2009-02-01

To determine the dietary habits and life style of the students of a private medical university in Karachi. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baqai Medical University, from August 2005 to September 2005. A total of 384 medical students from the batches of 2002 to 2005 participated in this study. A pre-tested semi structured questionnaire was self administered to the students after taking their consent. The data included sociodemographic characteristics, life style, exercise, dietary habits and family history of diabetes mellitus. The collected data was analyzed by statistical program SPSS version 11. Out of the total participants, 53.4% were male and 46.6% were female students. The mean age was 20 +/- 1.58 years. The average income of the household of students was 50,000 Pakistani rupees per month. Only 7% students were tobacco users. About 33% students had a history of diabetes mellitus among their parents. Nearly ninety-seven percent reported consumption of junk food while 60% reported use of whole grain food in their diet. Seventy percent students walked 30 minutes and 47% exercised daily. According to the body mass index, 58.3% students were of normal weight and 41.7% were overweight. No significant difference was found among male and female students when dietary habits and life style were compared by sex. Junk food and soft-drink consumption was associated with being overweight. Eating whole grain food and doing exercise showed a protective association against overweight. Unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits were highly prevalent in the overweight study population. Type-2 diabetes mellitus was common among parents and grandparents of the students making them prone to this disorder. Our study concluded that dietary and exercise counselling is necessary as a preventive strategy.

A process-content approach to adolescent identity formation: examining longitudinal associations between identity styles and goal pursuits.

PubMed

Duriez, Bart; Luyckx, Koen; Soenens, Bart; Berzonsky, Michael

2012-02-01

Research on identity focuses on the processes involved (e.g., identity style) or its content (e.g., goals and values), but limited research has addressed both issues simultaneously. The present study investigates cross-lagged relations between identity styles (i.e., informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant) and goals (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic and openness to change vs. conservation) in a 3-wave adolescent sample (N = 806). Results support a reciprocal model, with process and content influencing each other. As for process effects, the informational and diffuse-avoidant style predicted decreases in conservation goals, and the normative style predicted increases in conservation and extrinsic goals. As for content effects, conservation goals increased the normative style, and extrinsic goals decreased the informational and increased the diffuse-avoidant style. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Leadership style and patient safety: implications for nurse managers.

PubMed

Merrill, Katreena Collette

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between nurse manager (NM) leadership style and safety climate. Nursing leaders are needed who will change the environment and increase patient safety. Hospital NMs are positioned to impact day-to-day operations. Therefore, it is essential to inform nurse executives regarding the impact of leadership style on patient safety. A descriptive correlational study was conducted in 41 nursing departments across 9 hospitals. The hospital unit safety climate survey and multifactorial leadership questionnaire were completed by 466 staff nurses. Bivariate and regression analyses were conducted to determine how well leadership style predicted safety climate. Transformational leadership style was demonstrated as a positive contributor to safety climate, whereas laissez-faire leadership style was shown to negatively contribute to unit socialization and a culture of blame. Nursing leaders must concentrate on developing transformational leadership skills while also diminishing negative leadership styles.

Developmental changes in conflict resolution styles in parent-adolescent relationships: a four-wave longitudinal study.

PubMed

Van Doorn, Muriel D; Branje, Susan J T; Meeus, Wim H J

2011-01-01

In this study, changes in three conflict resolution styles in parent-adolescent relationships were investigated: positive problem solving, conflict engagement, and withdrawal. Questionnaires about these conflict resolution styles were completed by 314 early adolescents (M = 13.3 years; 50.6% girls) and both parents for four consecutive years. Adolescents' reported use of positive problem solving increased with mothers, but did not change with fathers. Fathers reported an increase of positive problem solving with adolescents, whereas mothers reported no change. Adolescents' use of conflict engagement was found to temporarily increase with mothers, but showed no change with fathers. Mothers and fathers reported a decrease in conflict engagement with adolescents. Adolescents' use of withdrawal with parents increased, although this increase was temporarily with mothers. Mothers reported no change in withdrawal, whereas fathers' use of withdrawal increased. Generally, we found that both adolescents and their parents changed in their use of conflict resolution from early to middle adolescence. These results show that conflict resolution in parent-adolescent relationships gradually change in favor of a more horizontal relationship.

Developmental Changes in Conflict Resolution Styles in Parent–Adolescent Relationships: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Branje, Susan J. T.; Meeus, Wim H. J.

2010-01-01

In this study, changes in three conflict resolution styles in parent–adolescent relationships were investigated: positive problem solving, conflict engagement, and withdrawal. Questionnaires about these conflict resolution styles were completed by 314 early adolescents (M = 13.3 years; 50.6% girls) and both parents for four consecutive years. Adolescents’ reported use of positive problem solving increased with mothers, but did not change with fathers. Fathers reported an increase of positive problem solving with adolescents, whereas mothers reported no change. Adolescents’ use of conflict engagement was found to temporarily increase with mothers, but showed no change with fathers. Mothers and fathers reported a decrease in conflict engagement with adolescents. Adolescents’ use of withdrawal with parents increased, although this increase was temporarily with mothers. Mothers reported no change in withdrawal, whereas fathers’ use of withdrawal increased. Generally, we found that both adolescents and their parents changed in their use of conflict resolution from early to middle adolescence. These results show that conflict resolution in parent–adolescent relationships gradually change in favor of a more horizontal relationship. PMID:20177961

Adolescents' alcohol use and strength of policy relating to youth access, trading hours and driving under the influence: findings from Australia.

PubMed

White, Victoria; Azar, Denise; Faulkner, Agatha; Coomber, Kerri; Durkin, Sarah; Livingston, Michael; Chikritzhs, Tanya; Room, Robin; Wakefield, Melanie

2018-06-01

To determine (i) whether the strength of Australian alcohol control policy in three domains (youth access, trading hours and drink driving) changed during the 2000s; and (ii) estimate associations between these policies and adolescent drinking after adjusting for television alcohol advertising exposures, alcohol outlet density, alcohol price changes, exposure to negative articles about alcohol in daily newspapers and adult drinking prevalence. Repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted triennially from 2002 to 2011. Multi-level modelling examined the association between alcohol control policies and drinking prevalence after adjusting for covariates. Four Australian capital cities between 2002 and 2011. Students aged 12-17 years participating in a triennial national representative school-based survey (sample size range/survey: 9805-13 119). Outcome measures were: past month drinking and risky drinking (5+ drinks on a day) in the past 7 days. Policy strength in each of three domains (youth access, trading hours, drink-driving) were the key predictor variables. Covariates included: past 3-month television alcohol and alcohol-control advertising, alcohol outlet density, alcohol price change, negatively framed newspaper alcohol articles, adult drinking prevalence and student demographic characteristics. During the study period, the strength of youth access policies increased by 10%, trading hours policies by 14% and drink-driving policies by 58%. Past-month and risky drinking prevalence decreased (e.g. past-month: 2002: 47.4% to 2011: 26.3%). Multivariable analyses that included all policy variables and adjusted for year, student and other covariates showed past-month drinking to be associated inversely with stronger trading hours policies [odds ratio (OR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.69, 0.94], but not youth access (OR = 0.92 95% CI = 0.81, 1.04) or drink-driving (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.09). Risky drinking was associated inversely with stronger youth access policies (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69, 0.98), but not trading hours (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.66, 1.09) or drink-driving (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.90, 1.14) policies. Population-directed policies designed to reduce alcohol availability and promotion may reduce adolescents' alcohol use. © 2018 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Changes in Self-Perceptions in Children With ADHD: A Longitudinal Study of Depressive Symptoms and Attributional Style

PubMed Central

McQuade, Julia D.; Hoza, Betsy; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Murray-Close, Dianna; Owens, Julie S.

2012-01-01

This study examined positive self-perceptions in relation to depressive symptoms and attributional style in a sample of 88 boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessed at baseline and at a 2- to 3-year follow-up. Change in boys’ self-perceptions of competency in the scholastic, social, and behavioral domains was examined as a predictor of changes in depressive symptoms and depressive attributional style. Additionally, teacher-rated perceptions of competency at baseline and follow-up were considered as unique predictors. Results indicated that across all three domains, a reduction in children’s self-perceptions of competency over time predicted greater depressive symptoms at follow-up, even when controlling for teacher-rated competency. Analyses also suggested that a reduction in self-perceptions in the social domain was the strongest relative predictor of later depressive symptoms and also predicted greater depressive attributional style at follow-up. In contrast, teacher-rated competency was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms or attributional style at follow-up. Results support a protective function of positive self-perceptions in regards to depressive cognitions over a 2- to 3-year period for children with ADHD. However, literature suggesting risks for other negative outcomes also is discussed. PMID:21496504

High Ethanol Contents of Spirit Drinks in Kibera Slums, Kenya: Implications for Public Health.

PubMed

Okaru, Alex O; Abuga, Kennedy O; Kibwage, Isaac O; Lachenmeier, Dirk W

2017-10-17

Cheap licit and artisanal illicit spirit drinks have been associated with numerous outbreaks of alcohol poisoning especially with methanol. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of cheap spirit drinks in Kibera slums in Nairobi County, Kenya. The samples consisted of cheap licit spirits ( n = 11) and the artisanal spirit drink, ' chang'aa' , ( n = 28). The parameters of alcoholic strength and volatile composition were used as indicators of quality and were determined using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) respectively. The ranges for alcoholic strength were 42.8-85.8% vol and 28.3-56.7% vol for chang'aa and licit spirit drinks respectively, while the pH ranges were 3.3-4.2 and 4.4-4.8 for chang'aa and licit spirit drinks respectively. The majority of volatiles were found in artisanal spirits and they included higher alcohols, ethyl esters and carbonyl compounds. The alcoholic strength of all the artisanal spirits (100%) and 91% of the licit spirits was above the 40% vol of standard spirits such as vodka. The high ethanol content of the alcohol products was the only element of public health significance in this study.

An exploratory pilot study of mechanisms of action within normative feedback for adult drinkers.

PubMed

Kuerbis, Alexis; Muench, Frederick J; Lee, Rufina; Pena, Juan; Hail, Lisa

2016-01-01

Background. Normative feedback (NF), or receiving information about one's drinking compared to peer drinking norms, is one of the most widely used brief interventions for prevention and intervention for hazardous alcohol use. NF has demonstrated predominantly small but significant effect sizes for intention to change and other drinking related outcomes. Identifying mechanisms of action may improve the effectiveness of NF; however, few studies have examined NF's mechanisms of action, particularly among adults. Objective. This study is an exploratory analysis of two theorized mechanisms of NF: discrepancy (specifically personal dissonance-the affective response to feedback) and belief in the accuracy of feedback. Method. Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk, 87 men (n = 56) and women (n = 31) completed an online survey during which they were asked about their perceptions about their drinking and actual drinking behaviors. Then participants were provided tailored NF and evaluated for their reactions. Severity of discrepancy was measured by the difference between one's estimated percentile ranking of drinking compared to peers and actual percentile ranking. Surprise and worry reported due to the discrepancy were proxies for personal dissonance. Participants were also asked if they believed the feedback and if they had any plans to change their drinking. Mediation analyses were implemented, exploring whether surprise, worry, or belief in the accuracy of feedback mediated severity of discrepancy's impact on plan for change. Results. Among this sample of adult drinkers, severity of discrepancy did not predict plan for change, and personal dissonance did not mediate severity of discrepancy. Severity of discrepancy was mediated by belief in the accuracy of feedback. In addition, viewing one's drinking as a problem prior to feedback and post-NF worry both predicted plan for change independently. Conclusions. Results revealed that NF may not work to create personal dissonance through discrepancy, but belief in the accuracy of feedback may be important. It appears the more one believes the feedback, the more one makes a plan for change, suggesting practitioners should be mindful of how information within feedback is presented. Findings also indicate NF may work by validating a preexisting perception that drinking is a problem instead of creating concern related to discrepancy where none existed. Limitations regarding generalizability are discussed.

Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Appetite Changes

MedlinePlus

... up on liquids during meals. ● ● Drink milkshakes or soups that are easy to swallow. ● ● Keep track of ... drinks that are high in calories or protein. Soups Drinks Main meals and snacks Sweets ••Cream soups •• ...

Does changing social influence engender changes in alcohol intake? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Prestwich, Andrew; Kellar, Ian; Conner, Mark; Lawton, Rebecca; Gardner, Peter; Turgut, Liz

2016-10-01

Past research has suggested that social influences on drinking can be manipulated with subsequent reductions in alcohol intake. However, the experimental evidence for this and the best strategies to positively change these social influences have not been meta-analyzed. This research addressed these gaps. Randomized controlled trials testing social influence-based interventions on adults' drinking were systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed. The behavior change techniques used in each study were coded and the effect sizes showing the impact of each intervention on (a) social influence and (b) alcohol intake were calculated. Metaregressions identified the association between these effect sizes, as well as the effect of specific behavior change techniques on social influences. Forty-one studies comprising 17,445 participants were included. Changes in social influences were significantly associated with changes in alcohol intake. However, even moderate-to-large changes in social influences corresponded with only a small change in drinking behavior and changing social influences did not reduce alcohol-related problems. Providing normative information about others' behavior and experiences was the most effective technique to change social influences. Social influences and normative beliefs can be changed in drinkers, particularly by providing normative information about how much others' drink. However, even generating large changes in these constructs are likely to engender only small changes in alcohol intake. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Can alcohol make you happy? A subjective wellbeing approach.

PubMed

Geiger, Ben Baumberg; MacKerron, George

2016-05-01

There are surprisingly few discussions of the link between wellbeing and alcohol, and few empirical studies to underpin them. Policymakers have therefore typically considered negative wellbeing impacts while ignoring positive ones, used gross overestimates of positive impacts via a naïve 'consumer surplus' approach, or ignored wellbeing completely. We examine an alternative subjective wellbeing method for investigating alcohol and wellbeing, using fixed effects analyses of the associations between drinking and wellbeing within two different types of data. Study 1 examines wave-to-wave changes in life satisfaction and past-week alcohol consumption/alcohol problems (CAGE) from a representative cohort of people born in Britain in 1970, utilising responses at ages 30, 34 and 42 (a sample size of 29,145 observations from 10,107 individuals). Study 2 examines moment-to-moment changes in happiness and drinking from an iPhone-based data set in Britain 2010-13, which is innovative and large (2,049,120 observations from 31,302 individuals) but unrepresentative. In Study 1 we find no significant relationship between changing drinking levels and changing life satisfaction (p = 0.20), but a negative association with developing drinking problems (-0.18 points on a 0-10 scale; p = 0.003). In contrast, Study 2 shows a strong and consistent moment-to-moment relationship between happiness and drinking events (+3.88 points on a 0-100 scale; p < 0.001), although associations beyond the moment in question are smaller and more inconsistent. In conclusion, while iPhone users are happier at the moment of drinking, there are only small overspills to other moments, and among the wider population, changing drinking levels across several years are not associated with changing life satisfaction. Furthermore, drinking problems are associated with lower life satisfaction. Simple accounts of the wellbeing impacts of alcohol policies are therefore likely to be misleading. Policymakers must consider the complexity of different policy impacts on different conceptions of 'wellbeing', over different time periods, and among different types of drinkers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Informing about Climate Change and Invasive Species: How the Presentation of Information Affects Perception of Risk, Emotions, and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otieno, Christine; Spada, Hans; Liebler, Katharina; Ludemann, Thomas; Deil, Ulrich; Renkl, Alexander

2014-01-01

Environmental issues such as climate change are becoming ever more important in today's societies and politics. Information is spread by the media, for example, via the Internet or information brochures, employing different representational styles (e.g. sensational vs. neutral styles, emphasis of human vs. natural causes). We investigated the…

Changes in the Values and Life-Style Preferences of University Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Kenrick S.

Results are reported of a survey to determine whether values and life-style preferences of university students have significantly changed during the last 25-30 years. The current study, which consists of a sample of over 1,000 students, is compared with a study conducted by Charles Morris in 1945-53. The Morris sample consisted of over 2,500…

Predictors of Change in Stress, Interaction Styles, and Depression in Parents of Toddlers with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trocchio, Jennie S.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of change in parental stress (including parent and child factors), depression, and interaction style in parents of toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), exposed to two types of early intervention (EI) programs, PLAY and Community Standard (CS). This study utilized secondary data of…

Randomized Controlled Trial of High-Volume Energy Drink Versus Caffeine Consumption on ECG and Hemodynamic Parameters.

PubMed

Fletcher, Emily A; Lacey, Carolyn S; Aaron, Melenie; Kolasa, Mark; Occiano, Andrew; Shah, Sachin A

2017-04-26

Caffeine in doses <400 mg is typically not considered arrhythmogenic, but little is known about the additional ingredients in energy drinks. We evaluated the ECG and blood pressure (BP) effects of high-volume energy drink consumption compared with caffeine alone. This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled, crossover study in 18 young, healthy volunteers. Participants consumed either 946 mL (32 ounces) of energy drink or caffeinated control drink, both of which contained 320 mg of caffeine, separated by a 6-day washout period. ECG, peripheral BP, and central BP measurements were obtained at baseline and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours post study drink consumption. The time-matched, baseline-adjusted changes were compared. The change in corrected QT interval from baseline in the energy drink arm was significantly higher than the caffeine arm at 2 hours (0.44±18.4 ms versus -10.4±14.8 ms, respectively; P =0.02). The QTc changes were not different at other time points. While both the energy drink and caffeine arms raised systolic BP in a similar fashion initially, the systolic BP was significantly higher at 6 hours when compared with the caffeine arm (4.72±4.67 mm Hg versus 0.83±6.09 mm Hg, respectively; P =0.01). Heart rate, diastolic BP, central systolic BP, and central diastolic BP showed no evidence of a difference between groups at any time point. Post energy drink, augmentation index was lower at 6 hours. The corrected QT interval and systolic BP were significantly higher post high-volume energy drink consumption when compared with caffeine alone. Larger clinical trials validating these findings and evaluation of noncaffeine ingredients within energy drinks are warranted. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02023723. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Urination Changes

MedlinePlus

... how important it was to drink lots of water. She told me what changes to call about, such as a fever or ... when you urinate Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Urination ... Drink liquids such as water, soup, milkshakes, and cranberry juice. Add extra water ...

Changes in geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Taiwan: possible effects of "leadership style factor"?

PubMed

Chiou, Shu-Ti; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh

2014-01-01

Wennberg proposed the "practice style factor" to explain the large variations in the use of medical care. As a corollary, we propose the "leadership style factor" of the director of the city/county bureau of public health to explain changes in geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening. We first calculated the triennial Pap smear rates for women aged 30-69 years from 1997 through 2010 for each city/county in Taiwan and the rate difference and rate ratio between the highest and the lowest city/county to illustrate the geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening. We then created an expert panel to conduct a hypothesis generation process to examine the possible effects of "leadership style factors" in explaining the changes. The Pap smear rate in Taiwan as a whole was 35% in 1997 and increased to 56% in 2001, and was then stable until 2010 (55%). In 2002, the geographic variation in the Pap smear rate was the smallest, ranging from 49% in Penghu County to 63% in I-lan County, with a rate ratio of 1.28. Unfortunately, the rate ratio increased to 1.49 in 2010, the rate being lowest in Penghu County (42%) and highest in Tainan City (63%). We identified four cities/counties with unique patterns of change in Pap smear rates, which were highly associated with the leadership style of the director of the city/county bureau of public health. Despite the launch of an organized cancer screening program in Taiwan, geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening still exists and has increased during the past decade. The "leadership style factor" of the director of the city/county bureau of public health might play a plausible role in explaining the pattern of change in geographic variation in the use of cervical cancer screening in Taiwan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Raising the Legal Minimum Drinking Age in Illinois.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Joyce K.; Meyer, E. Dewayne

The minimum legal drinking age in Illinois was returned to 21 effective January 1, 1980. To examine the effect of this change on accident involvement by young drivers, data from the last 3 years of the lowered drinking age (1977-1979) were compared to the first 3 years of the restored drinking age (1980-1982). Data were obtained from the Illinois…

The Relationship between Student and Faculty Learning Style Congruency and Perceptions of the Classroom Environment in Colleges of Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kariuki, Patrick N.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of congruence between teachers' and undergraduate education majors' learning styles in selected colleges and if the style congruence was related to student perceptions of the classroom learning environment. A related purpose was to identify needed changes in classroom environments based on the…

Combined Operations a Commonwealth Caribbean Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-03

also evolved in harmony with the demographic changes to result in multiparty Westminister style democratic systems, that are today amongst the most...stable and reliable in the world. Institutions such as a free press so important to the successful functioning of Westminister style democracies have...also a recent (1797) addition is of note. These nations can be characterized by a certain tentativeness in their application of the Westminister style

Critical Thinking & Lifelong Learning: An ADKAR Model-Based Framework for Managing a Change in Thinking & English Language Learning Styles at the Secondary Stage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdallah, Mahmoud M. S.; Mohammad, Marwa M. M.

2016-01-01

The general secondary stage in Egypt is a vital educational phase since it plays an essential role in developing students' thinking and learning styles to prepare them for life in general and higher education in particular. Accordingly, it has become urgent and persistent to develop secondary-stage students' critical thinking styles while…

Evaluation of Organisational Interoperabiity in a Network Centric Warfare Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-09-01

understanding developed. Command and Coordination examines issues related to command structure, command and leadership styles . Ethos covers socio...harmonisation of command arrangements and the accommodation of differences in command and leadership styles . 3.2.4 Ethos Future warfare will... leadership styles . • changes to give less emphasis to hierarchy and command and more to coordination. Any reference to a single chain of command has been

Authorship Attribution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, David I.

1994-01-01

Considers problems of quantifying literary style. Examines several variables that may be used as stylistic "fingerprints" of a writer. Reviews work done on statistical analysis of change over time in literary style and applies this technique to the Bible. (CFR)

Changes in artistic style and behaviour in Parkinson's disease: dopamine and creativity.

PubMed

Kulisevsky, Jaime; Pagonabarraga, Javier; Martinez-Corral, Mercè

2009-05-01

We present a PD patient in whom dopamine agonists awoke a hidden creativity that led to a gradual increase in painting productivity evolving to a disruptive impulsive behaviour that shared many features with punding. A dramatic change in painting style related to a more emotional experience during the process of creation developed after treatment onset. This case suggests that changes in creativity in PD seem to be related to dopaminergic imbalance in the limbic system.

Facilitating change from a distance - a story of success? A discussion on leaders' styles in facilitating change in four nursing homes in Norway.

PubMed

Øye, Christine; Mekki, Tone Elin; Jacobsen, Frode Fadnes; Førland, Oddvar

2016-09-01

To examine the influence of leadership when facilitating change in nursing homes. The study is a part of an education intervention for care staff to prevent the use of restraint in nursing home residents with dementia in 24 nursing homes (NHs) in Norway. Leadership is known to be a fundamental factor for success of evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation in health services. However, the type of leadership that strengthens the processes of change remains to be clarified. A multi-site comparative ethnography was performed in four nursing homes to investigate how contextual factors influenced the implementation. The analysis was informed by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework, and in particular the sub-element of leadership. Different leadership styles to facilitate change were identified. Paradoxically, a strong collective and collaborative leadership style was found to hamper change in one particular home, whereas a remote leadership style combined with almost no cooperation with staff proved successful in another setting. The study indicates that leadership cannot be understood on a low-high continuum as suggested by the PARIHS framework, but rather as a factor characterised by diversity. Our study indicates, as a minimum, that a leader's presence is necessary to facilitate the internal processes in order more successfully to implement EBP. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The influence of transient change of total body water on relative body fats based on three bioelectrical impedance analyses methods. Comparison between before and after exercise with sweat loss, and after drinking.

PubMed

Demura, S; Yamaji, S; Goshi, F; Nagasawa, Y

2002-03-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of change of total body water caused by exercise and drinking, on relative body fat (%BF) based on three bioelectrical impedance analyses (BIA) methods, between hand and foot (H-F), between hand and hand (H-H), and between foot and foot (F-F). The subjects were 30 Japanese healthy young adults aged 18 to 23 years (15 males, 15 females). Measurements were made three times for each BIA method; before and after exercise with sweat, and after drinking, and also twice according to the under water weighing (UW) method, before exercise and after drinking. A pedaling exercise, with a bicycle ergometer, was used for 60 minutes as the exercise. The relationship of %BF between the UW method and each BIA method was mid-range or more (r=0.765-0.839). However, %BF based on the H-F and F-F BIA methods were higher than that based on the UW method. After drinking, %BF of all the BIA methods were higher than the UW method. %BF of the BIA methods after exercise indicated values lower than those before exercise. %BF of the H-F and H-H BIA methods after drinking were a little higher than those before exercise, indicating that those measurements reflect a slight change of body water. It was demonstrated that %BF of any BIA method reflect the change of body water caused by exercise, sweating, and drinking.

Gray matter volume correlates of global positive alcohol expectancy in non-dependent adult drinkers

PubMed Central

Ide, Jaime S.; Zhang, Sheng; Hu, Sien; Matuskey, David; Bednarski, Sarah R.; Erdman, Emily; Farr, Olivia M.; Li, Chiang-shan R.

2013-01-01

Alcohol use and misuse is known to involve structural brain changes. Numerous imaging studies have examined changes in gray matter (GM) volumes in dependent drinkers, but there is little information on whether non-dependent drinking is associated with structural changes and whether these changes are related to psychological factors – such as alcohol expectancy – that influence drinking behavior. We used voxel based morphometry (VBM) to examine whether the global positive scale of alcohol expectancy, as measured by the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire AEQ-3, is associated with specific structural markers and whether such markers are associated with drinking behavior in 113 adult non-dependent drinkers (66 women). Alcohol expectancy is positively correlated with GM volume of left precentrral gyrus (PCG) in men and women combined and bilateral superior frontal gyri (SFG) in women, and negatively correlated with GM volume of the right ventral putamen in men. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that the GM volume of PCG mediate the correlation of alcohol expectancy and the average number of drinks consumed per occasion and monthly total number of drinks in the past year. When recent drinking was directly accounted for in multiple regressions, GM volume of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) correlated positively with alcohol expectancy in the combined sample. To our knowledge, these results are the first to identify the structural brain correlates of alcohol expectancy and its mediation of drinking behaviors. These findings suggest that more studies are needed to investigate increased GM volume in the frontal cortices as a neural correlate of alcohol expectancy. PMID:23461484

The Big Drink Debate: perceptions of the impact of price on alcohol consumption from a large scale cross-sectional convenience survey in north west England.

PubMed

Cook, Penny A; Phillips-Howard, Penelope A; Morleo, Michela; Harkins, Corinne; Briant, Linford; Bellis, Mark A

2011-08-23

A large-scale survey was conducted in 2008 in north west England, a region with high levels of alcohol-related harm, during a regional 'Big Drink Debate' campaign. The aim of this paper is to explore perceptions of how alcohol consumption would change if alcohol prices were to increase or decrease. A convenience survey of residents (≥ 18 years) of north west England measured demographics, income, alcohol consumption in previous week, and opinions on drinking behaviour under two pricing conditions: low prices and discounts and increased alcohol prices (either 'decrease', 'no change' or 'increase'). Multinomial logistic regression used three outcomes: 'completely elastic' (consider that lower prices increase drinking and higher prices decrease drinking); 'lower price elastic' (lower prices increase drinking, higher prices have no effect); and 'price inelastic' (no change for either). Of 22,780 drinkers surveyed, 80.3% considered lower alcohol prices and discounts would increase alcohol consumption, while 22.1% thought raising prices would decrease consumption, making lower price elasticity only (i.e. lower prices increase drinking, higher prices have no effect) the most common outcome (62%). Compared to a high income/high drinking category, the lightest drinkers with a low income (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 1.78, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.38-2.30) or medium income (AOR = 1.88, CI 1.47-2.41) were most likely to be lower price elastic. Females were more likely than males to be lower price elastic (65% vs 57%) while the reverse was true for complete elasticity (20% vs 26%, P < 0.001). Lower pricing increases alcohol consumption, and the alcohol industry's continued focus on discounting sales encourages higher drinking levels. International evidence suggests increasing the price of alcohol reduces consumption, and one in five of the surveyed population agreed; more work is required to increase this agreement to achieve public support for policy change. Such policy should also recognise that alcohol is an addictive drug, and the population may be prepared to pay more to drink the amount they now feel they need.

The Big Drink Debate: perceptions of the impact of price on alcohol consumption from a large scale cross-sectional convenience survey in north west England

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background A large-scale survey was conducted in 2008 in north west England, a region with high levels of alcohol-related harm, during a regional 'Big Drink Debate' campaign. The aim of this paper is to explore perceptions of how alcohol consumption would change if alcohol prices were to increase or decrease. Methods A convenience survey of residents (≥ 18 years) of north west England measured demographics, income, alcohol consumption in previous week, and opinions on drinking behaviour under two pricing conditions: low prices and discounts and increased alcohol prices (either 'decrease', 'no change' or 'increase'). Multinomial logistic regression used three outcomes: 'completely elastic' (consider that lower prices increase drinking and higher prices decrease drinking); 'lower price elastic' (lower prices increase drinking, higher prices have no effect); and 'price inelastic' (no change for either). Results Of 22,780 drinkers surveyed, 80.3% considered lower alcohol prices and discounts would increase alcohol consumption, while 22.1% thought raising prices would decrease consumption, making lower price elasticity only (i.e. lower prices increase drinking, higher prices have no effect) the most common outcome (62%). Compared to a high income/high drinking category, the lightest drinkers with a low income (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 1.78, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.38-2.30) or medium income (AOR = 1.88, CI 1.47-2.41) were most likely to be lower price elastic. Females were more likely than males to be lower price elastic (65% vs 57%) while the reverse was true for complete elasticity (20% vs 26%, P < 0.001). Conclusions Lower pricing increases alcohol consumption, and the alcohol industry's continued focus on discounting sales encourages higher drinking levels. International evidence suggests increasing the price of alcohol reduces consumption, and one in five of the surveyed population agreed; more work is required to increase this agreement to achieve public support for policy change. Such policy should also recognise that alcohol is an addictive drug, and the population may be prepared to pay more to drink the amount they now feel they need. PMID:21861905

Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand.

PubMed

Jiraporncharoen, Wichuda; Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Chockjamsai, Manoch; Deesomchok, Athavudh; Euathrongchit, Juntima

2015-01-01

This study aimed to explore the associations between learning styles and high academic achievement and to ascertain whether the factors associated with high academic achievement differed between preclinical and clinical students. A survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The Index of Learning Styles questionnaire was used to assess each student's learning style across four domains. High academic achievement was defined as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Of the 1,248 eligible medical students, 1,014 (81.3%) participated. Learning styles differed between the preclinical and clinical students in the active/reflective domain. A sequential learning style was associated with high academic achievement in both preclinical and clinical students. A reflective learning style was only associated with high academic achievement among preclinical students. The association between learning styles and academic achievement may have differed between preclinical and clinical students due to different learning content and teaching methods. Students should be encouraged to be flexible in their own learning styles in order to engage successfully with various and changing teaching methods across the curriculum. Instructors should be also encouraged to provide a variety of teaching materials and resources to suit different learning styles.

The Persistent Effects of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Laws on Drinking Patterns Later in Life

PubMed Central

Plunk, Andrew D.; Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia; Bierut, Laura J.; Grucza, Richard A.

2012-01-01

Background Exposure to permissive minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws not only affects young adults in the short term, but also later in life; for example, individuals who could legally purchase alcohol before age 21 are more likely to suffer from drinking problems as older adults, long after the laws had been changed. However, it is not known how permissive MLDA exposure affects specific drinking behavior. This present study uses changes in MLDA laws during the 1970s and 1980s as a natural experiment to investigate the potential impact of permissive MLDA exposure on average alcohol consumption, frequency of drinking, and on patterns of binging and more moderate, non-heavy drinking. Methods Policy exposure data were paired with alcohol use data from the 1991–1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey and the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Past-year drinkers born between 1949 and 1972 (n = 24,088) were included. Average daily intake, overall drinking frequency, and frequency of both binge episodes (5+ drinks) and days without a binge episode (non-heavy drinking) for the previous year at the time of interview were tracked for each respondent. Results Exposure to permissive MLDAs was associated with higher odds to report frequent binging and lower odds to report any moderate drinking; these associations were largely driven by men and those who did not attend college. Overall drinking frequency and average alcohol consumption were not affected by MLDA exposure. Conclusions The ability to legally purchase alcohol before age 21 does not seem to increase overall drinking frequency, but our findings suggest that it is associated with certain types of problematic drinking behaviors that persist into later adulthood: more frequent binge episodes and less frequent non-heavy drinking. We also propose that policymakers and critics should not focus on college drinking when evaluating the effectiveness of MLDAs. PMID:23347177

Is Readiness to Change Drinking Related to Reductions in Alcohol Use and Consequences? A Week-to-Week Analysis

PubMed Central

Merrill, Jennifer E.; Wardell, Jeffrey D.; Read, Jennifer P.

2015-01-01

Objective: The literature on whether readiness to change (RTC) alcohol use translates into actual change among college students is both limited and mixed, despite the importance of understanding naturalistic change processes. Few studies have used fine-grained, prospective data to examine the link between RTC and subsequent drinking behavior, and alcohol consequences in particular. The present study involves tests of whether (a) intraindividual changes in RTC are negatively associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences from week to week, (b) the effect of RTC on use and consequences is direct versus mediated by change in alcohol use, and (c) the association between RTC and drinking behavior is moderated by gender. Method: Participants were 96 college student drinkers who completed a baselinesurvey and 10 weekly web-based assessments of RTC, alcohol use, and consequences. Results: Hierarchical linear models indicated that, as hypothesized, reporting greater RTC on a given week (relative to one’s average level of RTC) was negatively associated with alcohol use (measured by either drinks per week or frequency of heavy episodic drinking) and alcohol consequences the following week. Changes in use fully mediated the relationship between RTC and consequences. The prospective association between RTC and both alcohol use and consequences did not differ by gender. Conclusions: Findings suggest that higher RTC translates into short-term reductions in alcohol use and in turn alcohol consequences, and highlight important avenues for future research. PMID:26402360

Drinking-Induced Plasma Vasopressin and Norepinephrine Changes in Dehydrated Humans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geelen, Ghislaine; Greenleaf, John E.; Keil, Lanny C.

1996-01-01

After 24-h water deprivation, five men (23-41 yr; 78 +/- 3.6 kg) consumed, within 4.0-6.2 min, 12 mL/kg of one of six fluid formulations (16.5 C) once a week over a period of 6 weeks: water, hypotonic saline (0.045% Na(+)), isotopic saline (0.36%, Na(+)), hypertonic glucose 9 7%, glucose), and two commercial mildly hypertonic 9.7% carbohydrate drinks. Blood samples were drawn 5 min before and: 3, 9, 15, 30, and 70 min after completion of drinking. Ingestion induced no significant change in plasma Na(+), K(+), osmotic, or protein concentrations, blood pressure; or heart rate. Plasma volume (PV) was increases (P <0.05) between 30-70 min with isotonic saline and the two commercial drinks. Ingestion induced a decrease in plasma AVP (PAVP) at 3 min, which was maximal (P < 0.05) at 15 min with all drinks. Thus, the act of drinking, independent of the composition or osmolality of the fluid absorbed, leads to a prompt inhibition of PAVP secretion in man. With the exception of rehydration with isotonic saline, this prompt response was followed by a long lasting inhibition of PAVP. There was no change in PRA, plasma aldosterone, atrial natriuretic peptide, or epinephrine, but an increase in plasma norepinephrine occurred immediately after ingestion, which suggests, like that for PAVP depression, a drinking-stimulate neural mechanism.

Can pricing deter adolescents and young adults from starting to drink: An analysis of the effect of alcohol taxation on drinking initiation among Thai adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Sornpaisarn, Bundit; Shield, Kevin D; Cohen, Joanna E; Schwartz, Robert; Rehm, Jürgen

2015-12-01

The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between alcohol taxation changes and drinking initiation among adolescents and young adults (collectively "youth") in Thailand (a middle-income country). Using a survey panel, this study undertook an age-period-cohort analysis using four large-scale national cross-sectional surveys of alcohol consumption performed in Thailand in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2011 (n=87,176 Thai youth, 15-24 years of age) to test the hypothesis that changes in the inflation-adjusted alcohol taxation rates are associated with drinking initiation. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between inflation-adjusted taxation increases and the prevalence of lifetime drinkers. After adjusting for potential confounders, clear cohort and age effects were observed. Furthermore, a 10% increase of the inflation-adjusted taxation rate of the total alcohol market was significantly associated with a 4.3% reduction in the prevalence of lifetime drinking among Thai youth. In conclusion, tax rate changes in Thailand from 2001 to 2011 were associated with drinking initiation among youth. Accordingly, increases in taxation may prevent drinking initiation among youth in countries with a high prevalence of abstainers and may reduce the harms caused by alcohol. Copyright © 2015 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of different polishing systems and drinks on the color stability of resin composite.

PubMed

Berber, Asll; Cakir, Filiz Yalcin; Baseren, Meserret; Gurgan, Sevil

2013-07-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the color stability of resin composit using different finishing systems and drinks. Composit disks (5 mm diameter, 2 mm thickness) were prepared for each nanofilled composite using a brass mold. The specimens were divided into 5 finishing system groups Mylar strip (Mylar, DuPont, Wilmington, Del., USA), Soft Lex (3M(™) ESPE(™) St. Paul, MN, USA), Enhance (Dentsply-DeTrey GmbHD Konstanz, Germany), Hiluster (KerrHawe, Bioggio, Switzerland), Opti Disc (KerrHawe, Bioggio, Switzerland) and each group was divided into 10 subgroups (n = 10) and stored for 24 hours at 37°C in different drinks water coffee, coffee with sugar, tea, tea with sugar, diet coke, coke, light sour cherry juice or sour cherry juice. Color of all specimens was measured before and after exposure with a spectrophotometer using CIE L*a*b* relative, and color changes (ΔE*) were then calculated. The data were analyzed with a twoway analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mean values were compared by the Tukey HSD test (p = 0.05). For the drinks, the lowest ΔE* values were observed in the water and highest ΔE* values were observed in sour cherry juice. When drinks with and without sugar were compared, all groups with sugar demonstrated a higher color difference than without sugar. For the different finishing systems, Mylar strip group demonstrated significantly highest color change; Enhance groups demonstrated significantly lowest color change. Finishing treatments and storage solutions significantly affect the color stability of resin composite. The presence of sugar in drinks increased the color difference compared to drinks without composit. Polishing techniques and drinking drinks with sugar may affect the color of esthetic restorations.

Motivation and self-efficacy in the context of moderated drinking: global self-report and ecological momentary assessment.

PubMed

Kuerbis, Alexis; Armeli, Stephen; Muench, Frederick; Morgenstern, Jon

2013-12-01

Despite ample research demonstrating the role of motivation and self-efficacy in predicting drinking in the context of abstinence, little research explicitly explores their role in the context of moderation, and none have utilized daily diary methods. The purpose of this study was to (a) explore the concordance between global self-report and daily diary composite measures of motivation and self-efficacy and (b) compare the ability of each in predicting drinking outcomes in the context of a study of brief AUD treatments focused on controlled drinking. Problem drinkers (N = 89) were assessed, provided feedback about their drinking, and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: two brief AUD treatments or a third group asked to change on their own. Global self-report (GSR) measures were administered at baseline and Week 8 (end of treatment). Daily diary composites (DDC) were created from data collected via an Interactive Voice Recording system during the week prior to baseline and the week prior to Week 8. Findings revealed some concordance between GSR and DDC at both baseline and Week 8, indicating the two methods capture some of the same construct; however, their respective relationships to drinking differed. DDC for both baseline and Week 8 significantly predicted Week 8 drinking outcomes, whereas only change in GSR significantly predicted drinking outcomes. Findings suggest that motivation and self-efficacy are important to moderated drinking, and that both GSR and daily diary methods are useful in understanding mechanisms of change in the context of moderation. Daily diary methods may provide significant advantages. Limitations and arenas for future research are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Longitudinal relationships between college education and patterns of heavy drinking: a comparison between Caucasians and African-Americans.

PubMed

Chen, Pan; Jacobson, Kristen C

2013-09-01

The current study compared longitudinal relationships between college education and patterns of heavy drinking from early adolescence to adulthood for Caucasians and African-Americans. We analyzed data from 9,988 non-Hispanic Caucasian and African-American participants from all four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Growth curve modeling tested differences in rates of change and levels of heavy drinking from ages 13 to 31 years among non-college youth, college withdrawers, 2-year college graduates, and 4-year college graduates, and compared these differences for Caucasians and African-Americans. There were significant racial differences in relationships between college education with both changes in and levels of heavy drinking. Rates of change of heavy drinking differed significantly across the college education groups examined for Caucasians but not for African-Americans. In addition, Caucasians who graduated from 4-year colleges showed the highest levels of heavy drinking after age 20 years, although differences among the four groups diminished by the early 30s. In contrast, for African-Americans, graduates from 2- or 4-year colleges did not show higher levels of heavy drinking from ages 20 to 31 years than the non-college group. Instead, African-American participants who withdrew from college without an associate's, bachelor's, or professional degree consistently exhibited the highest levels of heavy drinking from ages 26 to 31 years. The relationship between college education and increased levels of heavy drinking in young adulthood is significant for Caucasians but not African-Americans. Conversely, African-Americans are likely to be more adversely affected than are Caucasians by college withdrawal. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal relationships between college education and patterns of heavy drinking: A comparison between Caucasians and African Americans

PubMed Central

Chen, Pan; Jacobson, Kristen C.

2013-01-01

Purpose The current study compared longitudinal relationships between college education and patterns of heavy drinking from early adolescence to adulthood for Caucasians and African Americans. Methods Data were collected from N=9,988 non-Hispanic Caucasian and African American participants from all four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Growth curve modeling tested differences in rates of change and levels of heavy drinking from ages 13–31 among non-college youth, college withdrawers, 2-year-college graduates, and 4-year-college graduates, and compared these differences for Caucasians and African Americans. Results There were significant racial differences in relationships between college education with both changes in and levels of heavy drinking. Rates of change of heavy drinking differed significantly across the college education groups examined for Caucasians but not for African Americans. In addition, Caucasians who graduated from 4-year colleges showed the highest levels of heavy drinking after age 20, although differences between the four groups diminished by the early 30s. In contrast, for African Americans, graduates from 2- or 4-year colleges did not show higher levels of heavy drinking from ages 20–31 than the non-college group. Instead, African American participants who withdrew from college without an associate’s, bachelor’s, or professional degree consistently exhibited the highest levels of heavy drinking from ages 26–31. Conclusions The relationship between college education and increased levels of heavy drinking in young adulthood is significant for Caucasians but not African Americans. Conversely, African Americans are likely to be more adversely affected than Caucasians by college withdrawal. PMID:23707401

Simulating drinking in social networks to inform alcohol prevention and treatment efforts.

PubMed

Hallgren, Kevin A; McCrady, Barbara S; Caudell, Thomas P; Witkiewitz, Katie; Tonigan, J Scott

2017-11-01

Adolescent drinking influences, and is influenced by, peer alcohol use. Several efficacious adolescent alcohol interventions include elements aimed at reducing susceptibility to peer influence. Modeling these interventions within dynamically changing social networks may improve our understanding of how such interventions work and for whom they work best. We used stochastic actor-based models to simulate longitudinal drinking and friendship formation within social networks using parameters obtained from a meta-analysis of real-world 10th grade adolescent social networks. Levels of social influence (i.e., friends affecting changes in one's drinking) and social selection (i.e., drinking affecting changes in one's friendships) were manipulated at several levels, which directly impacted the degree of clustering in friendships based on similarity in drinking behavior. Midway through each simulation, one randomly selected heavy-drinking actor from each network received an "intervention" that either (a) reduced their susceptibility to social influence, (b) reduced their susceptibility to social selection, (c) eliminated a friendship with a heavy drinker, or (d) initiated a friendship with a nondrinker. Only the intervention that eliminated targeted actors' susceptibility to social influence consistently reduced that actor's drinking. Moreover, this was only effective in networks with social influence and social selection that were at higher levels than what was found in the real-world reference study. Social influence and social selection are dynamic processes that can lead to complex systems that may moderate the effectiveness of network-based interventions. Interventions that reduce susceptibility to social influence may be most effective among adolescents with high susceptibility to social influence and heavier-drinking friends. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of energy drink consumption on corrected QT interval and heart rate variability in young obese Saudi male university students.

PubMed

Alsunni, Ahmed; Majeed, Farrukh; Yar, Talay; AlRahim, Ahmed; Alhawaj, Ali Fouad; Alzaki, Muneer

2015-01-01

Consumption of energy drinks has adverse effects on the heart that might be potentiated in obese individuals. Since the incidence of obesity and use of energy drinks is high among Saudi youth, we used non-invasive tests to study hemodynamic changes produced by altered autonomic cardiac activ.ity following consumption of energy drinks in obese male students. This cross-sectional study was carried out at Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, over a one-year period from December 2013 to December 2014. In Saudi male university students we measured continuous ECG recordings and a one-minute deep breathing maneuver to measure the expiratory-to-inspiratory ratio, the mean heart rate range (MHRR), the mean percentage variability. (M%VHR) and the corrected QT interval (QTc) at 0, 30 and 60 minutes after consumption of energy drink. We enrolled 31 students (18 overweight/obese and 13 normal weights. QTc was significantly in.creased at 60 min as compared with the resting state in overweight/obese subjects (P=.006). Heart rate variability was significantly less in obese as compared with normal weight subjects at 60 minutes as indicated by E:I ratio, (P=.037), MHRR (P=.012), M%VHR (P=.040) after energy drink consumption. Significant increases in diastolic (P=.020) and mean arterial blood pressure (P=.024) were observed at 30 minutes in the obese group. Hemodynamic changes after intake of energy drinks in obese subjects indicate that obesity and energy drinks could synergistically induce harmful effects. This finding warrants efforts to caution the obese on intake of energy drinks and timely intervention to motivate changes in lifestyle.

Iceberg calving during transition from grounded to floating ice: Columbia Glacier, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walter, Fabian; O'Neel, Shad; McNamara, Daniel; Pfeffer, W.T.; Bassis, Jeremy N.; Fricker, Helen Amanda

2010-01-01

The terminus of Columbia Glacier, Alaska, unexpectedly became ungrounded in 2007 during its prolonged retreat. Visual observations showed that calving changed from a steady release of low-volume bergs, to episodic flow-perpendicular rifting, propagation, and release of very large icebergs - a style reminiscent of calving from ice shelves. Here, we compare passive seismic and photographic observations through this transition to examine changes in calving. Mechanical changes accompany the visible changes in calving style post flotation: generation of seismic energy during calving is substantially reduced. We propose this is partly due to changes in source processes.

The transition of dynamic rupture styles in elastic media under velocity-weakening friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabriel, A.-A.; Ampuero, J.-P.; Dalguer, L. A.; Mai, P. M.

2012-09-01

Although kinematic earthquake source inversions show dominantly pulse-like subshear rupture behavior, seismological observations, laboratory experiments and theoretical models indicate that earthquakes can operate with different rupture styles: either as pulses or cracks, that propagate at subshear or supershear speeds. The determination of rupture style and speed has important implications for ground motions and may inform about the state of stress and strength of active fault zones. We conduct 2D in-plane dynamic rupture simulations with a spectral element method to investigate the diversity of rupture styles on faults governed by velocity-and-state-dependent friction with dramatic velocity-weakening at high slip rate. Our rupture models are governed by uniform initial stresses, and are artificially initiated. We identify the conditions that lead to different rupture styles by investigating the transitions between decaying, steady state and growing pulses, cracks, sub-shear and super-shear ruptures as a function of background stress, nucleation size and characteristic velocity at the onset of severe weakening. Our models show that small changes of background stress or nucleation size may lead to dramatic changes of rupture style. We characterize the asymptotic properties of steady state and self-similar pulses as a function of background stress. We show that an earthquake may not be restricted to a single rupture style, but that complex rupture patterns may emerge that consist of multiple rupture fronts, possibly involving different styles and back-propagating fronts. We also demonstrate the possibility of a super-shear transition for pulse-like ruptures. Finally, we draw connections between our findings and recent seismological observations.

Does change in self-perceived problem drinker identity relate to change in alcohol use? An examination of nontreatment seeking hazardous drinkers.

PubMed

Montes, Kevin S; Dearing, Ronda L; Claus, Eric D; Witkiewitz, Katie

2017-09-01

Identity change is related to reductions in alcohol use among treatment seekers, but it is unclear the extent to which identity change is associated with reductions in alcohol use among nontreatment seeking hazardous drinkers. The goal of the current study was to examine whether change in problem drinker identity (i.e., self-reported identification as a problem or nonproblem drinker) was associated with reductions in heavy drinking among nontreatment seeking hazardous drinkers. Participants (n = 149) completed measures to assess alcohol use and were asked if they identified as a problem drinker at baseline and at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-ups. Two groups were compared: (a) those who identified as a problem drinker at baseline but identified as a nonproblem drinker at 12 months and (b) those who did not make the same transition. Latent mixture modeling was conducted to examine whether change in problem drinker identity was predictive of heavy drinking latent class growth trajectories. The results indicated that a self-reported transition from identification as a problem drinker to identification as a nonproblem drinker was associated with greater reductions in heavy drinking over the assessment period and a 7 times greater likelihood of being in a rapidly decreasing heavy drinking latent trajectory class compared with participants who did not make the same transition. Self-reported transitions in identity appear to be a good predictor of heavy drinking trajectories among nontreatment seekers. A better understanding of what predicts transitions in drinking identity among non-treatment and treatment seekers is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The effect of visual representation style in problem-solving: a perspective from cognitive processes.

PubMed

Nyamsuren, Enkhbold; Taatgen, Niels A

2013-01-01

Using results from a controlled experiment and simulations based on cognitive models, we show that visual presentation style can have a significant impact on performance in a complex problem-solving task. We compared subject performances in two isomorphic, but visually different, tasks based on a card game of SET. Although subjects used the same strategy in both tasks, the difference in presentation style resulted in radically different reaction times and significant deviations in scanpath patterns in the two tasks. Results from our study indicate that low-level subconscious visual processes, such as differential acuity in peripheral vision and low-level iconic memory, can have indirect, but significant effects on decision making during a problem-solving task. We have developed two ACT-R models that employ the same basic strategy but deal with different presentations styles. Our ACT-R models confirm that changes in low-level visual processes triggered by changes in presentation style can propagate to higher-level cognitive processes. Such a domino effect can significantly affect reaction times and eye movements, without affecting the overall strategy of problem solving.

The Effect of Visual Representation Style in Problem-Solving: A Perspective from Cognitive Processes

PubMed Central

Nyamsuren, Enkhbold; Taatgen, Niels A.

2013-01-01

Using results from a controlled experiment and simulations based on cognitive models, we show that visual presentation style can have a significant impact on performance in a complex problem-solving task. We compared subject performances in two isomorphic, but visually different, tasks based on a card game of SET. Although subjects used the same strategy in both tasks, the difference in presentation style resulted in radically different reaction times and significant deviations in scanpath patterns in the two tasks. Results from our study indicate that low-level subconscious visual processes, such as differential acuity in peripheral vision and low-level iconic memory, can have indirect, but significant effects on decision making during a problem-solving task. We have developed two ACT-R models that employ the same basic strategy but deal with different presentations styles. Our ACT-R models confirm that changes in low-level visual processes triggered by changes in presentation style can propagate to higher-level cognitive processes. Such a domino effect can significantly affect reaction times and eye movements, without affecting the overall strategy of problem solving. PMID:24260415

Relationship between Student Pharmacist Decision Making Preferences and Experiential Learning.

PubMed

Williams, Charlene R; McLaughlin, Jacqueline E; Cox, Wendy C; Shepherd, Greene

2016-09-25

Objective. To determine if student pharmacists' preferences towards experiential and rational thinking are associated with performance on advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and whether thinking style preference changes following APPEs. Methods. The Rational Experiential Inventory (REI), a validated survey of thinking style, was administered to student pharmacists before starting APPEs and re-administered after completing APPEs. APPE grades were compared to initial REI scores. Results. Rational Experiential Inventory scores remained consistent before and after APPEs. Overall, APPE grades were independent of REI scores. In a regression model, the REI experiential score was a significant negative predictor of hospital APPE grades. Conclusion. These findings suggest that overall APPE performance is independent of decision-making preference, and decision-making style does not change following immersion into APPEs. Instead of targeting teaching strategies towards a specific decision-making style, preceptors may use pedagogical approaches that promote sound clinical decision-making skills through critical thinking and reflection.

Relationship between Student Pharmacist Decision Making Preferences and Experiential Learning

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Jacqueline E.; Cox, Wendy C.; Shepherd, Greene

2016-01-01

Objective. To determine if student pharmacists’ preferences towards experiential and rational thinking are associated with performance on advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and whether thinking style preference changes following APPEs. Methods. The Rational Experiential Inventory (REI), a validated survey of thinking style, was administered to student pharmacists before starting APPEs and re-administered after completing APPEs. APPE grades were compared to initial REI scores. Results. Rational Experiential Inventory scores remained consistent before and after APPEs. Overall, APPE grades were independent of REI scores. In a regression model, the REI experiential score was a significant negative predictor of hospital APPE grades. Conclusion. These findings suggest that overall APPE performance is independent of decision-making preference, and decision-making style does not change following immersion into APPEs. Instead of targeting teaching strategies towards a specific decision-making style, preceptors may use pedagogical approaches that promote sound clinical decision-making skills through critical thinking and reflection. PMID:27756927

Association between Arsenic Exposure and Diabetes Mellitus in Cambodia

PubMed Central

Huang, Jhih-Wei; Cheng, Ya-Yun; Sung, Tzu-Ching; Guo, How-Ran

2014-01-01

Whereas studies in Taiwan found associations between arsenic exposure from drinking water and diabetes mellitus (DM), studies in other countries yielded inconsistent results, and diet might be a confounder. We conducted a study in Cambodia, where people have non-Western style diet, to evaluate the association. We measured well water and urine samples and examined skin signs of arsenicosis to assess arsenic exposure and used questionnaires to collect data on potential risk factors. We performed a fingertip blood glucose test followed by measurement of hemoglobin A1c to assess DM. The 43-male and 99-female participants had an average age of 40.4 years. We found that participants with skin signs of arsenicosis had a higher level of arsenic in the drinking water (1101.1 versus 972.2 μg/L, P = 0.02). Drinking water with arsenic levels above the median (907.25 μg/L) was associated with a nearly twofold increase in the risk of DM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5–5.8), so was having skin sings of arsenicosis (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.5–5.6). The ORs did not reach statistical significance most likely because of the small case number. Therefore, further studies with larger study populations are needed to confirm our findings. PMID:24949461

Parenting style and practices in stepfamilies

PubMed Central

Cassoni, Cynthia; Caldana, Regina HL

2012-01-01

There are several studies on the best way to raise a child, ie, what would be the consequences of our actions for our children. We tend to think of how to educate children in a traditional family, but society has undergone many changes and, hence, family structures have undergone changes too. Today, we find a large number of stepfamilies facing the same issues concerning how to educate a child. Stepfamily configuration often entails more than just the addition of a new parent figure. The objective of this study was to shed some light on how these stepfamilies deal with issues of parenting style and practices. We reviewed the Brazilian and international literature concerning parenting styles and practices in stepfamilies. The papers identified were organized and submitted to analysis. We identified very few papers addressing parenting styles and practices, pointing to an important but unaddressed social change as reflected in new family structures. There is a need for longitudinal studies aimed at understanding not only a particular moment in time, but also moments within a context, ie, an analysis with a holistic approach without preconceived ideas. PMID:22977315

Three Years of the New Minimum Drinking Age Law: The Search for the "Spillover Effect."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venable, Riley H.; Strano, Donald A.; Watson, Zarus E. P.

Raising the legal drinking age nationally was designed to decrease highway deaths, but it has not seemed to have affected the drinking behavior of 18-20 year old college students. In August of 1995, the Louisiana legislature raised the legal minimum drinking age to 21. This provided a unique opportunity to examine the effects of a change in legal…

Postintervention Effects of "Click City®: Alcohol" on Changing Etiological Mechanisms Related to the Onset of Heavy Drinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Judith S.; Andrews, Judy A.; Hampson, Sarah H.; Gunn, Barbara; Christiansen, Steven M.; Jacobs, Thomas

2017-01-01

Introduction: Alcohol consumption, including heavy drinking, is the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Youth who engage in heavy drinking are likely to experience a number of problems associated with their use. In 2015, U.S. prevalence of heavy drinking was 17% among 12th graders. These data suggest a clear need for…

The Effect of Oxidant and Redox Potential on Metal Corrosion in Drinking Water

EPA Science Inventory

Future drinking water regulatory action may require some water utilities to consider additional and/or alternative oxidation and disinfection practices. There is little known about the effect of oxidant changes on the corrosion of drinking water distribution system materials and ...

Changes in Cognitive-Behavioral Constructs Across Treatment Modalities for Seasonal Affective Disorder: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Light Therapy, and their Combination

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

increased appetite (including cravings for complex carbohydrates and sugars; Kasper et al., 1989). Within the recurrent depressed population...individuals’ rate of engagement in pleasant activities through three interpersonal styles of interaction : assertion, interpersonal style of expressive...degree of change on automatic thoughts. This hypothesized pattern of findings would produce a significant Group X Occasion interaction

Modifications of biological effects of drinking mineral waters in Pyatigorsk resort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reps, Valentina; Efimenko, Natalia; Abramtsova, Anna; Kozlova, Victoria; Sagradyan, Gayne; Tovbushenko, Tatiana; Kotova, Margarita

2017-04-01

A variety of types of drinking mineral waters (MW) of Pyatigorsk Deposit (PD) is explained by its structural style and hydrogeological conditions. In resort conditions the most widely used mineral waters are acidulated and carbonate chloride sodium hydrocarbonate MW. It has been shown earlier that natural MW have a high biological exposure potential on exchange processes both in norm and during pathological metabolic changes [1, 2]. We have studied some modification options of the composition of natural drinking mineral waters (MW) in Pyatigorsk resort to increase their rehabilitation potential. In the experiment on 110 male-rats of Wistar line there have been examined some biological effects of a course drinking intake (21 days) of natural MW from the spring that has sulphate-hydrocarbonate-chloride calcium-sodic composition with ferrum elevated level (3-5 mg/dm3), mineralization of 5,0-5,2 g/dm3, CO2 1,3-2,2 g/dm3, daily flow of 10-86 m3/day, temperature from 14 to 370C at the wellhead and MW modified by nanoparticles (NP) of Se (0,04 mg/kg, d - 35 nm) and Ag nanoparticles (0,001 mg/kg, d - 30 nm). One of the mechanisms of selenium influence on carbohydrate metabolism is the regulation of blood glucose level and its utilization by tissues. After the course by the studied MW type there has been noticed Ca-ATPase level reduction in liver against the background of insulin downregulation and glycemia elevation in blood serum of the rats [1]. There has been also observed glucagon retrogression in the blood of the labolatory animals after the treatment course by natural MW in 3 times (p<0,001) and after the course by MW in combination with Se nanoparticles in 1,5 times (p<0,01) in comparison with the control (fresh water). At the same time glucose level authentically increased only after the course by natural MW - 4,8 (4,6-5 ‰) mmol/l in comparison with the control - 4 (4 - 4,4 ‰) mmol/l. Insulin concentration did not change with the animals after the watering course by MW with Se nanoparticles whereas the course by MW with Ag nanoparticles was followed by insulin decreased secretion by 22% against the background of hypoglycemia. In the impact analysis of the course influence of mineral water in combination with Se and Ag nanoparticles there has been noticed an alteration of metabolic effects of native MW. We have observed the decrease in hormonal regulation level of metabolic processes and activation of cellicolous substrate ways of glucose utilization after the course by MW. The fortification of MW with Se nanoparticles restores the reduced activity of glycemia hormonal regulation. References 1. Efimenko, N.V. Action mechanisms of drinking mineral waters/ N.V. Efimenko, V.F. Reps// Resort medicine. - 2013. - №3. - P. 106-109. 2. Reps, V.F. Metabolic action mechanisms of the modified balneo-remedies/ V.F. Reps// Resort medicine. - 2013. - №4. - P. 18-21.

Best practices: applying management analysis of excellence to immunization.

PubMed

Wishner, Amy; Aronson, Jerold; Kohrt, Alan; Norton, Gary

2005-01-01

The authors applied business management tools to analyze and promote excellence and to evaluate differences between average and above-average immunization peformers in private practices. The authors conducted a pilot study of 10 private practices in Pennsylvania using tools common in management to assess practices' organizational climate and managerial style. Authoritative and coaching styles of physician leaders were common to both groups. Managerial styles that emphasized higher levels of clarity and responsibility managerial styles were evident in the large practices; and rewards and flexibility styles were higher in the small above-average practices. The findings of this pilot study match results seen in high performers in other industries. It concludes that the authoritative style appears to have the most impact on performance. It has interesting implications for training/behavior change to improve immunization rates, along with traditional medical interventions.

An Analysis of the Relationship between School Managers' Change Leadership Style and Multi-Factorial Leadership Styles from the Views of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozkan, Suna; Alev, Sedat; Ercan, Abdulkadir

2015-01-01

The aim of this study has been to identify school managers' leadership styles and levels in terms of teachers' perceptions. The focus of the study includes primary, secondary and high schools in Sahinbey and Sehitkamil districts of Gaziantep. In the study, the selection of the sample, which consists of 228 teachers, was carried out by using the…

Nurse managers' perceptions related to their leadership styles, knowledge, and skills in these areas-a viewpoint: case of health centre wards in Finland.

PubMed

Vesterinen, Soili; Suhonen, Marjo; Isola, Arja; Paasivaara, Leena; Laukkala, Helena

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore nurse managers' perceptions related to their leadership styles, knowledge, and their skills in these areas in health centre wards in Finland. The data were collected from nurse managers (n = 252) in health centre hospitals in Finland using a structured questionnaire (response rate 63%). Six leadership styles-visionary, coaching, affiliate, democratic, commanding, and isolating-were reflected on. Almost all respondents in every age group considered four leadership styles-visionary, coaching, affiliate, and democratic-to be very important or important. Nurse managers estimated their knowledge and skills in leadership styles to be essentially fairly sufficient or sufficient. Nurse managers' abilities to reflect, understand, and, if necessary, change their leadership style influence the work unit's success and employees' job satisfaction. Nurse managers, especially new nurse managers, need more theoretic, evidence-based education to cope with these expectations and to develop their professional abilities. Together with universities, health care organizations should start planning nurse manager education programmes that focus on strategic issues, leadership, job satisfaction, challenging situations in leadership, change management, work unit management (e.g., economy, efficiency, and resources), and how the nurse managers consider their own wellbeing.

The impact of changing parenting styles on the advancement of pediatric oral health.

PubMed

Law, Clarice S

2007-03-01

Behavior management is significant to delivery of dental care to the child. We must be able to elicit cooperation of the child for dental procedures, and of child and parents, for adherence to a preventive home care regimen. However, society has changed, affecting the ability of dentists to influence children and their parents. The purpose of this paper is to review changes in parenting styles that have impacted the nature of oral care in the child.

Climate vulnerability of drinking water supplies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selmeczi, Pál; Homolya, Emese; Rotárné Szalkai, Ágnes

2016-04-01

Extreme weather conditions in Hungary led to difficulties in drinking water management on diverse occasions in the past. Due to reduced water resources and the coexisting high demand for drinking water in dry summer periods the availability of a number of water supplies became insufficient therefore causing limitations in water access. In some other cases, as a result of floods and flash floods over karstic areas evolving in consequence of excessive precipitation, several water supplies had to be excluded in order to avoid the risk of infections. More frequent occurrence of extreme weather conditions and further possible changes in the future induce the necessity for an analysis of the vulnerability of drinking water resources to climate change. Since 95% of the total drinking water supply in Hungary originates from subsurface layers, significance of groundwater resources is outstanding. The aim of our work carried out in the frames of the NAGiS (National Adaptation Geo-information System) project was to build up a methodology for the study and determination of the vulnerability of drinking water supplies to climate. The task covered analyses of climatic parameters influencing drinking water supplies principally and hydrogeological characteristics of the geological media that significantly determines vulnerability. Effects on drinking water resources and their reduction or exclusion may imply societal and economic consequences therefore we extended the analyses to the investigation of possibilities concerning the adaptation capacity to changed conditions. We applied the CIVAS (Climate Impact and Vulnerability Assessment Scheme) model developed in the frames of the international climate research project CLAVIER (Climate Change and Variability: Impact on Central and Eastern Europe) to characterize climate vulnerability of drinking water supplies. The CIVAS model, being based on the combined evaluation of exposure, sensitivity and adaptability, provides a unified methodical scheme to quantitative climatic impact assessment. We investigate the effects of climate change in the integrated context of exposure, sensitivity, impact, adaptive capacity and vulnerability, thus apart from the expected environmental changes societal and economic processes are also taken into account. Climate vulnerability has been determined on the basis of the distribution and categorisation of the chosen indicators. Further effects, independent of climate change and caused by anthropogenic activity, result in similar phenomena. It is often difficult to differentiate between natural and anthropogenic effects that occur simultaneously therefore in the analyses of vulnerability anthropogenic activity is needed to be taken into account. We determined climate vulnerability using data of two different climate models and for two separate future time periods. Results on the basis of both climate model projections suggest that a considerable number of regions in the area under investigation appear to be vulnerable to climate change to a certain extent and vulnerability intensifies to the end of the 21th century.

Effects of changing U.S. parenting styles on dental practice: perceptions of diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry presented to the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry 16th Annual Session, Atlanta, Ga, Saturday, May 26, 2001.

PubMed

Casamassimo, Paul S; Wilson, Stephen; Gross, Lucia

2002-01-01

This study surveyed board-certified pediatric dentists on their opinions about changes in U.S. parenting styles and the effects on the practice of pediatric dentistry. A questionnaire was developed, piloted, and mailed to 1,129 members of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry during the summer of 2000. A total of 577 respondents (51%) returned questionnaires, equally distributed across AAPD districts, with male:female ratio of 4:1 and 90% married. A majority perceived parenting styles had changed during their practice lifetime (88% "absolutely or probably changed"), with older practitioners significantly more likely to say so. Ninety-two percent felt changes were "probably or definitely bad" and 85% felt that these changes had resulted in "somewhat or much worse" patient behavior. Practitioners report performing less assertive behavior management techniques than in the past due to these changes. Diplomates report that parenting changes have occurred and they believe these are negative (bad) and have adversely influenced behavior and caused changes in pediatric dentists' behavior management.

Individual, school-related and family characteristics distinguish co-occurrence of drinking and depressive symptoms in very young adolescents.

PubMed

Salom, Caroline L; Kelly, Adrian B; Alati, Rosa; Williams, Gail M; Patton, George C; Williams, Joanne W

2016-07-01

Alcohol misuse and depressed mood are common during early adolescence, and comorbidity of these conditions in adulthood is associated with poorer health and social outcomes, yet little research has examined the co-occurrence of these problems at early adolescence. This study assessed risky and protective characteristics of pre-teens with concurrent depressed mood/early alcohol use in a large school-based sample. School children aged 10-14 years (n = 7289) from late primary and early secondary school classes in government, Catholic and independent sectors participated with parental consent in the cross-sectional Healthy Neighbourhoods Study. Key measures included depressed mood, recent alcohol use, school mobility, family relationship quality, school engagement and coping style. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to identify school and family-related factors that distinguished those with co-occurring drinking and depressive symptoms from those with either single condition. Gender and school-level interactions for each factor were evaluated. Co-occurring conditions were reported by 5.7% of students [confidence interval (CI)95 5.19, 6.19]. Recent drinkers were more likely than non-drinkers to have symptoms consistent with depression (odds ratio 1.80; CI95 1.58, 2.03). Low school commitment was associated with co-occurring drinking/depressive symptoms (odds ratio 2.86; CI95 2.25, 3.65 compared with null condition). This association appeared to be weaker in the presence of adaptive stress-coping skills (odds ratio 0.18; CI95 0.14, 0.23). We have identified factors that distinguish pre-teens with very early co-occurrence of drinking and depressed mood, and protective factors with potential utility for school-based prevention programmes targeting these conditions. [Salom CL, Kelly AB, Alati R, Williams GM, Patton GC, Williams JW. Individual, school-related and family characteristics distinguish co-occurrence of drinking and depressive symptoms in very young adolescents. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:387-396]. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Toking, Vaping, and Eating for Health or Fun: Marijuana Use Patterns in Adults, U.S., 2014.

PubMed

Schauer, Gillian L; King, Brian A; Bunnell, Rebecca E; Promoff, Gabbi; McAfee, Timothy A

2016-01-01

Policies legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use have been increasing in the U.S. Considering the potential impact of these policies, important knowledge gaps exist, including information about the prevalence of various modes of marijuana use (e.g., smoked in joints, bowls, bongs; consumed in edibles or drinks) and about medical versus recreational use. Accordingly, this study assessed (1) prevalence and correlates of modes of current and ever marijuana use and (2) prevalence of medicinal and recreational marijuana use in U.S. adults. Data came from Summer Styles (n=4,269), a nationally representative consumer panel survey of adults aged ≥18 years, collected in 2014. The survey asked about past 30-day (current) and ever mode of marijuana use and current reason for use (medicinal, recreational, both). Weighted prevalence estimates were computed and correlates were assessed in 2014 using logistic regression. Overall, 7.2% of respondents reported current marijuana use; 34.5% reported ever use. Among current users, 10.5% reported medicinal-only use, 53.4% reported recreational-only use, and 36.1% reported both. Use of bowl or pipe (49.5%) and joint (49.2%) predominated among current marijuana users, with lesser use of bong, water pipe, or hookah (21.7%); blunts (20.3%); edibles/drinks (16.1%); and vaporizers (7.6%); 92.1% of the sample reported combusted-only marijuana use. Combusted modes of marijuana use are most prevalent among U.S. adults, with a majority using marijuana for recreation. In light of changing policies and patterns of use, improved marijuana surveillance is critical for public health planning. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of the Grasha Riechman Student Learning Style Survey and Teaching Style Inventory to assess individual teaching and learning styles in a quality improvement collaborative.

PubMed

Ford, James H; Robinson, James M; Wise, Meg E

2016-09-29

NIATx200, a quality improvement collaborative, involved 201 substance abuse clinics. Each clinic was randomized to one of four implementation strategies: (a) interest circle calls, (b) learning sessions, (c) coach only or (d) a combination of all three. Each strategy was led by NIATx200 coaches who provided direct coaching or facilitated the interest circle and learning session interventions. Eligibility was limited to NIATx200 coaches (N = 18), and the executive sponsor/change leader of participating clinics (N = 389). Participants were invited to complete a modified Grasha Riechmann Student Learning Style Survey and Teaching Style Inventory. Principal components analysis determined participants' preferred learning and teaching styles. Responses were received from 17 (94.4 %) of the coaches. Seventy-two individuals were excluded from the initial sample of change leaders and executive sponsors (N = 389). Responses were received from 80 persons (25.2 %) of the contactable individuals. Six learning profiles for the executive sponsors and change leaders were identified: Collaborative/Competitive (N = 28, 36.4 %); Collaborative/Participatory (N = 19, 24.7 %); Collaborative only (N = 17, 22.1 %); Collaborative/Dependent (N = 6, 7.8 %); Independent (N = 3, 5.2 %); and Avoidant/Dependent (N = 3, 3.9 %). NIATx200 coaches relied primarily on one of four coaching profiles: Facilitator (N = 7, 41.2 %), Facilitator/Delegator (N = 6, 35.3 %), Facilitator/Personal Model (N = 3, 17.6 %) and Delegator (N = 1, 5.9 %). Coaches also supported their primary coaching profiles with one of eight different secondary coaching profiles. The study is one of the first to assess teaching and learning styles within a QIC. Results indicate that individual learners (change leaders and executive sponsors) and coaches utilize multiple approaches in the teaching and practice-based learning of quality improvement (QI) processes. Identification teaching profiles could be used to tailor the collaborative structure and content delivery. Efforts to accommodate learning styles would facilitate knowledge acquisition enhancing the effectiveness of a QI collaborative to improve organizational processes and outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00934141 Registered July 6, 2009. Retrospectively registered.

Perceived organizational tolerance for workplace harassment and distress and drinking over time [harassment and mental health].

PubMed

Richman, Judith A; Rospenda, Kathleen M; Flaherty, Joseph A; Freels, Sally; Zlatoper, Ken

2004-01-01

Research has linked workplace harassment and abuse with distress and drinking. However, increasing societal attention to sexual harassment (SH) has been accompanied by pressures on work organizations to censure harassing behaviors. We address altered perceptions of the organizational tolerance (OT) for SH and generalized workplace abuse (GWA), changes in the prevalence and incidence of these experiences, and their impact on distress and drinking behaviors. A cohort of workers completed a mail survey at three points in time. Questionnaires assessed perceptions of OT for SH and GWA, experiences of SH and GWA, coping, and distress and drinking behaviors. Both sexes perceived that tolerance of SH and GWA has decreased over time. Changes in reported prevalence of these experiences differed by gender, and incidence for both genders decreased more strongly than prevalence. The linkages between SH/GWA and distress and drinking changed over time, but in different ways for women and men. SH and GWA still have deleterious consequences, and replications of this research and greater efforts at prevention are needed.

Using social marketing to create communities for our children and adolescents that do not model and encourage drinking.

PubMed

Jones, Sandra C

2014-11-01

Our children and adolescents are growing up in environments that support, and even, encourage (excessive) drinking. Thus, if we are to address the problem of underage drinking our focus needs to move beyond eliciting behavior change among children and adolescents to changing underlying community attitudes, social norms, and the environment itself. This review sought to examine the evidence base surrounding 'community-based' interventions designed to address underage drinking; to determine the extent to which 'community' interventions have thus far targeted the broader community and gone beyond behavior-focused strategies and endeavored to change social and physical environments. The review found surprisingly few interventions that sought to comprehensively address social norms at a community level. We need to move (research and interventions) beyond narrowly-focused efforts targeting teens and their parents; it is only when we address alcohol consumption at a population level that we will be able to provide an environment for children and adolescents which does not model (excessive) drinking as a normative social behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Roughness and pH changes of enamel surface induced by soft drinks in vitro-applications of stylus profilometry, focus variation 3D scanning microscopy and micro pH sensor.

PubMed

Fujii, Mie; Kitasako, Yuichi; Sadr, Alireza; Tagami, Junji

2011-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate enamel surface roughness (Ra) and pH before and after erosion by soft drinks. Enamel was exposed to a soft drink (cola, orange juice or green tea) for 1, 5 or 60 min; Ra was measured using contact-stylus surface profilometry (SSP) and non-contact focus variation 3D microscope (FVM). Surface pH was measured using a micro pH sensor. Data were analyzed at significance level of alpha=0.05. There was a significant correlation in Ra between SSP and FVM. FVM images showed no changes in the surface morphology after various periods of exposure to green tea. Unlike cola and orange juice, exposure to green tea did not significantly affect Ra or pH. A significant correlation was observed between surface pH and Ra change after exposure to the drinks. Optical surface analysis and micro pH sensor may be useful tools for non-damaging, quantitative assessment of soft drinks erosion on enamel.

Within-person associations between daily motivation and self-efficacy and drinking among problem drinkers in treatment.

PubMed

Morgenstern, Jon; Kuerbis, Alexis; Houser, Jessica; Muench, Frederick J; Shao, Sijing; Treloar, Hayley

2016-09-01

Gaining a better understanding of the change process holds promise to improve alcohol treatment. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) coupled with intensive longitudinal data (ILD) approaches have been proposed as promising methods that can advance change process research but have been used infrequently in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment research. The current study used these approaches to examine the within-person associations of motivation and self-efficacy and drinking among treatment-seeking problem drinkers. Participants (N = 96) received daily EMA surveys before, during, and after treatment for 7 weeks spread over a 9-month period. Multilevel modeling was used to test the within-person relationships between the change processes and drinking, controlling for between-person associations and prior drinking. Results indicated that daily fluctuations in motivation and self-efficacy significantly predicted drinking over the next 24 hours; however, several theory-driven hypotheses regarding factors that might moderate that relationship were not supported. Overall, results support the advantages of EMA and ILD as methods that can advance AUD treatment research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

An exploratory study of the relationship between parental attitudes and behaviour and young people's consumption of alcohol.

PubMed

Moore, Graham F; Rothwell, Heather; Segrott, Jeremy

2010-04-22

Concern is growing regarding frequent and excessive misuse of alcohol by young people. The average age at which young people in Europe start to drink is twelve and a half, and during the last decade, the quantity of alcohol consumed by younger adolescents in the UK has increased. Families are known to play an important role in shaping young people's alcohol misuse, although family risk and protective factors associated with misuse in a UK context are in need of further investigation. The study used a cross-sectional design, involving secondary analyses of self-completion questionnaire responses from 6,628 secondary school children (i.e. aged 11-16 years), from 12 schools within an urban location in Wales. Items relating to family functioning and perceived parental attitudes were first subjected to factor analysis. Associations of family closeness and conflict, parental monitoring and attitudes and family history of substance misuse with children's self reported alcohol consumption were examined using logistic regression analyses. Approximately three quarters of respondents reported having tried alcohol, most of whom had first tried alcohol aged 12 or under. Parental monitoring and family closeness were positively correlated with one another and were both associated with significantly lower levels of drinking behaviours. Family violence and conflict, more liberal parental attitudes towards substance use and towards alcohol and petty crime, and family history of substance misuse were positively correlated with one another and with higher levels of drinking behaviours. Parental monitoring was identified as the family functioning factor most consistently associated with drinking behaviour in multivariate analyses. Significant relationships were found between young people's drinking behaviours and perceptions of risk and protective factors in the family environment. Parental monitoring was strongly associated with family closeness and appeared to form one part of a parenting style of more general communication and regulation of children's behaviour. Findings support the need for alcohol misuse prevention interventions which address risk and protective factors within the family setting. Timing of such prevention work should be related both to the development of family relationships and the age at which young people begin drinking alcohol.

Impact of the post-2008 economic crisis on harmful drinking in the Dutch working-age population.

PubMed

de Goeij, Moniek C M; van der Wouden, Bregje; Bruggink, Jan-Willem; Otten, Ferdy; Kunst, Anton E

2016-04-01

Studies on the impact of economic crises on alcohol consumption have yielded ambiguous results. Therefore, we studied changes in trends in harmful drinking among Dutch working-age men and women after the post-2008 economic crisis started. We also assessed whether these trend changes differed across age and socioeconomic groups. We used repeated cross-sectional data from the Dutch Health Interview Survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands. Representative samples were independently drawn each month (January, 2004-December, 2013). Our working-age study population consisted of 20,140 men and 22,394 women aged 25-64. For men and women, episodic drinking was defined as drinking ≥6 glasses on one day at least once a week. Chronic drinking was defined as consuming ≥14 glasses/week for women and ≥21 for men. Segmented logistic regression was used to model trend changes separately in men and women. A downward trend in episodic and chronic drinking before the crisis slowed down after the crisis started. For episodic drinking, we observed a ceasing-of-decline among men aged 35-44/45-54/55-64, compared to a start-of-decline among those aged 25-34 (p-interaction=0.042/0.020/0.047). For chronic drinking, we observed a ceasing-of-decline among women (p=0.023) but not among men in general (p=0.238). Among men, a ceasing-of-decline did occur in those with a high income, but a start-of-decline was found among those with a low income (p-interaction=0.049). In some subgroups of the Dutch working-age population, the downward trend in episodic and chronic drinking ceased after the crisis started. This suggests that the crisis had an upward effect on harmful drinking, but only in specific populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Handwritten document age classification based on handwriting styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramaiah, Chetan; Kumar, Gaurav; Govindaraju, Venu

2012-01-01

Handwriting styles are constantly changing over time. We approach the novel problem of estimating the approximate age of Historical Handwritten Documents using Handwriting styles. This system will have many applications in handwritten document processing engines where specialized processing techniques can be applied based on the estimated age of the document. We propose to learn a distribution over styles across centuries using Topic Models and to apply a classifier over weights learned in order to estimate the approximate age of the documents. We present a comparison of different distance metrics such as Euclidean Distance and Hellinger Distance within this application.

Excuses, excuses: accounting for the effects of partner violence on marital satisfaction and stability.

PubMed

Katz, J; Arias, I; Beach, S R; Brody, G; Roman, P

1995-01-01

For both theoretical and practical reasons, it is important to understand processes that lead to marital dissatisfaction and dissolution among women who are targets of relationship violence. Because attributional tendencies may often forecast marital behavior and because alcohol use is often seen as providing an excuse for deviant behavior, we examine two potential moderators of the associations between husband violence and wife marital outcomes: wife attributional style and husband problem drinking tendencies. A community sample of married couples (N = 66) completed a comprehensive battery of marital assessments. Results suggested that responsibility attributions moderated the association between husband violence and wives' marital dissatisfaction but exerted a direct effect on wives' disposition toward divorce. Husband problem drinking moderated the impact of husband violence only on wives' disposition toward divorce. As would be expected from an "excuse" model of the associations between violence and marital outcomes, violence had less of an impact on marital satisfaction and divorce ideation when wives attributed responsibility for negative spouse behavior as external to their husbands and when husbands were problem drinkers, respectively.

Negative, Null and Beneficial Effects of Drinking Water on Energy Intake, Energy Expenditure, Fat Oxidation and Weight Change in Randomized Trials: A Qualitative Review

PubMed Central

Stookey, Jodi J. D.

2016-01-01

Drinking water has heterogeneous effects on energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE), fat oxidation (FO) and weight change in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults and/or children. The aim of this qualitative review of RCTs was to identify conditions associated with negative, null and beneficial effects of drinking water on EI, EE, FO and weight, to generate hypotheses about ways to optimize drinking water interventions for weight management. RCT conditions that are associated with negative or null effects of drinking water on EI, EE and/or FO in the short term are associated with negative or null effects on weight over the longer term. RCT conditions that are associated with lower EI, increased EE and/or increased FO in the short term are associated with less weight gain or greater weight loss over time. Drinking water instead of caloric beverages decreases EI when food intake is ad libitum. Drinking water increases EE in metabolically-inflexible, obese individuals. Drinking water increases FO when blood carbohydrate and/or insulin concentrations are not elevated and when it is consumed instead of caloric beverages or in volumes that alter hydration status. Further research is needed to confirm the observed associations and to determine if/what specific conditions optimize drinking water interventions for weight management. PMID:26729162

Negative, Null and Beneficial Effects of Drinking Water on Energy Intake, Energy Expenditure, Fat Oxidation and Weight Change in Randomized Trials: A Qualitative Review.

PubMed

Stookey, Jodi J D

2016-01-02

Drinking water has heterogeneous effects on energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE), fat oxidation (FO) and weight change in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults and/or children. The aim of this qualitative review of RCTs was to identify conditions associated with negative, null and beneficial effects of drinking water on EI, EE, FO and weight, to generate hypotheses about ways to optimize drinking water interventions for weight management. RCT conditions that are associated with negative or null effects of drinking water on EI, EE and/or FO in the short term are associated with negative or null effects on weight over the longer term. RCT conditions that are associated with lower EI, increased EE and/or increased FO in the short term are associated with less weight gain or greater weight loss over time. Drinking water instead of caloric beverages decreases EI when food intake is ad libitum. Drinking water increases EE in metabolically-inflexible, obese individuals. Drinking water increases FO when blood carbohydrate and/or insulin concentrations are not elevated and when it is consumed instead of caloric beverages or in volumes that alter hydration status. Further research is needed to confirm the observed associations and to determine if/what specific conditions optimize drinking water interventions for weight management.

Using simulation modelling to examine the impact of venue lockout and last-drink policies on drinking-related harms and costs to licensees.

PubMed

Scott, Nick; Livingston, Michael; Reporter, Iyanoosh; Dietze, Paul

2017-06-01

Many variations of venue lockout and last-drink policies have been introduced in attempts to reduce drinking-related harms. We estimate the public health gains and licensee costs of these policies using a computer simulated population of young adults engaging in heavy drinking. Using an agent-based model we implemented 1 am/2 am/3 am venue lockouts in conjunction with last drinks zero/one/two hours later, or at current closing times. Outcomes included: the number of incidents of verbal aggression in public drinking venues, private venues or on the street; and changed revenue to public venues. The most effective policy in reducing verbal aggression among agents was 1 am lockouts with current closing times. All policies produced substantial reductions in street-based incidents of verbal aggression among agents (33-81%) due to the smoothing of transport demand. Direct revenue losses were 1-9% for simulated licensees, with later lockout times and longer periods between lockout and last drinks producing smaller revenue losses. Simulation models are useful for exploring consequences of policy change. Our simulation suggests that additional hours between lockout and last drinks could reduce aggression by easing transport demand, while minimising revenue loss to venue owners. Implications for public health: Direct policies to reduce late-night transport-related disputes should be considered. © 2017 The Authors.

Evaluation of Climate Change Impact on Drinking Water Treatment Plant Operation

EPA Science Inventory

It is anticipated that global climate change will adversely impact source water quality in many areas of the United States and, therefore, will influence the design and operation of current and future drinking water treatment systems. Some of these impacts may lead to violations ...

OPERATION OF WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY

EPA Science Inventory

The quality of drinking water can change between the discharge from the treatment plant and the point of consumption. In order to study these changes in a systematic manner a Cooperative Agreement was initiated between EPA's Drinking Water Research Division and the North Penn Wat...

OPERATION OF WATER QUALITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY

EPA Science Inventory

The quality of drinking water can change between the discharge from the treatment plant and the point of consumption. n order to study these changes in a systematic manner a Cooperative Agreement was initiated between EPA's Drinking Water Research Division and the North Penn Wate...

Evaluation of the Effects of Different Energy Drinks and Coffee on Endothelial Function.

PubMed

Molnar, Janos; Somberg, John C

2015-11-01

Endothelial function plays an important role in circulatory physiology. There has been differing reports on the effect of energy drink on endothelial function. We set out to evaluate the effect of 3 energy drinks and coffee on endothelial function. Endothelial function was evaluated in healthy volunteers using a device that uses digital peripheral arterial tonometry measuring endothelial function as the reactive hyperemia index (RHI). Six volunteers (25 ± 7 years) received energy drink in a random order at least 2 days apart. Drinks studied were 250 ml "Red Bull" containing 80 mg caffeine, 57 ml "5-hour Energy" containing 230 mg caffeine, and a can of 355 ml "NOS" energy drink containing 120 mg caffeine. Sixteen volunteers (25 ± 5 years) received a cup of 473 ml coffee containing 240 mg caffeine. Studies were performed before drink (baseline) at 1.5 and 4 hours after drink. Two of the energy drinks (Red Bull and 5-hour Energy) significantly improved endothelial function at 4 hours after drink, whereas 1 energy drink (NOS) and coffee did not change endothelial function significantly. RHI increased by 82 ± 129% (p = 0.028) and 63 ± 37% (p = 0.027) after 5-hour Energy and Red Bull, respectively. The RHI changed after NOS by 2 ± 30% (p = 1.000) and by 7 ± 30% (p = 1.000) after coffee. In conclusion, some energy drinks appear to significantly improve endothelial function. Caffeine does not appear to be the component responsible for these differences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a Real-Time Repeated-Measures Assessment Protocol to Capture Change over the Course of a Drinking Episode

PubMed Central

Luczak, Susan E.; Rosen, I. Gary; Wall, Tamara L.

2015-01-01

Aims: We report on the development of a real-time assessment protocol that allows researchers to assess change in BrAC, alcohol responses, behaviors, and contexts over the course of a drinking event. Method: We designed a web application that uses timed text messages (adjusted based on consumption pattern) containing links to our website to obtain real-time participant reports; camera and location features were also incorporated into the protocol. We used a transdermal alcohol sensor device along with software we designed to convert transdermal data into estimated BrAC. Thirty-two college students completed a laboratory session followed by a 2-week field trial. Results: Results for the web application indicated we were able to create an effective tool for obtaining repeated measures real-time drinking data. Participants were willing to monitor their drinking behavior with the web application, and this did not appear to strongly affect drinking behavior during, or 6 weeks following, the field trial. Results for the transdermal device highlighted the willingness of participants to wear the device despite some discomfort, but technical difficulties resulted in limited valid data. Conclusion: The development of this protocol makes it possible to capture detailed assessment of change over the course of naturalistic drinking episodes. PMID:25568142

Longitudinal associations between adolescent perceived degree and style of parental prohibition and internalization and defiance.

PubMed

Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Soenens, Bart; Van Petegem, Stijn; Duriez, Bart

2014-01-01

This study examined associations between perceived degree and style of parental prohibition and adolescents' internalization of and oppositional defiance against parental rules in the friendship and moral domain. Relations were investigated in 2 longitudinal adolescent samples (total N = 532). Results indicated that perceived style but not degree of prohibition related to overtime changes in internalization and oppositional defiance. Specifically, in line with self-determination theory, autonomy-supportive and controlling styles of prohibiting were found to relate differentially to quality of internalization and oppositional defiance. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that several of these associations were reciprocal. The discussion focuses on the critical role of perceived parental style for communicating prohibitions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Time trends in alcohol intake in early pregnancy and official recommendations in Denmark, 1998-2013.

PubMed

Kesmodel, Ulrik S; Petersen, Gitte L; Henriksen, Tine B; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine

2016-07-01

In 1999, Danish health authorities modified their recommendation to pregnant women, condoning some alcohol intake. In 2007, the recommendation was changed to one of alcohol abstention. We aimed to assess changes in average alcohol intake (drinks/week) and alcohol binge drinking in early pregnancy from 1998 to 2013 in relation to the changes in official recommendations in 1999 (condoning some intake) and 2007 (abstention). All Danish-speaking pregnant women attending routine antenatal care at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, between September 1998 and June 2013 were invited to participate. During the study period, 68 395 pregnant women filled in a self-administered questionnaire at gestational week 11 (median). From 1998, questions on binge drinking included data on the number of binge episodes (≥5 drinks on a single occasion), and the timing (gestational week) of these episodes. Additional questions on binge drinking defined as ≥3 drinks on a single occasion were asked separately from 2000. A question assessed the average number of alcohol-containing drinks per week the woman consumed currently at the time of filling in the questionnaire. From 1998 to 2013 the proportion of women reporting no alcohol intake increased from 31.2 to 83.3% (p < 0.001), the main decline occurring between 1998 and 2007. The proportion of binge drinkers decreased (p < 0.001) but remained more stable across the period. The decline in the proportion of pregnant women consuming alcohol occurred independently of official recommendations. Increasing national and international awareness may partly explain the changes. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Changes in alcohol use and relationship satisfaction in Norwegian couples during pregnancy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Numerous studies have documented a profound reduction in alcohol use among pregnant women, whereas research on expectant fathers has been scarce. The aim of this study was to measure changes in alcohol consumption from before pregnancy to 17 weeks in gestation for mothers and fathers, differentiating between parents with and without any previous children, and to measure how level and change in alcohol consumption into early pregnancy was associated with relationship satisfaction. Methods The data collection was conducted as part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This cohort now includes 108 000 children, 90 700 mothers and 71 500 fathers recruited from 1999 to 2008. The present study comprises 82 362 couples. Alcohol consumption was assessed using a questionnaire including items about usual drinking frequency, quantities, and number of occasions with heavy episodic drinking (HED). Relationship satisfaction was measured by five items scored on a Likert agreement scale. Results The findings indicate that both mothers and fathers reduce their drinking significantly during pregnancy. Reduction was apparent for all three measures of alcohol consumption. First-time fathers reduced their alcohol consumption more than experienced fathers, from initially higher levels. The gap between the fathers and their pregnant partner was greater for first-time parents compared to parents with previous children. Drinking pre-pregnancy and relationship satisfaction during pregnancy were weakly related within each partner, whereas no association across partners was observed. Conclusions Both expectant mothers and fathers changed their alcohol consumption patterns when expecting a child. Almost all mothers stopped drinking, whereas fathers reduced their drinking to a considerable degree. Relationship satisfaction was only slightly related to their drinking patterns. The findings may have important policy implications, mainly with regard to developing alcohol preventive strategies. PMID:23356958

Drinking's Reinforcer System Among Rehabilitation Center Alcoholics. Age Differences in Drinking's Reinforcer System Among Rehabilitation Center Alcoholics: Implications for Rehabilitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadley, Robert G.; Hadley, Patricia

The 2 papers included in this report concern personal and social effects as reasons for, and reinforcements of, continued drinking. In the first, a study is reported in which 95 indigent chronic alcoholics were interviewed about both the benefits and drawbacks which they associated with drinking. Results show that (1) a change in feeling state was…

Life-style, quality of life, and energy use: Issues in energy sociology

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

Noreng, O.

1995-12-31

This article briefly aims at investigating the impact of life-styles on residential energy use. It also seeks to draw some conclusions on the eventual energy market consequences of changing life-styles, especially in economies in transition that are experiencing rapid political, economic, and political change. Special emphasis will be put on the energy use implications of the search for quality of life by households. In this context, residential-sector energy use is defined as households` overall use of energy. This includes home use, all private driving (including to and from work), and private direct and indirect use of energy in leisure activities.more » 11 refs.« less

Defining skilled nursing facility residents' dining style preferences.

PubMed

Adams, Katy; Anderson, Janet B; Archuleta, Martha; Smith Kudin, Janette

2013-01-01

The desire of skilled nursing facilities to increase quality of service to meet changes in residents' expectations, improve marketability, and adhere to regulations warrant a new look at culture change and homelike dining as defined by residents in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The objectives of this study were to determine residents' home dining practices, to define residents' desired dining style practices in the SNF, and to determine the relationship between home dining practices and dining preferences in SNF. One hundred and four residents in three SNF in the central Texas area who met the cognition criteria and consumed facility-provided food were engaged in a standardized interview using the Resident Dining Style Preferences Survey. Data were analyzed to determine the degree to which home practices determine SNF dining preferences. Our findings showed that the majority of the participants want hot, home cooked meals served in the dining room. They want to be seated at the table with friends and neighbors and served on every day plates in a quiet atmosphere, with food served restaurant or table service style. Length of stay and generational group were not significant predictors of dining style preferences. Study limitations included small sample size and lack of ethnic diversity. Our study results show that removing dining time restrictions may be the most valuable adaptation for a SNF looking to initiate culture change.

Team Awareness, Problem Drinking, and Drinking Climate: Workplace Social Health Promotion in a Policy Context

PubMed Central

Bennett, Joel B.; Patterson, Camille R.; Reynolds, G. Shawn; Wiitala, Wyndy L.; Lehman, Wayne E. K.

2011-01-01

Purpose (1) To determine the effectiveness of classroom health promotion/prevention training designed to improve work climate and alcohol outcomes; (2) to assess whether such training contributes to improvements in problem drinking beyond standard workplace alcohol policies. Design A cross-sectional survey assessed employee problem drinking across three time periods. This was followed by a prevention intervention study; work groups were randomly assigned to an 8-hour training course in workplace social health promotion (Team Awareness), a 4-hour informational training course, or a control group. Surveys were administered 2 to 4 weeks before and after training and 6 months after posttest. Setting and Subjects Employees were surveyed from work departments in a large municipality of 3000 workers at three points in time (year, sample, and response rates are shown): (1) 1992, n = 1081, 95%; (2) 1995, n = 856, 97%; and (3) 1999, n = 587, 73%. Employees in the 1999 survey were recruited from safety-sensitive departments and were randomly assigned to receive the psychosocial (n = 201), informational (n = 192), or control (n = 194) condition. Intervention The psychosocial program (Team Awareness) provided skills training in peer referral, team building, and stress management. Informational training used a didactic review of policy, employee assistance, and drug testing. Measures Self-reports measured alcohol use (frequency, drunkenness, hangovers, and problems) and work drinking climate (enabling, responsiveness, drinking norms, stigma, and drink with coworkers). Results Employees receiving Team Awareness reduced problem drinking from 20% to 11% and working with or missing work because of a hangover from 16% to 6%. Information-trained workers also reduced problem drinking from 18% to 10%. These rates of change contrast with changes in problem drinking seen from 1992 (24%) to 1999 (17%). Team Awareness improvements differed significantly from control subjects, which showed no change at 13%. Employees receiving Team Awareness also showed significant improvements in drinking climate. For example, scores on the measure of coworker enabling decreased from pretest (mean = 2.19) to posttest (mean = 2.05) and follow up (mean = 1.94). Posttest measures of drinking climate also predicted alcohol outcomes at 6 months. Conclusion Employers should consider the use of prevention programming as an enhancement to standard drug-free workplace efforts. Team Awareness training targets work group social health, aligns with employee assistance efforts, and contributes to reductions in problem drinking. PMID:15559710

Team awareness, problem drinking, and drinking climate: workplace social health promotion in a policy context.

PubMed

Bennett, Joel B; Patterson, Camille R; Reynolds, G Shawn; Wiitala, Wyndy L; Lehman, Wayne E K

2004-01-01

(1) To determine the effectiveness of classroom health promotion/prevention training designed to improve work climate and alcohol outcomes; (2) to assess whether such training contributes to improvements in problem drinking beyond standard workplace alcohol policies. A cross-sectional survey assessed employee problem drinking across three time periods. This was followed by a prevention intervention study; work groups were randomly assigned to an 8-hour training course in workplace social health promotion (Team Awareness), a 4-hour informational training course, or a control group. Surveys were administered 2 to 4 weeks before and after training and 6 months after posttest. Employees were surveyed from work departments in a large municipality of 3000 workers at three points in time (year, sample, and response rates are shown): (1) 1992, n = 1081, 95%; (2) 1995, n = 856, 97%; and (3) 1999, n = 587, 73%. Employees in the 1999 survey were recruited from safety-sensitive departments and were randomly assigned to receive the psychosocial (n = 201), informational (n = 192), or control (n = 194) condition. The psychosocial program (Team Awareness) provided skills training in peer referral, team building, and stress management. Informational training used a didactic review of policy, employee assistance, and drug testing. Self-reports measured alcohol use (frequency, drunkenness, hangovers, and problems) and work drinking climate (enabling, responsiveness, drinking norms, stigma, and drink with co-workers). Employees receiving Team Awareness reduced problem drinking from 20% to 11% and working with or missing work because of a hangover from 16% to 6%. Information-trained workers also reduced problem drinking from 18% to 10%. These rates of change contrast with changes in problem drinking seen from 1992 (24%) to 1999 (17%). Team Awareness improvements differed significantly from control subjects, which showed no change at 13%. Employees receiving Team Awareness also showed significant improvements in drinking climate. For example, scores on the measure of coworker enabling decreased from pretest (mean = 2.19) to posttest (mean = 2.05) and follow up (mean = 1.94). Posttest measures of drinking climate also predicted alcohol outcomes at 6 months. Employers should consider the use of prevention programming as an enhancement to standard drug-free workplace efforts. Team Awareness training targets work group social health, aligns with employee assistance efforts, and contributes to reductions in problem drinking.

Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand

PubMed Central

Jiraporncharoen, Wichuda; Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Chockjamsai, Manoch; Deesomchok, Athavudh; Euathrongchit, Juntima

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the associations between learning styles and high academic achievement and to ascertain whether the factors associated with high academic achievement differed between preclinical and clinical students. Methods: A survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The Index of Learning Styles questionnaire was used to assess each student’s learning style across four domains. High academic achievement was defined as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Results: Of the 1,248 eligible medical students, 1,014 (81.3%) participated. Learning styles differed between the preclinical and clinical students in the active/reflective domain. A sequential learning style was associated with high academic achievement in both preclinical and clinical students. A reflective learning style was only associated with high academic achievement among preclinical students. Conclusion: The association between learning styles and academic achievement may have differed between preclinical and clinical students due to different learning content and teaching methods. Students should be encouraged to be flexible in their own learning styles in order to engage successfully with various and changing teaching methods across the curriculum. Instructors should be also encouraged to provide a variety of teaching materials and resources to suit different learning styles. PMID:26165948

Top management leadership style and quality of care in nursing homes.

PubMed

Castle, Nicholas G; Decker, Frederic H

2011-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) leadership style and Director of Nursing (DON) leadership style with quality of care. Leaders were categorized into 4 groups: consensus managers, consultative autocrats, shareholder managers, or autocrats. This leadership style assessment came from primary data collected from approximately 4,000 NHAs and DONs that was linked to quality information (i.e., Nursing Home Compare Quality Measures and 5-Star rating scores) and nursing home information (i.e., Online Survey, Certification, And Reporting data). A consensus manager leadership style has a strong association with better quality. Top managers using this style solicit and act upon input from their employees. For NHAs exhibiting this leadership style, the coefficients on 5 of the 7 quality indicators are statistically significant, and all 7 are significant when the DON exhibits this style. When the NHA and DON both have a consensus manager leadership style, 6 of the 7 quality indicator coefficients are significantly associated with better quality. The findings indicate that NHA and DON leadership style is associated with quality of care. Leadership strategies are amenable to change; thus, the findings of this study may be used to develop policies for promoting more effective leadership in nursing homes.

Cross-Lagged Associations Between Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms and Negative Cognitive Style: The Role of Negative Life Events.

PubMed

Kindt, Karlijn C M; Kleinjan, Marloes; Janssens, Jan M A M; Scholte, Ron H J

2015-11-01

Previous research has established that cognitive theory-based depression prevention programs aiming change in negative cognitive style in early adolescents do not have strong effects in universal settings. Although theories suggest that a negative cognitive style precedes depressive symptoms, empirical findings are mixed. We hypothesized that negative cognitive style may not predict depressive symptoms in adolescents with normative depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms, negative cognitive style and dependent negative life events were assessed in young adolescents (N = 1343; mean age = 13.4 years, SD = 0.77; 52.3 % girls) at four time points over an 18-month period. Using a cross-lagged panel design, results revealed that depressive symptoms predicted a negative cognitive style but not vice versa. However, when including dependent negative life events as a variable, depressive symptoms did not prospect a negative cognitive style consistently. When dependent negative life events were used as a time-varying covariate, depressive symptoms and a negative cognitive style were not related. We concluded that negative cognitive style is not predictive of depressive symptoms in a community sample of young adolescents. Moreover, the findings suggest that longitudinal relationships between depressive symptoms and a negative cognitive style are not meaningful when dependent negative life events are not considered.

Cognitive Style as Environmentally Sensitive Individual Differences in Cognition: A Modern Synthesis and Applications in Education, Business, and Management.

PubMed

Kozhevnikov, Maria; Evans, Carol; Kosslyn, Stephen M

2014-05-01

The key aims of this article are to relate the construct of cognitive style to current theories in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and to outline a framework that integrates the findings on individual differences in cognition across different disciplines. First, we characterize cognitive style as patterns of adaptation to the external world that develop on the basis of innate predispositions, the interactions among which are shaped by changing environmental demands. Second, we show that research on cognitive style in psychology and cross-cultural neuroscience, on learning styles in education, and on decision-making styles in business and management all address the same phenomena. Third, we review cognitive-psychology and neuroscience research that supports the validity of the concept of cognitive style. Fourth, we show that various styles from disparate disciplines can be organized into a single taxonomy. This taxonomy allows us to integrate all the well-documented cognitive, learning, and decision-making styles; all of these style types correspond to adaptive systems that draw on different levels of information processing. Finally, we discuss how the proposed approach might promote greater coherence in research and application in education, in business and management, and in other disciplines. © The Author(s) 2014.

Using Parental Profiles to Predict Membership in a Subset of College Students Experiencing Excessive Alcohol Consequences: Findings From a Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Varvil-Weld, Lindsey; Mallett, Kimberly A.; Turrisi, Rob; Abar, Caitlin C.

2012-01-01

Objective: Previous research identified a high-risk subset of college students experiencing a disproportionate number of alcohol-related consequences at the end of their first year. With the goal of identifying pre-college predictors of membership in this high-risk subset, the present study used a prospective design to identify latent profiles of student-reported maternal and paternal parenting styles and alcohol-specific behaviors and to determine whether these profiles were associated with membership in the high-risk consequences subset. Method: A sample of randomly selected 370 incoming first-year students at a large public university reported on their mothers’ and fathers’ communication quality, monitoring, approval of alcohol use, and modeling of drinking behaviors and on consequences experienced across the first year of college. Results: Students in the high-risk subset comprised 15.5% of the sample but accounted for almost half (46.6%) of the total consequences reported by the entire sample. Latent profile analyses identified four parental profiles: positive pro-alcohol, positive anti-alcohol, negative mother, and negative father. Logistic regression analyses revealed that students in the negative-father profile were at greatest odds of being in the high-risk consequences subset at a follow-up assessment 1 year later, even after drinking at baseline was controlled for. Students in the positive pro-alcohol profile also were at increased odds of being in the high-risk subset, although this association was attenuated after baseline drinking was controlled for. Conclusions: These findings have important implications for the improvement of existing parent- and individual-based college student drinking interventions designed to reduce alcohol-related consequences. PMID:22456248

The relationship between health-related knowledge and sugar-sweetened beverage intake among US adults.

PubMed

Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen; Sherry, Bettylou; Blanck, Heidi M

2014-07-01

Because there is limited information on associations between health-related knowledge and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake, our cross-sectional study examined this question using the 2010 HealthStyles Survey data for 3,926 adults (aged ≥18 years). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs for drinking SSBs ≥2 times per day. About 31% of adults consumed SSBs ≥1 time per day, with 20% doing so ≥2 times per day. About eight of 10 adults agreed that drinking SSBs can contribute to weight gain, yet, eight of 10 adults in this study did not know the actual kilocalorie content of a 24-oz fountain soda. After controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, annual household income, and geographic region, the odds for drinking SSBs ≥2 times per day were significantly higher among adults who neither agreed nor disagreed (ie, were neutral) that drinking SSBs can contribute to weight gain (odds ratio 1.61, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.25 vs agree); however, knowledge about the energy content of regular soda was not associated with SSB intake. Our finding that knowledge about the adverse effects of SSB intake is significantly associated with SSB intake among adults suggests that health education regarding the potential contribution of excess energy intake from SSBs to weight gain could contribute to lowered consumption and lower rates of obesity. Although knowledge about the kilocalorie content of regular soda was unrelated to SSB intake, health education on the kilocalorie content of SSBs may still be beneficial because most adults did not know the actual kilocalorie content of SSBs. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore associations between knowledge about energy provided by SSBs and SSB intake. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Relationship between Health-Related Knowledge and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake among US Adults

PubMed Central

Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen; Sherry, Bettylou; Blanck, Heidi M.

2015-01-01

Because there is limited information on associations between health-related knowledge and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake, our cross-sectional study examined this question using the 2010 HealthStyles Survey data for 3,926 adults (aged ≥18 years). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs for drinking SSBs ≥2 times per day. About 31% of adults consumed SSBs ≥1 time per day, with 20% doing so ≥2 times per day. About eight of 10 adults agreed that drinking SSBs can contribute to weight gain, yet, eight of 10 adults in this study did not know the actual kilocalorie content of a 24-oz fountain soda. After controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, annual household income, and geographic region, the odds for drinking SSBs ≥2 times per day were significantly higher among adults who neither agreed nor disagreed (ie, were neutral) that drinking SSBs can contribute to weight gain (odds ratio 1.61, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.25 vs agree); however, knowledge about the energy content of regular soda was not associated with SSB intake. Our finding that knowledge about the adverse effects of SSB intake is significantly associated with SSB intake among adults suggests that health education regarding the potential contribution of excess energy intake from SSBs to weight gain could contribute to lowered consumption and lower rates of obesity. Although knowledge about the kilocalorie content of regular soda was unrelated to SSB intake, health education on the kilocalorie content of SSBs may still be beneficial because most adults did not know the actual kilocalorie content of SSBs. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore associations between knowledge about energy provided by SSBs and SSB intake. PMID:24360502

Using parental profiles to predict membership in a subset of college students experiencing excessive alcohol consequences: findings from a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Varvil-Weld, Lindsey; Mallett, Kimberly A; Turrisi, Rob; Abar, Caitlin C

2012-05-01

Previous research identified a high-risk subset of college students experiencing a disproportionate number of alcohol-related consequences at the end of their first year. With the goal of identifying pre-college predictors of membership in this high-risk subset, the present study used a prospective design to identify latent profiles of student-reported maternal and paternal parenting styles and alcohol-specific behaviors and to determine whether these profiles were associated with membership in the high-risk consequences subset. A sample of randomly selected 370 incoming first-year students at a large public university reported on their mothers' and fathers' communication quality, monitoring, approval of alcohol use, and modeling of drinking behaviors and on consequences experienced across the first year of college. Students in the high-risk subset comprised 15.5% of the sample but accounted for almost half (46.6%) of the total consequences reported by the entire sample. Latent profile analyses identified four parental profiles: positive pro-alcohol, positive anti-alcohol, negative mother, and negative father. Logistic regression analyses revealed that students in the negative-father profile were at greatest odds of being in the high-risk consequences subset at a follow-up assessment 1 year later, even after drinking at baseline was controlled for. Students in the positive pro-alcohol profile also were at increased odds of being in the high-risk subset, although this association was attenuated after baseline drinking was controlled for. These findings have important implications for the improvement of existing parent- and individual-based college student drinking interventions designed to reduce alcohol-related consequences.

Parental Restriction of Mature-rated Media and Its Association with Substance Use among Argentinian Adolescents

PubMed Central

Mejia, Raul; Pérez, Adriana; Peña, Lorena; Morello, Paola; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Braun, Sandra; Thrashe, James F.; Sargent, James D.

2016-01-01

Objective To assess the independent relation between parental restrictions on mature-rated media (M-RM) and substance use among South American adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional school-based youth survey of n=3,172 students (mean age 12.8 years; 57.6% boys) in three large Argentinian cities. The anonymous survey queried tobacco, alcohol, and drug use using items adapted from global youth surveys. Adolescents reported M-RM restriction for internet and videogames use, television programming and movies rated for adults. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between parental M-RM restriction and substance use after adjusting for hourly media use, measures of authoritative parenting style, sociodemographics, and sensation seeking. Results Substance use rates were 10% for current smoking, 32% for current drinking alcohol, 17% for past 30-day binge drinking, and 8% for illicit drug use (marijuana or cocaine). Half of respondents reported parental M-RM restriction (internet 52%, TV 43%, adult movies 34%, videogame 25%). Parental M-RM restriction was only modestly correlated with authoritative parenting measures. In multivariate analyses M-RM restriction on all four venues was strongly protective for all substance use outcomes. Compared with no restriction, odds ratios for substance use for full restrictions were 0.32 (0.18–0.59), 0.53 (0.38–0.07), 0.36 (0.22–0.59), and 0.49 (0.26–0.92) for current smoking, drinking, binge drinking, and illicit drug use respectively. The most important single M-RM venue was movies. Conclusion This study confirms the protective association between parental M-RM restriction during adolescence and multiple substance use outcomes, including illicit drugs. M-RM restriction is independent of traditional parenting measures. The preponderance of the evidence supports intervention development. PMID:26615087

Body Weight, Serum Sodium Levels, and Renal Function in an Ultra-Distance Mountain Run.

PubMed

Scotney, Bianca; Reid, Steve

2015-07-01

To determine body weight and serum [Na] changes in runners completing an 85-km mountain run, particularly with reference to their "in-race" hydration protocols. Prospective observational cohort study. Cradle Mountain Run, Tasmania, Australia, February 2011. Forty-four runners (86% of starters) prospectively enrolled, with 41 runners (80% of starters) eligible for inclusion in final data set. Body weight change, serum sodium concentration change, and hydration plan (according to thirst vs preplanned fluid consumption). There was 1 case of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) [postrace [Na], 132 mmol/L]. This runner was asymptomatic. There was a strongly significant correlation between the change in serum [Na] and body weight change during the race. There was a significant inverse correlation between serum [Na] and volume of fluid consumed. Change of serum [Na] was not correlated with the proportion of water versus electrolyte drink consumed. Runners drinking to thirst consumed significantly lower average fluid volumes and had higher postrace serum [Na] than those complying with a preplanned hydration protocol (142 mmol/L vs 139 mmol/L). More experienced runners tended to drink to thirst. There was a 2% incidence of EAH in this study. Serum [Na] change during an 85-km mountain run was inversely correlated with the volume of fluid consumed. The results provide further evidence that EAH is a dilutional hyponatremia caused by excessive consumption of hypotonic fluids. Drinking to thirst represents a safe hydration strategy for runners in a wilderness environment. Drinking to thirst during endurance running events should be promoted as a safe hydration practice.

Seismicity associated with dome growth and collapse at the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, A.D.; Stewart, R.C.; White, R.A.; Luckett, R.; Baptie, B.J.; Aspinall, W.P.; Latchman, J.L.; Lynch, L.L.; Voight, B.

1998-01-01

Varied seismicity has accompanied growth and collapse of the lava dome of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Earthquakes have been classified as either volcano-tectonic, long-period or hybrid, and daily variations in the numbers of events have mapped changes in the style of eruption. Repetitive hybrid earthquakes were common during the first months of dome growth. In July 1996 the style of seismicity changed and regular short-lived hybrid earthquake swarms became common. This change was probably caused by an increase in the magma flux. Earthquake swarms have preceded almost all major dome collapses, and have accompanied cyclical deformation, thought to be due to a built-up of pressure in the upper conduit which is later released by magma moving into the dome.Varied seismicity has accompanied growth and collapse of the lava dome of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Earthquakes have been classified as either volcano-tectonic, long-period or hybrid, and daily variations in the numbers of events have mapped changes in the style of eruption. Repetitive hybrid earthquakes were common during the first months of dome growth. In July 1996 the style of seismicity changed and regular, short-lived hybrid earthquake swarms became common. This change was probably caused by an increase in the magma flux. Earthquake swarms have preceded almost all major dome collapses, and have accompanied cyclical deformation, thought to be due to a build-up of pressure in the upper conduit which is later released by magma moving into the dome.

A Systems Approach to Manage Drinking Water Quality ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Drinking water supplies can be vulnerable to impacts from short-term weather events, long-term changes in land-use and climate, and water quality controls in treatment and distribution. Disinfection by-product (DBP) formation in drinking water is a prominent example to illustrate the water supply vulnerability and examine technological options in adaptation. Total organic carbon (TOC) in surface water can vary significantly due to changes or a combination of changes in watershed land use, climate variability, and extreme meteorological events (e.g., hurricanes). On the other hand, water demand is known to vary temporarily and spatially leading to changes in water ages and hence DBP formation potential. Typically a drinking water facility is designed to operate within a projected range of influent water quality and water demand. When the variations exceed the design range, water supply becomes vulnerable in the compliance to Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Stage-II disinfection by-product (DBP) rules. This paper describes a framework of systems-level modeling, monitoring and control in adaptive planning and system operation. The framework, built upon the integration of model projections, adaptive monitoring and systems control, has three primary functions. Its advantages and limitations will be discussed with the application examples in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA) and Las Vegas (Nevada, USA). At a conceptual level, an integrated land use and hydrological model

Can Soft Drink Taxes Reduce Population Weight?

PubMed

Fletcher, Jason M; Frisvold, David; Tefft, Nathan

2010-01-01

Soft drink consumption has been hypothesized as one of the major factors in the growing rates of obesity in the US. Nearly two-thirds of all states currently tax soft drinks using excise taxes, sales taxes, or special exemptions to food exemptions from sales taxes to reduce consumption of this product, raise revenue, and improve public health. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of changes in state soft drink taxes on body mass index (BMI), obesity, and overweight. Our results suggest that soft drink taxes influence BMI, but that the impact is small in magnitude.

Are nondrinkers missing from the picture?

PubMed

Bakke, Øystein

2015-03-01

WHO statistics indicate that half the world's population does not drink alcohol. With a Western outlook this fact is often overlooked. The article explores the global drinking patterns focusing on non-drinking and the global forces that contribute towards change. The large segment of non-drinking population is beneficial for public health but it is also seen as a great potential for the international alcoholic beverage industry. The forces of globalization towards conformity and a global mono-culture deprived of cultural diversity also affects non-drinking populations, to the detriment of public health.

Family Social Environment and Parenting Predictors of Alcohol Use among Adolescents in Lithuania.

PubMed

Šumskas, Linas; Zaborskis, Apolinaras

2017-09-08

The role of the family as the social environment in shaping adolescent lifestyle has recently received substantial attention. This study was focused on investigating the association between familial and parenting predictors and alcohol use in school-aged children. Adolescents aged 13- and 15-year from a representative sample (N = 3715) of schools in Lithuania were surveyed during the spring of 2014. The methodology of the cross-national Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study was applied. HBSC international questionnaires were completed in the classroom anonymously for obtaining information about drinking of alcoholic beverages and family characteristics-family's affluence and structure, style of communication in the family, parenting style, parental monitoring, family time together, etc. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied for assessment of the association between familial variables and weekly alcohol use. Analysis has demonstrated that adolescents from non-intact families tended to show significantly higher risk of being weekly drinkers (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.30-2.19). The following parenting factors were associated with weekly use of alcohol: father's and mother's low monitoring, father's authoritarian-repressive and mother's permissive-neglectful parenting style. Frequent family time together and frequent electronic media communication with parents showed an inverse negative effect than was predicted. The study suggests that alcohol misuse among adolescents could be associated with a non-intact family structure as well as with complex family and parenting determinants which should be investigated more thoroughly by further studies.

Family Social Environment and Parenting Predictors of Alcohol Use among Adolescents in Lithuania

PubMed Central

Šumskas, Linas; Zaborskis, Apolinaras

2017-01-01

The role of the family as the social environment in shaping adolescent lifestyle has recently received substantial attention. This study was focused on investigating the association between familial and parenting predictors and alcohol use in school-aged children. Adolescents aged 13- and 15-year from a representative sample (N = 3715) of schools in Lithuania were surveyed during the spring of 2014. The methodology of the cross-national Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study was applied. HBSC international questionnaires were completed in the classroom anonymously for obtaining information about drinking of alcoholic beverages and family characteristics—family’s affluence and structure, style of communication in the family, parenting style, parental monitoring, family time together, etc. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied for assessment of the association between familial variables and weekly alcohol use. Analysis has demonstrated that adolescents from non-intact families tended to show significantly higher risk of being weekly drinkers (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.30–2.19). The following parenting factors were associated with weekly use of alcohol: father’s and mother’s low monitoring, father’s authoritarian-repressive and mother’s permissive-neglectful parenting style. Frequent family time together and frequent electronic media communication with parents showed an inverse negative effect than was predicted. The study suggests that alcohol misuse among adolescents could be associated with a non-intact family structure as well as with complex family and parenting determinants which should be investigated more thoroughly by further studies. PMID:28885599

Drinking-Age Laws: An Evaluation Synthesis of Their Impact on Highway Safety. Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Committee on Public Works and Transportation, House of Representatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Program Evaluation and Methodology Div.

This study examined existing evaluations of drinking-age laws to determine the extent to which they provide empirical support for federal and state initiatives to change the legal drinking age. It specifically examined the effects that raising the minimum drinking age has had on traffic accidents, beverage alcohol consumption, driving after…

Alcohol and the economic crisis in Argentina: recent findings.

PubMed

Munné, Myriam I

2005-12-01

In 2002 Argentina participated in the GENACIS project (Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study) as one of the countries funded by the World Health Organization. Four questions about the current economic crisis in Argentina were added to the original GENACIS questionnaire in order to find out the opinions of the general population in relation to alcohol and the economic crisis. Gender differences in the answers to these questions were examined. Logistic regression was used to identify demographic, drinking pattern and drinking problems variables related significantly to responses to the economic crisis questions. During the economic crisis people stopped or reduced going to bars and instead drank at home or at friends' homes. A large number of respondents also reported that people had changed to cheaper or lower-quality alcoholic drinks. Women were more likely to agree with statements that the economic crisis had increased 'escape' drinking and required reductions in money spent on alcohol; men were more likely to agree that the crisis had led to less drinking in bars and to the purchase of cheaper or lower-quality alcoholic beverages. Respondents who reported having significant others with drinking-related problems were more likely to endorse all four statements about effects of the economic crisis on drinking behaviour. A qualitative approach was used to discuss themes in the general comments that were recorded by the interviewers while collecting data. A strongly moralistic attitude towards alcohol was present in these comments, especially among women. The findings suggest that the economic crisis in Argentina led to major changes in patterns of drinking that differed according to gender roles and other demographic variables. The long-term effects of these changes remain to be determined as economic circumstances improve.

Unintended consequences of cigarette price changes for alcohol drinking behaviors across age groups: evidence from pooled cross sections

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Raising prices through taxation on tobacco and alcohol products is a common strategy to raise revenues and reduce consumption. However, taxation policies are product specific, focusing either on alcohol or tobacco products. Several studies document interactions between the price of cigarettes and general alcohol use and it is important to know whether increased cigarette prices are associated with varying alcohol drinking patterns among different population groups. To inform policymaking, this study investigates the association of state cigarette prices with smoking, and current, binge, and heavy drinking by age group. Methods The 2001-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (n = 1,323,758) were pooled and analyzed using multiple regression equations to estimate changes in smoking and drinking pattern response to an increase in cigarette price, among adults aged 18 and older. For each outcome, a multiple linear probability model was estimated which incorporated terms interacting state cigarette price with age group. State and year fixed effects were included to control for potential unobserved state-level characteristics that might influence smoking and drinking. Results Increases in state cigarette prices were associated with increases in current drinking among persons aged 65 and older, and binge and heavy drinking among persons aged 21-29. Reductions in smoking were found among persons aged 30-64, drinking among those aged 18-20, and binge drinking among those aged 65 and older. Conclusions Increases in state cigarette prices may increase or decrease smoking and harmful drinking behaviors differentially by age. Adults aged 21-29 and 65 and older are more prone to increased drinking as a result of increased cigarette prices. Researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers should work together to understand and prepare for these unintended consequences of tobacco taxation policy. PMID:22784412

Unintended consequences of cigarette price changes for alcohol drinking behaviors across age groups: evidence from pooled cross sections.

PubMed

McLellan, Deborah L; Hodgkin, Dominic; Fagan, Pebbles; Reif, Sharon; Horgan, Constance M

2012-07-11

Raising prices through taxation on tobacco and alcohol products is a common strategy to raise revenues and reduce consumption. However, taxation policies are product specific, focusing either on alcohol or tobacco products. Several studies document interactions between the price of cigarettes and general alcohol use and it is important to know whether increased cigarette prices are associated with varying alcohol drinking patterns among different population groups. To inform policymaking, this study investigates the association of state cigarette prices with smoking, and current, binge, and heavy drinking by age group. The 2001-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (n = 1,323,758) were pooled and analyzed using multiple regression equations to estimate changes in smoking and drinking pattern response to an increase in cigarette price, among adults aged 18 and older. For each outcome, a multiple linear probability model was estimated which incorporated terms interacting state cigarette price with age group. State and year fixed effects were included to control for potential unobserved state-level characteristics that might influence smoking and drinking. Increases in state cigarette prices were associated with increases in current drinking among persons aged 65 and older, and binge and heavy drinking among persons aged 21-29. Reductions in smoking were found among persons aged 30-64, drinking among those aged 18-20, and binge drinking among those aged 65 and older. Increases in state cigarette prices may increase or decrease smoking and harmful drinking behaviors differentially by age. Adults aged 21-29 and 65 and older are more prone to increased drinking as a result of increased cigarette prices. Researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers should work together to understand and prepare for these unintended consequences of tobacco taxation policy.

Electrical Signals in Prayer Plants (Marantaceae)? Insights into the Trigger Mechanism of the Explosive Style Movement

PubMed Central

Jerominek, Markus; Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine

2015-01-01

The explosive pollination mechanism of the prayer plants (Marantaceae) is unique among plants. After a tactile stimulus by a pollinator, the style curls up rapidly and mediates pollen exchange. It is still under discussion whether this explosive movement is released electrophysiologically, i.e. by a change in the membrane potential (as in Venus flytrap), or purely mechanically. In the present study, electrophysiological experiments are conducted to clarify the mechanism. Artificial release experiments (chemical and electrical) and electrophysiological measurements were conducted with two phylogenetically distant species, Goeppertia bachemiana (E. Morren) Borchs. & S. Suárez and Donax canniformis (G. Forst.) K. Schum. Electric responses recorded after style release by extracellular measurements are characterised as variation potentials due to their long repolarization phase and lack of self-perpetuation. In both species, chemical and electric stimulations do not release the style movement. It is concluded that the style movement in Marantaceae is released mechanically by relieving the tissue pressure. Accordingly, the variation potential is an effect of the movement and not its cause. The study exemplarily shows that fast movements in plants are not necessarily initiated by electric changes of the membrane as known from the Venus flytrap. PMID:25997015

Electrical signals in prayer plants (marantaceae)? Insights into the trigger mechanism of the explosive style movement.

PubMed

Jerominek, Markus; Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine

2015-01-01

The explosive pollination mechanism of the prayer plants (Marantaceae) is unique among plants. After a tactile stimulus by a pollinator, the style curls up rapidly and mediates pollen exchange. It is still under discussion whether this explosive movement is released electrophysiologically, i.e. by a change in the membrane potential (as in Venus flytrap), or purely mechanically. In the present study, electrophysiological experiments are conducted to clarify the mechanism. Artificial release experiments (chemical and electrical) and electrophysiological measurements were conducted with two phylogenetically distant species, Goeppertia bachemiana (E. Morren) Borchs. & S. Suárez and Donax canniformis (G. Forst.) K. Schum. Electric responses recorded after style release by extracellular measurements are characterised as variation potentials due to their long repolarization phase and lack of self-perpetuation. In both species, chemical and electric stimulations do not release the style movement. It is concluded that the style movement in Marantaceae is released mechanically by relieving the tissue pressure. Accordingly, the variation potential is an effect of the movement and not its cause. The study exemplarily shows that fast movements in plants are not necessarily initiated by electric changes of the membrane as known from the Venus flytrap.

On teaching styles of water educators and the impact of didactic training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathirana, A.; Koster, J. H.; de Jong, E.; Uhlenbrook, S.

2012-10-01

Solving today's complex hydrological problems requires originality, creative thinking and trans-disciplinary approaches. Hydrological education that was traditionally teacher centred, where the students look up to the teacher for expertise and information, should change to better prepare hydrologists to develop new knowledge and apply it in new contexts. An important first step towards this goal is to change the concept of education in the educators' minds. The results of an investigation to find out whether didactic training influences the beliefs of hydrology educators about their teaching styles is presented. Faculty of UNESCO-IHE has been offered a didactic certification program named university teaching qualification (UTQ). The hypothesis that UTQ training will significantly alter the teaching style of faculty at UNESCO-IHE from expert/formal authority traits towards facilitator/delegator traits was tested. A first survey was conducted among the entire teaching staff (total 101, response rate 58%). The results indicated that there are significantly higher traits of facilitator and delegator teaching styles among UTQ graduates compared to faculty who were not significantly trained in didactics. The second survey which was conducted among UTQ graduates (total 20, response rate 70%), enquiring after their teaching styles before and after UTQ, corroborated these findings.

On teaching styles of water educators and the impact of didactic training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathirana, A.; Koster, J. H.; de Jong, E.; Uhlenbrook, S.

2012-03-01

Solving today's complex hydrological problems requires originality, creative thinking and trans-disciplinary approaches. Hydrological education that was traditionally teacher centred, where the students look up to the teacher for expertise and information, should change to better prepare hydrologists to develop new knowledge and apply it in new contexts. An important first step towards this goal is to change the concept of education in the educators' minds. The results of an investigation to find out whether didactic training influences the beliefs of hydrology educators about their teaching styles is presented. Faculty of UNESCO-IHE has been offered a didactic certification program named University Teaching Qualification (UTQ). The hypothesis that UTQ training will significantly alter the teaching style of faculty at UNESCO-IHE from expert/formal authority traits towards facilitator/delegator traits was tested. A first survey was conducted among the entire teaching staff (total 101, response rate 58%). The results indicated that there are significantly higher traits of facilitator and delegator teaching styles among UTQ graduates compared to faculty who were not significantly trained in didactics. The second survey which was conducted among UTQ graduates (total 20, response rate 70%), enquiring after their teaching styles before and after UTQ, corroborated these findings.

Surgical resident learning styles have changed with work hours.

PubMed

Quillin, Ralph C; Cortez, Alexander R; Pritts, Timothy A; Hanseman, Dennis J; Edwards, Michael J; Davis, Bradley R

2016-01-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education instituted the 80-h workweek for residency programs in 2003. This presented a unique challenge for surgery residents who must acquire a medical and technical knowledge base during training. Therefore, learning should be delivered in an environment congruent with an individual's learning style. In this study, we evaluated the learning styles of general surgery residents to determine how learning styles changed after the implementation to the 80-h workweek. Kolb learning style inventory was taken by general surgery residents at the University of Cincinnati's Department of Surgery, and results from 1999-2012 were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared, logistic regression and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Significance was defined as a P value of <0.05. A total of 411 responses were obtained from 115 residents. Surgical residents were primarily converging (59.0%) and assimilating (19.1%) learners before 2003. However, there was a shift in predominate learning styles after the institution of the 80-h workweek to converging (43.9%) and accommodating (40.4%, P < 0.001). Surgical residents were also more likely to be team-based learners after the start of the 80-h workweek (odds ratio = 2.13, P = 0.0016). After the institution of the 80-h workweek, most general surgery residents remained action-based learners. However, there was a shift within this majority toward a preference for team-based learning. This change paralleled the transition to a more team-based approach to patient care with the implementation of the 80-h workweek. These findings are important for surgical educators to consider in the development of surgical resident curriculum. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reading the Writing in Radiology: 1923-2013.

PubMed

Scott, James A; Palmer, Edwin L; Connolly, Leonard P

2015-07-01

The style and tone of the writing in Radiology has changed over the years since its first publication in 1923. Many of the tonal changes have occurred transiently and likely in relation to political and professional issues in play at a particular time. Others represent more consistent trends in the evolution of the professional writing style. In this report, we analyze the tone of the editorial content from 1923 to 2013 in a historical context as well as progressive changes in readability parameters involving both editorial and technical content.

A Systems Approach to Manage Drinking Water Quality through Integrated Model Projections, Adaptive Monitoring and Process Optimization - abstract

EPA Science Inventory

Drinking water supplies can be vulnerable to impacts from short-term weather events, long-term changes in land-use and climate, and water quality controls in treatment and distribution. Disinfection by-product (DBP) formation in drinking water is a prominent example to illustrate...

A Systems Approach to Manage Drinking Water Quality through Integrated Model Projections, Adaptive Monitoring and Process Optimization

EPA Science Inventory

Drinking water supplies can be vulnerable to impacts from short-term weather events, long-term changes in land-use and climate, and water quality controls in treatment and distribution. Disinfection by-product (DBP) formation in drinking water is a prominent example to illustrate...

75 FR 54871 - National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-09

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9198-8] National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate... final in-person meeting of the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Working Group of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC). The purpose of this meeting is to review and discuss final changes...

Alcohol Alert. No. 58. Changing the Culture of Campus Drinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kington, Raynard

2002-01-01

Drinking on college campuses is more pervasive and destructive than many people realize. The extent of the problem was recently highlighted by an extensive 3-year investigation by the Task Force on College Drinking, commissioned by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The Task Force reports that alcohol consumption is…

Learning about Drinking Water: How Important Are the Three Dimensions of Knowledge That Can Change Individual Behavior?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fremerey, Christian; Bogner, Franz X.

2014-01-01

Clean drinking water, our most important resource, needs comprehensive protection. Due to its ubiquitous availability, the awareness of the importance of clean drinking water has partially vanished. Therefore, sensitizing within this context and improving individual ecological behavior has become an important issue in science curricula. We…

Drinking Water Disinfection By-Product Rules and Climate Change Effects - A Glimpse of Current and Future Trends

EPA Science Inventory

"Drinking water quality at the consumer's tap is the center piece of U.S. drinking water regulations to protect people's health. Recently promulgated Stage II DBP rules are an example, which requires a system approach in a multi-barrier strategy for compliance and risk managemen...

Optimization of Driving Styles for Fuel Economy Improvement

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

Malikopoulos, Andreas; Aguilar, Juan P.

2012-01-01

Modern vehicles have sophisticated electronic control units, particularly to control engine operation with respect to a balance between fuel economy, emissions, and power. These control units are designed for specific driving conditions and testing. However, each individual driving style is different and rarely meets those driving conditions. In the research reported here we investigate those driving style factors that have a major impact on fuel economy. An optimization framework is proposed with the aim of optimizing driving styles with respect to these driving factors. A set of polynomial metamodels are constructed to reflect the responses produced by changes of themore » driving factors. Then we compare the optimized driving styles to the original ones and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the optimization formulation.« less

Cognitive styles in creative leadership practices: exploring the relationship between level and style.

PubMed

Isaksen, Scott G; Babij, Barbara J; Lauer, Kenneth J

2003-12-01

This study investigated the relationship between two measures used to assist change and transformation efforts, the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory which assesses style or manner of cognition and problem-solving, not level or capability, and the Leadership Practices Inventory which measures the extent to which leaders exhibit certain leadership behaviors associated with accomplishing extraordinary results. These two measures of level and style should be conceptually distinct and show no or only modest correlation. Analysis yielded statistically significant and meaningful relationships between scores on the Kirton inventory and two scales of the Leadership Practices Inventory. Implications and challenges for research and practice were outlined.

Evaluation of the erosive potential of soft drinks.

PubMed

de Carvalho Sales-Peres, Sílvia Helena; Magalhães, Ana Carolina; de Andrade Moreira Machado, Maria Aparecida; Buzalaf, Marília Afonso Rabelo

2007-01-01

This in vitro study evaluated the capability of different soft drinks (Coca-Cola(R)-C, Coca-Cola Light(R)-CL, Guaraná(R)-G, Pepsi Twist(R)-P and Sprite Light(R)-SL) to erode dental enamel, relating the percentage of superficial microhardness change (%SMHC) to concentrations of fluoride and phosphate, buffering capacity and pH of these drinks. The soft drinks were evaluated in respect to concentration of phosphate and fluoride spectrophotometrically using Fiske, Subarrow method and by specific electrode (Orion 9609), respectively. The pH and the buffering capacity were determined by glass electrode and by estimating of the volume of NaOH necessary to change the pH of the drink in one unit, respectively. One hundred specimens of bovine enamel were randomly assigned to 5 groups of 20 each. They were exposed to 4 cycles of demineralisation in the beverage and remineralisation in artificial saliva. The softening of enamel was evaluated by %SMHC. The mean %SMHC was: C=77.27%, CL= 72.45%, SL=78.43%, G=66.65% and P=67.95%. Comparing the %SMHC promoted by 5 soft drinks, SL = C > CL > P = G (P<.05). There was not significant correlation between %SMHC and the other variables tested for the five drinks (P>.05). The five soft drinks caused surface softening of enamel (erosion). In respect to the chemical variables tested, despite not statistically significant, the pH seems to have more influence on the erosive potential of these drinks. (Eur J Dent 2007;1:10-13).

Energy Drinks: A Contemporary Issues Paper.

PubMed

Higgins, John P; Babu, Kavita; Deuster, Patricia A; Shearer, Jane

2018-02-01

Since their introduction in 1987, energy drinks have become increasingly popular and the energy drink market has grown at record pace into a multibillion-dollar global industry. Young people, students, office workers, athletes, weekend warriors, and service members frequently consume energy drinks. Both health care providers and consumers must recognize the difference between energy drinks, traditional beverages (e.g., coffee, tea, soft drinks/sodas, juices, or flavored water), and sports drinks. The research about energy drinks safety and efficacy is often contradictory, given the disparate protocols and types of products consumed: this makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Also, much of the available literature is industry-sponsored. After reports of adverse events associated with energy drink consumption, concerns including trouble sleeping, anxiety, cardiovascular events, seizures, and even death, have been raised about their safety. This article will focus on energy drinks, their ingredients, side effects associated with their consumption, and suggested recommendations, which call for education, regulatory actions, changes in marketing, and additional research.

A longitudinal analysis of drinking motives moderating the negative affect-drinking association among college students.

PubMed

Armeli, Stephen; Conner, Tamlin S; Cullum, Jerry; Tennen, Howard

2010-03-01

We examined among college students (N = 530; 276 women) the moderating effects of avoidance (coping) and appetitive (social-enhancement) drinking motives on the within-person associations between anxious and depressive affect and drinking frequency and quantity. Once per year for up to 4 years participants completed standard measures of drinking motives and retrospective reports of affect and drinking in the previous month. In addition, each year they completed a 30-day daily diary of affect and drinking. Results from models examining both the retrospective and aggregate daily data indicated that individuals with high compared with low social-enhancement motives showed stronger positive associations among changes in monthly negative affect and drinking frequency. Weak evidence was found for the predicted moderating effects of coping motives, although some results indicated that its effects were contingent on levels of social-enhancement motives. Our findings suggest that appetitive drinking motives might play an integral role in stress- and negative-affect related drinking among college students.

Characterization of the time-dependent strain field at seismogenic depths using first-motion focal mechanisms: Observations of large-scale decadal variations in stress along the San Andrea fault system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sipkin, S.A.; Silver, P.G.

2003-01-01

We present a method for summing moment tensors derived from first-motion focal mechanisms to study temporal dependence in features of the subsurface regional strain field. Time-dependent processes are inferred by comparing mechanisms summed over differing time periods. We apply this methodology to seismogenic zones in central and southern California using focal mechanisms produced by the Northern and Southern California Seismograph Networks for events during 1980-1999. We find a consistent pattern in both the style of deformation (strike-slip versus compressional) and seismicity rate across the entire region. If these temporal variations are causally related, it suggests a temporal change in the regional-scale stress field. One change consistent with the observations is a rotation in the regional maximum horizontal compressive stress direction, followed by a reversal to the original direction. Depending upon the dominant style of deformation locally, this change in orientation of the regional stress will tend to either enhance or hinder deformation. The mode of enhanced deformation can range from increased microseismicity and creep to major earthquakes. We hypothesize that these temporal changes in the regional stress field are the result of subtle changes in apparent relative plate motion between the Pacific and North American plates, perhaps due to long-range postseismic stress diffusion. Others have hypothesized that small changes in plate motion over thousands of years, and/or over decades, are responsible for changes in the style of deformation in southern California. We propose that such changes, over the course of just a few years, also affect the style of deformation.

Perceived peer drinking norms and responsible drinking in UK university settings.

PubMed

Robinson, Eric; Jones, Andrew; Christiansen, Paul; Field, Matt

2014-09-01

Heavy drinking is common among students at UK universities. US students overestimate how much their peers drink and correcting this through the use of social norm messages may promote responsible drinking. We tested whether there is an association between perceived campus drinking norms and usual drinking behavior in UK university students and whether norm messages about responsible drinking correct normative misperceptions and increase students' intentions to drink responsibly. 1,020 UK university students took part in an online study. Participants were exposed to one of five message types: a descriptive norm, an injunctive norm, a descriptive and injunctive norm, or one of two control messages. Message credibility was assessed. Afterwards participants completed measures of intentions to drink responsibly and we measured usual drinking habits and perceptions of peer drinking. Perceptions of peer drinking were associated modestly with usual drinking behavior, whereby participants who believed other students drank responsibly also drank responsibly. Norm messages changed normative perceptions, but not in the target population of participants who underestimated responsible drinking in their peers at baseline. Norm messages did not increase intentions to drink responsibly and although based on accurate data, norm messages were not seen as credible. In this UK based study, although perceived social norms about peer drinking were associated with individual differences in drinking habits, campus wide norm messages about responsible drinking did not affect students' intentions to drink more responsibly. More research is required to determine if this approach can be applied to UK settings.

The effects of minimum legal drinking age 21 laws on alcohol-related driving in the United States.

PubMed

McCartt, Anne T; Hellinga, Laurie A; Kirley, Bevan B

2010-04-01

To examine trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related crashes among people younger than 21 in the United States and to review evidence on the effects of minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws. Trends in alcohol-related crashes and alcohol consumption among young people were examined, and studies on the effects of lowering and raising the drinking age were reviewed. MLDA laws underwent many changes during the 20th century in the United States. Since July 1988, the MLDA has been 21 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Surveys tracking alcohol consumption among high school students and young adults found that drinking declined since the late 1970 s, and most of the decline occurred by the early 1990 s. These were the years when states were establishing, or reinstating, a MLDA-21. Among fatally injured drivers ages 16-20, the percentage with positive BACs declined from 61% in 1982 to 31% in 1995, a bigger decline than for older age groups; declines occurred among the ages directly affected by raising MLDAs (ages 18-20) and among young teenagers not directly affected (ages 16-17). Almost all studies designed specifically to gauge the effects of drinking age changes show MLDAs of 21 reduce drinking, problematic drinking, drinking and driving, and alcohol-related crashes among young people. Yet many underage people still drink, many drink and drive, and alcohol remains an important risk factor in serious crashes of young drivers, especially as they progress through the teenage years. Stepped-up enforcement of MLDA and drinking and driving laws can reduce underage drinking. Recent efforts to lower MLDAs to 18 and issue licenses to drink upon completion of alcohol education have gained local and national media attention. There is no evidence that alcohol education can even partially replace the effect of MLDA-21. The cause and effect relationship between MLDAs of 21 and reductions in highway crashes is clear. Initiatives to lower the drinking age to 18 ignore the demonstrated public health benefits of MLDAs of 21. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will increase highway crash deaths among young people. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Leadership and Community Participation: Four Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Alison A.

1997-01-01

Reviews relevant literature on systemic change and community participation. Explores leadership styles of principals in four community-minded middle schools. Administrators should be aware of their individual leadership styles and their effects on others' behavior. Principals wishing to foster empowerment in schools should move toward a…

Assessing physician leadership styles: application of the situational leadership model to transitions in patient acuity.

PubMed

Skog, Alexander; Peyre, Sarah E; Pozner, Charles N; Thorndike, Mary; Hicks, Gloria; Dellaripa, Paul F

2012-01-01

The situational leadership model suggests that an effective leader adapts leadership style depending on the followers' level of competency. We assessed the applicability and reliability of the situational leadership model when observing residents in simulated hospital floor-based scenarios. Resident teams engaged in clinical simulated scenarios. Video recordings were divided into clips based on Emergency Severity Index v4 acuity scores. Situational leadership styles were identified in clips by two physicians. Interrater reliability was determined through descriptive statistical data analysis. There were 114 participants recorded in 20 sessions, and 109 clips were reviewed and scored. There was a high level of interrater reliability (weighted kappa r = .81) supporting situational leadership model's applicability to medical teams. A suggestive correlation was found between frequency of changes in leadership style and the ability to effectively lead a medical team. The situational leadership model represents a unique tool to assess medical leadership performance in the context of acuity changes.

An experimental study on the influence of water stagnation and temperature change on water quality in a full-scale domestic drinking water system.

PubMed

Zlatanović, Lj; van der Hoek, J P; Vreeburg, J H G

2017-10-15

The drinking water quality changes during the transport through distribution systems. Domestic drinking water systems (DDWSs), which include the plumbing between the water meter and consumer's taps, are the most critical points in which water quality may be affected. In distribution networks, the drinking water temperature and water residence time are regarded as indicators of the drinking water quality. This paper describes an experimental research on the influence of stagnation time and temperature change on drinking water quality in a full-scale DDWS. Two sets of stagnation experiments, during winter and summer months, with various stagnation intervals (up to 168 h of stagnation) were carried out. Water and biofilms were sampled at two different taps, a kitchen and a shower tap. Results from this study indicate that temperature and water stagnation affect both chemical and microbial quality in DDWSs, whereas microbial parameters in stagnant water appear to be driven by the temperature of fresh water. Biofilm formed in the shower pipe contained more total and intact cells than the kitchen pipe biofilm. Alphaproteobacteria were found to dominate in the shower biofilm (78% of all Proteobacteria), while in the kitchen tap biofilm Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were evenly distributed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

An ecobehavioral examination of a simple strategy for increasing mealtime language in residential facilities.

PubMed

VanBiervliet, A; Spangler, P F; Marshall, A M

1981-01-01

Typically in large residential facilities for retarded person, meals are served in an institutional style that does not appear to encourage appropriate peer interactions. An ecological program alternative is serving meals in a family style. The present study was designed to examine both the feasibility of serving family style meals and the effects of family style meal service on mealtime language. Five retarded young adult male residents, who had some conversational skills and appropriate table manners, participated in this study. The experimental design involved a multiple baseline analysis across meals (dinner, lunch, and breakfast). Observers coded the youths' mealtime verbalizations according to the type, content, and direction of the verbalizations and they recorded the length of the meals. The analysis of the verbalization data indicated that during family style meals the participants spoke substantially more often than during institutional style meals. Increases in peer-directed conversation about the meals primarily accounted for the verbalization changes. Family style serving also resulted in the youths spending more time with their meals. In addition, social validation measures suggested that the family style procedures were preferred by the consumers (participants, staff, and concerned community members).

Can Soft Drink Taxes Reduce Population Weight?

PubMed Central

Fletcher, Jason M.; Frisvold, David

2009-01-01

Soft drink consumption has been hypothesized as one of the major factors in the growing rates of obesity in the US. Nearly two-thirds of all states currently tax soft drinks using excise taxes, sales taxes, or special exemptions to food exemptions from sales taxes to reduce consumption of this product, raise revenue, and improve public health. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of changes in state soft drink taxes on body mass index (BMI), obesity, and overweight. Our results suggest that soft drink taxes influence BMI, but that the impact is small in magnitude. PMID:20657817

Cardiovascular Responses and Differential Changes in Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Following Repeated Episodes of Binge Drinking

PubMed Central

Gu, Lianzhi; Fink, Anne M.; Chowdhury, Shamim A.K.; Geenen, David L.; Piano, Mariann R.

2013-01-01

Aims: Excessive alcohol use in the form of binge drinking is associated with many adverse medical outcomes. Using an animal model, the primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of repeated episodes of binge drinking on myocardial structure, blood pressure (BP) and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). The effects of carvedilol, a beta-adrenergic blocker, were also examined in this animal model of binge drinking. Methods: Rats were randomized into three groups: control, binge and binge + carvedilol (20 mg/kg). Animals received intragastric administration of 5 g ethanol/kg in the morning × 4 days (Monday–Thursday) followed by no ethanol on Friday–Sunday. Animals were maintained on the protocol for 5 weeks. BP was measured using radiotelemetry methods. Animals underwent echocardiography at baseline, 2.5 and 5 weeks. Myocardial MAPKs were analyzed at 5 weeks using western blot techniques. Results: Over the course of 5 weeks, binge drinking was associated with significant transient increases in BP that were greater at 4 and 5 weeks compared with earlier time points. Carvedilol treatment significantly attenuated the binge-induced transient increases in BP at 4 and 5 weeks. No significant changes were found in echocardiographic parameters at any time period; however, binge drinking was associated with increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, which was blocked by carvedilol treatment. Conclusion: Repeated episodes of binge drinking result in progressive and transient increases in BP, no change in myocardial structure and differential regulation of MAPK activation. PMID:22878590

Athletic Training Clinical Instructors as Situational Leaders.

PubMed

Meyer, Linda Platt

2002-12-01

OBJECTIVE: To present Situational Leadership as a model that can be implemented by clinical instructors during clinical education. Effective leadership occurs when the leadership style is matched with the observed followers' characteristics. Effective leaders anticipate and assess change and adapt quickly and grow with the change, all while leading followers to do the same. As athletic training students' levels of readiness change, clinical instructors also need to transform their leadership styles and strategies to match the students' ever-changing observed needs in different situations. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL (1982-2002), MEDLINE (1990-2001), SPORT Discus (1949-2002), ERIC (1966-2002), and Internet Web sites were searched. Search terms included leadership, situational leadership, clinical instructors and leadership, teachers as leaders, and clinical education. DATA SYNTHESIS: Situational Leadership is presented as a leadership model to be used by clinical instructors while teaching and supervising athletic training students in the clinical setting. This model can be implemented to improve the clinical-education process. Situational leaders, eg, clinical instructors, must have the flexibility and range of skills to vary their leadership styles to match the challenges that occur while teaching athletic training students. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: This leadership style causes the leader to carry a substantial responsibility to lead while giving power away. Communication is one of the most important leadership skills to develop to become an effective leader. It is imperative for the future of the profession that certified athletic trainers continue to develop effective leadership skills to address the changing times in education and expectations of the athletic training profession.

Relationships between child-rearing styles and child behavior over time.

PubMed

Chamberlin, R W

1978-02-01

We investigate the hypothesis that "authoritarian" styles of child rearing will lead to more home and school problems than will "accommodative" styles. One hundred thirty-five children have been followed up from age 2 into first grade. Follow-up observations show no significant differences between groups on any of the scores indicating malfunctioning for boys or girls at home or school. However, the home behavior of boys being raised with accommodative styles was described in more positive terms by their mothers than those raised with authoritarian styles. The accommodatively raisded girls were described in more positive terms by their first grade teachers. We found no evidence in this study that the permissive style is producing large numbers of "spoiled brats" nor that the authoritarian styles are producing large numbers of overly aggressive or inhibited children. The way parents handle authority relationships is not sufficientyl predictive of later problems to warrant any widespread attempts by physicians to change them. The physician should respect individual differences in child-rearing syle and only intervene where there is substantial evidence that a particular approach is having a harmful effect.

Autonomy Support as an Interpersonal Motivating Style: Is It Teachable?

PubMed

Reeve

1998-07-01

Students benefit when teachers support their autonomy. Recognizing this, the present study examined the motivating styles of beginning preservice teachers by asking two questions: (1) Do personality characteristics orient preservice teachers toward either an autonomy-supportive or controlling motivating style? and (2) Is the autonomy-supportive style teachable to preservice teachers? Study 1, which addressed the first question, relied on self-determination theory to identify and confirm causality orientation as one personality characteristic related to motivating style. Study 2, which addressed the second question, randomly assigned preservice teachers to receive training in either autonomy-supportive, controlling, or neutral instructional strategies. Results showed that the autonomy-supportive style was teachable. Autonomy-oriented preservice teachers (as measured by causality orientation) assimilated the information rather easily, while control-oriented preservice teachers accommodated the information only in proportion to the extent that they perceived it to be highly plausible and classroom applicable. The discussion relies on self-determination theory and the conceptual change literature to recommend how teacher certification programs can assist teachers-in-training develop an autonomy-supportive motivating style. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

The Effect of Naval Academy Training on the Decision Styles of Individuals

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-05-22

researcher’s knowledge in the areas of decision styles, psychological theory, and brain wave analysis. Talks with Dr. Michael Driver of the - 5 University of...personality/motivational factors. 4. Analysis of Naval Academy training to determine what factors in it might cause a change in decision style. 5 ...sophomore year. The test was given to the First Regiment on 5 September 1974 and to the Second Regiment on 6 September 1974. The test was given in Room

iDriving (Intelligent Driving)

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

Malikopoulos, Andreas

2012-09-17

iDriving identifies the driving style factors that have a major impact on fuel economy. An optimization framework is used with the aim of optimizing a driving style with respect to these driving factors. A set of polynomial metamodels is constructed to reflect the responses produced in fuel economy by changing the driving factors. The optimization framework is used to develop a real-time feedback system, including visual instructions, to enable drivers to alter their driving styles in responses to actual driving conditions to improve fuel efficiency.

How to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Drinking Water System & Plumbing Products

EPA Science Inventory

The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act went into effect on January 4, 2014. The Act has reduced the lead content allowed in water system and plumbing products by changing the definition of lead free in Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) from not more than 8% ...

Are Drinking Habits Really Changing? A Cross-Generational Test of the "New" Phenomenon of "Binge-Drinking"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCoy, Sarah Louise; Nieland, Martin Nicholas Stephen

2011-01-01

Aims: To investigate whether "binge-drinking" is new by comparing the behaviour and attitudes of two generations at the same age and of one generation at different ages. Methods: Fifty-six student/parent pairs completed questionnaires partially based on the Adolescent version of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (Brown, S.A.,…

Update on the NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking Recommendations. Prevention Update

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention, 2010

2010-01-01

In 2002 the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) issued a groundbreaking report, "A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges." This report was developed by the NIAAA-supported Task Force on College Drinking after three years of intensive discussions. It described new understanding of dangerous…

Alcohol and the College Freshman: "Binge" Drinking and Associated Problems. A Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wechsler, Henry; Isaac, Nancy

This study concerning the continued heavy drinking rate among Massachusetts college students sought to: (1) determine the specific changes in college drinking since a similar study on the topic was done in 1977; (2) determine the types of problems experienced by heavy drinkers; and (3) search for factors which might account for the continuation of…

The Influence of Learning and Teaching Styles on Student Attitudes and Achievement in the Introductory Economics Course: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetzel, James N.; And Others

1982-01-01

Reports the results of a study that examined the influence of learning and teaching styles on changes in student achievement in economics and attitude toward economics among undergraduates enrolled in an introductory economics course. (AM)

Fine-Tuning Your Ensemble's Jazz Style.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Antonio J.

1991-01-01

Proposes instructional strategies for directors of jazz groups, including guidelines for developing of skills necessary for good performance. Includes effective methods for positive changes in ensemble style. Addresses jazz group problems such as beat, tempo, staying in tune, wind power, and solo/ensemble lines. Discusses percussionists, bassists,…

Implementing culture change in long-term dementia care settings.

PubMed

McGreevy, Jessica

2016-01-06

The approach to nursing in long-term care settings for people living with dementia continues to evolve from a traditional, task-oriented culture to one that is person-centred. Such change can be difficult to manage and may encounter considerable opposition; having an understanding of change management and leadership styles may help to make this transition easier. This article discusses the differences between task-oriented and person-centred care, theories of management, motivation and leadership styles, and focuses on those that are most appropriate for this type of change. An improved understanding of these theories will enable nurses to support others in the delivery of person-centred care.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association--5th edition: a review of additions and changes in style requirements.

PubMed

Russell, Cynthia L; Aud, Myra A

2002-01-01

The purpose of this article is to highlight the substantive changes and enhancements between the 4th edition and new 5th edition of the so that modifications and enhancements are more easily incorporated into the reader's writing and editing practice. The 4th and new 5th editions of the were compared and substantive changes are presented. The following text style requirements are addressed: (a) use of parentheses to enclose statistical values, (b) use of italics, and (c) presentation of statistical data. Reference citation style changes include: (a) use of italics instead of underlining, (b) use of et al., and (c) use of the hanging indent. With the explosion of electronic media use, guidelines for documenting these sources are reviewed. Appropriate use of adverbs and research subject descriptors, submission of manuscripts on disks or files, responsibilities of corresponding authors, and converting the dissertation into a journal article are addressed. This information should assist the reader to quickly and accurately focus upon the enhancements and changes in the recently released 5th edition. Hopefully these changes will easily be incorporated into the readers' editing responsibilities, manuscripts, and subsequent publications.

Extreme weather events: Should drinking water quality management systems adapt to changing risk profiles?

PubMed

Khan, Stuart J; Deere, Daniel; Leusch, Frederic D L; Humpage, Andrew; Jenkins, Madeleine; Cunliffe, David

2015-11-15

Among the most widely predicted and accepted consequences of global climate change are increases in both the frequency and severity of a variety of extreme weather events. Such weather events include heavy rainfall and floods, cyclones, droughts, heatwaves, extreme cold, and wildfires, each of which can potentially impact drinking water quality by affecting water catchments, storage reservoirs, the performance of water treatment processes or the integrity of distribution systems. Drinking water guidelines, such as the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and the World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, provide guidance for the safe management of drinking water. These documents present principles and strategies for managing risks that may be posed to drinking water quality. While these principles and strategies are applicable to all types of water quality risks, very little specific attention has been paid to the management of extreme weather events. We present a review of recent literature on water quality impacts of extreme weather events and consider practical opportunities for improved guidance for water managers. We conclude that there is a case for an enhanced focus on the management of water quality impacts from extreme weather events in future revisions of water quality guidance documents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of a fermented dairy probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei (DN-114 001) to decrease the rate of illness in kids: the DRINK study. A patient-oriented, double-blind, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.

PubMed

Merenstein, D; Murphy, M; Fokar, A; Hernandez, R K; Park, H; Nsouli, H; Sanders, M E; Davis, B A; Niborski, V; Tondu, F; Shara, N M

2010-07-01

To evaluate whether a fermented dairy drink containing the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 could reduce the incidence of common infectious diseases (CIDs) and the change of behavior because of illness in children. We conducted a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled allocation concealment clinical trial in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Participants were 638 children 3-6 years old in daycare/schools. The intervention was a fermented dairy drink containing a specific probiotic strain or matching placebo with no live cultures for 90 consecutive days. Two primary outcomes were assessed: incidence of CIDs and change of behavior because of illness (both assessed by parental report). The rate of change of behavior because of illness was similar among active and control groups. However, the incidence rate for CIDs in the active group (0.0782) is 19% lower than that of the control group (0.0986) (incidence rate ratio=0.81, 95% CI: 0.65, 099) P=0.046. Daily intake of a fermented dairy drink containing the probiotic strain L. casei DN-114 001 showed some promise in reducing overall incidence of illness, but was primarily driven by gastrointestinal infections and there were no differences in change of behavior.

Alcohol use among college students: responses to raising the purchase age.

PubMed

Davis, J E; Reynolds, N C

1990-05-01

On December 1, 1985, New York State raised its alcohol purchase age from 19 to 21. We used a quasi-experimental research design to explore the changes in alcohol use behaviors and attitudes of undergraduates at a large central New York university before and after this legislation was enacted. The overwhelming majority of this undergraduate population is under 21 years old and is thus affected by the new legislation. A comparison of data from the two survey times revealed that 90% of the undergraduates sampled continued to drink at least occasionally. Our analysis of drinking quantity showed a slight moderation in alcohol consumption overall, with the greatest changes occurring for the heaviest drinkers--men and members of Greek organizations. Even with apparent moderation in student drinking, reported negative consequences such as physical injuries were more common. A change in drinking location to less-controlled environments, such as private rooms and unmonitored parties, is offered as one possible explanation.

Orthodontic undergraduate education: developments in a modern curriculum.

PubMed

Chadwick, Stephen M; Bearn, David R; Jack, Alan C; O'Brien, Kevin D

2002-05-01

This paper explores some modern concepts of teaching and learning, including cognitive theory, the zone of proximal development, constructivism, andragogy and learning styles and describes how they have informed the development of an undergraduate orthodontic curriculum. The changes described include student-centred learning, guided self-learning, and the incorporation of problem-based learning concepts. The details of the problem-based learning programme are described together with results of student feedback on the change in teaching and learning style.

Anthropology and addiction: an historical review.

PubMed

Singer, Merrill

2012-10-01

This paper reviews the world anthropology of drugs and alcohol use literature, identifying key issues addressed by anthropologists, methods and theoretical models in use, trends in focus over time and future directions. Papers and books that comprise the literature were identified through computer search using the keywords: ethnography of drug use (and variants, e.g. drug ethnography, qualitative approaches in drug research), ethnography of drinking, anthropology and drug use, and anthropology and drinking. Search engines included Google Scholar, EBSCOHost, AnthroSource and PubMed. Identified sources were read and integrated into the review. The literature search identified a rich and growing literature on the anthropology of drinking and drug use. The research and published literature on the anthropology of drug use has grown and diversified since the 1970s, found acceptance in the wider multi-disciplinary domain of alcohol and drug studies and developed beyond the socio-cultural model to include life-style, critical medical anthropology and experiential explanatory models. Anthropological research has helped to shape the field of addiction science, e.g. ethnographic studies show that the lived worlds and self-identities of drug users have cultural order and socially constructed purpose and meaning, and experiential research shows that some addictions or aspects of addictions can be affirmative, creative and sustainable, at least at the individual level. The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome pandemic has significantly increased anthropological research on drug-related issues world-wide. © 2012 The Author, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Motivational interviewing with hazardous drinkers.

PubMed

Beckham, Nancy

2007-02-01

To test the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in a population of hazardous drinkers utilizing community health care centers in rural southeastern Idaho. This study targeted rural people at risk for alcohol dependence utilizing low-income community health care centers in rural southeastern Idaho. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to screen interested clients' alcohol use. Clients achieving an AUDIT score indicating hazardous alcohol use were recruited into the study and randomized into a control or treatment group. Twenty-six hazardous drinkers attending five low-income community health centers participated in the study. The experimental group participated in one motivational interviewing session with the investigator, a family nurse practitioner (NP). The comparison group received no treatment. Alcohol use was tracked for 6 weeks after successful recruitment into the program. Participants in the study significantly decreased their average number of drinks per day. At time 1 (pretreatment), the control group drank 4.37 drinks per day and the treatment group drank 4.65 drinks per day. At time 2 (posttest), the control group drank 3.77 drinks per day and the treatment group drank 1.95 drinks per day. The effects of the motivational interviewing treatment on hazardous drinking also were measured by serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), a liver function test. There was also a significant decrease in the GGT from pretest to posttest in the treatment group. The results of this investigation found that motivational interviewing shows promise as an effective intervention for hazardous drinkers attending low-income community clinics. Although other possible explanations could be postulated for the positive changes in sample participants, the data indicate that the motivational interviewing approach was responsible for a significant portion of the positive changes within the current sample. The information collected from the study adds to the literature on hazardous drinking, research, and treatment of this significant problem. Negotiating change in behavior is part of the practice of NPs. People struggling with alcohol use are more likely to encounter NPs, family doctors, or social workers than counselors specializing in alcohol treatment. Motivational interviewing is specifically designed for preparing people for change. Because most people resist being told what to do, that is, "you have to stop drinking," use of motivational interviewing principles can decrease resistance and optimize change. Additionally, identifying and intervening with hazardous drinking in a primary care setting can reduce healthcare costs and reduce the stigma of specialist care. Adding this valuable communication skill to the competencies of NPs is important to both clients and NPs.

Gender equality in university sportspeople's drinking.

PubMed

O'Brien, Kerry S; Hunter, Jackie; Kypri, Kypros; Ali, Ajmol

2008-11-01

In large population-based alcohol studies males are shown consistently to drink more, and more hazardously, than females. However, research from some countries suggests that gender differences in drinking are converging, with females drinking more than in the past. Large population-based research may miss gender-based changes in drinking behaviours that occur in sub-populations most at risk of hazardous drinking. We examine gender differences in a sub-population where hazardous drinking is common and endorsed, namely university sportspeople. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a drinking motives measure were used to assess hazardous drinking behaviours and drinking motives in 631 university sportspeople (females = 331, 52%). There were no gender differences in AUDIT scores. However, drinking motives differed between genders, with coping motives being a significant predictor of hazardous drinking in females but not males. Hazardous drinking, including binge drinking (46.3%) and frequent binge drinking (35%), in New Zealand university sportspeople is high for both males and females. New Zealand university sportspeople are one population where gender differences in drinking are not apparent and run counter to European population based research and research in US sporting populations. Gender role equality in the university systems, and endorsement of drinking in sporting culture, may account for the lack of gender differences in this New Zealand sporting population. Future research on gender differences in drinking should examine sub-populations where gender role differentiation is low, and socio-cultural/structural factors supporting gender equality are high.

Consuming untreated water in four southwestern Alaska Native communities: reasons revealed and recommendations for change.

PubMed

Ritter, Troy L; Lopez, Ellen D S; Goldberger, Rachel; Dobson, Jennifer; Hickel, Korie; Smith, Jeffrey; Johnson, Rhonda M; Bersamin, Andrea

2014-12-01

In this article, the authors provide the first in-depth account of why some Alaska Native people drink untreated water when treated water is available. Their qualitative research was conducted in four Alaska Native village communities that have treated water available from a centralized distribution point. Most respondents (n = 172; 82%) reported that some of their household's drinking water came from an untreated source. Motives for drinking untreated water emerged from analysis of open-ended questions about drinking water practice and could be categorized into six themes: chemicals, taste, health, access, tradition, and cost. Importantly, some residents reported consuming untreated water because they both liked untreated water and disliked treated water. As such, interventions to increase safe water consumption should address this dichotomy by providing education about the benefits of treated water alongside the risks involved with drinking untreated water. Based on the findings, the authors provide specific recommendations for developing behavior change interventions that address influences at multiple social-ecological levels.

A Social Norms Approach to Preventing Binge Drinking at Colleges and Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haines, Michael P.

This document describes an effort to change perceptions of social norms and examines the effect of this change on binge drinking and alcohol-related problems at Northern Illinois University (NIU). The first section of the report discusses the historical and theoretical basis for this approach to prevention. The next section describes a…

Effects of Awareness and Legal Drinking Age on Alcohol Knowledge, Consumption, and Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Gerardo M.

1991-01-01

Examined changes that occurred in alcohol consumption, alcohol knowledge, and alcohol-related problems among students attending major university between 1983 and 1988. Analyzed data from 353 questionnaires collected in 1983 and 254 in 1988. In spite of alcohol awareness program and change in state law raising drinking age to 21 in 1985, found no…

Changing Network Support for Drinking: Network Support Project 2-Year Follow-up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litt, Mark D.; Kadden, Ronald M.; Kabela-Cormier, Elise; Petry, Nancy M.

2009-01-01

The Network Support Project was designed to determine whether a treatment could lead patients to change their social network from one that supports drinking to one that supports sobriety. This study reports 2-year posttreatment outcomes. Alcohol-dependent men and women (N = 210) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 outpatient treatment conditions:…

The Contribution of Education and Public Information to Reducing Alcohol-Impaired Driving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Allan F.

Laws aimed at alcohol-impaired driving have been shown to change behavior in ways that reduce the problem. Alcohol education and public information programs, in contrast, rarely result in short-term behavior change. In part, this is because drinking, and combining drinking with driving, are lifestyle behaviors shaped and supported by many ongoing…

Evolution of regulatory targets for drinking water quality.

PubMed

Sinclair, Martha; O'Toole, Joanne; Gibney, Katherine; Leder, Karin

2015-06-01

The last century has been marked by major advances in the understanding of microbial disease risks from water supplies and significant changes in expectations of drinking water safety. The focus of drinking water quality regulation has moved progressively from simple prevention of detectable waterborne outbreaks towards adoption of health-based targets that aim to reduce infection and disease to a level well below detection limits at the community level. This review outlines the changes in understanding of community disease and waterborne risks that prompted development of these targets, and also describes their underlying assumptions and current context. Issues regarding the appropriateness of selected target values, and how continuing changes in knowledge and practice may influence their evolution, are also discussed.