Gender equality and childbirth in a health facility: Nigeria and MDG5.

PubMed

Singh, Kavita; Bloom, Shelah; Haney, Erica; Olorunsaiye, Comfort; Brodish, Paul

2012-09-01

This paper examined how addressing gender equality can lead to reductions in maternal mortality in Nigeria through an increased use of facility delivery. Because the majority of maternal complications cannot be predicted and often arise suddenly during labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period, childbirth in a health facility is key to reducing maternal mortality. This paper used data from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to examine associations of gender measures on the utilization of facility delivery after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Four gender equality measures were studied: household decision-making, financial decision-making, attitudes towards wife beating, and attitudes regarding a wife's ability to refuse sex. Results found older, more educated, wealthier, urban, and working women were more likely to have a facility delivery than their counterparts. In addition ethnicity was a significant variable indicating the importance of cultural and regional diversity. Notably, after controlling for the socioeconomic variables, two of the gender equality variables were significant: household decision-making and attitudes regarding a wife's ability to refuse sex. In resource-poor settings such as Nigeria, women with more decision-making autonomy are likely better able to advocate for and access a health facility for childbirth. Thus programs and policies that focus on gender in addition to focusing on education and poverty have the potential to reduce maternal mortality even further.

Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusion: Early Years in Teacher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cansiz, Mustafa; Cansiz, Nurcan

2018-01-01

This study aims to examine preservice teachers' sentiments toward students with special needs, attitudes, and concerns about inclusive education in terms of a number of demographic variables. These demographics included major area, grade level, gender, interaction with disabled people, training for inclusive education, self-confidence for teaching…

Psychosocial Factors Influencing Smokeless Tobacco Use by Teenage Military Dependents

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

age and grade Demographics both show strong bivariate relationships with the outcome MALE-male gender measures, we selected to use only one of these...a positive sign indicating a direct relation- no impact for either gender . Attitude and other tobacco influ- ship and a negative sign an inverse...by both genders . nlficant. However, if the interval includes one but is highly For both genders , the strongest explanatory variable for trial skewed

Gender and racial differences for suicide attempters and ideators in a high-risk community corrections population.

PubMed

McCullumsmith, Cheryl B; Clark, C Brendan; Perkins, Adam; Fife, Jessaka; Cropsey, Karen L

2013-01-01

Community corrections populations are a high-risk group who carry multiple suicide risk factors. To identify factors correlated with historical suicide attempts and ideation among African-American men, African-American women, White men, and White women in a community corrections population. Self-report data from 18,753 enrollees in community corrections were analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between historical suicidal ideation and attempts among the four demographic groups. Participants with historical suicide attempts tended to be younger, White, female, be taking psychotropic medication, have a history of physical or sexual abuse, and meet criteria for dependence on alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, or sedatives. Five variables were commonly associated with suicide attempts for all four race/gender groups: younger age, being on disability or retirement, taking psychotropic medication, history of sexual or physical abuse, and cocaine dependence. Other demographic variables had race or gender specificities as risk factors for suicide attempts. Participants had high rates of historical suicide attempts with unique correlates differentiating attempters from ideators among different racial and gender groups. Cocaine dependence was universal predictor of suicide attempts, while other substance dependencies show specific racial and gender profiles associated with suicide attempts.

Sex-Ratio and Gender Differences in Depression in an Unselected Adult Population.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumgart, E. P.; Oliver, J. M.

1981-01-01

Neither sex-ratio nor gender differences in depression were found in adult sample, similar to pattern found among university students. No demographic variable was correlated significantly with depression. Suggests results may be due to the elimination of face-to-face interviews, which expose males to greater negative repercussions for exhibiting…

Teacher-Parent Relationships: Influence of Gender and Education on Organizational Parents' Counterproductive Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pepe, Alessandro; Addimando, Loredana

2014-01-01

The present paper examines the influence of parent's demographics (gender and educational level) and a contextual variable (school grade) on counterproductive parents' behavior during interaction with teachers. Data were gathered by administering the Italian version of the Challenging Parent Standard Questionnaire (Pepe 2010) to a sample of…

Correlation Study of Physics Achievement, Learning Strategy, Attitude and Gender in an Introductory Physics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezgin Selcuk, Gamze

2010-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between multiple predictors of physics achievement including reported use of four learning strategy clusters (elaboration, organization, comprehension monitoring and rehearsal), attitudes towards physics (sense of care and sense of interest) and a demographic variable (gender) in order to determine the…

A Comparative Analysis of Multiple Intelligence Theory with Relationship to Gender and Grade Level in Selected Schools in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oteng, Ellen N.

2012-01-01

This dissertation examined the relationships between Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory and students' gender, age, grade level, and enrollment into a public or private school. The research determined students' dominant intelligences and investigated whether students' intelligences may be influenced by demographic variables such as…

Demographic Characteristics of Applicants to, and Students of, Ontario Physiotherapy Education Programs, 2004-2014: Trends in Gender, Geographical Location, Aboriginal Identity, and Immigrant Status.

PubMed

Coghlan, Cara M; Mallinger, Hilary; McFadden, Alison; Richard, Jocelynn; Stern, Arlee; Norman, Kathleen E

2017-01-01

Purpose: The authors analyzed the demographics of potential future physiotherapists to determine whether they were representative of the Canadian population. The specific objectives were to examine selected demographic variables from all applicants to and students in Ontario English-language Master of Physical Therapy programmes in admission cycles 2004-2014, inclusive, and to analyze the results as compared with Canadian population data. Method: Anonymized applicant records ( n =14,135) were obtained for admission cycles 2004-2014, inclusive. Variables examined for applicants and students included their gender, geographical location from Canadian and international regions, Aboriginal identity, and immigrant status. A descriptive analysis of counts and proportions was conducted for all variables. Results: The majority of applicants were women (70%), from southern Ontario (73%), and Canadian born (82%). Aboriginal and rural applicants made up small proportions of the applicant pool (1% and 12%, respectively). The number of applicants from British Columbia was proportionally high relative to those from other Canadian provinces. Conclusion: Although Ontario's physiotherapy education programmes remain female dominated, the demographics of applicants and students are otherwise mostly representative of the diverse Canadian population, although very low in the number of Aboriginal peoples. Further research is needed to understand the diversity and composition of the Canadian physiotherapy workforce.

Attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia in small animal practice: impacts of age and gender on views on euthanasia.

PubMed

Hartnack, Sonja; Springer, Svenja; Pittavino, Marta; Grimm, Herwig

2016-02-04

Euthanasia of pets has been described by veterinarians as "the best and the worst" of the profession. The most commonly mentioned ethical dilemmas veterinarians face in small animal practice are: limited treatment options due to financial constraints, euthanizing of healthy animals and owners wishing to continue treatment of terminally ill animals. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia of small animals. This included assessing their agreement with euthanasia in exemplified case scenarios, potentially predicted by demographic variables (e.g. gender, age, working in small animal practice, employment, working in a team, numbers of performed euthanasia). Further describing the veterinarians' agreement with a number of different normative and descriptive statements, including coping strategies. A questionnaire with nine euthanasia scenarios, 26 normative and descriptive statements, and demographic data were sent to all members of the Austrian Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons (n = 2478). In total, 486 veterinarians answered sufficiently completely to enable analyses. Responses were first explored descriptively before being formally analysed using linear regression and additive Bayesian networks - a multivariate regression methodology - in order to identify joint relationships between the demographic variables, the statements and each of the nine euthanasia scenarios. Mutual dependencies between the demographic variables were found, i.e. female compared to male veterinarians worked mostly in small animal practice, and working mostly in small animal practice was linked to performing more euthanasia per month. Gender and age were found to be associated with views on euthanasia: female veterinarians and veterinarians having worked for less years were more likely to disagree with euthanasia in at least some of the convenience euthanasia scenarios. The number of veterinarians working together was found to be the variable with the highest number of links to other variables, demographic as well as ethical statements. This highlights the role of a team potentially providing support in stressful situations. The results are useful for a better understanding of coping strategies for veterinarians with moral stress due to euthanasia of small animals.

Using the University Student Depression Inventory to Investigate the Effect of Demographic Variables on Students' Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khawaja, Nigar G.; Duncanson, Krystle

2008-01-01

Depression is a problem in the student population and may impact students of any age, gender and ethnicity. Previous studies have indicated student demographic characteristics are associated with depression; however, these studies have not utilised scales specifically designed to measure depression in the student population. The aim of the present…

Persistence of Undergraduate Students at Arizona State University: A Research Report on the Class Entering in Fall, 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Richard C., Jr.; Attinasi, Louis C., Jr.

The academic persistence of undergraduate students at Arizona State University was studied. Demographic and academic profiles were developed, and persistence rates were calculated for the overall population of 3,166 freshmen, and by gender and ethnicity. Additional demographic variables were residency status and age. The academic variables…

Student Mobility and Demographics: Relationships to Aptitude and Achievement in a Three-Year Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolinger, Kevin; Gilman, David

This study examined differences between stable (n=107) and mobile (n=39) students attending a three-year middle school in Terre Haute (Indiana). Demographic variables of gender, ethnicity, and family income were considered, in addition to mobility, to assess possible relationships with aptitude and achievement. Achievement was measured by the…

Curriculum-Based Assessment, Socio-Demographic and Educational Measures as Predictors of Mathematics FCAT: Implications for Emancipatory Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S.; Hudson-Vassell, Michael; Hudson-Vassell, Charisse N.; Garvan, Cynthia W.

2015-01-01

Using critical lenses, this study examined the predictive value added of curriculum-based assessment (CBA), with socio-demographic and educational variables on the mathematics portion of Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Gender, race, socio-economic status, and exceptional student education (ESE) were compared in a de-identified post…

Socioeconomic and Gender Group Differences in Early Literacy Skills: A Multiple-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Julia Ai Cheng; Al Otaiba, Stephanie

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status and gender are important demographic variables that strongly relate to academic achievement. This study examined the early literacy skills differences between 4 sociodemographic groups, namely, boys ineligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), girls ineligible for FRL, boys eligible for FRL, and girls eligible for FRL.…

Analyzing the Gender Gap in Math Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale US Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheema, Jehanzeb R.; Galluzzo, Gary

2013-01-01

The US portion of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 student questionnaire comprising of 4,733 observations was used in a multiple regression framework to predict math achievement from demographic variables, such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status, and two student-specific measures of perception, math anxiety and…

Age, Gender and Grade Effect on Foreign Language Anxiety among Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Selami; Harputlu, Leyla; Çelik, Seyda Savran; Ustuk, Özgehan; Güzel, Serhat

2017-01-01

The number of studies on the relationship between certain demographic variables, age, gender and grade, and the levels of foreign language anxiety (FLA) in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context regarding adult and young learners is fairly limited, whereas the findings obtained from prior studies did not reach a consensus on the…

Purposes of Internet use and problematic Internet use among Turkish high school students.

PubMed

Demirer, Veysel; Bozoglan, Bahadir

2016-12-01

After the emergence of the Internet, the sudden increase in its use soon attracted attention to this phenomenon. Studies have shown that there is a relationship between problematic Internet use (PIU) and the purposes of Internet use. The aims of this study are to examine the purposes of Internet use among Turkish high school students according to their gender, frequency of Internet use (FIU), grade point average (GPA) and family income (F-income), and to investigate whether all these variables predict PIU. The participants in the study were 375 high school students (185 girls and 190 boys), and verbal consent was obtained from the subjects before application. The participants' ages ranged between 14 and 18 (Mean = 15.6, SD = 1.26). One-way analysis of variance was used to identify the purposes of Internet use in terms of demographic variables. Also, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore whether demographic variables and purposes of Internet use affected PIU. Finally, the results demonstrate that male gender, high FIU, low GPA, and high levels of F-income correlate significantly with PIU. Also, the social, leisure and virtual-emotional purposes of Internet use, besides demographic variables, were significantly correlated with PIU. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Demographic risk factors of self-immolation: a case-control study.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Alireza; Mohammadi, Reza; Schwebel, David C; Khazaie, Habibolah; Yeganeh, Naser; Almasi, Afshin

2009-06-01

To investigate demographic risk factors for self-immolation patients. In a case-control study, 30 consecutive cases of deliberate self-inflicted burns admitted to the regional Burn centre (Imam Khomeini hospital in Kermanshah province, Iran) were compared with 30 controls who were selected from the community and matched by gender, age, and living area. All cases and controls were reviewed for demographic variables, including: age, gender, living area, family size, marital status, bearing and number of children, Body Mass Index (BMI), birth order, employment state, educational status, early school drop-out, and parent/guardian employment status. Two variables emerged as related to risk of self-immolation. Being the first or last child in family birth order was associated with increased risk of self-immolation. Moreover, among the married participants, having children was associated with decreased risk of self-immolation. The comparisons of other variables were not statistically significant. In multivariate analyses, none of the variables predicted risk for self-immolation. This study suggests that being the first or last child of a family might be a risk factor for self-immolation. For married persons, having children might serve as a protective factor from self-immolation. Other variables such as family size, marital status, number of children, BMI, employment state, educational status, early school drop-out, and parent/guardian employment status did not play a role as individually protective or risk factors for self-immolation.

Effects of Demographic Variables, Perceived Spousal Support, and Gender Role Attitudes on Taiwanese Women's Employability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Luo

2011-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore demographic, familial, and attitudinal correlates of Taiwanese women's employment status. Using data from a representative nationwide sample of female workers aged 21 and above (N = 1,047), the author found that (a) the employment rate of females decreased steadily with age, with no sign of reentry into the…

Undergraduate Learners' Perceptions of Blended Learning and its Relationship with Some Demographic and Experiential Variables at the Arab Open University--Bahrain Branch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juma Shehab, Samya Ali

2007-01-01

This research focused on the undergraduate learners' perceptions of blended learning at the Arab Open University--Bahrain Branch (AOU-BH). It also focused on factors that influence learners' perceptions and examined the relationships between learners' perceptions and their particular demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational level,…

Weighting Test Samples in IRT Linking and Equating: Toward an Improved Sampling Design for Complex Equating. Research Report. ETS RR-13-39

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Jiahe; Jiang, Yanming; von Davier, Alina A.

2013-01-01

Several factors could cause variability in item response theory (IRT) linking and equating procedures, such as the variability across examinee samples and/or test items, seasonality, regional differences, native language diversity, gender, and other demographic variables. Hence, the following question arises: Is it possible to select optimal…

Orthorexia nervosa: Assessment and correlates with gender, BMI, and personality.

PubMed

Oberle, Crystal D; Samaghabadi, Razieh O; Hughes, Elizabeth M

2017-01-01

This study investigated whether orthorexia nervosa (ON; characterized by an obsessive fixation on eating healthy) may be predicted from the demographics variables of gender and BMI, and from the personality variables of self-esteem, narcissism, and perfectionism. Participants were 459 college students, who completed several online questionnaires that assessed these variables. A principal components analysis confirmed that the Eating Habits Questionnaire (Gleaves, Graham, & Ambwani, 2013) assesses three internally-consistent ON components: healthy eating behaviors, problems resulting from those behaviors, and positive feelings associated with those behaviors. A MANOVA and its tests of between subjects effects then revealed significant interactions between gender and BMI, such that for men but not women, a higher BMI was associated with greater symptomatology for all ON components. Partial correlation analyses, after controlling for gender and BMI, revealed that both narcissism and perfectionism were positively correlated with all aspects of ON symptomatology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Student Self-Assessment Practices: The Role of Gender, School Level and Goal Orientation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Zi

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the key demographic variables of gender, school level and goal orientation on students' self-assessment practices, including self-directed feedback seeking (SDFS) and self-reflection (SR). A total of 8843 Hong Kong students were surveyed, ranging from Primary 4 to Secondary 6. The results…

Determinants of gender differences in health among the elderly in Latin America.

PubMed

Trujillo, Antonio J; Mroz, Thomas A; Piras, Claudia; Vernon, John A; Angeles, Gustavo

2010-01-01

This paper identifies the main gender differences in health and socio-economic characteristics of the elderly in four Latin American cities. Using locally weighted regressions as well as a flexible model specification that treats age non-parametrically, we investigate whether these unadjusted gender gaps in health are due to gender differences in the distribution of age and other explanatory variables. Interestingly, for all cities, the analyses show a gender gap in health in favour of males at each age. The gaps are larger when one uses functional impairment in mobility and personal self-care as indicators of an individual's health instead of self-reported health. Furthermore, controlling for demographic characteristics, baseline health and the availability of family support do little to change the disadvantage for women in measured health outcomes. Controlling for socio-economic variables does, however, reduce most of the gender differences in health.

Identifying Demographic Variables Influencing the Nature of Science (NOS) Conceptions of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karaman, Ayhan

2017-01-01

In this survey research study, the views of practicing teachers in select aspects of NOS were investigated in connection with the effects of several variables (teaching discipline, gender, education level, teaching experience and regional work location). The instrument used to collect data was an adapted version of "Scientific Epistemological…

Effect size for the main cognitive function determinants in a large cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Mura, T; Amieva, H; Goldberg, M; Dartigues, J-F; Ankri, J; Zins, M; Berr, C

2016-11-01

The aim of our study was to examine the effect sizes of different cognitive function determinants in middle and early old age. Cognitive functions were assessed in 11 711 volunteers (45 to 75 years old), included in the French CONSTANCES cohort between January 2012 and May 2014, using the free and cued selective reminding test (FCSRT), verbal fluency tasks, digit-symbol substitution test (DSST) and trail making test (TMT), parts A and B. The effect sizes of socio-demographic (age, sex, education), lifestyle (alcohol, tobacco, physical activity), cardiovascular (diabetes, blood pressure) and psychological (depressive symptomatology) variables were computed as omega-squared coefficients (ω 2 ; part of the variation of a neuropsychological score that is independently explained by a given variable). These sets of variables explained from R 2 = 10% (semantic fluency) to R 2 = 26% (DSST) of the total variance. In all tests, socio-demographic variables accounted for the greatest part of the explained variance. Age explained from ω 2 = 0.5% (semantic fluency) to ω 2 = 7.5% (DSST) of the total score variance, gender from ω 2 = 5.2% (FCSRT) to a negligible part (semantic fluency or TMT) and education from ω 2 = 7.2% (DSST) to ω 2 = 1.4% (TMT-A). Behavioral, cardiovascular and psychological variables only slightly influenced the cognitive test results (all ω 2 < 0.8%, most ω 2 < 0.1%). Socio-demographic variables (age, gender and education) are the main variables associated with cognitive performance variations between 45 and 75 years of age in the general population. © 2016 EAN.

Violence Tendencies of High School Students: An Examination in Terms of Exposure to Violence, Participation in Sports and Socio-Demographic Attributes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karagün, Elif

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the violence tendencies of young people studying in high school in terms of their participation in sports, status of exposure to violence and socio-demographic variables. It was also aimed to evaluate whether the identified violence tendency differed significantly by gender, grade, school success,…

Factors Influencing Learner Conceptions of Force: Exploring the Interaction among Visuospatial Ability, Motivation, and Conceptions of Newtonian Mechanics in University Undergraduates from an Evolutionary Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallett, David Bruce

2013-01-01

This study examined the relationships among visuospatial ability, motivation to learn science, and learner conceptions of force across commonly measured demographics with university undergraduates with the aim of examining the support for an evolved sense of force and motion. Demographic variables of interest included age, ethnicity, and gender,…

Complex interaction between symptoms, social factors, and gender in social functioning in a community-dwelling sample of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Vila-Rodriguez, F; Ochoa, S; Autonell, J; Usall, J; Haro, J M

2011-12-01

Social functioning (SF) is the ultimate target aimed in treatment plans in schizophrenia, thus it is critical to know what are the factors that determine SF. Gender is a well-established variable influencing SF, yet it is not known how social variables and symptoms interact in schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the interaction between social variables and symptoms is different in men compared to women. Our aim is to test whether social variables are better predictors of SF in community-dwelled individuals with schizophrenia, and whether men and women differ in how symptoms and social variables interact to impact SF. Community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia (N = 231) were randomly selected from a register. Participants were assessed with symptom measures (PANSS), performance-based social scale (LSP), objective social and demographic variables. Stratification by gender and stepwise multivariate regression analyses by gender were used to find the best-fitting models that predict SF in both gender. Men had poorer SF than women in spite of showing similar symptom scores. On stepwise regression analyses, gender was the main variable explaining SF, with a significant contribution by disorganized and excitatory symptoms. Age of onset made a less marked, yet significant, contribution to explain SF. When the sample was stratified by gender, disorganized symptoms and 'Income' variable entered the model and accounted for a 30.8% of the SF variance in women. On the other hand, positive and disorganized symptoms entered the model and accounted for a 36.1% of the SF variance in men. Community-dwelling men and women with schizophrenia differ in the constellation of variables associated with SF. Symptom scores still account for most of the variance in SF in both genders.

Examination of Personal and Socio-Behavioral Characteristics as Predictors of Aggressive Behavioral Tendencies of University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Heewon; An, Dongsu

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine university students' aggressive behavioral tendencies. Students ("n" = 405) at a Midwestern University, were selected as study sample. This study hypothesized that demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, class standing, racial minority status, and G.P.A. score) and study variables (e.g.,…

First-Year Seminar Course and Academic Performance: An Examination of Differences by Student Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angrove, Kay E.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the relationship between (a) student demographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, gender, first generation status, low income), college admission variables (i.e., admission status, SAT/ACT scores, remediation requirements), and (b) GPA and retention was influenced by first-year…

Impact and determinants of sex preference in Nepal.

PubMed

Leone, Tiziana; Matthews, Zoë; Dalla Zuanna, Gianpiero

2003-06-01

Gender discrimination and son preference are key demographic features of South Asia and are well documented for India. However, gender bias and sex preference in Nepal have received little attention. 1996 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey data on ever-married women aged 15-49 who did not desire any more children were used to investigate levels of gender bias and sex preference. The level of contraceptive use and the total fertility rate in the absence of sex preference were estimated, and logistic regression was performed to analyze the association between socioeconomic and demographic variables and stopping childbearing after the birth of a son. Commonly used indicators of gender bias, such as sex ratio at birth and sex-specific immunization rates, do not suggest a high level of gender discrimination in Nepal. However, sex preference decreases contraceptive use by 24% and increases the total fertility rate by more than 6%. Women's contraceptive use, exposure to the media, parity, last birth interval, educational level and religion are linked to stopping childbearing after the birth of a boy, as is the ethnic makeup of the local area. The level of sex preference in Nepal is substantial. Sex preference is an important barrier to the increase of contraceptive use and decline of fertility in the country; its impact will be greater as desired family size declines.

Associations between beliefs about and reactions toward people who stutter.

PubMed

Arnold, Hayley S; Li, Jian

2016-03-01

This study sought to assess whether beliefs about people who stutter (PWS) predict intended behavioral and affective reactions toward them in a large and varied sample of respondents while taking into account familiarity with PWS and the demographic variables of age, education, and gender. Analyses were based on 2206 residents of the United States of America. The seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) technique was used to test the relationship between beliefs about PWS and behavioral and affective reactions toward PWS. Variables such as familiarity with PWS and demographic data were also controlled in the statistical model. Findings indicated that, when demographic variables and familiarity were taken into account, the accuracy of participants' beliefs about PWS significantly predicted their intended behavioral and affective reactions toward PWS. The participants' gender and familiarity with PWS were also associated with these reactions toward PWS. The finding of an association between beliefs and intended reactions validates attempts to improve public treatment of PWS through improving the accuracy of beliefs about PWS. Additionally, because familiarity with PWS is a significant predictor of helpful and positive reactions toward PWS, interventions involving PWS educating others through direct interpersonal interactions may be one effective way to improve public reactions toward individuals who stutter. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Caregiver Burden Among Caregivers of Individuals With Severe Mental Illness: Testing the Moderation and Mediation Models of Resilience.

PubMed

Mulud, Zamzaliza Abdul; McCarthy, Geraldine

2017-02-01

The association between the socio-demographic characteristics of caregivers, such as gender and caregiver burden, is well documented; however, the process underlying this relationship is poorly understood. Based on the stress process model, we designed a cross-sectional study to examine the mediating and moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between gender and caregiver burden. Caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness (n=201) were recruited in two psychiatric outpatient clinics in Malaysia. The relationship between the gender of the caregiver and caregiver burden was mediated by resilience, thus supporting the stress process model. The findings from the present research contribute to the growing evidence of the interaction between socio-demographic variables of caregivers and resilience, and caregiver burden. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association Between Socio-Demographic Background and Self-Esteem of University Students.

PubMed

Haq, Muhammad Ahsan Ul

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to scrutinize self-esteem of university students and explore association of self-esteem with academic achievement, gender and other factors. A sample of 346 students was selected from Punjab University, Lahore Pakistan. Rosenberg self-esteem scale with demographic variables was used for data collection. Besides descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression and t test were used for analysing the data. Significant gender difference was observed, self-esteem was significantly higher in males than females. Logistic regression indicates that age, medium of instruction, family income, student monthly expenditures, GPA and area of residence has direct effect on self-esteem; while number of siblings showed an inverse effect.

The Attitudes of Fifth and Sixth Graders in Kuwait Governmental Schools towards Recreational and Academic Reading in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Adwani, Amel M.; Al-Fadley, Anaam

2017-01-01

The current study is a quantitative research that examined the mean differences of the students' attitude towards reading, based upon several demographic variables (such as gender, grade level and social media devices usage) The researchers used the Students' Reading Attitude Survey (SRAS) as the dependent variable; the sample consisted of 812…

Corporal punishment in rural Colombian families: prevalence, family structure and socio-demographic variables.

PubMed

González, Martha Rocío; Trujillo, Angela; Pereda, Noemí

2014-05-01

To reveal the prevalence of corporal punishment in a rural area of Colombia and its correlates to family structure and other socio-demographic variables. A survey about childrearing and childcare was developed for this study, including a specific question about corporal punishment that was developed based on the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). Family structure was categorized as follows, based on previous literature: 'nuclear family,' 'single parent' family, 'extended family,' 'simultaneous family' and 'composed family.' Forty-one percent of the parents surveyed admitted they had used corporal punishment of their children as a disciplinary strategy. The type of family structure, the number of children living at home, the age of the children, the gender of the parent who answered the survey, and the age and gender of the partner were significant predictors of corporal punishment. Family structure is an important variable in the understanding of corporal punishment, especially in regard to nuclear families that have a large number of children and parents who started their parental role early in life. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor analysis in predominantly severe COPD: identification of disease heterogeneity by easily measurable characteristics.

PubMed

Postma, Dirkje S; Anzueto, Antonio R; Jenkins, Christine; Make, Barry J; Similowski, Thomas; Östlund, Ollie; Eriksson, Göran S; Calverley, Peter M

2013-12-01

The clinical and demographic variables defining the heterogeneity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are unclear. A post-hoc analysis of five randomised studies in patients with a history of previous exacerbations examined the clinical and demographic characteristics describing moderate-to-very-severe COPD. Factor analysis was performed on all continuous baseline demographic and clinical data, without variable selection. Analyses were based on the full cohort and on stratifications by pack-years smoked, smoking status, gender, and comorbidities; patient exacerbation history was analysed in two of the five studies. 6162 COPD patients were evaluated (70% male; 40% current smokers; mean pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] 35.2% predicted). Baseline clinical and demographic variables loaded differentially on six factors with minimal overlap, explaining 60.4% of the heterogeneity: 1) symptoms (cough, dyspnoea, sleep disturbance), health status, reliever use; 2) pre-bronchodilator FEV1, FEV1/forced vital capacity, morning peak expiratory flow (PEF), body mass index (BMI); 3) blood pressure; 4) age, months since first COPD symptoms; 5) PEF variability; 6) pulse, FEV1 reversibility. Most factors loaded similarly in stratified and exacerbation analyses. BMI loaded with reversibility in females, and with age and months since first COPD symptoms in ex-smokers. Exacerbations loaded to factor 6. Readily available data can explain ≈ 60% of COPD heterogeneity in a large dataset of predominantly severe COPD patients. Factors were robust over determinants of disease outcome; gender, smoking status, pack-years smoked, and comorbidities. The main factors were largely unchanged by adding exacerbations. Only BMI loaded to other factors. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The malleability of gender stereotypes: influence of population size on perceptions of men and women in the past, present, and future.

PubMed

Garcia-Retamero, Rocio; Müller, Stephanie M; López-Zafra, Esther

2011-01-01

Recent studies on the malleability of gender stereotypes show that they are flexible, dynamic structures that change with the passage of time. In a study, we examined perceptions about men and women of the past, present, and future in Spain and focused on the influence of an important demographic variable on these perceptions: the population size of people's location of residence. Results showed that people perceived an increase in similarity of men and women from the past to the present and from the present to the future. In less-populated locations, however, men and women were more gender stereotyped and, consequently, still perceived to be further from equality than those in more populated areas. We concluded that the study of dynamic gender stereotypes benefits from extensive research in populations that vary in their demographic characteristics and shows the importance of recent movements in rural areas supporting women's participation in the modernization process.

Variables related to tobacco use among young adults: are there differences between males and females?

PubMed

Pederson, Linda L; Koval, John J; Chan, Stella S H; Zhang, Xiaohe

2007-02-01

We sought to determine the association of four categories (chunks) of variables: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) family and friends smoking and other drug use, (3) psychosocial factors and attitude, and (4) lifestyle factors to current smoking as compared to never smoking among Canadian young adults. A cohort of 1270 young adults, followed for 10 years, completed a self-administered questionnaire. In multivariable analyses, the best final model for both genders did not include the psychosocial and attitudinal categories, but did contain variables in the demographic, family and friends, and lifestyle categories. Interventions for reducing smoking among young adults may be similar for males and females, a conclusion that differs from conclusions based on findings from younger age groups.

Resolution of psychosocial crises associated with flying in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suedfeld, Peter; Brcic, Jelena

2011-07-01

Erikson (1959) proposed a theoretical basis for healthy psychosocial development. His theory posits eight critical conflict situations throughout one's lifetime, each of which can result in a favorable or unfavorable resolution. Autobiographies, memoirs, interviews, personal diaries, and oral histories of 97 international astronauts were content analyzed to assess reported resolutions of Erikson's psychosocial crises, regardless of chronological sequence. We made comparisons across flight phases (before, during, and after), gender, nationality of home space agency, and flight duration. Astronauts reported more favorable than unfavorable outcomes across flight phases and demographic variables. Differences across demographic variables and flight phases, as well as the changes as a result of the flight are discussed.

Mathematics Anxiety in College Students in Costa Rica and Their Relatonship with Academic Achievement and Socio-Demographic Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delgado Monge, Islande C.; Espinoza González, Johan; Fonseca Castro, Jennifer

2017-01-01

The study tried to determine the relationship between mathematics anxiety and the variables of gender, academic achievement, number of times students have taken the course and type of school in students taking the course MAT-001 General Mathematics of the National University of Costa Rica. To that end, a purposive sample of 472 students of such…

Analysis of Scientific Attitude, Computer Anxiety, Educational Internet Use, Problematic Internet Use, and Academic Achievement of Middle School Students According to Demographic Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekmezci, Mehmet; Celik, Ismail; Sahin, Ismail; Kiray, Ahmet; Akturk, Ahmet Oguz

2015-01-01

In this research, students' scientific attitude, computer anxiety, educational use of the Internet, academic achievement, and problematic use of the Internet are analyzed based on different variables (gender, parents' educational level and daily access to the Internet). The research group involves 361 students from two middle schools which are…

Risk Factors for Misconduct in a Navy Sample

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

antisocial behavior and misconduct in the military. Based strictly on the military job performance literature, the justification for routine personality...comparisons were conducted on the demographic variables (see Table 1). For the categorical variables (e.g., gender), chi-square tests were performed ; for ...Risk Factors for Misconduct in a Navy Sample Stephanie Booth-Kewley and Gerald E. Larson Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California David L

Correlates among Teachers' Anxieties, Demographics, and Telecomputing Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Judith B.; Grandgenett, Neal

1996-01-01

Describes a study of 189 elementary and secondary school educators with accounts on Tenet (Texas Education Network) whose logins and online time for one year were correlated with nine variables: writing apprehension, oral communication apprehension, computer anxiety, age, teaching experience, telecomputing experience, gender, professional…

Facebook addiction among Turkish college students: the role of psychological health, demographic, and usage characteristics.

PubMed

Koc, Mustafa; Gulyagci, Seval

2013-04-01

This study explored Facebook addiction among Turkish college students and its behavioral, demographic, and psychological health predictors. The Facebook Addiction Scale (FAS) was developed and its construct validity was assessed through factor analyses. A total of 447 students reported their personal information and Facebook usage and completed the FAS and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The results revealed that weekly time commitment, social motives, severe depression, and anxiety and insomnia positively predicted Facebook addiction. Neither demographic variables nor the interactions of gender by usage characteristics were found to be significant predictors.

Cross-national differences in the gender gap in subjective health in Europe: does country-level gender equality matter?

PubMed

Dahlin, Johanna; Härkönen, Juho

2013-12-01

Multiple studies have found that women report being in worse health despite living longer. Gender gaps vary cross-nationally, but relatively little is known about the causes of comparative differences. Existing literature is inconclusive as to whether gender gaps in health are smaller in more gender equal societies. We analyze gender gaps in self-rated health (SRH) and limiting longstanding illness (LLI) with five waves of European Social Survey data for 191,104 respondents from 28 countries. We use means, odds ratios, logistic regressions, and multilevel random slopes logistic regressions. Gender gaps in subjective health vary visibly across Europe. In many countries (especially in Eastern and Southern Europe), women report distinctly worse health, while in others (such as Estonia, Finland, and Great Britain) there are small or no differences. Logistic regressions ran separately for each country revealed that individual-level socioeconomic and demographic variables explain a majority of these gaps in some countries, but contribute little to their understanding in most countries. In yet other countries, men had worse health when these variables were controlled for. Cross-national variation in the gender gaps exists after accounting for individual-level factors. Against expectations, the remaining gaps are not systematically related to societal-level gender inequality in the multilevel analyses. Our findings stress persistent cross-national variability in gender gaps in health and call for further analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Faculty Teaching Behaviors at Three State-Funded Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Christa Michelle

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if faculty teaching behaviors differed as a function of demographic variables including academic discipline, years of experience making accommodations, academic rank, and/or gender. College faculty from three universities completed and submitted the Faculty Inventory, a questionnaire containing seven…

Toward the Army of the 1980s: A Study of Male Attitudes Toward Women as Combatants

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-06-09

questions which included demographic discriminators, positive and negative social role perceptions and personal assessments on hypothetical performance...influence future policy development. The degree of dependence varies among the major variables of social beliefs, gender-role perceptions, mind-sets, and

Success strivings and their relationship to affective work behaviors: gender differences.

PubMed

Chusmir, L H; Parker, B

1992-02-01

Gender differences in the importance of six life success dimensions and their relationships to job satisfaction, job involvement, and propensity to stay on the job were examined among 756 working women and men in southeast Florida. Results showed that the female participants rated family relationships, personal fulfillment, and security as more important success measures than their male counterparts did, and they rated status/wealth as less important. Professional fulfillment and security were not significantly different. The relationships between measures of success and work behaviors also varied significantly by gender, even after controlling for demographic and job position variables.

Gender norms among "Landless" youth: evidence for the social practice of nursing.

PubMed

Zanatta, Luiz Fabiano; Ruiz-Cantero, Maria Tereza; Chilet-Rossel, Elisa; Álvarez-Dardet, Carlos; Brêtas, José Roberto da Silva

2017-01-01

Objective Analyzing the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of youth from the Landless Rural Workers' Movement in Brazil (MST) regarding the prevalence ratio being in accordance with gender norms. Method A cross-sectional study conducted during a Journey of Agroecology carried out in the State of Paraná with young people (15 to 29 years) of both genders. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires. Data analysis compared variables regarding gender norms with sociodemographic variables, and a Prevalence Ratio (PR) was calculated with a confidence interval (CI) set at 95% in order to determine this relationship. Results The study sample was comprised of 147 young people. A higher prevalence was found in accordance with gender norms (PR with CI at 95%) among women compared to men, and that sociodemographic characteristics (lower education level, those living in occupation camps, who do not have white skin and with religious belief) were social indicators for such positioning among both genders. Conclusion The byproduct of a patriarchal gender system has led more young girls to internalization and a reaffirmation of gender norms, highlighting an important field for social nursing practices in order to contribute to the transformation of this reality.

The re-identification risk of Canadians from longitudinal demographics

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The public is less willing to allow their personal health information to be disclosed for research purposes if they do not trust researchers and how researchers manage their data. However, the public is more comfortable with their data being used for research if the risk of re-identification is low. There are few studies on the risk of re-identification of Canadians from their basic demographics, and no studies on their risk from their longitudinal data. Our objective was to estimate the risk of re-identification from the basic cross-sectional and longitudinal demographics of Canadians. Methods Uniqueness is a common measure of re-identification risk. Demographic data on a 25% random sample of the population of Montreal were analyzed to estimate population uniqueness on postal code, date of birth, and gender as well as their generalizations, for periods ranging from 1 year to 11 years. Results Almost 98% of the population was unique on full postal code, date of birth and gender: these three variables are effectively a unique identifier for Montrealers. Uniqueness increased for longitudinal data. Considerable generalization was required to reach acceptably low uniqueness levels, especially for longitudinal data. Detailed guidelines and disclosure policies on how to ensure that the re-identification risk is low are provided. Conclusions A large percentage of Montreal residents are unique on basic demographics. For non-longitudinal data sets, the three character postal code, gender, and month/year of birth represent sufficiently low re-identification risk. Data custodians need to generalize their demographic information further for longitudinal data sets. PMID:21696636

The relationship between a history of childhood sexual abuse and gender role attitudes.

PubMed

Unger, Jo Ann; Norton, G Ron; De Luca, Rayleen V

2009-11-01

This study explored the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and gender role attitudes. Female university students rated themselves and their parents on gender role attitudes and history of childhood sexual abuse. Traditional participant gender role attitude and social isolation were associated with reporting being sexually abused as a child and may thus be risk factors for, or the result of a history of, CSA in women. Traditional participant gender role attitude and low income were associated with victim distress and therefore may be detrimental to coping with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Although replication of these results is needed, discovery of attitudinal and demographic variables associated with CSA may be important in the prevention and treatment of CSA.

Smoker Characteristics and Smoking-Cessation Milestones

PubMed Central

Japuntich, Sandra J.; Leventhal, Adam M.; Piper, Megan E.; Bolt, Daniel M.; Roberts, Linda J.; Fiore, Michael C.; Baker, Timothy B.

2011-01-01

Background Contextual variables often predict long-term abstinence, but little is known about how these variables exert their effects. These variables could influence abstinence by affecting the ability to quit at all, or by altering risk of lapsing, or progressing from a lapse to relapse. Purpose To examine the effect of common predictors of smoking-cessation failure on smoking-cessation processes. Methods The current study (N = 1504, 58% female, 84% Caucasian; recruited from January 2005 to June 2007; data analyzed in 2009) uses the approach advocated by Shiffman et al., (2006), which measures cessation outcomes on three different cessation milestones (achieving initial abstinence, lapse risk, and the lapse-relapse transition) to examine relationships of smoker characteristics (dependence, contextual and demographic factors) with smoking-cessation process. Results High nicotine dependence strongly predicted all milestones: not achieving initial abstinence, and a higher risk of both lapse and transitioning from lapse to complete relapse. Numerous contextual and demographic variables were associated with higher initial cessation rates and/or decreased lapse risk at 6 months post-quit (e.g., ethnicity, gender, marital status, education, smoking in the workplace, number of smokers in the social network, and number of supportive others). However, aside from nicotine dependence, only gender significantly predicted the risk of transition from lapse to relapse. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that: (1) higher nicotine dependence predicted worse outcomes across every cessation milestone; (2) demographic and contextual variables are generally associated with initial abstinence rates and lapse risk and not the lapse-relapse transition. These results identify groups who are at risk for failure at specific stages of the smoking-cessation process, and this may have implications for treatment. PMID:21335259

Acculturative stress and depression in an elderly Arabic sample.

PubMed

Wrobel, Nancy Howells; Farrag, Mohamed F; Hymes, Robert W

2009-09-01

Acculturative stress and relevant demographic variables, including immigration status, English skills, level of education, age, gender, country of origin, and years since immigration to the U. S. are examined along with their relationship to depressive symptoms. The 200 Arab-American and recent Arab immigrant participants ranged from age 60-92 and represented eight countries of origin. Most had limited fluency in English. Arabic versions of the Multi-dimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory (MASI) and Geriatric Depression Scale were administered. MASI and GDS results indicated greater degrees of acculturative stress and depression for those with a refugee or temporary resident status. More recent entry into the U.S. also predicted greater stress, while greater levels of education and English skills predicted lower levels of stress and depression. Composite stress levels and the nature of stress varied by country of origin. Although demographic variables were predictive of depression when examined separately, multiple regression analyses revealed that perceived acculturative stress, particularly pressure to learn English, provided a notable increment in prediction of depression over the demographic variables.

Demographic and clinical features of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome of different settings: a gender comparison.

PubMed

Häuser, Winfried; Kühn-Becker, Hedi; von Wilmoswky, Hubertus; Settan, Margit; Brähler, Elmar; Petzke, Frank

2011-04-01

Well-established gender differences in the clinical picture of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) have been suggested. However, studies on gender differences in demographic and clinical features of FMS have contradictory results. Their significance is limited by the small number of patients included and selection bias of single settings. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic characteristics (age, family status) and clinical variables (duration of chronic pain and FMS diagnosis, tender point count, number of pain sites, and somatic and depressive symptoms) of male and female patients in different settings (general population, FMS self-help organization, and different clinical settings). FMS was diagnosed according to survey criteria in the general population and in the self-help organization setting and by 1990 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology in the clinical settings. Tender point examination was performed according to the manual tender point survey protocol in clinical settings. Somatic and depressive symptoms were assessed by validated questionnaires. A total of 1023 patients (885 female, 138 male) were included in the analysis. Compared with male participants, female participants reported a longer duration of chronic widespread pain (P = 0.009) and time since FMS diagnosis (P = 0.05), and they had a higher tender point count (P = 0.04). There were no gender differences in age, family status, number of pain sites, or somatic and depressive symptoms. We found no relevant gender differences in the clinical picture of FMS. The assumption of well-established gender differences in the clinical picture of FMS could not be supported. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Job Satisfaction among Texas School Couselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghali, Patricia

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of selected demographic and educational factors on the job satisfaction of school counselors. Specifically, this study was concerned with the influenced of the variables ethnicity, gender, age, years of working experience, level of education, and school level on the level of job satisfaction…

Student Victimization by Teachers in Taiwan: Prevalence and Associations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ji-Kang; Wei, Hsi-Sheng

2011-01-01

Objectives: This paper reports on the prevalence of student victimization by teachers in junior high schools in a Chinese cultural context (Taiwan) and examines how student demographic variables (gender, grade level, and family socioeconomic status) and school social experiences (student-teacher relationships and involvement with at-risk peers)…

Predictors of Neuropsychological Test Performance After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donders, Jacobus; Nesbit-Greene, Kelly

2004-01-01

The influence of neurological and demographic variables on neuropsychological test performance was examined in 100 9- to 16-year-old children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative contributions of coma, neuroimaging findings, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender to variance in…

The Feminization of Poverty: Only in America?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Gertrude S.; Kremen, Eleanor

1987-01-01

The number of poor females has increased because of : (1) gender differences in wages; (2) the inadequacy of public benefits; (3) lack of legislative commitment; and (4) demographic factors such as divorce. These variables emerge as strong predictors of female poverty rates in seven industrialized nations. Only a comprehensive social movement will…

Negative Automatic Thoughts, Emotional Intelligence and Demographical Different Variables Affecting University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Direktor, Cemaliye; Simsek, Angelika H.; Serin, Nerguz Bulut

2017-01-01

This study examines the relationship of negative automatic thoughts, emotional intelligence subscales, gender, and department of university students. The participants are 291 students (170 female and 121 male) of Department of Psychology, Department of Counselling and Department of Preschool Education, of Private University in North Cyprus.…

Seeking Help from a Psychologist: Demographic and Symptom Variables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Joseph P.; Radecki-Bush, Catherine

Information about which clients perceive psychologists as professional resources for which type of symptom is of interest in the marketing of psychological services. Gender and age have shown the most consistent relationships, while race, income, and education are less clear. This study examined absolute and relative preference for various types…

Gender Differences in Spousal Caregiving in Japan

PubMed Central

Ito, Mikiko; Kutsumi, Masami; Mikami, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

Background Gender differences in spousal caregivers and their relationship to care experiences, social demographics, and caregivers’ depression were examined. Methods A stratified random sample of 2,020 users of public long-term care insurance in a city of Osaka prefecture, Japan, participated in this study. Responses from 308 spouses (56.2% wives, 43.8% husbands) were analyzed. Variables relating to care experiences, social demographics, and caregivers’ depression were compared by conducting simultaneous analyses of multiple populations. Results Wives caring for husbands had higher depression scores than husbands caring for wives. Wives tended to adopt “emotional support seeking” and “willing commitment” as coping strategies for their caregiving experience. Husband caregivers used more home-care services; however, increased service use had no effect on husbands’ depression. The availability of secondary caregivers reduced depression for caregivers, regardless of gender. Conclusions The effects on depression differed related to the caregiver's gender. Husbands relied more on family or home-care services when caring for their wives, whereas wives provided higher levels of care, positively accepted their role, and did not seek to share caregiving, but sought emotional support. PMID:19176486

Gender differences in spousal caregiving in Japan.

PubMed

Sugiura, Keiko; Ito, Mikiko; Kutsumi, Masami; Mikami, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

Gender differences in spousal caregivers and their relationship to care experiences, social demographics, and caregivers' depression were examined. A stratified random sample of 2,020 users of public long-term care insurance in a city of Osaka prefecture, Japan, participated in this study. Responses from 308 spouses (56.2% wives, 43.8% husbands) were analyzed. Variables relating to care experiences, social demographics, and caregivers' depression were compared by conducting simultaneous analyses of multiple populations. Wives caring for husbands had higher depression scores than husbands caring for wives. Wives tended to adopt "emotional support seeking" and "willing commitment" as coping strategies for their caregiving experience. Husband caregivers used more home-care services; however, increased service use had no effect on husbands' depression. The availability of secondary caregivers reduced depression for caregivers, regardless of gender. The effects on depression differed related to the caregiver's gender. Husbands relied more on family or home-care services when caring for their wives, whereas wives provided higher levels of care, positively accepted their role, and did not seek to share caregiving, but sought emotional support.

Motivations for play in online games.

PubMed

Yee, Nick

2006-12-01

An empirical model of player motivations in online games provides the foundation to understand and assess how players differ from one another and how motivations of play relate to age, gender, usage patterns, and in-game behaviors. In the current study, a factor analytic approach was used to create an empirical model of player motivations. The analysis revealed 10 motivation subcomponents that grouped into three overarching components (achievement, social, and immersion). Relationships between motivations and demographic variables (age, gender, and usage patterns) are also presented.

Explaining reported puma-related behaviors and behavioral intentions among northern Arizona residents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, David J.; Ruther, Elizabeth J.

2012-01-01

Management of pumas in the American West is typified by conflict among stakeholders plausibly rooted in life experiences and worldviews. We used a mail questionnaire to assess demographics, nature-views, puma-related life experiences and behaviors, and support for puma-related policies among residents of northern Arizona. Data from the questionnaire (n = 693 respondents) were used to model behaviors and support for policies. Compared to models based on nature-views and life experiences, those based on demographics had virtually no support from the data. The Utilitarian/Dominionistic nature-view had the strongest effect of any variable in six of seven models, and was associated with firearms and opposition to policies that would limit killing pumas. The Humanistic/Moralistic nature-view was positively associated with non-lethal behaviors and policies in five models. Gender had the strongest effect of any demographic variable. Compared to demographics alone, our results suggest that worldviews provide a more meaningful explanation of reported human behaviors and behavioral intentions regarding pumas.

Physician Gender Is Associated with Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Scores in Outpatient Gynecology.

PubMed

Rogo-Gupta, Lisa J; Haunschild, Carolyn; Altamirano, Jonathan; Maldonado, Yvonne A; Fassiotto, Magali

Patient satisfaction is gaining increasing attention as a quality measure in health care, but the methods used to assess it may negatively impact women physicians. Our objective was to examine the relationship between physician gender and patient satisfaction with outpatient gynecology care as measured by the Press Ganey patient satisfaction survey. This cross-sectional study analyzed 909 Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys linked to outpatient gynecology visits at a single academic institution (March 2013-August 2014), including self-reported demographics and satisfaction. Surveys are delivered in a standardized fashion electronically and by mail. Surveys were completed by 821 unique patients and 13,780 gynecology visits occurred during the study period. The primary outcome variable was likelihood to recommend (LTR) a physician. We used χ 2 tests of independence to assess the effect of demographic concordance on LTR and two generalized estimating equations models were run clustered by physician, with topbox physician LTR as the outcome variable. Analysis was performed in SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1 (SAS, Inc., Cary, NC). Nine hundred nine surveys with complete demographic data were completed by women during the study period (mean age, 49.3 years). Age- and race-concordant patient-physician pairs received significantly higher proportions of top LTR score than discordant pairs (p = .014 and p < .0001, respectively). In contrast, gender-concordant pairs received a significantly lower proportion of top scores than discordant pairs (p = .027). In the generalized estimating equations model adjusting for health care environment, only gender remained statistically significant. Women physicians had significantly lower odds (47%) of receiving a top score (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.37-0.78; p = .001). Women gynecologists are 47% less likely to receive top patient satisfaction scores compared with their male counterparts owing to their gender alone, suggesting that gender bias may impact the results of patient satisfaction questionnaires. Therefore, the results of this and similar questionnaires should be interpreted with great caution until the impact on women physicians is better understood. Copyright © 2018 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health-promoting lifestyles of blue-collar, skilled trade, and white-collar workers.

PubMed

Lusk, S L; Kerr, M J; Ronis, D L

1995-01-01

The health-promoting lifestyles of blue-collar, skilled trade, and white-collar workers were examined. Specific purposes included determining differences in health-promoting behaviors, especially according to worker category, as well as ethnic identification, age, gender, education, and marital status. A convenience sample of 638 workers in a midwestern automotive components plant completed the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) and demographics questionnaire. In a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) including all demographic variables, significant differences were found in the mean scores on subscales of the HPLP by job category (2 subscales), age (3), gender (2), and education (4). Prior to including education in the MANOVA, significant differences were found by job category on 5 subscales of the HPLP. The effects of education eliminated the majority of the effects of job category.

Community demographics and the propensity to report animal cruelty.

PubMed

Taylor, Nicola; Signal, Tania D

2006-01-01

The last decade has seen an increased awareness concerning links between violence to nonhuman animals and violence to humans. This has resulted in a number of cross-reporting initiatives between family service providers and animal welfare organizations. The success of these initiatives rests on individuals being willing to report such violence. Thus, there is a need to determine which variables influence an individual's willingness to report deliberate animal cruelty and abuse. The aim of this study was to examine demographic and attitudinal variables to ascertain their impact on propensity to report deliberate animal harm. A telephone questionnaire resulted in 1,208 valid responses from members of the general community. Results showed a number of variables that affected the propensity to report: gender, occupation, and acknowledgment of the link between family violence and deliberate animal harm. This article discusses these variables and their implications.

Changes in quantitative 3D shape features of the optic nerve head associated with age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christopher, Mark; Tang, Li; Fingert, John H.; Scheetz, Todd E.; Abramoff, Michael D.

2013-02-01

Optic nerve head (ONH) structure is an important biological feature of the eye used by clinicians to diagnose and monitor progression of diseases such as glaucoma. ONH structure is commonly examined using stereo fundus imaging or optical coherence tomography. Stereo fundus imaging provides stereo views of the ONH that retain 3D information useful for characterizing structure. In order to quantify 3D ONH structure, we applied a stereo correspondence algorithm to a set of stereo fundus images. Using these quantitative 3D ONH structure measurements, eigen structures were derived using principal component analysis from stereo images of 565 subjects from the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS). To evaluate the usefulness of the eigen structures, we explored associations with the demographic variables age, gender, and race. Using regression analysis, the eigen structures were found to have significant (p < 0.05) associations with both age and race after Bonferroni correction. In addition, classifiers were constructed to predict the demographic variables based solely on the eigen structures. These classifiers achieved an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.62 in predicting a binary age variable, 0.52 in predicting gender, and 0.67 in predicting race. The use of objective, quantitative features or eigen structures can reveal hidden relationships between ONH structure and demographics. The use of these features could similarly allow specific aspects of ONH structure to be isolated and associated with the diagnosis of glaucoma, disease progression and outcomes, and genetic factors.

Healthy Lifestyles of University Students in China and Influential Factors

PubMed Central

Xing, Xiao-Hui; Wu, Xian-Bo

2013-01-01

This study was conducted to analyze to what extent university students exhibit healthy lifestyles and which sociodemographic variables influence healthy lifestyles. 4809 university students randomly selected were measured by use of the Healthy Lifestyle Scale for University Students questionnaire. When controlling for the other variables, the total healthy lifestyles score was predicted by gender, grade, father's level of education, and type of institution; exercise behaviour was partially predicted by gender, grade, type of institution, and family monthly income; regular behaviour was modulated by gender, grade, type of institution, family monthly income, and father's educational level; nutrition behaviour was partially affected by type of institution, family monthly income, and father's educational level; health risk behaviour was modulated by gender, mother's level of education, and family monthly income; health responsibility was modulated by gender, grade, type of institution, and father's educational level; social support was modulated by gender, grade, and father's educational level; stress management was modulated by gender, grade, type of institution, and mother's education level; life appreciation was modulated by grade, type of institution, and mother's educational level. These influences should be taken into account in designing interventions for specific socio-demographic profiles that might be at higher risk for certain behaviours. PMID:23935418

Effects of Between- and Within-Subject Variability on Autonomic Cardiorespiratory Activity during Sleep and Their Limitations on Sleep Staging: A Multilevel Analysis

PubMed Central

Long, Xi; Haakma, Reinder; Leufkens, Tim R. M.; Fonseca, Pedro; Aarts, Ronald M.

2015-01-01

Autonomic cardiorespiratory activity changes across sleep stages. However, it is unknown to what extent it is affected by between- and within-subject variability during sleep. As it is hypothesized that the variability is caused by differences in subject demographics (age, gender, and body mass index), time, and physiology, we quantified these effects and investigated how they limit reliable cardiorespiratory-based sleep staging. Six representative parameters obtained from 165 overnight heartbeat and respiration recordings were analyzed. Multilevel models were used to evaluate the effects evoked by differences in sleep stages, demographics, time, and physiology between and within subjects. Results show that the between- and within-subject effects were found to be significant for each parameter. When adjusted by sleep stages, the effects in physiology between and within subjects explained more than 80% of total variance but the time and demographic effects explained less. If these effects are corrected, profound improvements in sleep staging can be observed. These results indicate that the differences in subject demographics, time, and physiology present significant effects on cardiorespiratory activity during sleep. The primary effects come from the physiological variability between and within subjects, markedly limiting the sleep staging performance. Efforts to diminish these effects will be the main challenge. PMID:26366167

An examination of the impact of non-formal and informal learning on adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Digby, Cynthia Louise Barrett

The purpose of this research is to consider the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, of adults in Minnesota, and possible factors that influence environmental literacy. Specifically, this study is designed to: (1) measure the environmental literacy of Minnesota adults, (2) explore possible relationships between Minnesota adults, environmental literacy variables and their demographic, non-formal and informal learning, and (3) determine the relative contribution of demographic and learning variables for predicting environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. This research was accomplished by conducting a secondary data analysis of The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy: A Survey of Adult Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior (Murphy & Olson, 2008). Phone interviews were completed between August and November 2007 with one thousand adults throughout Minnesota. Findings indicated that for age, education, and income, there was a weak positive relationship with environmental knowledge, attitude and behavior scores. There was a significant effect for gender and environmental knowledge scores, with males receiving higher environmental knowledge scores than females. There was a significant effect for gender and environmental attitudes, and behavior scores as well, with females receiving slightly higher environmental attitude and behavior scores than males. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, non-formal learning participation appears to be a moderate contributor to both environmental knowledge and environmental behaviors. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, informal learning participation appears to be a slight contributor to environmental attitudes, and a moderate contributor to environmental knowledge and behaviors. Overall, the results of this study suggest that participation in non-formal and informal education venues improved environmental knowledge, attitude and behavior models, providing evidence for the value and need for non-formal and informal environmental adult education venues.

Gender Differences in Caregiving at End of Life: Implications for Hospice Teams

PubMed Central

Washington, Karla T.; Pike, Kenneth C.; Parker Oliver, Debra; Albright, David L.; Lewis, Alexandria M.

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: Researchers have identified important gender differences in the experience of caring for a family member or friend living with advanced disease; however, trends suggest that these differences may be diminishing over time in response to changing gender roles. In addition, while many studies have found caregiving experiences and outcomes to be poorer among female caregivers, noteworthy exceptions exist. Objective: The primary aim of this exploratory study was to determine how, if at all, current day caregiving at end of life varies by gender. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a multisite randomized controlled trial of a family caregiving intervention performed between 2010 and 2014. We compared female and male hospice family caregivers on baseline variables using χ2 tests for association of categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables. Our sample included 289 family caregivers of individuals receiving services from one of two hospice agencies located in the northwestern United States. Demographic data and other categorical variables of interest were provided via caregiver self-report using an instrument created specifically for this study. Reaction to caregiving and caregiving burden were measured using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA). Results: As it related to caregiving, females had significantly lower self-esteem and more negative impact on their schedule, health, and family support than males. No gender differences were detected with regard to the impact of caregiving on individuals' finances. Conclusions: Despite changing social expectations, pronounced gender differences persist in caregiving at the end of life. PMID:26484426

The influence of lifestyle and gender on sickness absence in Brazilian workers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Despite an increasing body of knowledge concerning gender and lifestyle factors as determinants of sickness absence in well-developed countries, the relationship between these variables has not been elucidated in emerging economic power countries, where the burden of non-communicable diseases is particularly high. This study aimed to analyze the relationships among lifestyle-related factors and sick leave and to examine whether gender differences in sickness absence can be explained by differences in socio-demographic, work and lifestyle-related factors among Brazilian workers. Methods In this longitudinal study with a one year follow-up among 2.150 employees of a Brazilian airline company, sick leave was the primary outcome of interest. Independent variables collected by interview at enrolment in the study were gender, age, educational level, type of work, stress, and lifestyle-related factors (body mass index, physical activity and smoking). In addition, the risk for coronary heart disease was determined based on measurement of blood pressure, total cholesterol and glucose levels. The total number of days on sick leave during 12 months follow-up was available from the company register. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influence of socio-demographic, type of work and lifestyle-related factors on sick leave. Results Younger employees, those with lower educational level, those who worked as air crew members and those with higher levels of stress were more likely to have sick leave. Body mass index and level of physical activity were not associated with sick leave. After adjustment by socio-demographic variables, increased odds for 10 or more days of sick leave were found in smokers (OR = 1.51, CI = 1.05-2.17), and ex-smokers (OR = 1.45, CI = 1.01-2.10). Women were more likely to have 10 or more days of sick leave. Gender differences were reduced mainly when adjusted for type of work (15%) and educational level (7%). Conclusions The higher occurrence of sick leave among women than among men was partly explained by type of work and educational level. Our results suggest that type of work, a stressful life, and smoking are important targets for health promotion in this study population. PMID:24708760

Are the anatomy textbooks wrong? A clinical patho-anatomic study of foveal vessels in the round ligament of the hip.

PubMed

Barrington, John W; Sodhi, Nipun; Ali, Muzaffar; Khlopas, Anton; Sultan, Assem A; Kee, James R; Holmes, Kristopher A; Hariri, Omar; Newman, Jared M; Mont, Michael A

2017-12-01

The foveal vessels of the ligamentum teres are an anterior branch of the posterior division of the obturator artery, providing blood to the capitis of the femoral head. However, the basic anatomic description of foveal vasculature in the ligamentum teres of the hip is widely variable, with some studies reporting that the vessels are not patent in roughly one third of all adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of foveal vessels in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. Specifically, we evaluated: (I) if the foveal vessels were intact; and we (II) correlated foveal vessel status with (i) patient demographics, including gender and age; as well as (ii) perioperative data, such as operative time and blood loss. The macroscopic status of the foveal vessels in the ligamentum teres femoris was documented in 266 patients at the time of primary unilateral THA performed between August 2015 and April 2017. The vessels were considered to be intact if active bleeding was directly visible from the acetabular stump of the severed ligamentum teres femoris. Demographics including age, gender, and preoperative diagnosis were collected. The perioperative outcome variables included estimated blood loss (EBL) and operative time. Foveal vessel status defined as intact or not intact, was also correlated with patient demographics and perioperative data. A student's t -test was used to compare the continuous variables and a chi square test was used for categorical variables. The foveal vessels were intact in 161 patients (61%) and not intact in 105 patients (39%). The mean age for patients with intact foveal vessels was found to be 64 years (range, 18 to 94 years) vs. 65 years (range, 29 to 94 years) (P>0.05) for not intact. No correlation was found between preoperative diagnosis, gender, operative time, and EBL and foveal vessel status. The results of this clinical patho-anatomic study of the foveal vessels in the ligamentum teres femoris of the hip refutes the polarized claims of prior anatomy texts that document the vessels as either "absent in adults" or "always intact." Rather, the results of this study reveal an alternate option: that foveal vessels can be present and either be intact (61%) or not intact (39%). No correlation was found between age, gender, operative time, and EBL and foveal vessel status.

Predictors of re-employment: a question of attitude, behavior, or gender?

PubMed

Andersson, Kin

2015-08-01

This longitudinal study examined the predictive value of attitudes, personal-related variables, job search behaviour, and demographic variables on re-employment among 142 assembly workers who had been made redundant. Participants completed a questionnaire within a week after leaving their jobs, and another 15 months later. Results of hierarchical logistic regression revealed that gender (being male), was the strongest predictor of re-employment. Willingness to relocate and desire to change occupation also increased the odds of re-employment 15 months after dismissal. On the other hand - having children at home and anonymous-passive job-search behaviour, which is more prevalent among women, decreased the odds for re-employment. The study is contributing to research by revealing gender differences in job search behaviour and the importance of focusing qualitative differences instead of merely quantitative measures in job-search behaviour. And even more important, despite attitude and job-search behaviour, there is still differences that seems to be related to gender and family responsibility. © 2015 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Attitudes toward homosexuality among young adults: connections to gender role identity, gender-typed activities, and religiosity.

PubMed

Harbaugh, Evan; Lindsey, Eric W

2015-01-01

Individual differences in attitudes toward homosexuality have been linked to numerous personality and demographic variables. This study investigated the influence that gender role identity, involvement in gender-typed activities, and religiosity plays in this relationship. The sample included 194 undergraduate students from a Northeastern university. Analyses revealed that both males and females who held a more masculine gender role identity and individual commitment to religion scored higher on measures of homophobia and heteronormativity, whereas there was no association between spiritual meaning in life and attitudes toward homosexuality. Among males, but not females, more masculine gender identity and less spiritual meaning in life was associated with greater homophobia. The importance of the findings for research on the origins of attitudes toward individuals with a homosexual orientation are discussed, as well as the potential directions for future research on connections between gender role identity, religious affiliation, and attitudes toward gays and lesbians.

Manufacturing challenge: An employee perception of the impact of BEM variables on motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyaude, Alaster

The study examines the impact of Thomas F. Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model (BEM) variables on employee perception of motivation at an aerospace equipment manufacturing plant in Georgia. The research process involved literature review, and determination of an appropriate survey instrument for the study. The Hersey-Chevalier modified PROBE instrument (Appendix C) was used with Dr Roger Chevalier's validation. The participants' responses were further examined to determine the influence of demographic control variables of age, gender, length of service with the company and education on employee perception of motivation. The results indicated that the top three highly motivating variables were knowledge and skills, capacity and resources. Knowledge and skills was perceived to be highly motivating, capacity as second highly motivating and resources as the third highly motivating variable. Interestingly, the fourth highly motivating variable was information, the fifth was motives and the sixth was incentives. The results also showed that demographic control variables had no influence on employee perception of motivation. Further research may be required to understand to what extend these BEM variables impact employee perceptions of motivation.

An Examination of Differences in Consequences of Punishment among PK-12 School Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randle, Dawn DuBose

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the administering of punishment procedures for violations of a school district's Code of Student Conduct among school-based administrators. Specifically, this study was concerned with the impact of the socio-demographic variables of: gender, years of administrative experience,…

Use of Computer Technology for English Language Learning: Do Learning Styles, Gender, and Age Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Cynthia; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing; Ip, Tiffany

2016-01-01

Computer technology provides spaces and locales for language learning. However, learning style preference and demographic variables may affect the effectiveness of technology use for a desired goal. Adapting Reid's pioneering Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ), this study investigated the relations of university students'…

Parents' Child Care Experience: Effects of Sex and Parity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilpin, Andrew R.; Glanville, Bradley B.

1985-01-01

Surveyed 94 couples to determine effects on child care experience associated with gender, parity, and various other demographic variables. As expected, women had higher scores than men. Experience was a linear function of parity for men, but not for women, and was unrelated to attitudes toward women. Implications for child care responsibility are…

Attitudes of Medical Students towards Psychiatry: Effects of Training, Courses in Psychiatry, Psychiatric Experience and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhnigk, Olaf; Strebel, Bernd; Schilauske, Joerg; Jueptner, Markus

2007-01-01

Objective: The attitudes of medical students towards psychiatry and psychotherapy were examined considering the extent of their education, previous psychiatry experience, the evaluation of the course, their career intentions and socio-demographic variables. Methods: Five hundred and eight medical students in their second, fifth, ninth and tenth…

A Time Use Diary Study of Adult Everyday Writing Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Dale J.; White, Sheida; Cohen, Steffaney B.

2011-01-01

The present study documents everyday adult writing by type of text and medium (computer or paper) in an "in vivo" diary study. The authors compare writing patterns by gender, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, age and working status. The study results reveal that (a) writing time varied with demographic variables for networkers, but…

Pediatric Health Assessments of Young Children in Child Welfare by Placement Type

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneiderman, Janet U.; Leslie, Laurel K.; Arnold-Clark, Janet S.; McDaniel, Dawn; Xie, Bin

2011-01-01

Objectives: To describe health-related problems across placement types (unrelated foster, kin foster, in-home with birth parent); to examine the association of placement and demographic/child welfare variables (child gender, age, race/ethnicity; caregiver language; type of maltreatment, and length of time receiving services from child welfare)…

Exploring Teaching Satisfaction of Public High School Teachers: Empirical Evidence from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Büyükgöze, Hilal; Gün, Feyza

2017-01-01

The current paper primarily investigates teaching satisfaction of teachers working in public high schools of Ankara. The latter aim of this study is to determine whether teachers' satisfaction levels vary in relation to some demographic variables such as gender, education, type of high school, tenure, marital status, and membership to an…

The Impact Demographics Has on Nontraditional Students in Graduate School and Their Success in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bingham, Pamela Ann Haynes

2017-01-01

To determine if demography impacted the success of graduate students in the online learning environment, this non-experimental study used age, gender, ethnicity, enrollment status, financial dependency, employment status, program (master's or doctoral), and marital status as the independent variables to determine their impact on four dependent…

Demographic and Situational Variables Influencing Substance Use among Urban Black Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody-Thomas, Sarah; And Others

This study reports grade, gender, and environmental (school structure) differences in self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana among urban black adolescents. Among the results are the following: (1) an equal percentage of males and females reported having "tried" cigarettes and alcohol; (2) males reportedly smoked more cigarettes…

Self-Directed Learning Readiness among Undergraduate Students at Saudi Electronic University in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfaifi, Mousa S.

2016-01-01

This study aimed to determine the level of self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University in Saudi Arabia. Also, investigated were potential relationships between the level of self-directed learning readiness and selected demographic variables such as gender and specific college within the…

Hispanic Community College Students: Acculturation, Family Support, Perceived Educational Barriers, and Vocational Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiebig, Jennifer Nepper; Braid, Barbara L.; Ross, Patricia A.; Tom, Matthew A.; Prinzo, Cara

2010-01-01

A multiple logistic regression model was used to determine the associations between the role of acculturation, perception of educational barriers, need for family kin support, vocational planning, and expectations for attaining future vocational goals against the demographic variables (gender, age, being the oldest child, the first to attend…

A Study of Factors That Influence Job Satisfaction of Teachers at a Southeast Christian School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Churchwell, Mark S.

2016-01-01

This quantitative study investigated factors that influence the job satisfaction of teachers at a large K-12 Christian school. Selected demographic variables (gender, marital status, grade level taught, and years of teaching experience) were examined for their relationships with teacher job satisfaction. The following overarching question guided…

Maternal autonomy and attitudes towards gender norms: associations with childhood immunization in Nigeria.

PubMed

Singh, Kavita; Haney, Erica; Olorunsaiye, Comfort

2013-07-01

Globally 2.5 million children under-five die from vaccine preventable diseases, and in Nigeria only 23 % of children ages 12-23 months are fully immunized. The international community is promoting gender equality as a means to improve the health and well-being of women and their children. This paper looks at whether measures of gender equality, autonomy and individual attitudes towards gender norms, are associated with a child being fully immunized in Nigeria. Data from currently married women with a child 12-23 months from the 2008 Nigeria demographic and health survey were used to study the influence of autonomy and gender attitudes on whether or not a child is fully immunized. Multivariate logistic regression was used and several key socioeconomic variables were controlled for including wealth and education, which are considered key inputs into gender equality. Findings indicated that household decision-making and attitudes towards wife beating were significantly associated with a child being fully immunized after controlling for socioeconomic variables. Ethnicity, wealth and education were also significant factors. Programmatic and policy implications indicate the potential for the promotion of gender equality as a means to improve child health. Gender equality can be seen as a means to enable women to access life-saving services for their children.

Attitudes toward victims of rape: effects of gender, race, religion, and social class.

PubMed

Nagel, Barbara; Matsuo, Hisako; McIntyre, Kevin P; Morrison, Nancy

2005-06-01

Although previous literature focusing on perceptions of victims of rape has examined how gender, race, and culture influence the attitudes one holds toward victims, these studies have yielded mixed results. This study compared perceptions of victims of rape across a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, religions, and income levels, while focusing on gender and racial differences. Results indicate (N = 220) that victims of rape are generally viewed more sympathetically by females than by males and by Whites than by African Americans. However, the effect of race disappears when socioeconomic variables are controlled, suggesting a more complex relationship. Also, a hierarchical regression indicates that age, sex, education, and income are significant predictors of attitudes toward victims. This study builds on existing research that examines such attitudes from a cultural perspective and extends this literature by examining the interactive effects of several demographic variables within a community sample.

[Parenthood and cancer: dyadic analysis of psychological distress and -health-related quality of life of cancer parents with minor children].

PubMed

Kühne, Franziska; Krattenmacher, Thomas; Bergelt, Corinna; Bierbaum, Anna-Lena; Christine Ernst, Johanna; Flechtner, Hans-Henning; Keller, Monika; Klitzing, Kai V; Romer, Georg; Möller, Birgit

2013-12-01

The purpose of this study was the analysis of psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of parents with minor children during curative resp. palliative treatment.Cross-sectional design with a sample of N=89 parent dyads. Dyadic analysis of demographic, illness and family variables via mixed linear models.Patients and healthy partners indicated psychological distress on different subscales. Intradyadic correlations were small-moderate. Most important predictors of psychological distress and HRQoL were treatment stadium, gender, family functioning, and employment status.Dependent on demographic variables, psychooncological support was evident mainly for parents in palliative care and for families with dysfunctional functioning. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The associations of social self-control, personality disorders, and demographics with drug use among high-risk youth.

PubMed

Sussman, Steve; McCuller, William J; Dent, Clyde W

2003-08-01

A 10-item self-report measure of social self-control was examined for its association with substance use, controlling for its associations with 12 personality disorder indices and 4 demographic variables among a sample of 1050 high-risk youth. Social self-control was found to be associated with 30-day cigarette smoking, alcohol use, marijuana use, and hard drug use, controlling for these other variables. The most consistent concurrent predictors of substance use were male gender, antisocial personality disorder, and social self-control. These results highlight the importance of social self-control as a unique concurrent predictor of substance use and suggest that social self-control skill training is relevant in substance abuse prevention programming.

Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in tobacco use-related surveillance and epidemiological research.

PubMed

Sell, Randall L; Dunn, Patricia M

2008-01-01

Researchers and public health advocates have long recognized the importance of demographic characteristics such as sex, race, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status in their efforts to understand and control the use of tobacco among population groups. Targeting prevention and cessation efforts based upon such characteristics has consistently been demonstrated to be both efficient and effective. In recent years, attention has modestly turned to how two additional demographic variables, sexual orientation and gender identity, can add to our understanding of how to reduce tobacco use. Research of tobacco industry papers has clearly documented targeted media campaigns to encourage smoking among lesbians and gays in the marketplace. The tobacco industry has long understood the role that sexual orientation can play in the uptake of smoking and the targeted marketing of brands. Those concerned with tobacco use prevention and cessation research have consequently responded to address tobacco use by lesbians and gays, and bisexuals and transgender people as well, but even more can be done. This article reviews what is known about smoking in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations and then reviews recommendations from four panels created to examine this topic. In conclusion, we recommend that sexual orientation and gender identity be considered for inclusion as variables in all major research and epidemiological studies of tobacco use. Just as such studies, without hesitation, measure sex, race, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status, they need to also include questions assessing sexual orientation and gender identity. Although these new variables need not be the primary focus of these studies, at a minimum, considering their use as controlling variables should be explored. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people can benefit from being openly included in the work researchers conduct to inform the design of tobacco control programs and policies.

The Influence of Inclusion on the Academic Performance of General Education Students on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge in Grades 6, 7, and 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Christie M.; Babo, Gerard

2014-01-01

This study examined the influence of student demographic variables (i.e., SES, race, attendance, and gender) and the school variable of placement in an inclusion setting on the academic achievement of general education students in grades 6, 7, and 8 (n = 1200) in an urban school district as measured by the 2010-2011 NJASK, the state's annual…

Examination of socio-demographics and job satisfaction in Australian registered nurses.

PubMed

Reid, Carol; Hurst, Cameron; Anderson, Debra

2013-01-01

The results of the few studies found investigating relationships between sociodemographic variables and job satisfaction in nurses are mixed. Nevertheless some evidence exists which indicates that some socio-demographic variables are related to nurses' job satisfaction. Moreover reports indicate that job satisfaction is Linked to the retention of nurses. Relationships between socio-demographics and job satisfaction of Australian nurses are examined in the current study. To examine relationships between socio-demographic factors and job satisfaction and identify if these factors predicted job satisfaction Levels in Australian nurses. A cross sectional survey was conducted of 2000 Australian registered nurses who were at the time members of an industrial and professional organisation. The nurses were randomised and stratified according to gender and were asked to answer questions on a socio-demographic questionnaire developed by the researcher. The majority of respondents showed positive job satisfaction scores. Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) found the covariates age, years of experience and years in current job were all moderately to highly positively correlated with each other (all r > 0.40, p < 0.001), however there were no significant interactions between these covariates and Job Satisfaction. Multivariable analysis found significant positive relationships existed between job satisfaction, specialty area and health sector. Specialty area and health sector showed significant associations with job satisfaction in nurses. These variables should be considered by governments, nursing, organisational leaders and policy makers when developing future policies and strategies aimed at retention. These variables should be investigated further in relation to nursing job satisfaction.

Hardiness commitment, gender, and age differentiate university academic performance.

PubMed

Sheard, Michael

2009-03-01

The increasing diversity of students, particularly in age, attending university has seen a concomitant interest in factors predicting academic success. This 2-year correlational study examined whether age, gender (demographic variables), and hardiness (cognitive/emotional variable) differentiate and predict university final degree grade point average (GPA) and final-year dissertation mark. Data are reported from a total of 134 university undergraduate students. Participants provided baseline data in questionnaires administered during the first week of their second year of undergraduate study and gave consent for their academic progress to be tracked. Final degree GPA and dissertation mark were the academic performance criteria. Mature-age students achieved higher final degree GPA compared to young undergraduates. Female students significantly outperformed their male counterparts in each measured academic assessment criteria. Female students also reported a significantly higher mean score on hardiness commitment compared to male students. commitment was the most significant positive correlate of academic achievement. Final degree GPA and dissertation mark were significantly predicted by commitment, and commitment and gender, respectively. The findings have implications for universities targeting academic support services to maximize student scholastic potential. Future research should incorporate hardiness, gender, and age with other variables known to predict academic success.

Gender in Science and Engineering Faculties: Demographic Inertia Revisited.

PubMed

Thomas, Nicole R; Poole, Daniel J; Herbers, Joan M

2015-01-01

The under-representation of women on faculties of science and engineering is ascribed in part to demographic inertia, which is the lag between retirement of current faculty and future hires. The assumption of demographic inertia implies that, given enough time, gender parity will be achieved. We examine that assumption via a semi-Markov model to predict the future faculty, with simulations that predict the convergence demographic state. Our model shows that existing practices that produce gender gaps in recruitment, retention, and career progression preclude eventual gender parity. Further, we examine sensitivity of the convergence state to current gender gaps to show that all sources of disparity across the entire faculty career must be erased to produce parity: we cannot blame demographic inertia.

Learning style and concept acquisition of community college students in introductory biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobick, Sandra Burin

This study investigated the influence of learning style on concept acquisition within a sample of community college students in a general biology course. There are two subproblems within the larger problem: (1) the influence of demographic variables (age, gender, number of college credits, prior exposure to scientific information) on learning style, and (2) the correlations between prior scientific knowledge, learning style and student understanding of the concept of the gene. The sample included all students enrolled in an introductory general biology course during two consecutive semesters at an urban community college. Initial data was gathered during the first week of the semester, at which time students filled in a short questionnaire (age, gender, number of college credits, prior exposure to science information either through reading/visual sources or a prior biology course). Subjects were then given the Inventory of Learning Processes-Revised (ILP-R) which measures general preferences in five learning styles; Deep Learning; Elaborative Learning, Agentic Learning, Methodical Learning and Literal Memorization. Subjects were then given the Gene Conceptual Knowledge pretest: a 15 question objective section and an essay section. Subjects were exposed to specific concepts during lecture and laboratory exercises. At the last lab, students were given the Genetics Conceptual Knowledge Posttest. Pretest/posttest gains were correlated with demographic variables and learning styles were analyzed for significant correlations. Learning styles, as the independent variable in a simultaneous multiple regression, were significant predictors of results on the gene assessment tests, including pretest, posttest and gain. Of the learning styles, Deep Learning accounted for the greatest positive predictive value of pretest essay and pretest objective results. Literal Memorization was a significant negative predictor for posttest essay, essay gain and objective gain. Simultaneous multiple regression indicated that demographic variables were significant positive predictors for Methodical, Deep and Elaborative Learning Styles. Stepwise multiple regression resulted in number of credits, Read Science and gender (female) as significant predictors of learning styles. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of learning styles in conceptual understanding of the gene and the correlation of nonformal exposure to science information with learning style and conceptual understanding.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Gender, and Risk Factors: World Trade Center Tower Survivors 10 to 11 Years After the September 11, 2001 Attacks.

PubMed

Bowler, Rosemarie M; Adams, Shane W; Gocheva, Vihra V; Li, Jiehui; Mergler, Donna; Brackbill, Robert; Cone, James E

2017-12-01

Ten to eleven years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was evaluated in 1,755 World Trade Center (WTC) evacuees based on data from the WTC Health Registry. Characteristics of men and women were compared and factors associated with PTSD symptom severity were examined using the PTSD Checklist (PCL). Compared with men (n = 1,015, 57.8%), women (n = 740, 42.2%) were younger and of lower socioeconomic status. Ten to eleven years after September 11, 2001, 13.7% of men and 24.1% of women met criteria for PTSD. Results indicated that when considered with all other variables (i.e., demographic, socioeconomic and social resources, exposure to the attacks, life events), gender was not a significant predictor of PTSD symptom severity. Being younger on September 11, 2001, unemployed, less educated, and/or having higher exposure to the attacks, unmet mental health care needs, and less social support predicted higher PCL scores for both genders (βs = .077 to .239). Demographic characteristics and socioeconomic resources (ΔR 2 = .113) accounted for the largest amount of variance in PCL scores over and above exposure/evacuation, mental healthcare needs, and social support variables (ΔR 2 = .093 to .102). When trends of unmet mental healthcare needs were analyzed, the most prevalent response for men was that they preferred to manage their own symptoms (15.1%), whereas the most prevalent response for women was that they could not afford to pay for mental health care (14.7%). Although the prevalence of probable PTSD in women tower survivors was approximately twice as high as it was for men, this is attributable largely to demographic and socioeconomic resource factors and not gender alone. Implications for treatment and interventions are discussed. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population.

PubMed

Keller, Andreas; Hempstead, Margaret; Gomez, Iran A; Gilbert, Avery N; Vosshall, Leslie B

2012-10-10

Human perception of the odour environment is highly variable. People vary both in their general olfactory acuity as well as in if and how they perceive specific odours. In recent years, it has been shown that genetic differences contribute to variability in both general olfactory acuity and the perception of specific odours. Odour perception also depends on other factors such as age and gender. Here we investigate the influence of these factors on both general olfactory acuity and on the perception of 66 structurally and perceptually different odours in a diverse subject population. We carried out a large human olfactory psychophysics study of 391 adult subjects in metropolitan New York City, an ethnically and culturally diverse North American metropolis. 210 of the subjects were women and the median age was 34.6 years (range 19-75). We recorded ~2,300 data points per subject to obtain a comprehensive perceptual phenotype, comprising multiple perceptual measures of 66 diverse odours. We show that general olfactory acuity correlates with gender, age, race, smoking habits, and body type. Young, female, non-smoking subjects had the highest average olfactory acuity. Deviations from normal body type in either direction were associated with decreased olfactory acuity. Beyond these factors we also show that, surprisingly, there are many odour-specific influences of race, age, and gender on olfactory perception. We show over 100 instances in which the intensity or pleasantness perception of an odour is significantly different between two demographic groups. These data provide a comprehensive snapshot of the olfactory sense of a diverse population. Olfactory acuity in the population is most strongly influenced by age, followed by gender. We also show a large number of diverse correlations between demographic factors and the perception of individual odours that may reflect genetic differences as well as different prior experiences with these odours between demographic groups.

An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Human perception of the odour environment is highly variable. People vary both in their general olfactory acuity as well as in if and how they perceive specific odours. In recent years, it has been shown that genetic differences contribute to variability in both general olfactory acuity and the perception of specific odours. Odour perception also depends on other factors such as age and gender. Here we investigate the influence of these factors on both general olfactory acuity and on the perception of 66 structurally and perceptually different odours in a diverse subject population. Results We carried out a large human olfactory psychophysics study of 391 adult subjects in metropolitan New York City, an ethnically and culturally diverse North American metropolis. 210 of the subjects were women and the median age was 34.6 years (range 19–75). We recorded ~2,300 data points per subject to obtain a comprehensive perceptual phenotype, comprising multiple perceptual measures of 66 diverse odours. We show that general olfactory acuity correlates with gender, age, race, smoking habits, and body type. Young, female, non-smoking subjects had the highest average olfactory acuity. Deviations from normal body type in either direction were associated with decreased olfactory acuity. Beyond these factors we also show that, surprisingly, there are many odour-specific influences of race, age, and gender on olfactory perception. We show over 100 instances in which the intensity or pleasantness perception of an odour is significantly different between two demographic groups. Conclusions These data provide a comprehensive snapshot of the olfactory sense of a diverse population. Olfactory acuity in the population is most strongly influenced by age, followed by gender. We also show a large number of diverse correlations between demographic factors and the perception of individual odours that may reflect genetic differences as well as different prior experiences with these odours between demographic groups. PMID:23046643

Dimensional profiles of male to female gender identity disorder: an exploratory research.

PubMed

Fisher, Alessandra D; Bandini, Elisa; Ricca, Valdo; Ferruccio, Naika; Corona, Giovanni; Meriggiola, Maria C; Jannini, Emmanuele A; Manieri, Chiara; Ristori, Jiska; Forti, Gianni; Mannucci, Edoardo; Maggi, Mario

2010-07-01

Male-to-Female Gender Identity Disorder (MtF GID) is a complex phenomenon that could be better evaluated by using a dimensional approach. To explore the aggregation of clinical manifestations of MtF GID in order to identify meaningful variables describing the heterogeneity of the disorder. A consecutive series of 80 MtF GID subjects (mean age 37 +/- 10.3 years), referred to the Interdepartmental Center for Assistance Gender Identity Disorder of Florence and to other Italian centers from July 2008 to June 2009, was studied. Diagnosis was based on formal psychiatric classification criteria. Factor analysis was performed. Several socio-demographic and clinical parameters were investigated. Patients were asked to complete the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI, a self-rating scale to evaluate gender role) and Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R, a self-rating scale to measure psychological state). Factor analysis identified two dimensional factors: Factor 1 was associated with sexual orientation, and Factor 2 related to behavioral and psychological correlates of early GID development. No correlation was observed between the two factors. A positive correlation between Factor 2 and feminine BSRI score was found, along with a negative correlation between Factor 2 and undifferentiated BSRI score. Moreover, a significant association between SCL-90-R Phobic subscale score and Factor 2 was observed. A variety of other socio-demographic parameters and clinical features were associated with both factors. Behavioral and psychological correlates of Factor 1 (sexual orientation) and Factor 2 (gender identity) do not constitute the framework of two separate clinical entities, but instead represent two dimensions of the complex MtF GID structure, which can be variably intertwined in the same subject. By using factor analysis, we offer a new approach capable of delineating a psychopathological and clinical profile of MtF GID patients.

Work-family spillover among Japanese dual-earner couples: a large community-based study.

PubMed

Shimada, Kyoko; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B; Demerouti, Evangelia; Kawakami, Norito

2010-01-01

To examine the effects of multiple types of work-family spillover (work-to-family negative spillover, WFNS; family-to-work negative spillover, FWNS; and work-family positive spillover, WFPS) on psychological distress among Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children. 2,346 parents completed questionnaires measuring work-family spillover, work- and family-specific variables (i.e., job demands and resources, family demands and resources), and psychological distress. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted by entering demographic characteristics (gender, age, age of the youngest child, and job contract) in step 1, job demands and resources in step 2, family demands and resources in step 3, work-family spillover in step 4, and three two-way interactions between types of work-family spillover and gender in the final step. Both WFNS and FWNS were positively related to psychological distress after controlling for demographic characteristics and domain specific variables (i.e. job and family demands/resources), and FWNS (β=0.26) had a stronger relation with psychological distress than WFNS (β=0.16). Although WFPS was significantly and negatively related to psychological distress, the relationship was weak (β=-0.05). In addition, two-way interactions of WFNS and FWNS with gender were found; the impact of both WFNS and FWNS on psychological distress is stronger for females than for males. No significant interaction effect was observed between WFPS and gender. In this study of Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children, work-family negative spillover had a stronger relationship with psychological distress than positive spillover. Gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between negative spillover and psychological distress.

Development and validation of the Patriarchal Beliefs Scale.

PubMed

Yoon, Eunju; Adams, Kristen; Hogge, Ingrid; Bruner, John P; Surya, Shruti; Bryant, Fred B

2015-04-01

The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a conceptually and psychometrically solid measure for patriarchal beliefs in samples of U.S. American adults from diverse demographic and geographic backgrounds. In Study 1, we identified 3 correlated factors of the Patriarchal Beliefs Scale (PBS) in data collected from the Internet (N = 279): Institutional Power of Men, Inferiority of Women, and Gendered Domestic Roles. In Study 2, data collected from the Internet (N = 284) supported both an oblique 3-factor structure and a bifactor structure of the PBS, through confirmatory factor analyses. Construct validity of the PBS was supported in relation to other gender-related measures. The PBS was correlated in expected directions with modern sexism, antifeminist attitudes, and egalitarian attitudes toward women. In Study 3, we examined measurement invariance across gender by using combined data from Study 1 and Study 2. All 3 factors of the oblique 3-factor model indicated measurement invariance, whereas the general factor represented in the bifactor model indicated nonequivalence. Mean differences in patriarchal beliefs were found for such demographic variables as gender, sexual orientation, education, and social class. Recommendations for using the PBS, as well as implications for research and practice, are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF LOW FERTILITY IN BRAZIL.

PubMed

Castanheira, Helena Cruz; Kohler, Hans-Peter

2017-11-01

An increasing number of developing countries are experiencing below replacement fertility rates. Although the factors associated with low fertility in developed countries have been widely explored in the literature, studies of low fertility in middle- and low-income countries continue to be rare. To help fill this gap, Brazil was used as a case study to assess whether human development, gender equality and the ability of mothers with young children to work are associated with the likelihood of married or cohabiting women to have a child. For this purpose, multilevel logistic regressions were estimated using the 1991, 2000 and 2010 Brazilian Demographic Censuses. It was found that human development was negatively associated with fertility in the three periods analysed. Gender equality and the ability of mothers with young children to work were positively associated with the odds of having higher order births in Brazil in 2000 and 2010. In 1991, these variables were not associated with higher order births, and gender equality was negatively associated with first births. The positive association found in 2000 and 2010 may constitute a reversal of the relationship that in all likelihood prevailed earlier in the demographic transition when gender equality was most likely negatively correlated with fertility levels.

The Relationships Among Socio-Demographics, Perceived Health, and Happiness

PubMed Central

Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Miller, Michael J.; Lord, Justin C.

2017-01-01

This article explores explore the relationships among socio-demographics, perceived health, and happiness in a patient population of 221 adults recruited from 39 primary care practices in Alabama. We also explored whether the relationship between socio-demographics and happiness is mediated by perceived health. The dependent variable, happiness, was dichotomized as happy versus unhappy. Independent variables or correlates of happiness included race (Black or White), age (< 65 vs. 65 and older), gender (male vs. female), perceived income (sufficient vs. insufficient to meet basic needs), health literacy (adequate vs. inadequate), and self-rated health (excellent/very good/good vs. poor/fair). Data were analyzed using generalized linear latent and mixed models to examine the relationship between happiness and its correlates. Our findings suggest that adequate health literacy and better perceived health are associated with an increase in the likelihood of happiness. In addition, the relationship between perceived sufficient income and happiness is mediated by perceived health; whereas, individuals with sufficient income are more likely to have better perceived health, and as a result more likely to be happy. Other individual factors, such as gender, age, and race were not significantly associated with being happy or having higher perceived health in any of the models. Results suggest that policies aimed at increasing health literacy, promoting health, and reducing income disparities may be associated with greater happiness. PMID:28757904

Adolescents' leisure activities, parental monitoring and cigarette smoking - a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Adolescent participation in leisure activities is developmentally beneficial, but certain activities may increase health compromising behaviours, such as tobacco smoking. A limited range of leisure activities has been studied, with little research on out-of-school settings where parental supervision is a potential protective factor. Tobacco smoking is an important, potentially modifiable health determinant, so understanding associations between adolescent leisure activities, parental monitoring, demographic factors and daily smoking may inform preventive strategies. These associations are reported for a New Zealand adolescent sample. Methods Randomly selected schools (n = 145) participated in the 2006 Youth In-depth Survey, a national, biennial study of Year 10 students (predominantly 14-15 years). School classes were randomly selected and students completed a self-report questionnaire in class time. Adjustment for clustering at the school level was included in all analyses. Since parental monitoring and demographic variables potentially confound relations between adolescent leisure activities and smoking, variables were screened before multivariable modelling. Given prior indications of demographic differences, gender and ethnic specific regression models were built. Results and Discussion Overall, 8.5% of the 3,161 students were daily smokers, including more females (10.5%) than males (6.5%). In gender and ethnic specific multivariate analysis of associations with daily smoking (adjusted for age, school socioeconomic decile rating, leisure activities and ethnicity or gender, respectively), parental monitoring exhibited a consistently protective, dose response effect, although less strongly among Māori. Attending a place of worship and going to the movies were protective for non-Māori, as was watching sports, whereas playing team sport was protective for all, except males. Attending a skate park was a risk factor for females and Māori which demonstrated a strong dose response effect. Conclusions There were significant differences in the risk of daily smoking across leisure activities by gender and ethnicity. This reinforces the need to be alert for, and respond to, gender and ethnic differences in the pattern of risk and protective factors. However, given the consistently protective, dose response effect of parental monitoring, our findings confirm that assisting oversight of adolescent leisure activities may be a key component in public health policy and prevention programmes. PMID:21645407

Adolescents' leisure activities, parental monitoring and cigarette smoking--a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Guo, Hui; Reeder, Anthony I; McGee, Rob; Darling, Helen

2011-06-06

Adolescent participation in leisure activities is developmentally beneficial, but certain activities may increase health compromising behaviours, such as tobacco smoking. A limited range of leisure activities has been studied, with little research on out-of-school settings where parental supervision is a potential protective factor. Tobacco smoking is an important, potentially modifiable health determinant, so understanding associations between adolescent leisure activities, parental monitoring, demographic factors and daily smoking may inform preventive strategies. These associations are reported for a New Zealand adolescent sample. Randomly selected schools (n = 145) participated in the 2006 Youth In-depth Survey, a national, biennial study of Year 10 students (predominantly 14-15 years). School classes were randomly selected and students completed a self-report questionnaire in class time. Adjustment for clustering at the school level was included in all analyses. Since parental monitoring and demographic variables potentially confound relations between adolescent leisure activities and smoking, variables were screened before multivariable modelling. Given prior indications of demographic differences, gender and ethnic specific regression models were built. Overall, 8.5% of the 3,161 students were daily smokers, including more females (10.5%) than males (6.5%). In gender and ethnic specific multivariate analysis of associations with daily smoking (adjusted for age, school socioeconomic decile rating, leisure activities and ethnicity or gender, respectively), parental monitoring exhibited a consistently protective, dose response effect, although less strongly among Māori. Attending a place of worship and going to the movies were protective for non-Māori, as was watching sports, whereas playing team sport was protective for all, except males. Attending a skate park was a risk factor for females and Māori which demonstrated a strong dose response effect. There were significant differences in the risk of daily smoking across leisure activities by gender and ethnicity. This reinforces the need to be alert for, and respond to, gender and ethnic differences in the pattern of risk and protective factors. However, given the consistently protective, dose response effect of parental monitoring, our findings confirm that assisting oversight of adolescent leisure activities may be a key component in public health policy and prevention programmes.

Admission Criteria, Program Outcomes, and NCLEX-RN(RTM) Success in Second Degree Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Janet Wedge

2013-01-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the outcome performance of second degree students in an Accelerated BSN (ABSN) and an Entry Level MSN (ELMSN) program. In addition to student demographics (ethnicity/race, age, and gender), study variables included admission and end-of-program indicators. Admission criteria included the…

Cracking the Code of Effective Learning through Management of Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Fuqaha, Isam Najib

2016-01-01

This article is an attempt to explore why the efforts of universities fall short of accomplishing their objectives, and fail to improve the caliber of their graduates, as large numbers of them are unable to encounter real-life problems. It also probes the relations between four independent demographic variables (gender, age, experience, and…

Community College Placement: How Emerging Policy and Practice Relate to Success and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helget, Donna Johnson

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the method of course placement for the first attempted English and mathematics courses was independent of the student demographic variables of gender, race/ethnicity, and Pell Grant eligibility. The study also analyzed if course success and semester-to-semester persistence were…

Creative Thinking of University Teachers in the Age of Intellectual Capital: Is It Affected by Personality Types and Traits?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlFuqaha, Isam Najib; Tobasi, Adnan

2015-01-01

This article attempts to probe the level of creative thinking of teachers at Philadelphia University in Jordan, and to define its relation with several independent demographic variables, namely age, gender, duration of experience, specialization, and personality types and traits. To accomplish this purpose, three questionnaires are administered on…

Perceived Sources of Occupational Stress among Primary School Teachers in Delta State of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akpochafo, G. O.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the most prevalent sources of occupational stress and also the demographic variables of gender, age and length of service among primary school teachers in Delta State. Two research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study used a descriptive survey design. The population was the primary school teachers in…

Relationship among Family Support, Love Attitude, and Well-Being of Junior High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ho-tang; Chou, Mei-ju; Chen, Wei-hung; Tu, Chin-Tang

2016-01-01

This research aims to analyze the correlation between family support, love attitude, and well-being of junior high school students. After analyzing related literature, it is found that demographic variables like gender, grade, family structure, socioeconomic position have difference in perception of well-being. In addition, family support and love…

The Changing Face of School Psychology: Trends in Data and Projections for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Michael J.; Grier, J. Elizabeth Chesno; Hunley, Sawyer A.

2004-01-01

Trends in data from the past to the present are described for demographic variables (gender, race and ethnicity, preparation levels, credentialing, age and experience) and ratio of students to school psychologists. School psychology in the United States will continue to be characterized as primarily Caucasian, specialist- level and female through…

The Changing Face of School Psychology: Trends in Data and Projections for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Michael J.; Grier, J. Elizabeth Chesno; Hunley, Sawyer A.

2003-01-01

Trends in data from the past to the present are described for demographic variables (gender, race and ethnicity, preparation levels, credentialing, age and experience) and ratio of students to school psychologists. School psychology in the United States will continue to be characterized as primarily Caucasian, specialist-level and female through…

First-Generation Female Higher Education Student Affairs Personnel: The Significance of Personality and Spirituality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albert, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

A cohort of 15 participants was chosen to engage in a study to identify a relationship between personality type and the propensity to choose professions in student affairs. Participants were chosen based upon specific demographic criteria in an effort to highlight inconsistencies in traditionally accepted variables, including gender, ethnicity,…

Criteria for Selection and Rejection of Social Relationships among Children in Urban and Rural Kindergartens in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rekalidou, Galini; Petrogiannis, Konstantinos

2012-01-01

This paper reports on preschool children's social relationships developed in urban and rural kindergarten classes in Greece. We investigated the selection and rejection criteria children use and examined potential criteria differences as a function of a number of socio-demographic variables (children's age group, gender, parental job status,…

Salient Environmental and Perceptual Correlates of Current and Established Smoking for 2 Representative Cohorts of Indiana Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Dong-Chul; Bodde, Amy E.; Torabi, Mohammad R.

2009-01-01

Purpose: A secondary analysis of 2000 and 2004 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey (IYTS) data was conducted to investigate salient environmental and perceptual correlates of adolescents' current and established smoking while controlling for demographic variables such as gender, grade, and race/ethnicity and to compare the pattern of significant…

Stereotypical Beliefs about Cyber Bullying: An Exploratory Study in Terms of Myths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lampridis, Efthymios

2015-01-01

The present study investigates stereotypical beliefs about cyber bullying in terms of myths, a well applied concept in the study of beliefs concerning sexual aggression. The level of acceptance of cyber bullying myths (low vs. high) and the relation of myth acceptance to a number of demographic variables such as gender, field of studies, frequency…

Factors Related to Predicting Grade Point Averages of Dislocated Workers at a Rural Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, James Brent

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine relationships which existed between selected demographics and college grade point averages "GPAs" for dislocated workers and non dislocated workers enrolled in career-technical courses at a rural community college. The variables included in the study are age, gender, and marital status. The study…

Organizational Citizenship Levels of Academicians in Terms of Several Variables: The Sample of Physical Education and Sports Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Ali Dursun

2015-01-01

This study is performed with 176 academicians working in the institutions related to physical education and sports at universities. It aims to analyze organizational citizenship behaviours of academic personnel about the institutions they have been working in. Descriptive survey model was used, along with demographic data like gender, marital…

Suicide mortality and marital status for specific ages, genders, and education levels in South Korea: Using a virtually individualized dataset from national aggregate data.

PubMed

Park, Soo Kyung; Lee, Chung Kwon; Kim, Haeryun

2018-09-01

Previous studies in Eastern as well as Western countries have shown a relationship between marital status and suicide mortality. However, to date, no Korean study has calculated national suicide rates by marital status for specific genders, ages, and education levels. This study investigated whether the relationship between marital status and suicide differs by age, gender, and educational attainment, and analyzed the effect of marital status on suicide risk after controlling for these socio-demographic variables. Using national mortality data from 2015, and aggregated census data from 2010 in South Korea, we created a virtually individualized dataset with multiple weighting algorithms, including individual socio-demographic characteristics and suicide rates across the entire population. The findings show that the following groups faced the highest relative suicide risks: 1) divorced men of all ages and men aged more than 75 years, particularly divorced men aged more than 75; and 2) never-married men aged 55-64 years, and never-married women of lower education status. We did not account for important variables such as mental health, substance abuse, employment insecurity, social integration, perceived loneness, and family income which we were unable to access. This current research extends prior theoretical and methodological work on suicide, aiding efforts to reduce suicide mortality in South Korea. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An assessment of the impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on student success in a community college science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackey, Audrey Leroy

The impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on academic success among community college science students was studied. Demographic variables included gender, employment status, and ethnicity. Cognitive variables included college grade point average, assessment status, course prerequisites, college course success ratios, final course grade, withdrawal patterns, and curriculum format. Non-cognitive variables included enrollment status, educational objectives, academic expectations, and career goals. The sample population included students enrolled in human anatomy courses (N = 191) at a large metropolitan community college located in central Texas. Variables that potentially influence attrition and achievement in college level science courses were examined. Final course grade and withdrawal phenomena were treated as dependent variables, while all other variables were treated as independent variables. No significant differences were found to exist between any of the demographic variables studied and the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. A difference was shown to be associated with the ethnicity variable and achievement levels. Educational objectives and career goals were shown to have an impact on the number of students who withdrew failing. The career goals variable and the academic expectations variable were shown to have an impact on achievement among daytime and evening students. College grade point average and course success ratios were shown to make a difference among students who withdrew passing. None of the other cognitive variables studied were shown to influence the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. College grade point average and course prerequisites, however, were shown to make a difference in achievement. The collaborative learning instructional format was found to have no impact on attrition or achievement, however, mean scores earned by students experiencing the collaborative learning format were higher than mean scores among other students. These results are extremely valuable when engaging in the process of developing advising strategies and instructional methodologies for community college science students.

Built Environment and Obesity by Urbanicity in the U.S

PubMed Central

Xu, Yanqing; Wang, Fahui

2015-01-01

Based on the data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2012, this study examines the association of neighborhood built environments with individual physical inactivity and obesity in the U.S. Multilevel modeling is used to control for the effects of individual socio-demographic characteristics. Neighborhood variables include built environment, poverty level and urbanicity at the county level. Among the built environment variables, a poorer street connectivity and a more prominent presence of fast-food restaurants are associated with a higher obesity risk (especially for areas of certain urbanicity levels). Analysis of data subsets divided by areas of different urbanicity levels and by gender reveals the variability of effects of independent variables, more so for the neighborhood variables than individual variables. This implies that some obesity risk factors are geographically specific and vary between men and women. The results lend support to the role of built environment in influencing people’s health behavior and outcome, and promote public policies that need to be geographically adaptable and sensitive to the diversity of demographic groups. PMID:25864019

Built environment and obesity by urbanicity in the U.S.

PubMed

Xu, Yanqing; Wang, Fahui

2015-07-01

Based on the data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2012, this study examines the association of neighborhood built environments with individual physical inactivity and obesity in the U.S. Multilevel modeling is used to control for the effects of individual socio-demographic characteristics. Neighborhood variables include built environment, poverty level and urbanicity at the county level. Among the built environment variables, a poorer street connectivity and a more prominent presence of fast-food restaurants are associated with a higher obesity risk (especially for areas of certain urbanicity levels). Analysis of data subsets divided by areas of different urbanicity levels and by gender reveals the variability of effects of independent variables, more so for the neighborhood variables than individual variables. This implies that some obesity risk factors are geographically specific and vary between men and women. The results lend support to the role of built environment in influencing people's health behavior and outcome, and promote public policies that need to be geographically adaptable and sensitive to the diversity of demographic groups. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexual Coercion in India: an exploratory analysis using demographic variables.

PubMed

Waldner, L K; Vaden-Goad, L; Sikka, A

1999-12-01

A 14-item Sexual Coercion Inventory (SCI) was administered to an urban university sample in Western India. Twenty-six percent of the sample reported a total of 160 incidents of sexual coercion ranging in severity from unwanted kissing to sexual intercourse. The most common outcome was intercourse and was followed by kissing and fondling. No gender differences were discovered regarding victim status or types of coercion tactics experienced. A MANOVA analysis found no overall gender effect, but marital status and protected class membership did have a significant effect with people who are married and protected class members reporting more sexual coercion. Reasons for the lack of an overall gender effect and limitations of this research are discussed.

[Drug abuse in adolescent offenders: analysis of the psychosocial variables involved].

PubMed

Contreras Martínez, Lourdes; Molina Banqueri, Virginia; Cano Lozano, Ma Carmen

2012-01-01

Research shows that drugs and delinquency are frequently linked, the abuse of various types of substance being a widespread practice among young offenders. At the same time, some psychosocial characteristics are associated with both drug abuse and criminal/antisocial behavior. To help us explore the relationship between young offenders' drug abuse and certain psychosocial variables, we examined closed judicial files on young offenders from the Juvenile Justice Service in Jaen (Spain) corresponding to the period 2001 to 2010. From the contents of these judicial files we analyzed demographic variables such as gender and age, as well as psychosocial variables such as drug abuse, peer group, violent behavior, self-control, tolerance to frustration and attributional style. The results show that most of the young offenders use some type of drug, as well as revealing differential patterns of use according to gender. Also observed is a link between drug abuse and deviant peer group, violent behavior and the above-mentioned psychological variables. Finally, we found some differences in these psychological variables depending on the type of drug used.

Adenovirus 36 seropositivity is strongly associated with race and gender, but not obesity, among US military personnel.

PubMed

Broderick, M P; Hansen, C J; Irvine, M; Metzgar, D; Campbell, K; Baker, C; Russell, K L

2010-02-01

Although several studies have shown a positive association between evidence of anti-adenovirus 36 (Ad-36) antibodies (Ad-36 exposure) and (1) obesity and (2) serum cholesterol in animals, there is limited research demonstrating this association in humans. There is also limited research on transmission, presentation and demographics of Ad-36 infection. (1) Body mass (body mass index (BMI)), (2) fasting serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and (3) demographic characteristics were compared between Ad-36 seropositive and seronegative groups. The majority of subjects were matched as cases versus controls on a number of demographic variables. A total of 150 obese and 150 lean active-duty military personnel were studied. Subjects completed a questionnaire regarding demographic and behavioral characteristics. Subject serum samples were tested by serum neutralization assay for the presence of anti-Ad-36 antibodies. In all, 34% of obese and 39% of lean subjects had Ad-36 exposure, an insignificant difference. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly higher among the obese subjects than among the lean, but there were no associations between serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and Ad-36 exposure. Positive associations were found between Ad-36 exposure and age, race and gender. The study stands in contrast to previous work that has shown a positive relationship between Ad-36 exposure and (1) obesity, and (2) levels of serum cholesterol and triglycerides. In this study there was no association in either case. Unanticipated relationships between Ad-36 exposure and age, race and gender were found, and this is the first time that such a link between Ad-36 exposure and demographics has been found.

Australian Defence Force Demographic Data and Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-01

Ranks............................................................................... 7 Gender Issues...Air Force 9 Figure 5 Length of Service by Gender (1999 ADF Census) 10 List of Figures ADF Demographic Data and Challenges iv ADF Demographic Data and...part of the report will look at the gender issues, as females are significantly under-represented in the ADF when compared with both the Australian

Life Strain, Social Control, Social Learning, and Delinquency: The Effects of Gender, Age, and Family SES Among Chinese Adolescents.

PubMed

Bao, Wan-Ning; Haas, Ain; Xie, Yunping

2016-09-01

Very few studies have examined the pathways to delinquency and causal factors for demographic subgroups of adolescents in a different culture. This article explores the effects of gender, age, and family socioeconomic status (SES) in an integrated model of strain, social control, social learning, and delinquency among a sample of Chinese adolescents. ANOVA is used to check for significant differences between categories of demographic groups on the variables in the integrated model, and the differential effects of causal factors in the theoretical path models are examined. Further tests of interaction effects are conducted to compare path coefficients between "high-risk" youths (i.e., male, mid-teen, and low family SES adolescents) and other subgroups. The findings identified similar pathways to delinquency across subgroups and clarified the salience of causal factors for male, mid-teen, and low SES adolescents in a different cultural context. © The Author(s) 2015.

Maternal Autonomy and Attitudes Towards Gender Norms: Associations with Childhood Immunization in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Singh, Kavita; Haney, Erica; Olorunsaiye, Comfort

2014-01-01

Objectives Globally 2.5 million children under-five die from vaccine preventable diseases, and in Nigeria only 23% of children ages 12–23 months are fully immunized. The international community is promoting gender equality as a means to improve the health and well-being of women and their children. This paper looks at whether measures of gender equality, autonomy and individual attitudes towards gender norms, are associated with a child being fully immunized in Nigeria. Methods Data from currently married women with a child 12–23 months from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) were used to study the influence of autonomy and gender attitudes on whether or not a child is fully immunized. Multivariate logistic regression was used and several key socioeconomic variables were controlled for including wealth and education, which are considered key inputs into gender equality. Results Findings indicated that household decision-making and attitudes towards wife beating were significantly associated with a child being fully immunized after controlling for socioeconomic variables. Ethnicity, wealth and education were also significant factors. Conclusions Programmatic and policy implications indicate the potential for the promotion of gender equality as a means to improve child health. Gender equality can be seen as a means to enable women to access life-saving services for their children. PMID:22696106

The relationship between demographic characteristics and motivational factors in the employees of social security hospitals in Mazandaran.

PubMed

Heidarian, Ali Reza; Jafari Kelarijani, Seyed Ebrahim; Jamshidi, Reza; Khorshidi, Mohamad

2015-01-01

Health worker motivation has the potential to have a large impact on health system performance, and this depends on some factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting this motivation. From Winter 2013 to Spring 2014, 1046 employees and physicians (439 males and 607 females) with a mean age of 36 and 37.2 years in men and women, respectively were chosen in selected hospitals of Social Security Organization (SSO). They were randomly categorized into six different classes of service record, age education class of hiring (permanent and contractual), marital status, and gender. The variables assessed via the classification groups were as follows: interpersonal relations, working conditions, equity, pay, job security, supervision, advancement, recognition, responsibility, and attractiveness of job, educational and organizational policies. Bachelor's degree (65%) or higher were the education degrees of most participants. Significant relations were observed regarding age, marital status, hiring, gender and years of service with promotion, recognition, responsibility, attractiveness of job, education, relations, working condition, equity, salary, job security, supervision and organizational policies. There were significant relations with hire status and degree with advancement and other variables. There were significant relations between marital status, gender, years of service and age with the above variables. The results show that the important variables that influence motivational factors are academic degree, hire status, marital status, gender, age and years of service.

Coping, social support, stigma, and gender difference among people living with HIV in Guangxi, China.

PubMed

Xiao, Zhiwen; Li, Xiaoming; Qiao, Shan; Zhou, Yuejiao; Shen, Zhiyong

2018-01-01

The current study examined whether gender, HIV-related stigma, social support, and the interaction between gender and social support are associated with coping responses among people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in Guangxi, China. A total of 2987 PLWHA in Guangxi participated from October 2012 to August 2013. Multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted with gender and social support as main factors in the model, and stigma and other variables as covariates. After controlling for demographic variables and stigma, there were significant main effects of emotional social support (F = 1.61, p < .001), functional social support (F = 1.67, p < .001), and informational social support (F = 3.67, p < .001) on various coping strategies. The interaction between gender and informational social support (F = 1.33, p < .05), internalized stigma (F = 37.03, p < .001) and perceived stigma (F = 9.16, p < .001) were associated with various coping strategies. Findings signify the importance of HIV-related stigma and social support differences in the coping strategies among PLWHA in Guangxi, China.

[Biopsychosocial variables associated with gender of rearing in children with male pseudohermaphroditism].

PubMed

Uslu, Runa; Oztop, Didem; Ozcan, Ozlem; Yilmaz, Savaş; Berberoğlu, Merih; Adiyaman, Pelin; Cakmak, Murat; Kerimoğlu, Efser; Ocal, Gönül

2007-01-01

The effect of parental rearing on gender identity development in children with ambiguous genitalia remains controversial. The present study aimed to address this issue by investigating the factors that may be associated with sex of rearing in children with male pseudohermaphroditism. The study included 56 children with male pseudohermaphroditism that were consecutively referred to a child psychiatry outpatient clinic. At the time of referral the age range of the sample was 6 months-14 years; 28 children had been raised as boys and 28 as girls. Demographic and biological information was obtained from patient charts. An intersex history interview was administered to the children and parents, whereas The Gender Identity Interview and the Draw-A-Person Test were administered only to the children. The children were observed during free play. Comparisons of biological, psychological and social variables were made with respect to gender of rearing. More children reared as boys were younger at time of referral, belonged to extended families, and had higher Prader scores. Although children's gender roles were appropriate for their gender of rearing, findings of the Gender Identity Interview and the Draw-A-Person Test suggested that some of the girls presented with a male or neutral gender self-perception. The relationships between age at the time of problem identification, age at the time of diagnosis, and gender of rearing indicate the importance of taking measures to ensure that the intersex condition is identified at birth and children are referred for early diagnosis, gender assignment, and treatment.

Differential profiles of drug-addicted patients according to gender and the perpetration of intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Arteaga, Alfonso; López-Goñi, José J; Fernández-Montalvo, Javier

2015-10-01

This study explored the differential profiles of drug-addicted patients according to gender and the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study assessed a sample of 127 drug-addicted patients (84 male and 43 female) who sought treatment. Information about socio-demographic and consumption characteristics, IPV, psychopathological symptoms, personality characteristics and maladjustment variables was obtained. Four groups were created according to gender and the presence or absence of the perpetration of IPV: (a) men with IPV (n=41), (b) women with IPV (n=29), (c) men without IPV (n=43), and (d) women without IPV (n=14). The four groups were compared in terms of all of studied variables. There were significant differences between the groups in the severity of the addiction and personality characteristics. In general, the drug-addicted patients with associated IPV perpetration exhibited greater scores for nearly all of the studied variables, independent of gender. Moreover, the differences among groups were more strongly related to perpetration of IPV than to the gender of the patients. According to the results obtained, treatment programs for drug addiction are a suitable context for identifying the presence of IPV, but IPV is typically unnoticed in addiction treatment programs. The implications of these results for future research and clinical practice are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2009-01-01

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

Correlations among Five Demographic Variables and the Performance of Selected Jamaican 11th-Graders on Some Numerical Problems on Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emepue, Nicholas; Soyibo, Kola

2009-01-01

This study was designed to assess whether the level of performance of selected Jamaican 11th-grade physics students on some numerical problems on the energy concept was satisfactory and if there were significant differences in their performance linked to their gender, socioeconomic background (SEB), school location, English language and…

Predicting Success for College Students Enrolled in an Online, Lab-Based, Biology Course for Non-Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Regina

2012-01-01

Online education has exploded in popularity. While there is ample research on predictors of traditional college student success, little research has been done on effective methods of predicting student success in online education. In this study, a number of demographic variables including GPA, ACT, gender, age and others were examined to determine…

Personal and Interpersonal Value System, Self-Perception and Identity of Spanish Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losa Iglesias, Marta Elena; de Bengoa Vallejo, Ricardo Becerro

2011-01-01

The aim of this research is to identify the predominant values system among a sample of Spanish nurses, to identify how values are tied to professional nursing identity and determine differences in values and identity between socio-demographic variables as a gender, citizenship and/or nursing service. Cross-sectional study was performed with a…

The Influence of High School Academics on Freshman College Mathematics and Science Courses at SUNY Oswego

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayali, Tolga

2013-01-01

This study examined the relationship between 2011 freshman college mathematics and science grades and freshman students' high school academics and demographic data, exploring the factors that contribute to the success of first-year STEM majoring freshman students at State University of New York at Oswego. The variables were Gender, Race, SES,…

Perceived discrimination and health-related quality-of-life: gender differences among older African Americans.

PubMed

Coley, Sheryl L; Mendes de Leon, Carlos F; Ward, Earlise C; Barnes, Lisa L; Skarupski, Kimberly A; Jacobs, Elizabeth A

2017-12-01

Emerging data suggest that African-American women may fare worse than African-American men in health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL). Perceived discrimination is an important contributor to poor health overall among African Americans, but few studies examined the intersecting effects of perceived discrimination and gender in explaining HRQOL disparities. We investigated gender differences in HRQOL and tested whether perceived discrimination accounted for these differences. We examined data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project in which 5652 African-American adults aged 65 and older completed structured questionnaires about demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, HRQOL, perceived discrimination, and health-related variables. Logistic regression models were used to identify associations between perceived discrimination and gender differences in poor HRQOL outcomes (defined as 14+ unhealthy days in overall, physical, or mental health over the past 30 days) when controlling for the other variables. More women reported poor overall HRQOL than men (24 vs. 16% respectively). Higher perceived discrimination was significantly associated with worse overall HRQOL (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.08, 1.15), with stronger effects for women in overall and mental HRQOL. These gender disparities remained significant until controlling for potentially confounding variables. Perceived discrimination did not account for gender differences in poor physical HRQOL. Perceived discrimination is associated with poor HRQOL in older African Americans, with this association appearing stronger in women than men for mental HRQOL. These findings warrant further investigation of effects of perceived discrimination in gender disparities in overall health, and such research can inform and guide efforts for reducing these disparities.

Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of time spent cooking by adults in the 2005 UK Time Use Survey. Cross-sectional analysis☆

PubMed Central

Adams, Jean; White, Martin

2015-01-01

This study aimed to document the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of time spent cooking by adults in the 2005 UK Time-Use Survey. Respondents reported their main activities, in 10 minute slots, throughout one 24 hour period. Activities were coded into 30 pre-defined codes, including ‘cooking, washing up’. Four measures of time spent cooking were calculated: any time spent cooking, 30 continuous minutes spent cooking, total time spent cooking, and longest continuous time spent cooking. Socio-demographic correlates were: age, employment, social class, education, and number of adults and children in the household. Analyses were stratified by gender. Data from 4214 participants were included. 85% of women and 60% of men spent any time cooking; 60% of women and 33% of men spent 30 continuous minutes cooking. Amongst women, older age, not being in employment, lower social class, greater education, and living with other adults or children were positively associated with time cooking. Few differences in time spent cooking were seen in men. Socio-economic differences in time spent cooking may have been overstated as a determinant of socio-economic differences in diet, overweight and obesity. Gender was a stronger determinant of time spent cooking than other socio-demographic variables. PMID:26004671

Assessing the roles of impulsivity, food-related cognitions, BMI, and demographics in the dual pathway model of binge eating among men and women.

PubMed

Mason, Tyler B; Lewis, Robin J

2015-08-01

The dual pathway model is a widely accepted model of binge eating that focuses on the role of sociocultural factors, negative affect, and dietary restraint. However, less is known about demographic (e.g., gender and ethnicity) differences in the model and the role of other variables in the model. To further our understanding of the dual pathway model of binge eating, the current study examined the role of demographics (i.e., gender, race, BMI, parental education and obesity), impulsivity, and food-related cognitions in the dual pathway model. A sample of college students completed a battery of measures. Multi-group structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the dual pathway model separately for men and women. Results supported the dual pathway model of binge eating among men and women, and also supported food-related cognitions as an important variable prior to binge eating. In other words, body shame was associated with more dietary restraint and negative affect, and in turn, dietary restraint and negative affect were associated with increased negative food-related cognitions. Then, food-related cognitions predicted binge eating. Additionally impulsivity was related to body shame, negative affect, and food-related cognitions, but was unrelated to binge eating after controlling for the other variables. Racial differences existed among women in BMI and body shame, but there were no racial differences among men. Our results suggest that the dual pathway model adequately explains binge eating among men and women, but that food-related cognitions may be an imporant anteceden to binge eating. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration.

PubMed

Tierney, Ryan T; Sitler, Michael R; Swanik, C Buz; Swanik, Kathleen A; Higgins, Michael; Torg, Joseph

2005-02-01

Recent epidemiological research has revealed that gender differences exist in concussion incidence but no study has investigated why females may be at greater risk of concussion. Our purpose was to determine whether gender differences existed in head-neck segment kinematic and neuromuscular control variables responses to an external force application with and without neck muscle preactivation. Forty (20 females and 20 males) physically active volunteers participated in the study. The independent variables were gender, force application (known vs unknown), and force direction (forced flexion vs forced extension). The dependent variables were kinematic and EMG variables, head-neck segment stiffness, and head-neck segment flexor and extensor isometric strength. Statistical analyses consisted of multiple multivariate and univariate analyses of variance, follow-up univariate analyses of variance, and t-tests (P < or = 0.05). Gender differences existed in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head angular acceleration. Females exhibited significantly greater head-neck segment peak angular acceleration (50%) and displacement (39%) than males despite initiating muscle activity significantly earlier (SCM only) and using a greater percentage of their maximum head-neck segment muscle activity (79% peak activity and 117% muscle activity area). The head-neck segment angular acceleration differences may be because females exhibited significantly less isometric strength (49%), neck girth (30%), and head mass (43%), resulting in lower levels of head-neck segment stiffness (29%). For our subject demographic, the results revealed gender differences in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration in response to an external force application. Females exhibited significantly greater head-neck segment peak angular acceleration and displacement than males despite initiating muscle activity earlier (SCM only) and using a greater percentage of their maximum head-neck segment muscle activity.

Association between Work Related Stress and Health Related Quality of Life: The Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables. A Cross Sectional Study in a Region of Central Italy.

PubMed

La Torre, Giuseppe; Sestili, Cristina; Mannocci, Alice; Sinopoli, Alessandra; De Paolis, Massimiliano; De Francesco, Sara; Rapaccini, Laura; Barone, Marco; Iodice, Valentina; Lojodice, Bruno; Sernia, Sabina; De Sio, Simone; Del Cimmuto, Angela; De Giusti, Maria

2018-01-19

The aim of this work is investigate relationship between health-related quality of life and work-related stress and the impact of gender, education level, and age on this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted among workers of various setting in Rome and Frosinone. Work-related stress was measured with a demand-control questionnaire and health-related functioning by SF (short form)-12 health survey. There were 611 participants. Men reported high mental composite summary (MCS) and physical composite summary (PCS). In multivariate analysis age, gender ( p < 0.001) and job demand (0.045) predicted low PCS. Low MCS predicted poor PCS. Job demand and educational level resulted negatively associated with MCS. In an analysis stratified for age, gender, and educational level, gender and age resulted effect modifier for MCS, gender and education level for PCS. In women increase of decision latitude predict ( p = 0.001) an increase in MCS; a low job demand predict high MCS in male ( p ≤ 0.001). In younger workers, a lower level of job demand predicted high MCS (<0.001). For PCS, gender and education level resulted effect modifier. In women, high decision latitude predicted higher PCS ( p = 0.001) and lower level of job demand results in higher PCS ( p ≤ 0.001). Higher educational level resulted predictor of low PCS. Management of risk about work-related stress should consider socio-demographic factors.

Gender nonconformity, intelligence, and sexual orientation.

PubMed

Rahman, Qazi; Bhanot, Suraj; Emrith-Small, Hanna; Ghafoor, Shilan; Roberts, Steven

2012-06-01

The present study explored whether there were relationships among gender nonconformity, intelligence, and sexual orientation. A total of 106 heterosexual men, 115 heterosexual women, and 103 gay men completed measures of demographic variables, recalled childhood gender nonconformity (CGN), and the National Adult Reading Test (NART). NART error scores were used to estimate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) and Verbal IQ (VIQ) scores. Gay men had significantly fewer NART errors than heterosexual men and women (controlling for years of education). In heterosexual men, correlational analysis revealed significant associations between CGN, NART, and FSIQ scores (elevated boyhood femininity correlated with higher IQ scores). In heterosexual women, the direction of the correlations between CGN and all IQ scores was reversed (elevated girlhood femininity correlating with lower IQ scores). There were no significant correlations among these variables in gay men. These data may indicate a "sexuality-specific" effect on general cognitive ability but with limitations. They also support growing evidence that quantitative measures of sex-atypicality are useful in the study of trait sexual orientation.

Factors influencing readiness to deploy in disaster response: findings from a cross-sectional survey of the Department of Veterans Affairs Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) program provides a system of volunteers whereby active or retired Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel can register to be deployed to support other VA facilities or the nation during national emergencies or disasters. Both early and ongoing volunteer training is required to participate. Methods This study aims to identify factors that impact willingness to deploy in the event of an emergency. This analysis was based on responses from 2,385 survey respondents (response rate, 29%). Latent variable path models were developed and tested using the EQS structural equations modeling program. Background demographic variables of education, age, minority ethnicity, and female gender were used as predictors of intervening latent variables of DEMPS Volunteer Experience, Positive Attitude about Training, and Stress. The model had acceptable fit statistics, and all three intermediate latent variables significantly predicted the outcome latent variable Readiness to Deploy. Results DEMPS Volunteer Experience and a Positive Attitude about Training were associated with Readiness to Deploy. Stress was associated with decreased Readiness to Deploy. Female gender was negatively correlated with Readiness to Deploy; however, there was an indirect relationship between female gender and Readiness to Deploy through Positive Attitude about Training. Conclusions These findings suggest that volunteer emergency management response programs such as DEMPS should consider how best to address the factors that may make women less ready to deploy than men in order to ensure adequate gender representation among emergency responders. The findings underscore the importance of training opportunities to ensure that gender-sensitive support is a strong component of emergency response, and may apply to other emergency response programs such as the Medical Reserve Corps and the American Red Cross. PMID:25038628

Factors influencing readiness to deploy in disaster response: findings from a cross-sectional survey of the Department of Veterans Affairs Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System.

PubMed

Zagelbaum, Nicole K; Heslin, Kevin C; Stein, Judith A; Ruzek, Josef; Smith, Robert E; Nyugen, Tam; Dobalian, Aram

2014-07-19

The Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) program provides a system of volunteers whereby active or retired Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel can register to be deployed to support other VA facilities or the nation during national emergencies or disasters. Both early and ongoing volunteer training is required to participate. This study aims to identify factors that impact willingness to deploy in the event of an emergency. This analysis was based on responses from 2,385 survey respondents (response rate, 29%). Latent variable path models were developed and tested using the EQS structural equations modeling program. Background demographic variables of education, age, minority ethnicity, and female gender were used as predictors of intervening latent variables of DEMPS Volunteer Experience, Positive Attitude about Training, and Stress. The model had acceptable fit statistics, and all three intermediate latent variables significantly predicted the outcome latent variable Readiness to Deploy. DEMPS Volunteer Experience and a Positive Attitude about Training were associated with Readiness to Deploy. Stress was associated with decreased Readiness to Deploy. Female gender was negatively correlated with Readiness to Deploy; however, there was an indirect relationship between female gender and Readiness to Deploy through Positive Attitude about Training. These findings suggest that volunteer emergency management response programs such as DEMPS should consider how best to address the factors that may make women less ready to deploy than men in order to ensure adequate gender representation among emergency responders. The findings underscore the importance of training opportunities to ensure that gender-sensitive support is a strong component of emergency response, and may apply to other emergency response programs such as the Medical Reserve Corps and the American Red Cross.

A comparison of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among Filipino and American college students.

PubMed

Madanat, H N; Hawks, S R; Novilla, M L

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of eating disordered attitudes and behaviors among college students in the United States and the Philippines. A convenience-based cross-sectional survey. General education classes in one college in Manila and another in the Western US. 340 college students. A paper-pencil survey was given to the students in the classroom consisting of Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and demographic variables. Eating disordered attitudes and behaviors (scoring 20 or more on EAT-26) was the dependent variable, while gender and country of residence were the two main independent variables. Frequency distributions, chi-squares, and logistic regression analysis were employed to summarize and analyze the data. Filipino students were 10.9 times (p-value <0.0001) more likely to have eating disordered attitudes and behaviors than their American counterparts controlling for the demographics collected. This relationship remained significant when regression models were done for each gender separately. In addition, married students and more specifically married female students were more likely to have eating disordered attitudes and behaviors than single students or single females. Arguments are made as to why higher levels of eating disordered attitudes and behaviors are observed among Filipino college students. These results provide important information about the levels of eating disordered attitudes and behaviors in the Philippines and may be useful for developing future education programs.

The impact of dependent-care responsibility and gender on work attitudes.

PubMed

Buffardi, L C; Smith, J L; O'Brien, A S; Erdwins, C J

1999-10-01

On the basis of a survey of 18,120 federal employees in dual-income households, six 5-stage hierarchical multiple regression analyses, controlling for 10 demographic variables, assessed the impact of child care, elder care, and gender on work-family balance and various facets of job satisfaction. Elder-care responsibility was associated with lower levels of satisfaction with perceived organizational support, pay, leave benefits, and work-family balance, whereas the negative main effects of child care were limited to leave benefits and work-family balance. However, child-care responsibility also interacted with gender: Its negative influence was greater on women's work-family balance and leave satisfaction. Decrements in satisfaction associated with dependent care on the "sandwich generation" were additive, not interactive.

Demographic factors influencing the GH system: Implications for the detection of GH doping in sport.

PubMed

Nelson, Anne E; Ho, Ken K Y

2009-08-01

Application of methods for detecting GH doping depend on being able to discriminate between abnormal levels due to doping and normal physiological levels of circulating proteins that change in response to exogenous administration. Constituents of the IGF and collagen systems have been shown to be promising markers of GH abuse. Their ultimate utility, however, depends on identification of the factors that regulate their concentrations in blood. Among these are demographic factors that are known to influence these markers in the general population. In a large cross-sectional study of the GH-responsive markers in over 1000 elite athletes from 12 countries representing 4 major ethnic groups and 10 sport types, we have shown that there is a significant negative correlation between age and all the IGF and collagen markers we studied, with a rapid decrease in early adolescence. Age was the major contribution to the variability, equivalent to >80% of the attributable variation in IGF-I and the collagen markers. The IGF axis markers were all significantly higher in women, and the collagen markers significantly higher in men, however, the contribution of gender was smaller than that of age, except for IGFBP-3 and ALS. BMI had a minor contribution to variability of the GH-responsive markers. After adjustment for the confounding influences of age, gender and BMI, the effect of ethnicity in elite athletes was trivial except for IGFBP-3 and ALS, which were both lower in Africans and higher in Caucasians. Compared to age and gender, the contribution of sport type was also modest. Our findings on the influence of age, gender, BMI and sport type have also been confirmed in a study of mostly Caucasian elite athletes in the post-competition setting. In conclusion, age and gender are the major determinants of variability for IGF-I and the collagen markers, whereas ethnicity and sport type have a minor influence. Therefore, a test based on IGF-I and the collagen markers must take age into account for men and women, and ethnicity and sport type are unlikely to be confounders for these markers.

Determinants of blood levels of some thrombogenic biomarkers in healthy Arab adolescent subjects.

PubMed

Akanji, Abayomi O; Al-Isa, Abdulwahab N; Thalib, Lukman

2011-10-01

Acute coronary syndromes present clinically as a consequence of plaque rupture and thrombosis possibly related to altered homeostasis of thrombogenic factors. It is speculated that this vulnerability in adults should be predictable from blood levels of thrombogenic biomarkers in children and adolescents. This study aims to examine the determinants and blood levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], fibrinogen (FBG) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in healthy adolescents stratified according to age group, gender and body mass. A total of 774 (316 males 458 females) healthy adolescent Arab subjects aged 10-19 years and attending secondary schools in Kuwait were interviewed by a validated questionnaire for variables relating to socio-demographic variables, diet and physical activity. They also had anthropometry, BP measurement and determination of fasting blood levels of Lp(a), low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, apolipoprotein (apo) B, PAI-1 activity and FBG. The median (interquartile range, IQR) plasma levels of PAI-1 activity, FBG, Lp(a) and apoB were respectively 1.59 (0.58-3.78) U/mL, 296 (190-417) mg/dL, 10.0 (4.8-21.0) mg/dL and 0.72 (0.60-0.85) g/L. Boys had significantly higher PAI-1, FBG and apoB concentrations than the girls, although Lp(a) levels were greater in the latter. The overweight and obese subjects tended to have higher levels of LDL, apoB, FBG and PAI-1 but not Lp(a). Furthermore, the younger adolescent males and females (age <14 years) consistently had higher FBG levels than the older ones (age >14 years). Lp(a) and PAI-1 levels did not appear significantly influenced by this age stratification. Bivariate and multivariate analyses with adjustment for putative body mass index (BMI) confounders indicated that the independent determinants of these biomarkers were (i) Lp(a): apoB, gender; (ii) PAI-1: BMI, apoB, diet; (iii) FBG: BMI, gender, age, family income; and (iv) apoB: BMI, gender and PAI-1. The blood levels of the prothrombotic biomarkers ;ibLp(a), PAI-1, and FBG;ic in healthy Kuwaiti adolescent subjects are variably influenced by age, gender, body mass and socio-demographic factors.

Determinants of nutritional status of pre-school children in India.

PubMed

Bharati, Susmita; Pal, Manoranjan; Bharati, Premananda

2008-11-01

The aim of this paper is to assess the spatial distribution of nutritional status of children of less than three years through Z-scores of weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height using data collected by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2, 1998-99), India. The nutritional status of pre-school children was regressed on different socio-demographic factors after eliminating the effect of age. The data show that there are gender differences and spatial variations in the nutritional status of children in India. Gender difference is not very pronounced and almost disappears when the effects of age and socio-demographic variables are removed. The spatial difference, especially the rural-urban difference, was found to be very large and decreased substantially when the effects of age and socioeconomic variables were removed. However, the differences were not close to zero. All the variables were found to affect significantly the nutritional status of children. However, the literacy of mothers did not affect height-for-age significantly. The weight-for-age and height-for-age scores showed a dismal picture of the health condition of children in almost all states in India. The worst affected states are Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. Assam and Rajasthans are also lagging behind. Weight-for-height scores do not give a clear picture of state-wise variation. Goa, Kerala and Punjab are the three most developed states in India and also have the lowest percentages of underweight children according to the Z-scores. Along with these three states come the north-eastern states where women are well educated. Thus overall development, enhancement of level of education and low gender inequality are the key factors for improvement in the health status of Indian children.

Tracking of dietary intake and factors associated with dietary change from early adolescence to adulthood: the ASH30 study.

PubMed

Lake, Amelia A; Adamson, Ashley J; Craigie, Angela M; Rugg-Gunn, Andrew J; Mathers, John C

2009-01-01

This paper describes the tracking of food intake from adolescence to adulthood according to location as an adult (at the time of the follow-up study) and gender. Additionally this paper explores factors associated with change in food intake. Two 3-day food diaries, demographic and socio-economic information were collected in 1980 and 2000 from the same 198 participants (81 male, 117 female). Foods consumed were assigned to the five categories in The Balance of Good Health (BGH) food model. The tracking of food intake was assessed using Pearson correlation analyses. In 2000 two questionnaires were completed. Demographic and key attributional factors, derived from closed and open-ended responses to the questionnaire, were compared with measured change using regression analysis. There was significant tracking of intake by food group from adolescence to adulthood according to location as an adult and gender. Eight combinations of descriptive variables and questionnaire factors were associated with change in intake of four of the five BGH food groups. Between adolescence and adulthood, dietary tracking is influenced by variables including gender and location. Attributions for change in food intake were associated with measured changes in food intake. In order to support healthier eating habits, it is important to be aware of factors contributing to changes in food intake, such as parental influences and perceived influences of time and work. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of demographic, behavioral, and dental care utilization parameters on tooth color and personal satisfaction.

PubMed

Odioso, L L; Gibb, R D; Gerlach, R W

2000-01-01

A cross-sectional survey across broad age ranges was conducted to evaluate demographic, behavioral, and treatment parameters that impact tooth color and its perception. The sample included 180 US adults and teenagers, with a comparable representation of males and females in 6 different age strata, ranging from 13 to 64 years. Tooth color (L*a*b*) was measured on the maxillary central incisors using a spectrophotometer, and first-person satisfaction with tooth color was assessed using a five-point qualitative scale. Demographic, behavioral, and oral care parameters were modeled using multiple regression analysis. After adjusting for other explanatory variables, age, gender, coffee/tea consumption, and dental care all significantly affected yellowing (b*) and brightness (L*). Dental-visit frequency was the only factor that significantly predicted self-satisfaction with tooth color, explaining just 3% of the overall variability. First-person dissatisfaction with tooth color was common and found in most demographic and behavioral cohorts. Although age contributed to objectively measured tooth discoloration, personal satisfaction with tooth color was age-independent. These results suggest that the need or demand for esthetic dentistry may be broad-based and transcend stereotypical perceptions.

Violent Death Reporting in Maryland: Demographic Variability in Data Completeness.

PubMed

Smith, Meghan L; Akinyemi, Adebola A; Stanley, Jennifer L; Mitchell, Clifford S

2017-10-01

To analyze the completeness of precipitating circumstance information recorded in the Maryland Violent Death Reporting System and identify limitations that could affect the system's utility. We reviewed all violent deaths among Maryland residents for the years 2003 through 2014 (n = 19 161). We assessed the presence of precipitating circumstance data (abstracted from medical examiner and police reports) by manner of death and demographic characteristics. We further evaluated homicide records with multivariable regression. Demographic variation in circumstance reporting was most pronounced for homicide. Circumstances were known for 53.2% of homicide cases, and this percentage was lower among non-Latino Blacks (48.2%), males (50.7%), those aged 18 to 25 years (47.9%), those residing in jurisdictions with higher-than-average homicide rates (46.1%), and those who died outside in a public place (43.4%) or in a correctional facility (48.9%). With the exception of male gender, these factors were significantly associated with circumstance reporting when we controlled for demographic and situational variables. Circumstance reporting was least likely among groups most at risk for homicide in Maryland. Collection of circumstance data for the most affected groups should be strengthened to help develop better prevention strategies.

What Matters for Marginalized Girls and Boys in Bangladesh: A Capabilities Approach for Understanding Educational Well-Being and Empowerment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dejaeghere, Joan; Lee, Soo Kyoung

2011-01-01

Ensuring the education of marginalized children has become an important agenda in order to reach the goals of universal primary education and gender equality. Education policies and projects aiming to target marginalized children often do so on the basis of demographic variables, such as sex, ethnicity, poverty and geography. We argue that this…

A Construct Validity Investigation of Scores on the Japanese Version of an Academic Self-Concept Scale for a Sample of College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paik, Chie Matsuzawa; Michael, William B.

The twofold purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and construct validity of scores on the Japanese version of an academic self-concept scale titled the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) Form H and ascertain any relationships between scores on the DOSC scale and selected demographic variables, including class, gender, and…

Incidence of workers compensation indemnity claims across socio-demographic and job characteristics.

PubMed

Du, Juan; Leigh, J Paul

2011-10-01

We hypothesized that low socioeconomic status, employer-provided health insurance, low wages, and overtime were predictors of reporting workers compensation indemnity claims. We also tested for gender and race disparities. Responses from 17,190 (person-years) Americans participating in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, 1997-2005, were analyzed with logistic regressions. The dependent variable indicated whether the subject collected benefits from a claim. Odds ratios for men and African-Americans were relatively large and strongly significant predictors of claims; significance for Hispanics was moderate and confounded by education. Odds ratios for variables measuring education were the largest for all statistically significant covariates. Neither low wages nor employer-provided health insurance was a consistent predictor. Due to confounding from the "not salaried" variable, overtime was not a consistently significant predictor. Few studies use nationally representative longitudinal data to consider which demographic and job characteristics predict reporting workers compensation indemnity cases. This study did and tested some common hypotheses about predictors. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The relationship between demographic characteristics and motivational factors in the employees of social security hospitals in Mazandaran

PubMed Central

Heidarian, Ali Reza; Jafari Kelarijani, Seyed Ebrahim; Jamshidi, Reza; Khorshidi, Mohamad

2015-01-01

Background: Health worker motivation has the potential to have a large impact on health system performance, and this depends on some factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting this motivation. Methods: From Winter 2013 to Spring 2014, 1046 employees and physicians (439 males and 607 females) with a mean age of 36 and 37.2 years in men and women, respectively were chosen in selected hospitals of Social Security Organization (SSO). They were randomly categorized into six different classes of service record, age education class of hiring (permanent and contractual), marital status, and gender. The variables assessed via the classification groups were as follows: interpersonal relations, working conditions, equity, pay, job security, supervision, advancement, recognition, responsibility, and attractiveness of job, educational and organizational policies. Results: Bachelor’s degree (65%) or higher were the education degrees of most participants. Significant relations were observed regarding age, marital status, hiring, gender and years of service with promotion, recognition, responsibility, attractiveness of job, education, relations, working condition, equity, salary, job security, supervision and organizational policies. There were significant relations with hire status and degree with advancement and other variables. There were significant relations between marital status, gender, years of service and age with the above variables. Conclusion: The results show that the important variables that influence motivational factors are academic degree, hire status, marital status, gender, age and years of service. PMID:26644886

Motor excitability measurements: the influence of gender, body mass index, age and temperature in healthy controls.

PubMed

Casanova, I; Diaz, A; Pinto, S; de Carvalho, M

2014-04-01

The technique of threshold tracking to test axonal excitability gives information about nodal and internodal ion channel function. We aimed to investigate variability of the motor excitability measurements in healthy controls, taking into account age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and small changes in skin temperature. We examined the left median nerve of 47 healthy controls using the automated threshold-tacking program, QTRAC. Statistical multiple regression analysis was applied to test relationship between nerve excitability measurements and subject variables. Comparisons between genders did not find any significant difference (P>0.2 for all comparisons). Multiple regression analysis showed that motor amplitude decreases with age and temperature, stimulus-response slope decreases with age and BMI, and that accommodation half-time decrease with age and temperature. The changes related to demographic features on TRONDE protocol parameters are small and less important than in conventional nerve conduction studies. Nonetheless, our results underscore the relevance of careful temperature control, and indicate that interpretation of stimulus-response slope and accommodation half-time should take into account age and BMI. In contrast, gender is not of major relevance to axonal threshold findings in motor nerves. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Smoking and intention to quit among a large sample of black sexual and gender minorities.

PubMed

Jordan, Jenna N; Everett, Kevin D; Ge, Bin; McElroy, Jane A

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to more completely quantify smoking and intention to quit from a sample of sexual and gender minority (SGM) Black individuals (N = 639) through analysis of data collected at Pride festivals and online. Frequencies described demographic characteristics; chi-square analyses were used to compare tobacco-related variables. Black SGM smokers were more likely to be trying to quit smoking than White SGM smokers. However, Black SGM individuals were less likely than White SGM individuals to become former smokers. The results of this study indicate that smoking behaviors may be heavily influenced by race after accounting for SGM status.

Mapping area variability in social and behavioural difficulties among Glasgow pre-schoolers: linkage of a survey of pre-school staff with routine monitoring data

PubMed Central

Barry, S.J.E.; Marryat, L.; Thompson, L.; Ellaway, A.; White, J.; McClung, M.; Wilson, P.

2016-01-01

Background Social, emotional and behavioural development in early to middle childhood impact upon many outcomes in future life and are influenced by home, neighbourhood and school environments. We used linked data to investigate differences between areas in Glasgow City in level of difficulties in pre-school age children, after consideration of demographics, including area level deprivation. Methods Pre-school education staff completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) on all children progressing to school from a local authority or partnership (local authority funded private) pre-school in Glasgow City between 2010 and 2012. These data were linked to individual (age, gender) and area level (deprivation) demographics from the City Council Education Services Department. Statistical models were fitted to the SDQ scores, adjusting for age, gender, area deprivation, year of school entry, pre-school establishment attended and electoral ward of residence. Correlation between neighbouring wards was incorporated to allow for clustering of scores. Results Boys and those living in more deprived areas had higher levels of difficulties. Children aged 5-5.5 years had fewest difficulties, while the oldest and youngest children had similar levels of difficulties. There were no significant secular trends by year of school entry. There remained differences between areas after adjusting for these variables, with children living in some areas having fewer difficulties than would be expected based on their socio-demographic characteristics. Conclusions There remained differences in children’s levels of difficulties between areas after adjusting for age, gender, area deprivation and year of school entry. Children in some very deprived areas had fewer difficulties than might be expected, while those in relatively affluent areas had more difficulties than expected based on their deprivation level. There may be other, unmeasured, individual and area level reasons for children’s level of difficulties and these require further exploration. PMID:25707313

Mapping area variability in social and behavioural difficulties among Glasgow pre-schoolers: linkage of a survey of pre-school staff with routine monitoring data.

PubMed

Barry, S J E; Marryat, L; Thompson, L; Ellaway, A; White, J; McClung, M; Wilson, P

2015-11-01

Social, emotional and behavioural development in early to middle childhood impact upon many outcomes in future life and are influenced by home, neighbourhood and school environments. We used linked data to investigate differences between areas in Glasgow City in level of difficulties in pre-school age children, after consideration of demographics, including area-level deprivation. Pre-school education staff completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) on all children progressing to school from a local authority or partnership (local authority-funded private) pre-school in Glasgow City between 2010 and 2012. These data were linked to individual (age, gender) and area-level (deprivation) demographics from the City Council Education Services Department. Statistical models were fitted to the SDQ scores, adjusting for age, gender, area deprivation, year of school entry, pre-school establishment attended and electoral ward of residence. Correlation between neighbouring wards was incorporated to allow for clustering of scores. Boys and those living in more deprived areas had higher levels of difficulties. Children aged 5.0-5.5 years had fewest difficulties, while the oldest and youngest children had similar levels of difficulties. There were no significant secular trends by year of school entry. There remained differences among areas after adjusting for these variables, with children living in some areas having fewer difficulties than would be expected based on their socio-demographic characteristics. There remained differences in children's levels of difficulties between areas after adjusting for age, gender, area deprivation and year of school entry. Children in some very deprived areas had fewer difficulties than might be expected, while those in relatively affluent areas had more difficulties than expected based on their deprivation level. There may be other, unmeasured, individual- and area-level reasons for children's level of difficulties, and these require further exploration. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting Stress Related to Basic Needs and Safety in Darfur Refugee Camps: A Structural and Social Ecological Analysis

PubMed Central

RASMUSSEN, ANDREW; ANNAN, JEANNIE

2013-01-01

The research on the determinants of mental health among refugees has been largely limited to traumatic events, but recent work has indicated that the daily hassles of living in refugee camps also play a large role. Using hierarchical linear modelling to account for refugees nested within camp blocks, this exploratory study attempted to model stress surrounding safety and acquiring basic needs and functional impairment among refugees from Darfur living in Chad, using individual-level demographics (e.g., gender, age, presence of a debilitating injury), structural factors (e.g., distance from block to distribution centre), and social ecological variables (e.g., percentage of single women within a block). We found that stress concerning safety concerns, daily hassles, and functional impairment were associated with several individual-level demographic factors (e.g., gender), but also with interactions between block-level and individual-level factors as well (e.g., injury and distance to distribution centre). Findings are discussed in terms of monitoring and evaluation of refugee services. PMID:23626407

Predicting Stress Related to Basic Needs and Safety in Darfur Refugee Camps: A Structural and Social Ecological Analysis.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Andrew; Annan, Jeannie

2010-03-01

The research on the determinants of mental health among refugees has been largely limited to traumatic events, but recent work has indicated that the daily hassles of living in refugee camps also play a large role. Using hierarchical linear modelling to account for refugees nested within camp blocks, this exploratory study attempted to model stress surrounding safety and acquiring basic needs and functional impairment among refugees from Darfur living in Chad, using individual-level demographics (e.g., gender, age, presence of a debilitating injury), structural factors (e.g., distance from block to distribution centre), and social ecological variables (e.g., percentage of single women within a block). We found that stress concerning safety concerns, daily hassles, and functional impairment were associated with several individual-level demographic factors (e.g., gender), but also with interactions between block-level and individual-level factors as well (e.g., injury and distance to distribution centre). Findings are discussed in terms of monitoring and evaluation of refugee services.

Computer Self-Efficacy among Senior High School Teachers in Ghana and the Functionality of Demographic Variables on Their Computer Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarfo, Frederick Kwaku; Amankwah, Francis; Konin, Daniel

2017-01-01

The study is aimed at investigating 1) the level of computer self-efficacy among public senior high school (SHS) teachers in Ghana and 2) the functionality of teachers' age, gender, and computer experiences on their computer self-efficacy. Four hundred and Seven (407) SHS teachers were used for the study. The "Computer Self-Efficacy"…

Offspring sex ratio of Iranian dentists.

PubMed

Ghasemi, Hadi; Mirdehghan, Seyedeh Reihaneh; Namdari, Mahshid; Bayat, Fariborz

2016-11-01

To assess the impact of occupational factors on the sex ratio of dentists' children. A randomly selected 501 Iranian dentists participated in a telephone interview. The participants were contacted by their mobile number to answer questions about demographic variables (gender, age, marriage status), practice-related variables (year of graduation as general or specialist dentist, years of clinical work, working hours, average number of radiographs taken in a day, and spouse's job), and questions about their children (number, gender and date of birth of each child). Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests served for statistical evaluation. Of all participating dentists, 71 % were men, about two-thirds were 35- to 50-year olds, and 89 % were married. In total, the dentists had 768 children; about 21 % had no child. Of all the children, 54 % were boys (overall sex ratio = 1.17). The offspring sex ratio was 1.13 among male dentists, 1.50 for female dentists, and 1.44 when both parents were dentists. Higher percentages of boys were prevalent among female dentists, younger dentists, and general dental practitioners (p < 0.008). Demographic and practice-related factors showed some impact on proportions of both sexes of dentists' children in this study. However, the result needs evaluation in further studies.

Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of time spent cooking by adults in the 2005 UK Time Use Survey. Cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Adams, Jean; White, Martin

2015-09-01

This study aimed to document the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of time spent cooking by adults in the 2005 UK Time-Use Survey. Respondents reported their main activities, in 10 minute slots, throughout one 24 hour period. Activities were coded into 30 pre-defined codes, including 'cooking, washing up'. Four measures of time spent cooking were calculated: any time spent cooking, 30 continuous minutes spent cooking, total time spent cooking, and longest continuous time spent cooking. Socio-demographic correlates were: age, employment, social class, education, and number of adults and children in the household. Analyses were stratified by gender. Data from 4214 participants were included. 85% of women and 60% of men spent any time cooking; 60% of women and 33% of men spent 30 continuous minutes cooking. Amongst women, older age, not being in employment, lower social class, greater education, and living with other adults or children were positively associated with time cooking. Few differences in time spent cooking were seen in men. Socio-economic differences in time spent cooking may have been overstated as a determinant of socio-economic differences in diet, overweight and obesity. Gender was a stronger determinant of time spent cooking than other socio-demographic variables. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Learner Conceptions of Force: Exploring the Interaction among Visuospatial Ability, Motivation, and Conceptions of Newtonian Mechanics in University Undergraduates from an Evolutionary Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallett, David Bruce

This study examined the relationships among visuospatial ability, motivation to learn science, and learner conceptions of force across commonly measured demographics with university undergraduates with the aim of examining the support for an evolved sense of force and motion. Demographic variables of interest included age, ethnicity, and gender, which served to determine the ubiquity of the effects of the exogenous variables. Participants (n=91) self selected from introductory physics courses at a large public university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Utilizing a single-group exploratory design, all participants completed a series of anonymous online instruments to assess the variables of interest. Analysis consisted of an ANOVA for significance testing of demographic variables and a single-level structural equation model (SEM) to ascertain the causal influence of visuospatial ability and affect in the form of motivation on learner conceptions of force. Results of the SEM indicated that while motivation had a nonsignificant (p>.05) impact with this sample, visuospatial ability had a strong (.5 unit change in physics achievement per unit of VSA, p<.05) influence on Newtonian conceptions of mechanics. The results of this study inform physics educators as to the factors underlying conceptual change in Newtonian physics and generate hypotheses regarding the cognitive processes and corresponding neural substrates associated with successful Newtonian reasoning.

76 FR 51123 - Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... information such as income range, likelihood of being unbanked, and gender in determining what types of... demographic data, such as income range, gender or other characteristics.'' The paragraph is revised to read... as demographic data, such as income range, gender or other characteristics.'' * * * * * Dated: August...

Influence of biological, experiential and psychological factors in wine preference segmentation

PubMed Central

Pickering, Gary J; Hayes, John E

2016-01-01

Background and Aims We sought to determine the influence of selected biological, experiential and psychological variables on self-reported liking and consumption of wine in a sample of 329 Ontario wine consumers. Methods and Results Cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups, representing plausible market segments: wine lovers; dry table wine likers/sweet dislikers; and sweet wine likers/fortified dislikers. These groups differ in level of wine expertise, wine adventurousness, alcohol intake, bitterness from 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), and several demographic variables. PROP hypo-tasters (n=113) and PROP hyper-tasters (n=112) differed in liking scores for nine of the 11 wine styles [ANCOVA, P(F)<0.05]. When wines were grouped according to their dominant sensory properties (dry, sweet, carbonation and heat), liking scores for PROP hyper-tasters were higher than those of PROP hypo-tasters for all classes. Scores also varied with age, expertise and gender for some products. Effect sizes (eta-squared) were generally greatest for age, and those for PROP responsiveness were of similar magnitude as those for gender. As expected, wine consumption frequency was higher for men and experts, and increased with age. Conclusions Age is the most robust and consistent driver of wine liking and intake of the variables examined. Taste phenotype also contributes significantly to variation in wine liking. Significance of the Study Ontario wine consumers fall into one of three wine liking clusters, which differ in experiential, biological, psychological and demographic features that can be targeted through branding and marketing strategies. PMID:28579910

Influence of biological, experiential and psychological factors in wine preference segmentation.

PubMed

Pickering, Gary J; Hayes, John E

2017-06-01

We sought to determine the influence of selected biological, experiential and psychological variables on self-reported liking and consumption of wine in a sample of 329 Ontario wine consumers. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups, representing plausible market segments: wine lovers; dry table wine likers/sweet dislikers; and sweet wine likers/fortified dislikers. These groups differ in level of wine expertise, wine adventurousness, alcohol intake, bitterness from 6- n -propylthiouracil (PROP), and several demographic variables. PROP hypo-tasters ( n =113) and PROP hyper-tasters ( n =112) differed in liking scores for nine of the 11 wine styles [ANCOVA, P (F)<0.05]. When wines were grouped according to their dominant sensory properties (dry, sweet, carbonation and heat), liking scores for PROP hyper-tasters were higher than those of PROP hypo-tasters for all classes. Scores also varied with age, expertise and gender for some products. Effect sizes (eta-squared) were generally greatest for age, and those for PROP responsiveness were of similar magnitude as those for gender. As expected, wine consumption frequency was higher for men and experts, and increased with age. Age is the most robust and consistent driver of wine liking and intake of the variables examined. Taste phenotype also contributes significantly to variation in wine liking. Ontario wine consumers fall into one of three wine liking clusters, which differ in experiential, biological, psychological and demographic features that can be targeted through branding and marketing strategies.

Associations of physical fitness and academic performance among schoolchildren.

PubMed

Van Dusen, Duncan P; Kelder, Steven H; Kohl, Harold W; Ranjit, Nalini; Perry, Cheryl L

2011-12-01

Public schools provide opportunities for physical activity and fitness surveillance, but are evaluated and funded based on students' academic performance, not their physical fitness. Empirical research evaluating the connections between fitness and academic performance is needed to justify curriculum allocations to physical activity programs. Analyses were based on a convenience sample of 254,743 individually matched standardized academic (TAKS™) and fitness (FITNESSGRAM(®) ) test records of students, grades 3-11, collected by 13 Texas school districts. We categorized fitness results in quintiles by age and gender and used mixed effects regression models to compare the academic performance of the top and bottom fitness groups for each test. All fitness variables except body mass index (BMI) showed significant, positive associations with academic performance after adjustment for socio-demographic covariates, with standardized mean difference effect sizes ranging from .07 to .34. Cardiovascular fitness showed the largest interquintile difference in TAKS score (32-75 points), followed by curl-ups. Additional adjustment for BMI and curl-ups showed dose-response associations between cardiovascular fitness and academic scores (p < .001 for both genders and outcomes). Analysis of BMI demonstrated limited, nonlinear association with academic performance after socio-demographic and fitness adjustments. Fitness was strongly and significantly related to academic performance. Cardiovascular fitness showed a dose-response association with academic performance independent of other socio-demographic and fitness variables. The association appears to peak in late middle to early high school. We recommend that policymakers consider physical education (PE) mandates in middle high school, school administrators consider increasing PE time, and PE practitioners emphasize cardiovascular fitness. © 2011, American School Health Association.

Impact of student ethnicity and patient-centredness on communication skills performance.

PubMed

Hauer, Karen E; Boscardin, Christy; Gesundheit, Neil; Nevins, Andrew; Srinivasan, Malathi; Fernandez, Alicia

2010-07-01

The development of patient-centred attitudes by health care providers is critical to improving health care quality. A prior study showed that medical students with more patient-centred attitudes scored higher in communication skills as judged by standardised patients (SPs) than students with less patient-centred attitudes. We designed this multicentre study to examine the relationships among students' demographic characteristics, patient-centredness and communication scores on an SP examination. Early Year 4 medical students at three US schools completed a 12-item survey during an SP examination. Survey items addressed demographics (gender, ethnicity, primary childhood language) and patient-centredness. Factor analysis on the patient-centredness items defined specific patient-centred attitudes. We used multiple regression analysis incorporating demographic characteristics, school and patient-centredness items and examined the effect of these variables on the outcome variable of communication score. A total of 351 students took the SP examination and 329 (94%) completed the patient-centredness questionnaire. Responses indicated generally high patient-centredness. Student ethnicity and medical school were significantly associated with communication scores; gender and primary childhood language were not. Two attitudinal factors were identified: patient perspective and impersonal attitude. Multiple regression analysis revealed that school and scores on the impersonal factor were associated with communication scores. The effect size was modest. In a medical student SP examination, modest differences in communication scores based on ethnicity were observed and can be partially explained by student attitudes regarding patient-centredness. Curricular interventions to enhance clinical experiences, teaching and feedback are needed to address key elements of a patient-centred approach to care.

Correlates of Injury-forced Work Reduction for Massage Therapists and Bodywork Practitioners.

PubMed

Blau, Gary; Monos, Christopher; Boyer, Ed; Davis, Kathleen; Flanagan, Richard; Lopez, Andrea; Tatum, Donna S

2013-01-01

Injury-forced work reduction (IFWR) has been acknowledged as an all-too-common occurrence for massage therapists and bodywork practitioners (M & Bs). However, little prior research has specifically investigated demographic, work attitude, and perceptual correlates of IFWR among M & Bs. To test two hypotheses, H1 and H2. H1 is that the accumulated cost variables set ( e.g., accumulated costs, continuing education costs) will account for a significant amount of IFWR variance beyond control/demographic (e.g., social desirability response bias, gender, years in practice, highest education level) and work attitude/perception variables (e.g., job satisfaction, affective occupation commitment, occupation identification, limited occupation alternatives) sets. H2 is that the two exhaustion variables (i.e., physical exhaustion, work exhaustion) set will account for significant IFWR variance beyond control/demographic, work attitude/perception, and accumulated cost variables sets. An online survey sample of 2,079 complete-data M & Bs was collected. Stepwise regression analysis was used to test the study hypotheses. The research design first controlled for control/demographic (Step1) and work attitude/perception variables sets (Step 2), before then testing for the successive incremental impact of two variable sets, accumulated costs (Step 3) and exhaustion variables (Step 4) for explaining IFWR. RESULTS SUPPORTED BOTH STUDY HYPOTHESES: accumulated cost variables set (H1) and exhaustion variables set (H2) each significantly explained IFWR after the control/demographic and work attitude/perception variables sets. The most important correlate for explaining IFWR was higher physical exhaustion, but work exhaustion was also significant. It is not just physical "wear and tear", but also "mental fatigue", that can lead to IFWR for M & Bs. Being female, having more years in practice, and having higher continuing education costs were also significant correlates of IFWR. Lower overall levels of work exhaustion, physical exhaustion, and IFWR were found in the present sample. However, since both types of exhaustion significantly and positively impact IFWR, taking sufficient time between massages and, if possible, varying one's massage technique to replenish one's physical and mental energy seem important. Failure to take required continuing education units, due to high costs, also increases risk for IFWR. Study limitations and future research issues are discussed.

Race, gender, and the response to stress: autoworkers' vulnerability to long-term unemployment.

PubMed

Broman, C L; Hamilton, V L; Hoffman, W S; Mavaddat, R

1995-12-01

A three-wave panel study of auto plant closings focused on the mental health effects of unemployment on blue-collar workers. This paper explores how the impact of long-term unemployment varies across race and gender. We also examine whether other demographic factors can themselves modify the impacts of race and gender. Dependent variables include two measures of distress and two drinking measures. Results showed that the effect of long-term unemployment on distress and drinking was more severe among less educated workers, and responses of blacks were especially sensitive to level of education. In addition, men showed a greater association of long-term unemployment with depression (and to some extent anxiety) than did women. Marriage affected the responses of men but not of women, and of whites but not of blacks. Explanatory variables--the worker's experiences of financial hardship, other negative life events, and lack of a confidant--largely accounted for male-female differences. We conclude by discussing theoretical implications of these effects and address the limitations of the traditional term "vulnerability" in describing them.

Population studies.

PubMed

Heenan, B

1989-01-01

A number of studies have been published about the population change in New Zealand between 1936 and 1986. During this time an intellectual and demographic revolution also took place simultaneously. From 1961 and 1986 the population increased from 2.4 million to 3.3 million mainly because of Polynesian immigration, and the elderly and females also increased. The Maoris became urban. Mortality stayed stable, but fertility declined to below replacement level in the 1980's. Murray Wilson (1988) analyzed the relationship of fertility and mortality in terms of a post-transitional (developed) society like Australia or the European norm of a 2-children family. In his view the youth culture, television, and female aspirations greatly influenced childrearing. Daniel Noin (1988) examined the current state of geographical research on mortality from a methodological point of view finding wide differences in mortality in Quebec, Brussels, Paris, and London attributable to culture. Mosley and Chen (1984) argued that social, cultural, and economic factors to mortality are mediated by individual, household, and community variables. Jones and Moon (1987) dealt with medical geography in the context of the consumption of health care and disease ecology. Momsen and Townsend (1987) addressed the role of women in developing countries stating that gender is socially created and it examined the worldwide subordination of women. In the 1980's a host of other authors have also touched on the subject of the demography of gender analyzing discrimination against female children, unmarried American women, and single parent families. Yet Fahey (1988) stated that gender was only regarded relevant by Australian geographers as a demographic variable.

Adolescents' responses to online peer conflict: How self‐evaluation and ethnicity matter

PubMed Central

Bos, Marieke G.N.; Stevenson, Claire E.

2017-01-01

Abstract For parents, online platforms where their children interact with others often feel like a “black box” in terms of what exactly is happening. In this study, we developed an ecologically valid online computer game in which a (computer‐generated) peer teammate tried to provoke frustration, in order to examine (a) adolescents' responses and (b) how indices of self‐evaluation (i.e., sense of coherence and self‐esteem) and demographic variables (i.e., gender and ethnicity) matter to these responses. Like gender, being a member of a minority or majority group may influence how provocations by peers are interpreted, influencing how one responds. Fifteen‐year‐old Dutch and Moroccan‐Dutch adolescents (N = 167) completed self‐reports and played the online computer game. The game indeed elicited frustration, with increased self‐reported anger. Moreover, expressions of displeasure were much more common during and after provocation than before provocation. Crucially, perceived self‐evaluation mattered; higher levels of sense of coherence but lower levels of self‐esteem (only in Moroccan‐Dutch group) contributed to fewer expressions of displeasure. Gender did not play a moderating role. Our findings provide initial insights into individual differences in adolescents' responses in an online peer‐conflict situation. Highlights We studied Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents' responses during online peer provocation and how self-evaluation and demographic variables matter.Provocation by the (computer-generated) peer teammate increased expressions of displeasure.More sense of coherence but less self-esteem was associated with fewer expressions of displeasure, but ethnicity moderated the effect with self-esteem. PMID:29780286

A study of acculturation in psychotic and non-psychotic immigrants living in Athens.

PubMed

Gonidakis, F; Lembesi, E; Kontaxakis, V P; Havaki-Kontaxaki, B J; Ploumpidis, D; Madianos, M; Papadimitriou, G N

2013-03-01

Acculturation is the phenomenon that results when a group with one culture comes into continuous contact with a host culture. To investigate the correlation between acculturation and psychotic symptomatology in a group of immigrants suffering from psychosis and to explore differences in demographic factors related with the acculturation process between individuals with and without psychosis. Sixty-five patients and 317 non-psychotic immigrants were interviewed using the Immigrant Acculturation Scale (IAS) and a structured questionnaire for demographic data. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) were also administered to all immigrants suffering from psychosis. Total IAS scores, as well as IAS everyday life scores, were positively correlated with GAF scores. IAS everyday life score in the patient group related with religion, marital status, gender and years in Greece, while in the non-psychosis group it was related with gender and years in Greece. IAS wishful orientation/nostos (the strong desire for one's homeland) related with religion in both groups. The IAS identity in the psychosis group did not show any significant relation with any of the variables, while in the non-patient group, it was related with marital status, gender and years in Greece. Age, duration of residence in Greece and higher adoption of Greek ethnic identity were the variables that differentiated the two groups of immigrants. Acculturation in immigrants suffering from psychosis could be seen as a process that does not correlate strongly with the severity of the symptomatology but is probably influenced by different set of factors.

Adolescents' responses to online peer conflict: How self-evaluation and ethnicity matter.

PubMed

Novin, Sheida; Bos, Marieke G N; Stevenson, Claire E; Rieffe, Carolien

2018-01-01

For parents, online platforms where their children interact with others often feel like a "black box" in terms of what exactly is happening. In this study, we developed an ecologically valid online computer game in which a (computer-generated) peer teammate tried to provoke frustration, in order to examine (a) adolescents' responses and (b) how indices of self-evaluation (i.e., sense of coherence and self-esteem) and demographic variables (i.e., gender and ethnicity) matter to these responses. Like gender, being a member of a minority or majority group may influence how provocations by peers are interpreted, influencing how one responds. Fifteen-year-old Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents (N = 167) completed self-reports and played the online computer game. The game indeed elicited frustration, with increased self-reported anger. Moreover, expressions of displeasure were much more common during and after provocation than before provocation. Crucially, perceived self-evaluation mattered; higher levels of sense of coherence but lower levels of self-esteem (only in Moroccan-Dutch group) contributed to fewer expressions of displeasure. Gender did not play a moderating role. Our findings provide initial insights into individual differences in adolescents' responses in an online peer-conflict situation. We studied Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents' responses during online peer provocation and how self-evaluation and demographic variables matter.Provocation by the (computer-generated) peer teammate increased expressions of displeasure.More sense of coherence but less self-esteem was associated with fewer expressions of displeasure, but ethnicity moderated the effect with self-esteem.

Gender inequalities in mental wellbeing in 26 European countries: do welfare regimes matter?

PubMed

Dreger, Stefanie; Gerlinger, Thomas; Bolte, Gabriele

2016-10-01

Nature and extent of welfare regimes and social policies are important determinants of health and health inequalities. This study examines the association of gender and mental wellbeing in European countries and investigates whether type of welfare regime plays a role in this association. Data of 19 366 women and 14 338 men of the third round of the European Quality of Life Survey (2011-12) was used to analyse mental wellbeing, assessed by the World Health Organization 5-Mental Wellbeing Index. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to analyse the association between gender and good mental wellbeing first at country-level, and secondly the between country variation was analysed and welfare regimes were included as explanatory variables. We observed cross-national variation in good mental wellbeing. At country levels gender inequalities in good mental wellbeing were observed in 7 out of 26 countries. In analyses considering all countries together gender inequalities in good mental wellbeing were identified independent of further individual socio-demographic variables and independent of the welfare regimes that people lived in [women vs. men: OR = 0.76; (95% CI = 0.71-0.81)]. Gender inequalities in good mental wellbeing were not modified by welfare regimes. There are cross-national differences in good mental wellbeing between European countries. Gender inequalities with a lower prevalence of good mental wellbeing among women are common in European countries. This study suggests that welfare regimes do not modify these gender inequalities in mental wellbeing. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Do effects of common case-mix adjusters on patient experiences vary across patient groups?

PubMed

de Boer, Dolf; van der Hoek, Lucas; Rademakers, Jany; Delnoij, Diana; van den Berg, Michael

2017-11-22

Many survey studies in health care adjust for demographic characteristics such as age, gender, educational attainment and general health when performing statistical analyses. Whether the effects of these demographic characteristics are consistent between patient groups remains to be determined. This is important as the rationale for adjustment is often that demographic sub-groups differ in their so-called 'response tendency'. This rationale may be less convincing if the effects of response tendencies vary across patient groups. The present paper examines whether the impact of these characteristics on patients' global rating of care varies across patient groups. Secondary analyses using multi-level regression models were performed on a dataset including 32 different patient groups and 145,578 observations. For each demographic variable, the 95% expected range of case-mix coefficients across patient groups is presented. In addition, we report whether the variance of coefficients for demographic variables across patient groups is significant. Overall, men, elderly, lower educated people and people in good health tend to give higher global ratings. However, these effects varied significantly across patient groups and included the possibility of no effect or an opposite effect in some patient groups. The response tendency attributed to demographic characteristics - such as older respondents being milder, or higher educated respondents being more critical - is not general or universal. As such, the mechanism linking demographic characteristics to survey results on patient experiences with quality of care is more complicated than a general response tendency. It is possible that the response tendency interacts with patient group, but it is also possible that other mechanisms are at play.

Gender Differences in Treatment-Seeking British Pathological Gamblers

PubMed Central

Ronzitti, Silvia; Lutri, Vittorio; Smith, Neil; Clerici, Massimo; Bowden-Jones, Henrietta

2016-01-01

Background and aim Gambling is a widespread recreational activity in the UK. A significant percentage of gamblers develop subclinical or clinically relevant problem gambling issues, but only a low percentage of them seek treatment. Although characteristics of pathological gamblers from treatment-seeking population have been examined in some research, only a few studies have explored the differences between females and males. This study aimed to examine the gender-related differences in demographics, gambling measures, and clinical variables in an outpatient sample of pathological gamblers seeking treatment. Methods A total of 1,178 treatment-seeking individuals with gambling disorder were assessed at the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical variables, and gambling behavior habits were obtained during the assessment evaluation. Of the total sample, 92.5% were males and 7.5% were females. Results Males were more likely to be younger, white, and employed than females. In addition, compared to women, men showed a lower PGSI score, an earlier age of onset of gambling behavior, a higher gambling involvement, and preferred specific forms gambling. Female gamblers were more anxious and depressed, while men were more likely to use alcohol and illicit drugs. Conclusions Our findings support the importance of gender differences in a treatment-seeking population of pathological gamblers both in sociodemographic characteristics, gambling behavior variables, and clinical variables. Males and females might benefit from group-specific treatment. PMID:27348561

Correlation of global risk assessment with cardiovascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus living in Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Vigil, Efraín; Rodríguez-Chacón, Migdalia; Ruiz Valcarcel, José J

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the current relationship between certain demographics and chemical factors, and the risk of cardiovascular complications, within a Puerto Rican population with diabetes mellitus. A total of 2075 patients with diabetes mellitus were retrospectively evaluated to determine the influence of certain demographics and chemical variables on the appearance of cardiovascular complications. A group of demographic and laboratory variables were analyzed. Our sample was obtained, based on convenience, from an endocrinologist's office in an area of about 250 000 people. All the patients met the American Diabetes Association (ADA) definitions for diabetes mellitus. The study covered a time period of 8 years. The patients signed an informed consent document at their first office visit. Data were obtained by the endocrinologist in charge. We considered the demographic variables of sex, age, time with diabetes, lipid profile, metabolic control (measured with glycated hemoglobin levels), and microalbumin renal excretion. Cardiovascular complications were more prevalent in patients with poor metabolic control, those with prolonged disease duration, men, and patients who were more than 50 years of age. We found no relationship between cardiovascular disease, systolic blood pressure over 130 mm Hg, body mass index and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels over 100 mg/dL. In Puerto Rican patients with diabetes mellitus, there is a statistically significant relationship between patient's gender, age, disease duration, glycemic control and increased kidney microalbumin excretion with cardiovascular complications.

Correlates to long-term-care nurse turnover: survey results from the state of West Virginia.

PubMed

Hodgin, Robert F; Chandra, Ashish; Weaver, Crystal

2010-01-01

The authors sought statistical correlates to long-term-care nurse turnover using surveys from 253 practicing nurses across 54 of 55 counties in West Virginia. A chi-square test for homogeneity showed significant relationships between select demographic variables and job-related dimensions categorized either as benefits (pay, schedule flexibility and growth opportunity, travel time to work, patient behavior, facility conditions, supervisor relations) or job-related dimensions categorized as costs (travel time to work, patient behavior, facility conditions, supervisor relations, and family needs). Five demographic characteristics: gender, education level, job title, county in West Virginia region, and facility size bore no relationship to any job-related dimension listed.

[Socio-demographic determinants of self-assessed health status and health complaints in the population employed in a large institution].

PubMed

Barański, Bogusław; Boczkowski, Andrzej

2009-01-01

Health and safety at work is frequently perceived as a domain to be protected exclusively against occupational hazards without taking into account socio-demographic determinants and non-occupational factors dependent on work culture and quality of life. This study aimed at evaluating the impact of socio-demographic determinants on self-assessed health status and frequency of health complaints in workers employed in a large institution as well as the perception of the influence of working conditions on their health and the occurrence of selected diseases and health complaints. The study was carried out in the entire population of employees of a large institution. Information that remained anonymous was collected using a questionnaire completed by the employees themselves. The strength of relationship was analyzed between the following three groups of variables: (1) self-assessed health status; (2) objectivized (based on reported facts) evaluation of health status; and (3) socio-demographic determinants. The socio-demographic determinants have considerable impact on self-reported health status and frequency of health complaints and diseases linked and not-linked by respondents with working conditions. The frequency of responses indicating the relationship between work and health complaints were dependent on gender and duration of employment in the institution. The number of reported diseases and health complaints was influenced by gender, age, duration of employment and the respondents' level of education. Summing up, the following groups of respondents evaluated their health as worse than that of others: (1) persons aged over 50 years; (2) persons working 16 or more years in the institution, (3) persons with other than university education; (4) person with overweight. The results indicate that the health policy of institutions and enterprises should take into account socio-demographic determinants in the working population.

The Effectiveness of Education and Schooling Activities with Respect to Learning Styles on the Learning of Abstract and Tangible Concepts of Social Studies by Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seker, Mustafa

2013-01-01

This research reviews the effects of education and schooling activities that are conducted with respect to different learning styles on the success of teaching abstract and tangible concepts of 6th Grade Social Studies, and researches whether the demographic variables (age, gender) of the students had any effect on this success levels. To do so, 2…

Investigating the Distribution of Medical Services among Socioeconomic Groups in Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, A.; Zhao, Ph D., S.; O'Keefe, Ph D., CRNP, RN, L.

2016-12-01

The Environmental Justice (EJ) literature generally focuses on negative environmental externalities and disamenities found around certain types of demographic conditions such as poor and ethnic groups. This study aims to identify any relationships among environmental risks, communities, and access to hospital services. Community demographic variables will be defined by census tracts and units based on a geographic information system, such as buffer tools. Empirical analyses of the relationships between demographics and environmental burdens take a prominent position in the large EJ literature. However, there is a dearth of research regarding exposed communities and access to hospitals for medical services. Leveraging a dataset that combines hospital locations, pollution sources, and demographic information, the authors will analyze whether different social groups (defined by gender, age, income, and education level) have equal access to hospitals. The research team consists of researchers from Earth system science, public policy, and nursing, and adopts an interdisciplinary approach including ArcGIS analysis and statistical modeling. This project also bridges the literature of health, air pollution, and environmental policy.

Keep calm! Gender differences in mental rotation performance are modulated by habitual expressive suppression.

PubMed

Fladung, Anne-Katharina; Kiefer, Markus

2016-11-01

Men have been frequently found to perform more accurately than women in mental rotation tasks. However, men and women also differ with regard to the habitual use of emotion regulation strategies, particularly with regard to expressive suppression, i.e., the suppression of emotional expression in behavior. As emotional suppression is more often used by men, emotion regulation strategies might be a variable modulating gender differences in mental rotation performance. The present study, therefore, examined the influences of gender and emotion regulation strategies on mental rotation performance accuracy and feedback processing. Twenty-eight men and 28 women matched for relevant demographic variables performed mental rotation tasks of varying difficulty over a prolonged time. Emotional feedback was given immediately after each trial. Results showed that women reported to use expressive suppression less frequently than men. Women made more errors in the mental rotation task than men confirming earlier demonstrations of gender differences. Furthermore, women were more impaired by the negative feedback as indicated by the increased likelihood of subsequent errors compared with men. Task performance of women not habitually using expressive suppression was most inferior and most strongly influenced by failure feedback compared with men. Women using expressive suppression more habitually did not significantly differ in mental rotation accuracy and feedback processing from men. Hence, expressive suppression reduces gender differences in mental rotation accuracy by improving cognitive performance following failure feedback.

Multinomial logistic regression modelling of obesity and overweight among primary school students in a rural area of Negeri Sembilan

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

Ghazali, Amirul Syafiq Mohd; Ali, Zalila; Noor, Norlida Mohd

Multinomial logistic regression is widely used to model the outcomes of a polytomous response variable, a categorical dependent variable with more than two categories. The model assumes that the conditional mean of the dependent categorical variables is the logistic function of an affine combination of predictor variables. Its procedure gives a number of logistic regression models that make specific comparisons of the response categories. When there are q categories of the response variable, the model consists of q-1 logit equations which are fitted simultaneously. The model is validated by variable selection procedures, tests of regression coefficients, a significant test ofmore » the overall model, goodness-of-fit measures, and validation of predicted probabilities using odds ratio. This study used the multinomial logistic regression model to investigate obesity and overweight among primary school students in a rural area on the basis of their demographic profiles, lifestyles and on the diet and food intake. The results indicated that obesity and overweight of students are related to gender, religion, sleep duration, time spent on electronic games, breakfast intake in a week, with whom meals are taken, protein intake, and also, the interaction between breakfast intake in a week with sleep duration, and the interaction between gender and protein intake.« less

Multinomial logistic regression modelling of obesity and overweight among primary school students in a rural area of Negeri Sembilan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazali, Amirul Syafiq Mohd; Ali, Zalila; Noor, Norlida Mohd; Baharum, Adam

2015-10-01

Multinomial logistic regression is widely used to model the outcomes of a polytomous response variable, a categorical dependent variable with more than two categories. The model assumes that the conditional mean of the dependent categorical variables is the logistic function of an affine combination of predictor variables. Its procedure gives a number of logistic regression models that make specific comparisons of the response categories. When there are q categories of the response variable, the model consists of q-1 logit equations which are fitted simultaneously. The model is validated by variable selection procedures, tests of regression coefficients, a significant test of the overall model, goodness-of-fit measures, and validation of predicted probabilities using odds ratio. This study used the multinomial logistic regression model to investigate obesity and overweight among primary school students in a rural area on the basis of their demographic profiles, lifestyles and on the diet and food intake. The results indicated that obesity and overweight of students are related to gender, religion, sleep duration, time spent on electronic games, breakfast intake in a week, with whom meals are taken, protein intake, and also, the interaction between breakfast intake in a week with sleep duration, and the interaction between gender and protein intake.

Having Private Cancer Insurance in Korea: Gender Differences.

PubMed

Yoo, Ki-Bong; Noh, Jin-Won; Kwon, Young Dae; Cho, Kyoung Hee; Choi, Young; Kim, Jae-Hyun

2015-01-01

As coverage of public insurance is not sufficient to cover diagnosis or treatment of cancer, having private health insurance is important to prepare for unexpected expenses of cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with having private cancer insurance, considering gender among the socio- demographic factors and health behavior. We used data from the 2011 Korea Health Panel, which included 10,871 participants aged 20 years and older. Socio-demographics, health behavior, and perceived cancer risk were the independent variables and having private cancer insurance was the dependent variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with having private cancer insurance. The variables relating to middle age, higher education, higher household income, married men, and the perceived cancer risk groups of 1-10% and 11-30% were significantly associated with having private cancer insurance. Additionally, females who had private non-cancer health insurance were positively associated with the dependent variables (OR=1.36; 95% CI=1.17-1.57). Education, smoking status, exercise, and perceived cancer risk possibility were significantly associated with having private cancer insurance only among women. The men lowered the overall percentages of those having private cancer insurance (OR=0.53, 95% CI=0.45-0.63). We found that there were significant differences between men and women who had private cancer insurance. Women with private cancer insurance are more likely to follow precautionary health behavior than men. This could be interpreted as resulting from masculine ideologies. It is important to make males recognize the seriousness of the cancer risk. In general, household income was highly associated with private cancer insurance. These results reveal an inequity among the buyers of private cancer insurance in terms of economic status level, education level, and health condition.

Predictors of Extradyadic Sexual Involvement in Unmarried Opposite-Sex Relationships

PubMed Central

Maddox Shaw, Amanda M.; Rhoades, Galena K.; Allen, Elizabeth S.; Stanley, Scott M.; Markman, Howard J.

2012-01-01

Using a sample of unmarried individuals in opposite-sex romantic relationships that was representative of the United States (N = 933), the current study prospectively evaluated predictors of extradyadic sexual involvement (ESI) over 20-months. Data were collected with self-report questionnaires via U.S. mail. Participants were 18–35 years old and were 34.9% male. Variables tested as predictors included involved-partner factors such as demographic characteristics, sexual history, and mental health, as well as relationship-related factors including communication, sexual dynamics, and aspects of commitment. Future ESI was significantly predicted by lower baseline relationship satisfaction, negative communication, aggression, lower dedication, absence of plans to marry, suspicion of partner’s ESI, and partner’s ESI. It was not predicted by sexual frequency, sexual dissatisfaction, or cohabitation status. Although more problems with alcohol use, more previous sex partners, and having parents who never married one another predicted future ESI, there were many involved-partner demographic factors that did not predict later ESI (e.g., gender, age, education, religiosity, having divorced parents, and having children). None of the results were moderated by gender. These results suggest that compared to demographic characteristics, relationship dynamics and negative interactions are more strongly predictive of future ESI. Implications for future research are discussed. PMID:22524318

Stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about bulimia nervosa: gender, age, education and income variability in a community sample.

PubMed

McLean, Siân A; Paxton, Susan J; Massey, Robin; Hay, Phillipa J; Mond, Jonathan M; Rodgers, Bryan

2014-05-01

Stigmatizing attitudes towards eating disorders negatively impacts treatment seeking. To determine the effect of interventions to reduce stigma, a measure of stigma that is simple to implement is required. This study aimed to develop a measure of stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs towards bulimia nervosa (SAB-BN) and evaluate the distribution of beliefs across gender, age, education, and income groups. Participants were 1828 community adults (890 men; 938 women) aged 18-65 sampled from the Australian Electoral Roll responded to a mailed questionnaire. Participants provided demographic information and completed the SAB-BN questionnaire. Five components of stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs were identified; advantages of BN, minimization/low seriousness, unreliability, social distance, and personal responsibility. Stigma was low except on social distance and personal responsibility sub-scales, which indicated negative attitudes toward people with bulimia. Men compared with women and lower compared with higher education and income groups held significantly higher stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs. There were few differences between age groups in stigma. Differences between demographic groups provides evidence for known-groups validity. The SAB-BN questionnaire provides a potentially useful tool for evaluating stigma in relation to BN. Results provide insight into components of stigma and the demographic groups to whom interventions should be targeted. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Stress and coping among elderly African-Americans.

PubMed

Holt-Hill, Shirley Ann

2009-12-01

The purpose of this descriptive correlation was to examine the relationship between the amount of psychological stress experienced and the methods of coping with stress among elderly African-Americans. Demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, education, and occupation), personal resources (health, religion, and social support), and the effects of perception of racial discrimination were included to determine the relationship among the variables and to predict the perceived amount ofpsychological stress and the methods of coping. Subjects were males and females, who were community dwellers, between 65 to 88 years of age. Each subject completed four questionnaires: a Demographic Personal Data Questionnaire, the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, the Stokes/Gordon Stress Scale, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by computing measures of central tendency, frequency, percentile, and measures of variability. Correlation and stepwise regression were used for predictions and to test null hypotheses. The findings indicated that elderly African-Americans experienced psychologically stressful events in their lives such as concerns for the world, slowing down, physical limitation, financial concerns, and not enough time with their children and grandchildren.

Depressive symptoms and social demographic, stress and health risk behaviour among university students in 26 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

PubMed

Peltzer, Karl; Pengpid, Supa

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and association between depressive symptoms, sociodemographic, social and health risk variables among undergraduate students in 26 low, middle and high income countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 20222 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.8, SD = 2.8) from 27 universities in 26 countries in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and Latin America. Overall study participants had a prevalence of 24.0 % moderate and 12.8 % severe depressive symptoms. In multivariate logistic regression, demographic and social variables (being female gender, low organised religious activity, lack of social support and lack of personal control), stressful or traumatic life events (sexual violence and physical child abuse) and health risk behaviour (tobacco use, insufficient brushing of teeth, irregular sleep duration, increased salt intake, infrequent meals a day, heavy internet use and having sustained an injury) were associated with severe depressive symptoms. High rates of depressive symptoms were found. Several risk factors including social and health risk behaviour variables were identified which can be utilised in guiding interventions.

Gender differences in caregiving among family - caregivers of people with mental illnesses

PubMed Central

Sharma, Nidhi; Chakrabarti, Subho; Grover, Sandeep

2016-01-01

All over the world women are the predominant providers of informal care for family members with chronic medical conditions or disabilities, including the elderly and adults with mental illnesses. It has been suggested that there are several societal and cultural demands on women to adopt the role of a family-caregiver. Stress-coping theories propose that women are more likely to be exposed to caregiving stressors, and are likely to perceive, report and cope with these stressors differently from men. Many studies, which have examined gender differences among family-caregivers of people with mental illnesses, have concluded that women spend more time in providing care and carry out personal-care tasks more often than men. These studies have also found that women experience greater mental and physical strain, greater caregiver-burden, and higher levels of psychological distress while providing care. However, almost an equal number of studies have not found any differences between men and women on these aspects. This has led to the view that though there may be certain differences between male and female caregivers, most of these are small in magnitude and of doubtful clinical significance. Accordingly, caregiver-gender is thought to explain only a minor proportion of the variance in negative caregiving outcomes. A similar inconsistency characterizes the explanations provided for gender differences in caregiving such as role expectations, differences in stress, coping and social support, and response biases in reporting distress. Apart from the equivocal and inconsistent evidence, there are other problems in the literature on gender differences in caregiving. Most of the evidence has been derived from studies on caregivers of elderly people who either suffer from dementia or other physical conditions. Similar research on other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or mood disorders is relatively scarce. With changing demographics and social norms men are increasingly assuming roles as caregivers. However, the experience of men while providing care has not been explored adequately. The impact of gender on caregiving outcomes may be mediated by several other variables including patient-related factors, socio-demographic variables, and effects of kinship status, culture and ethnicity, but these have seldom been considered in the research on gender differences. Finally, it is apparent that methodological variations in samples, designs and assessments between studies contribute a great deal to the observed gender differences. This review highlights all these issues and concludes that there is much need for further research in this area if the true nature of gender differences in family-caregiving of mental illnesses is to be discerned. PMID:27014594

Barriers to meditation by gender and age among cancer family caregivers.

PubMed

Williams, Anna-Leila; Ness, Peter Van; Dixon, Jane; McCorkle, Ruth

2012-01-01

Despite solid basic science research supporting meditation's physiologic benefits, meditation remains a marginalized practice for many Westerners; observational and descriptive studies indicate a spectrum of barriers to meditation practice. The aim of this study was to determine differences in barriers to meditation by gender and age. A cross-sectional survey study of 150 family caregivers to adults with cancer visiting an outpatient chemotherapy center in Connecticut was conducted. The primary outcome was the Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory. Explanatory variables included demographic characteristics, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Big Five Inventory, and Caregiver Reaction Assessment. Participants included 98 women and 52 men. Age range was 18-84 years (M = 52.3 years). The highest frequency of barriers for both genders related to misconceptions about meditation. The total number of barriers to meditation did not significantly vary by gender (p = .10) nor age (p = .27). After adjusting for personality trait, reactions to caregiving, and emotional distress, gender (adjusted β = 0.81, SE = 1.70, p = .63) and age (adjusted β = 0.02, SE = 0.05, p = .67) still did not predict the number of barriers to meditation. Backward elimination in model building showed that personality trait and reactions to caregiving account for 32% of the variability in barriers. The total number of barriers to meditation was examined, and a difference was not found by age or gender. It is possible that differences by age and gender exist at the item level of evaluation but were not evident when evaluating total scores. Further study is needed with samples large enough to have statistical power for item-level analysis.

"Over my dead body?": the influence of demographics on students' willingness to participate in peer physical examination.

PubMed

Rees, Charlotte E; Bradley, Paul; Collett, Tracey; McLachlan, John C

2005-11-01

This study aims to explore quantitatively and qualitatively students' attitudes towards peer physical examination (PPE) and the influence of demographics on students' willingness to participate in PPE. A total of 296 first-year medical students from two consecutive cohorts at the Peninsula Medical School, UK completed the EFS questionnaire. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analysed using univariate (i.e. Mann-Whitney and chi-squared tests) and multivariate statistics (i.e. stepwise multiple regression) and qualitative data were analysed using theme analysis. At least 92% of Peninsula Medical School students were willing to examine all 11 body parts (except breast and inguinal regions) of peers of same and opposite gender. Qualitative data support this by highlighting students' positive attitudes towards PPE. PPE was more acceptable within rather than across gender and students generally felt more comfortable examining their peers than being examined by peers. Qualitative data outline the range of student concerns with PPE. Significant relationships existed between students' attitudes towards PPE and various variables: gender, age and religious faith. The findings demonstrate that students may show a greater willingness to participate in PPE than previously thought. Further research is required to explore more fully the barriers to PPE.

Factors related to job burnout among nurses in the Razi Psychiatric Hospital, Iran.

PubMed

Rezaei, Omid; Habibi, Kamelia; Arab Ghahestany, Davood; Sayadnasiri, Mohammad; Armoon, Bahram; Khan, Vida; Fattah Moghadam, Ladan

2018-03-03

Background One of the most prevalent problems in work places that is considered as an important risk factor for the health of the employee is job burnout (JB). JB could be harmful to employees, their families and society. Therefore, decreasing JB among individuals and determining factors associated with it is important to improve the working environment and prevent its negative outcomes. This study aims to elicit the conditions and factors that cause job burnout among nurses of the Razi Psychiatric Hospital, Iran. Methods This study was a descriptive correlational and cross-sectional survey which the demographic and occupational burnout variables of nurses were measured. The study was conducted from January to April 2016. Accordingly, with a type I error probability of 0.05 and a power of 0.80, the sample size was determined to be 100 nurses for each group (men and women). Then, 200 were selected in the Razi Psychiatric Hospital (of whom approx. 60% worked in a rotating shift schedule). The data were collected in two phases: the first step was created by the authors, including gathering demographic data with questionnaire such as gender, age, marital status, education level, years of professional experience, hours of overtime working per month, shift schedules, and their working hospitals and wards. The second step was the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI), human services survey (HSS) version, developed by Maslach and Jackson to assess the three dimensions of burnout. Descriptive statistics (frequency distribution) were used for integrating the demographic variables. Additionally, logistical regression was applied to realize the association between demographic characteristics with the job burnout in SPSS software V.19. Results Our findings indicated that age, hours of work per week, nursing skills, management experience and work experiences accounted for 30% of the variance of depersonalization. Formal employment was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion (p < 0.04). Also, sex was significantly associated with low personal accomplishment (p < 0.006). Conclusion The employment status and gender of nurses participating in the study has an effect on emotional exhaustion and personal achievement. Paying more attention to gender in the nursing profession and the change in their work status to a stable and formalized format can lead to a reduction in job burnout among nurses.

Psychometric properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: overall and across demographic groups living within the United States.

PubMed

Sinclair, Samuel J; Blais, Mark A; Gansler, David A; Sandberg, Elisabeth; Bistis, Kimberly; LoCicero, Alice

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to evaluate the scaling assumptions and component structure of and present normative data for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) using a sample of US adults (N = 503), both overall and across demographic subgroups and (b) to provide new data regarding the relationship between the two RSES subcomponents of self-competence (SC) and self-liking (SL), and other demographic and clinical variables. As hypothesized, all psychometric tests supported the underlying structure of the RSES. Overall RSES scores varied significantly across age, racial and ethnic, education, employment status, income, and marital status groups. Furthermore, differences between SC and SL were also found across groups differing in gender, age, employment status, and marital status groups. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed, with an emphasis on clinical relevance.

Religious Attendance as Reproductive Support

PubMed Central

Weeden, Jason; Cohen, Adam B.; Kenrick, Douglas T.

2009-01-01

We argue that a central function of religious attendance in the contemporary U.S. is to support a high-fertility, monogamous mating strategy. Although religious attendance is correlated with many demographic, personality, moral, and behavioral variables, we propose that sexual and family variables are at the core of many of these relationships. Numerous researchers have assumed that religious socialization causes people to feel moral reactions and engage in behaviors promoted by religious groups. On our view, mating preferences are centrally involved in individual differences in attraction to religious groups. In a sample of 21,131 individuals who participated in the U.S. General Social Survey, sexual behaviors were the relatively strongest predictors of religious attendance, even after controlling for age and gender. Effects of age and gender on religious attendance were weaker, and substantially reduced when controlling for sexual and family patterns. A sample of 902 college students provided more detailed information on religious, moral, and sexual variables. Results suggest that 1) moral views about sexual behavior are more strongly linked to religious attendance than other moral issues, and 2) mating strategy is more powerful than standard personality variables in predicting religious attendance. These findings suggest that reproductive strategies are at the heart of variations in religious attendance. PMID:21874105

Impact of socio-demographic factors on the mitigating actions for climate change: a path analysis with mediating effects of attitudinal variables.

PubMed

Masud, Muhammad Mehedi; Akhatr, Rulia; Nasrin, Shamima; Adamu, Ibrahim Mohammed

2017-12-01

Socio-demographic factors play a significant role in increasing the individual's climate change awareness and in setting a favorable individual attitude towards its mitigation. To better understand how the adversative effects of climate change can be mitigated, this study attempts to investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on the mitigating actions of the individuals (MAOI) on climate change. Qualitative data were collected from a face-to-face survey of 360 respondents in the Kuala Lumpur region of Malaysia through a close-ended questionnaire. Analysis was conducted on the mediating effects of attitudinal variables through the path model by using the SEM. Findings indicate that the socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, education, income, and ethnicity can greatly influence the individual's awareness, attitude, risk perception, and knowledge of climate change issues. The results drawn from this study also revealed that the attitudinal factors act as a mediating effect between the socio-demographic factors and the MAOI, thereby, indicating that both the socio-demographic factors and the attitudinal factors have significant effects on the MAOI towards climate change. The outcome of this study can help policy makers and other private organizations to decide on the appropriate actions to take in managing climate change effects. These actions which encompass improving basic climate change education and making the public more aware of the local dimensions of climate change are important for harnessing public engagement and support that can also stimulate climate change awareness and promote mitigating actions to n protect the environment from the impact of climate change.

Mental Health and Resilience: Soldiers’ Perceptions about Psychotherapy, Medication, and Barriers to Care in the United States Military

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

Dr. Benham caused a shut down of all research activities at Fort Drum. This research embargo caused a 6-month delay while we awaited decisions from...as race, gender, and socio-demographic variables. To ourknowledge there have not been any systematic investigations into what soldiers believe...systematic investigations into what soldiers believe about mental health treatment. Moreover, there have been no studies examining how beliefs about

Does whom you work with matter? Effects of referent group gender and age composition on managers' compensation.

PubMed

Ostroff, Cheri; Atwater, Leanne E

2003-08-01

Much research has examined gender and age effects on compensation, concluding that a wage gap exists favoring men and negative stereotypes against older workers persist. Although the effect of an employee's gender or age has been widely studied, little work has examined the impact of the demographic characteristics of a focal employee's immediate referent groups (e.g., subordinates, peers, or supervisors) on pay. The effect of the gender and age composition of a focal manager's subordinates, peers, and supervisor on the manager's compensation levels was investigated in a sample of 2,178 managers across a wide range of organizations and functional areas. After controlling for a number of human capital variables, results indicated that not only does a wage gap favoring men exist, but also managerial pay is lower when managers' referent groups are largely female, when subordinates are outside the prime age group, and when peers and supervisors are younger.

Gender Differences among Medically Serious Suicide Attempters aged 15–54 Years in Rural China

PubMed Central

Sun, Long; Zhang, Jie

2017-01-01

China is one of few countries which reported higher female suicide rates in the worldwide. However, little is known about the gender differences among Chinese rural suicide attempters. This study aims to analyze the gender differences among medically serious suicide attempters aged 15–54 years in rural China. Subjects were 791 medically serious suicide attempters and 791 controls aged 15–54 years in rural China. Socio-demographic, psychological and some critical variables were assessed in the interview. The results showed that all of the factors (education years, family suicide history, negative life events, social support, impulsivity and mental disorder) associated with male suicide attempters also could be found for females. Physical disease, mental disorder and pesticide ingestion played more roles on male suicide attempters. Ever married, peasant, religious belief, and less social support played more roles on female suicide attempters. Compared with male suicide attempters, female ones are mainly influenced by social factors. A gender-specific approach should be emphasized in suicide prevention. PMID:28249203

Socioeconomic and gender group differences in early literacy skills: a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach

PubMed Central

Lee, Julia Ai Cheng; Otaiba, Stephanie Al

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status and gender are important demographic variables that strongly relate to academic achievement. This study examined the early literacy skills differences between 4 sociodemographic groups, namely, boys ineligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), girls ineligible for FRL, boys eligible for FRL, and girls eligible for FRL. Data on kindergarteners (N = 462) were analysed using multiple-group confirmatory factory analysis. Early literacy skill differences between boys and girls are more nuanced than previously reported; subsidy status and gender interact. Both boys and girls from high-poverty households performed significantly lower than the girls from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and spelling. There were gender gaps, with a female advantage, among children from high-poverty households in alphabet knowledge and spelling and among children from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge. These results highlight the importance of employing methodologically sound techniques to ascertain group differences in componential early literacy skills. PMID:25750582

Can additive measures add to an intersectional understanding? Experiences of gay and ethnic discrimination among HIV-positive Latino gay men.

PubMed

Reisen, Carol A; Brooks, Kelly D; Zea, Maria Cecilia; Poppen, Paul J; Bianchi, Fernanda T

2013-04-01

The current study investigated a methodological question of whether traditional, additive, quantitative data can be used to address intersectional issues, and illustrated such an approach with a sample of 301 HIV-positive, Latino gay men in the United States. Participants were surveyed using A-CASI. Hierarchical logistic set regression investigated the role of sets of variables reflecting demographic characteristics, gender nonconformity, and gay and ethnic discrimination in relation to depression and gay collective identity. Results showed the discrimination set was related to depression and to gay collective identity, as was gender nonconformity. Follow-up logistic regression showed that both types of discrimination were associated with greater depression, but gender nonconformity was not. Gay discrimination and gender nonconformity were positively associated with gay collective identity, whereas ethnic discrimination was negatively associated. Results are discussed in terms of the use of traditional quantitative data as a potential means of understanding intersectional issues, as well as of contributing to knowledge about individuals facing multiple structural inequalities.

Brazilian adolescents' prosocial moral judgment and behavior: relations to sympathy, perspective taking, gender-role orientation, and demographic characteristics.

PubMed

Eisenberg, N; Zhou, Q; Koller, S

2001-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine demographic and individual difference variables that predict level of prosocial moral judgment and self-reported prosocial behavior and to test mediating or moderating relations among predictors. The relations of prosocial moral reasoning and self-reported prosocial behavior to perspective taking, sympathy, age, sociometric status, and gender-role orientation were examined with a sample of 149 Brazilian adolescents who completed a series of questionnaire measures. Prosocial moral judgment was expected to be predicted by both sympathy and perspective taking, whereas sympathy or prosocial moral judgment was expected to mediate the relations of femininity and perspective taking to prosocial behavior. Self-reported perspective taking and sympathy interacted when predicting prosocial moral judgment; adolescents who were high in either sympathy or perspective taking (or both) scored high in prosocial moral reasoning. A feminine orientation predicted sympathy and perspective taking, perspective taking predicted prosocial moral reasoning and sympathy, and sympathy had both direct and indirect paths (through moral judgment) to prosocial behavior. The findings generally were consistent with the contention that both the tendency to take others' perspectives and to sympathize are related to level of prosocial moral reasoning, which in turn motivates prosocial behavior. Moreover, patterns of correlations among variables were similar to those found in the United States.

The correlation between effective factors of e-learning and demographic variables in a post-graduate program of virtual medical education in Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Golband, Farnoosh; Hosseini, Agha Fatemeh; Mojtahedzadeh, Rita; Mirhosseini, Fakhrossadat; Bigdeli, Shoaleh

2014-01-01

E-learning as an educational approach has been adopted by diverse educational and academic centers worldwide as it facilitates learning in facing the challenges of the new era in education. Considering the significance of virtual education and its growing practice, it is of vital importance to examine its components for promoting and maintaining success. This analytical cross-sectional study was an attempt to determine the relationship between four factors of content, educator, learner and system, and effective e-learning in terms of demographic variables, including age, gender, educational background, and marital status of postgraduate master's students (MSc) studying at virtual faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The sample was selected by census (n=60); a demographic data gathering tool and a researcher-made questionnaire were used to collect data. The face and content validity of both tools were confirmed and the results were analyzed by descriptive statistics (frequency, percentile, standard deviation and mean) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, Scheffe's test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation test) by using SPSS (V.16). The present study revealed that There was no statistically significant relationship between age and marital status and effective e-learning (P>0.05); whereas, there was a statistically significant difference between gender and educational background with effective e-learning (P<0.05). Knowing the extent to which these factors can influence effective e-learning can help managers and designers to make the right decisions about educational components of e-learning, i.e. content, educator, system and learner and improve them to create a more productive learning environment for learners.

The relationship between approaches to study and academic performance among Australian undergraduate occupational therapy students.

PubMed

Brown, Ted; Murdolo, Yuki

2017-06-01

The academic success and degree completion of tertiary students depends on their academic performance (AP), commonly measured by the percentage grades for the units they complete. No research has examined whether occupational therapy students' approaches to study are predictive of their AP. This study investigated whether approaches to study were predictive of the AP among a group of Australian undergraduate occupational therapy students. A total of 376 undergraduate occupational therapy students completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). Regression analysis was conducted using a range of demographic characteristics and the ASSIST scores as independent variables with students' self-reported by their self-reported mean percentage grade range (as a proxy indicator of their AP) as the dependent variable. The deep and the strategic approaches to study were not significantly correlated with occupational therapy students' AP. The ASSIST fear of failure subscale of the surface approach to study had a unique contribution to AP, accounting for 1.3% of its total variance. Occupational therapy students' year level of enrolment made a unique contribution to their AP, accounting for 4.2% of the total variance. Age and gender made a unique contribution to AP as well although their impact was small. Undergraduate occupational therapy students' approaches to study were predictive of their AP to a very limited degree. However, their AP was predicted by a number of demographic variables, including age, gender and year level of enrolment. Further study in this area is recommended. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Factors associated with acceptance of peers with mental health problems in childhood and adolescence.

PubMed

Swords, Lorraine; Heary, Caroline; Hennessy, Eilis

2011-09-01

Research suggests that children's reactions to peers with mental health problems are related to the maintenance and outcomes of these problems. However, children's perceptions of such peers, particularly those with internalising problems, are neither well researched nor understood. The present study aimed to test a series of models relating socio-demographic and attributional variables to the acceptance of hypothetical boys and girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. A sample of 595 participants, drawn from five different age-groups spanning early childhood to late adolescence, completed a booklet of questions in response to two vignettes describing the behaviour of hypothetical target peers with depression and ADHD. The sample was drawn from schools randomly selected in the east of Ireland. The models indicated that age and gender of the participant, and the perceived responsibility of the target character for his/her condition, were the three most important predictors of acceptance in all models. However, the relationship between these variables and acceptance varied depending on the gender of the target child and the condition (depression or ADHD) in the models tested. The findings of the study suggest that the relationships between socio-demographic and attributional variables and acceptance of peers with mental health problems depend on the type of mental health problem under consideration. The findings have implications for the development of information and education programmes to improve the integration of children with mental health problems. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

The effects of informal carers' characteristics on their information needs: The information needs state approach.

PubMed

Alzougool, Basil; Chang, Shanton; Gray, Kathleen

2017-09-01

There has been little research that provides a comprehensive account of the nature and aspects of information needs of informal carers. The authors have previously developed and validated a framework that accounts for major underlying states of information need. This paper aims to apply this framework to explore whether there are common demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that affect the information needs states of carers. A questionnaire about the information needs states was completed by 198 carers above 18 years old. We use statistical methods to look for similarities and differences in respondents' information needs states, in terms of the demographic and socioeconomic variables. At least one information needs state varies among carers, in terms of seven demographic and socioeconomic variables: the age of the patient(s) that they are caring for; the condition(s) of the patient(s) that they are caring for; the number of patients that they are caring for; their length of time as a carer; their gender; the country that they live in; and the population of the area that they live in. The findings demonstrate the utility of the information needs state framework. We outline some practical implications of the framework.

Socio-demographic predictors of person-organization fit.

PubMed

Merecz-Kot, Dorota; Andysz, Aleksandra

2017-02-21

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the level of complementary and supplementary person-organization fit (P-O fit). The study sample was a group of 600 Polish workers, urban residents aged 19-65. Level of P-O fit was measured using the Subjective Person-Organization Fit Questionnaire by Czarnota-Bojarska. The binomial multivariate logistic regression was applied. The analyzes were performed separately for the men and women. Socio-demographic variables explained small percentage of the outcome variability. Gender differences were found. In the case of men shift work decreased complementary and supplementary fit, while long working hours decreased complementary fit. In the women, age was a stimulant of a complementary fit, involuntary job losses predicted both complementary and supplementary misfit. Additionally, relational responsibilities increased probability of supplementary P-O fit in the men. Going beyond personality and competences as the factors affecting P-O fit will allow development of a more accurate prediction of P-O fit. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(1):133-139. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Impulsivity in bipolar disorders in a Tunisian sample.

PubMed

Feki, Ines; Moalla, Mariem; Baati, Imen; Trigui, Dorsaf; Sellami, Rim; Masmoudi, Jaweher

2016-08-01

Impulsivity as a trait characteristic is increased in bipolar disorder and may be a core factor of the illness. The objectives of our work are to evaluate the level of impulsivity among patients with bipolar disorder and to study its relation with mood state, alcohol misuse, suicide attempts and other socio-demographic and clinical factors. We measured impulsivity in 60 subjects with bipolar disorder in relationship to socio-demographic and clinical variables. The subjects completed Data included socio-demographic details and clinical variables, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) in an Arabic version to assess impulsivity, The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview "MINI" version 05 to screen for alcohol abuse or dependence and mood graphic rate scale (MGRS) to evaluate mood state. Our results show that the mean score of BIS-11 was 71.5. Fifty-five per cent of the patients had a high level of impulsiveness. No differences were found relating to mood state. Impulsivity was related to Male gender, lower educational level, early age of onset, smoking, alcohol and drug misuse and prior suicide attempts. The treatment of patients with BD should consider to reduce impulsivity to improve morbidity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Missed connections: A case study of the social networks of physics doctoral students in a single department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knaub, Alexis Victoria

Gender disparity is an issue among the many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Although many previous studies examine gender issues in STEM as an aggregate discipline, there are unique issues to each of the fields that are considered STEM fields. Some fields, such as physics, have fewer women graduating with degrees than other fields. This suggests that women's experiences vary by STEM field. The majority of previous research also examines gender and other disparities at either the nationwide or individual level. This project entailed social network analysis through survey and interview data to examine a single physics department's doctoral students in order to provide a comprehensive look at student social experiences. In addition to examining gender, other demographic variables were studied to see if the results are truly associated with gender; these variables include race/ethnicity, year in program, student type, relationship status, research type, undergraduate institute, and subfield. Data were examined to determine if there are relationships to social connections and outcome variables such as persistence in completing the degree and the time to degree. Data collected on faculty were used to rank faculty members; data such as h-indices and number of students graduate over the past 5 years were collected. Fifty-five (55) of 110 possible participants completed the survey; forty-three are male, and twelve are female. Twenty-eight of the fifty-five survey participants were interview; twenty-three are male, and five are female. Findings for peer networks include that peer networks are established during the first year and do not change drastically as one progresses in the program. Geographic location within the campus affects socializing with peers. Connections to fellow students are not necessarily reciprocated; the maximum percentage of reciprocated connections is 60%. The number of connections one has varies by network purpose, with students having more connections for the more social purposes. Students are isolated when working on their research, even in their early years. Research discussion does not occur, unless one is providing casual updates to a peer. Findings for student-faculty networks indicate that these relationships are important but complicated. Advisor selection is often done casually, even when one is switching advisors. Faculty have a lot of influence on the doctoral students such as motivating research collaborations among students or aiding in the job search. Most doctoral students feel as though there is a power dynamic that hinders them from socializing with faculty and thus, are not close to the faculty. Opportunities to develop stronger relationships and for professional development are often missed. The total number of peer and faculty ties has significant relationships to whether a student considers leaving the program. Analyzing the qualitative and quantitative data through demographic variables showed how complex these experiences are. All demographic variables indicated there are statistically significant differences in social experience among the groups, though the extent varies. The year in program variable showed the most differences among cohort years, primarily with those in the fifth year. While gender showed few differences, women tended to have more homophilous peer networks than men and women tended to have more connections to higher prestige faculty. The race/ethnicity, student type, undergraduate institute, subfield, and relationship status variables produced few statistically significant results. Peer networks have statistically significant differences in homophily when examining research type. The regression model suggests that being female, having a higher year in the program, and/or completing undergraduate studies from a liberal arts college increases the time to degree. Being in a relationship (dating or married) and/or working on experimental research decreases the time to degree. Only research peer network and departmental information network variables remain in this model. Suggestions for further research for both physics/STEM education and social network analysis are included. Suggestions for ways in which the Jonas University physics department can improve its climate are also included. Although these suggestions are written based upon the Jonas University data, they may be applicable to other physics/STEM graduate programs.

Predictors of sickness absence in college and university educated self-employed: a historic register study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Despite a large proportion of the workforce being self-employed, few studies have been conducted on risk factors for sickness absence in this population. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for future sickness absence in a population of college and university educated self-employed. Methods In a historic register study based on insurance company files risk factors were identified by means of logistic regression analysis. Data collected at application for private disability insurance from 634 applicants were related to subsequent sickness absence periods of 30 days or more during a follow-up period of 7.95 years. Variables studied were self-reported lifestyle variables, variables concerning medical history and present health conditions and variables derived from the general medical examination including blood tests and urinary analysis. Results Results from analysis of data from 634 applicants for private disability insurance show that previous periods of sickness absence (OR 2.07), female gender (OR 2.04), health complaints listed in the health declaration (OR 1.88), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (OR 4.05) and the nature of the profession were related to a higher risk of sickness absence. Conclusions Sickness absence was found to be related to demographic variables (gender, profession), medical variables (health complaints and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and to variables with both a medical and a behavioural component (previous sickness absence). PMID:24886527

Findings regarding the relationships between sociodemographic, psychological, comorbidity factors, and functional status, in geriatric inpatients.

PubMed

Capisizu, Ana; Aurelian, Sorina; Zamfirescu, Andreea; Omer, Ioana; Haras, Monica; Ciobotaru, Camelia; Onose, Liliana; Spircu, Tiberiu; Onose, Gelu

2015-01-01

To assess the impact of socio-demographic and comorbidity factors, and quantified depressive symptoms on disability in inpatients. Observational cross-sectional study, including a number of 80 elderly (16 men, 64 women; mean age 72.48 years; standard deviation 9.95 years) admitted in the Geriatrics Clinic of "St. Luca" Hospital, Bucharest, between May-July, 2012. We used the Functional Independence Measure, Geriatric Depression Scale and an array of socio-demographic and poly-pathology parameters. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests for ordinal variables, linear bivariate correlations, general linear model analysis, ANOVA. FIM scores were negatively correlated with age (R=-0.301; 95%CI=-0.439 -0.163; p=0.007); GDS scores had a statistically significant negative correlation (R=-0.322; 95% CI=-0.324 -0.052; p=0.004) with FIM scores. A general linear model, including other variables (gender, age, provenance, matrimonial state, living conditions, education, respectively number of chronic illnesses) as factors, found living conditions (p=0.027) and the combination of matrimonial state and gender (p=0.004) to significantly influence FIM scores. ANOVA showed significant differences in FIM scores stratified by the number of chronic diseases (p=0.035). Our study objectified the negative impact of depression on functional status; interestingly, education had no influence on FIM scores; living conditions and a combination of matrimonial state and gender had an important impact: patients with living spouses showed better functional scores than divorced/widowers; the number of chronic diseases also affected the FIM scores: lower in patients with significant polypathology. These findings should be considered when designing geriatric rehabilitation programs, especially for home--including skilled--cares.

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.

Individuation in Slovene emerging adults: its associations with demographics, transitional markers, achieved criteria for adulthood, and life satisfaction.

PubMed

Zupančič, Maja; Komidar, Luka; Levpušček, Melita Puklek

2014-12-01

The study investigated associations of Slovene emerging adults' age, gender, living situation, romantic relationship, and employment status with aspects of individuation in relation to mother and father. Controlling for demographic variables and transitional markers of adulthood, we further explored the contribution of individuation measures to individuals' perceptions of achieved criteria for adulthood and life satisfaction. The participants provided self-reports on the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the list of Achieved Criteria for Adulthood. Age and living out of parental home were positively associated with self-reliance in relation to both parents, whereas female gender was related to higher levels of connectedness and seeking parental support. Along with age and involvement in a romantic relationship, connectedness and self-reliance predicted adulthood criteria attainment and life satisfaction. The results support the models of individuation that emphasize growing autonomy and retaining connectedness to parents as pathways towards personal adjustments. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Anachronic health care models for the elderly: challenges for the private sector].

PubMed

Veras, Renato; Parahyba, Maria Isabel

2007-10-01

Brazil's population is aging rapidly. The average life expectancy is increasing such that a large proportion of the current population will reach old age. However, the large Brazilian cities still lack the kind of health services infrastructure needed to meet the demands resulting from present demographic changes. This article examines access to and utilization of health care among the elderly, with particular emphasis on the private sector, drawing on data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD, 1998 and 2003). Socio-demographic variables included gender, age, region of residence, and family income. According to the PNAD data presented in the current study, from 1998 to 2003, health conditions improved among Brazilians aged 60 years or older.

Wheezing in Tobacco Farm Workers in Southern Brazil

PubMed Central

Fiori, Nadia Spada; Fassa, Anaclaudia Gastal; Faria, Neice Muller Xavier; Meucci, Rodrigo Dalke; Miranda, Vanessa Iribarrem; Christiani, David C.

2016-01-01

Background Tobacco workers are exposed to several respiratory occupational sensitizers. Methods A representative cross-sectional study was carried out on 2469 tobacco family farming growers. Gender-stratified multivariate analyses evaluated the association between wheezing and socio-demographic, behavioral and occupational variables. Results Wheezing prevalence was 11.0% with no difference between genders. Among men, age, smoking, strenuous work, pesticide use, contact with vegetable dust and dried tobacco dust, lifting sticks with tobacco leaves to the curing barns and green tobacco sickness (GTS) were risk factors for wheezing. Among women, family history of asthma, tying hands of tobacco, strenuous work, contact with chemical disinfectants and GTS were positively associated with wheezing. Harvesting lower tobacco leaves was a protective factor for the outcome in both genders. Conclusions Pesticides, dusts exposure and GTS were risk factors for wheezing. The synergic effect of these factors needs to be better evaluated to improve prevention. PMID:26471879

Correlation of global risk assessment with cardiovascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus living in Puerto Rico

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Vigil, Efraín; Rodríguez-Chacón, Migdalia; Ruiz Valcarcel, José J

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the current relationship between certain demographics and chemical factors, and the risk of cardiovascular complications, within a Puerto Rican population with diabetes mellitus. Research design and methods A total of 2075 patients with diabetes mellitus were retrospectively evaluated to determine the influence of certain demographics and chemical variables on the appearance of cardiovascular complications. A group of demographic and laboratory variables were analyzed. Our sample was obtained, based on convenience, from an endocrinologist's office in an area of about 250 000 people. All the patients met the American Diabetes Association (ADA) definitions for diabetes mellitus. The study covered a time period of 8 years. The patients signed an informed consent document at their first office visit. Data were obtained by the endocrinologist in charge. Results We considered the demographic variables of sex, age, time with diabetes, lipid profile, metabolic control (measured with glycated hemoglobin levels), and microalbumin renal excretion. Cardiovascular complications were more prevalent in patients with poor metabolic control, those with prolonged disease duration, men, and patients who were more than 50 years of age. We found no relationship between cardiovascular disease, systolic blood pressure over 130 mm Hg, body mass index and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels over 100 mg/dL. Conclusions In Puerto Rican patients with diabetes mellitus, there is a statistically significant relationship between patient's gender, age, disease duration, glycemic control and increased kidney microalbumin excretion with cardiovascular complications. PMID:27752328

Trustworthiness and Negative Affect Predict Economic Decision-Making.

PubMed

Nguyen, Christopher M; Koenigs, Michael; Yamada, Torricia H; Teo, Shu Hao; Cavanaugh, Joseph E; Tranel, Daniel; Denburg, Natalie L

2011-09-01

The Ultimatum Game (UG) is a widely used and well-studied laboratory model of economic decision-making. Here, we studied 129 healthy adults and compared demographic (i.e., age, gender, education), cognitive (i.e., intelligence, attention/working memory, speed, language, visuospatial, memory, executive functions), and personality (i.e., "Big Five", positive affect, negative affect) variables between those with a "rational" versus an "irrational" response pattern on the UG. Our data indicated that participants with "rational" UG performance (accepting any offer, no matter the fairness) endorsed higher levels of trust, or the belief in the sincerity and good intentions of others, while participants with "irrational" UG performance (rejecting unfair offers) endorsed higher levels of negative affect, such as anger and contempt. These personality variables were the only ones that differentiated the two response patterns-demographic and cognitive factors did not differ between rational and irrational players. The results indicate that the examination of personality and affect is crucial to our understanding of the individual differences that underlie decision-making.

Correlation of HIV/AIDS prevalence with social, economic and demographic measures in Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Kandwal, R; Garg, P K; Garg, R D

2012-09-01

In this study, the spatial distribution of HIV/AIDS is investigated with several socioeconomic variables. Results of exploratory analysis of correlations have been reported between the prevalence of HIV/AIDS as it is the dependent variable against a range of socioeconomic and demographic measures in Andhra Pradesh, India. The state ranks among the top six states for HIV prevalence in the country. This study offers an insight to the distribution of HIV prevalence and the potential impacts of the epidemic on the high-, medium- and low-risk groups determined through cluster analyses of population and cumulative HIV infections. The impacts have been addressed through selective social and economic measures as HIV/AIDS is considered more of a social epidemic. These results help in identifying factors that are contributing more towards the spread of HIV and so guide policies to counteract dominant factors in order to control the disease. Future investigations are necessary to elucidate characterization of the rates of infection according to gender, age groups and regions.

Trustworthiness and Negative Affect Predict Economic Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Christopher M.; Koenigs, Michael; Yamada, Torricia H.; Teo, Shu Hao; Cavanaugh, Joseph E.; Tranel, Daniel; Denburg, Natalie L.

2012-01-01

The Ultimatum Game (UG) is a widely used and well-studied laboratory model of economic decision-making. Here, we studied 129 healthy adults and compared demographic (i.e., age, gender, education), cognitive (i.e., intelligence, attention/working memory, speed, language, visuospatial, memory, executive functions), and personality (i.e., “Big Five”, positive affect, negative affect) variables between those with a “rational” versus an “irrational” response pattern on the UG. Our data indicated that participants with “rational” UG performance (accepting any offer, no matter the fairness) endorsed higher levels of trust, or the belief in the sincerity and good intentions of others, while participants with “irrational” UG performance (rejecting unfair offers) endorsed higher levels of negative affect, such as anger and contempt. These personality variables were the only ones that differentiated the two response patterns—demographic and cognitive factors did not differ between rational and irrational players. The results indicate that the examination of personality and affect is crucial to our understanding of the individual differences that underlie decision-making. PMID:23493494

Comparison of insight and clinical variables in homeless and non-homeless psychiatric inpatients in China.

PubMed

Fu, Yan-Nan; Cao, Xiao-Lan; Hou, Cai-Lan; Ng, Chee H; Ungvari, Gabor S; Chiu, Helen F K; Lin, Yong-Qiang; Wang, Lihui; Zheng, Xiaocong; Jia, Fu-Jun; Xiang, Yu-Tao

2017-09-01

There are no published data on insight in homeless patients with psychiatric disorders in China. This study examined insight in homeless and non-homeless Chinese psychiatric inpatients in relation to demographic and clinical variables. A total of 278 homeless and 222 non-homeless inpatients matched in age and gender were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected based on a review of medical charts and a clinical interview with standardized instruments. Insight was evaluated with the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire. Altogether 20.5% of homeless inpatients and 43.7% of the non-homeless controls had good insight. Compared with homeless inpatients with impaired insight, homeless inpatients with good insight had higher physical quality of life, longer duration of illness and less severe positive and negative symptoms. Impaired insight appeared more common in homeless psychiatric inpatients in China. Further studies should address the need for effective therapeutic interventions that promote homeless patients' insight. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Explaining socio-demographic differences in disengagement from sports in adolescence.

PubMed

Prins, Richard G; Kamphuis, Carlijn B M; van Empelen, Pepijn; Beenackers, Mariëlle A; Brug, Johannes; Mackenbach, Johan P; Oenema, Anke

2013-10-01

The purpose of this longitudinal study is to identify risk groups for disengagement from sports during adolescence. In addition, it will be explored whether cognitive and environmental factors can explain socio-demographic differences in disengagement from sports. Data were obtained from the Environmental Determinants of Obesity in Rotterdam Schoolchildren study, and 357 adolescents were eligible for analysis. Socio-demographics (gender, ethnicity, education), individual cognitions and neighbourhood perceptions were assessed at baseline (2005/2006), and sports participation at baseline and at follow-up (2007/2008). Two dichotomous outcome variables were constructed: (i) disengagement from sports (yes/no) and (ii) ceased compliance with the fitnorm (i.e. cease engaging in sports ≥3 times/wk) (yes/no). In logistic regression and mediation analyses, we identified socio-demographic differences in the two outcomes. Subsequently, we applied mediation analyses to identify the contribution of cognitive and environmental explanatory factors of the socio-demographic differences. Girls [odds ratio (OR): 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5-4.5] were more likely than boys to disengage from sports. Girls (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4-4.2), adolescents of non-Western background (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0-3.0) and those in lower educational levels (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0-2.9) were more likely to cease compliance with the fitnorm. Perceived neighbourhood safety partly explained gender differences in disengagement from sports (8%). Intention partly explained ethnical (32%) and educational differences (37%) in ceasing compliance with the fitnorm. Girls, lower-educated adolescents and those with a non-Western background showed more pronounced reductions in sports participation and compliance with the fitnorm. Intention and perceived neighbourhood safety could partially explain these differences.

Moderators of the relationship between masculinity and sexual prejudice in men: friendship, gender self-esteem, same-sex attraction, and religious fundamentalism.

PubMed

Mellinger, Christopher; Levant, Ronald F

2014-04-01

Masculinity has been found to predict the sexual prejudice of heterosexual men against gay men. The present study investigated the role of four variables as moderators of the relationships between two masculinity constructs (endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology and gender role conflict) and sexual prejudice in men. The hypothesized moderators were: direct and indirect friendships with gay men, gender self-esteem, acknowledged same-sex attraction, and religious fundamentalism. A total of 383 men completed 8 scales plus a demographic questionnaire. Direct friendship strengthened the positive relationship between masculinity ideology and sexual prejudice, contrary to hypothesis. This finding could mean that high masculinity ideology scores reduced the likelihood that a man with many gay friends would let go of his prejudice. Direct friendship did not moderate the relationship between gender role conflict and sexual prejudice nor did indirect friendship moderate either relationship; however, both forms of friendship predicted prejudice, as hypothesized. Gender self-esteem strengthened the positive relationships between both masculinity variables and sexual prejudice as hypothesized. Same-sex attraction weakened the relationship between gender role conflict and sexual prejudice as hypothesized, but contrary to hypothesis did not moderate the relationship between masculinity ideology and sexual prejudice. Religious fundamentalism predicted prejudice, but showed no significant moderation. The results were discussed in terms of limitations and suggestions for future research and application. In conclusion, this line of investigation appears promising and should be continued and the present findings can be utilized in anti-prejudice social marketing campaigns and in counseling.

Perception of potential nuclear disaster: the relation of likelihood and consequence estimates of risk.

PubMed

Mehta, M D; Simpson-Housley, P

1994-12-01

This study examined the correlations of ratings of expectation of a future disaster in a nuclear power plant and estimation of its consequences in a random sample of 150 adults who lived within two kilometers of a nuclear power plant. Analysis suggested a significant positive but low relation. This finding indicates that risk perception might be explored using constellations of beliefs and attitudes toward hazards without invoking personality characteristics like trait anxiety or demographic variables such as gender.

Consumer preferences for general practitioner services.

PubMed

Morrison, Mark; Murphy, Tom; Nalder, Craig

2003-01-01

This study focuses on segmenting the market for General Practitioner services in a regional setting. Using factor analysis, five main service attributes are identified. These are clear communication, ongoing doctor-patient relationship, same gender as the patient, provides advice to the patient, and empowers the patient to make his/her own decisions. These service attributes are used as a basis for market segmentation, using both socio-demographic variables and cluster analysis. Four distinct market segments are identified, with varying degrees of viability in terms of target marketing.

Associations between eating occasion characteristics and age, gender, presence of children and BMI among U.S. adults.

PubMed

Reicks, Marla; Degeneffe, Dennis; Rendahl, Aaron; Smith Edge, Marianne; Burns, Katie; O'Meara, Brian; Blevins, Greg

2014-01-01

To describe how frequency and characteristics of traditional meal and non-meal occasions vary by age, gender, presence of children, and body mass index (BMI). A cross-sectional survey was administered to a national demographically balanced sample of adults via an online market research panel. Online survey. Survey respondents were in the 18- to 80-year-old age range and had consumed any food or beverage at home or away from home the previous day. The sample included 2702 adults reporting on 6689 eating/drinking occasions. Most (80.3%) had no children at home; 43.5% were male and about two thirds were overweight/obese. Eating occasion characteristics and goals by age, gender, presence of children, and BMI. Older respondents were more likely to report planning traditional meal occasions and report on a breakfast occasion than younger respondents. Two prominent reasons that triggered consumption occasions were habit and hunger/thirst with one dominant benefit of satisfying hunger or thirst. Habit and nutrition played a larger role as a goal for eating occasions for older compared to younger respondents. When children were present in the household, respondents had a goal of connecting with "family, friends, or colleagues" at dinner compared to those without children. Few gender differences were noted; however, women more often reported goals of satisfying hunger/thirst and taste at lunch than men. BMI levels were related to a range of triggers, goals, and behaviors but not as prominently as the relationships observed with age. Those with BMI ≥ 30 were less health conscious regarding dinner and breakfast consumption compared to those with a lower BMI. Among demographic variables, age differences were noted in relation to eating occasion characteristics more often than other demographic characteristics or BMI. Understanding these differences can be beneficial in tailoring promotion of healthful intake at specific eating occasions for particular subgroups.

Gender profiling: a gendered race perspective on person-position fit.

PubMed

Hall, Erika V; Galinsky, Adam D; Phillips, Katherine W

2015-06-01

The current research integrates perspectives on gendered race and person-position fit to introduce the concept of a gender profile. We propose that both the "gender" of a person's biological sex and the "gender" of a person's race (Asians are perceived as feminine and Blacks as masculine) help comprise an individual's gender profile-the overall femininity or masculinity associated with their demographic characteristics. We also propose that occupational positions have gender profiles. Finally, we argue that the overall gender profile of one's demographics, rather than just one's biological sex, determines one's fit and hirability for feminine or masculine occupational roles. The current five studies establish the gender profiles of different races and sexes, and then demonstrate that individuals with feminine-typed and masculine-typed gender profiles are selected for feminine and masculine positions, respectively. These studies provide new insights on who gets ahead in different environments. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Inequality in analgesic prescription in Spain. A gender development issue.

PubMed

Chilet-Rosell, Elisa; Ruiz-Cantero, M Teresa; Sáez, José Fernández; Alvarez-Dardet, Carlos

2013-01-01

It is well known that sex differences in analgesic prescription are not merely the logical result of greater prevalence of pain in women, since this therapeutic variability is related to factors such as educational level or social class. This study aims to analyse the relationship between analgesic prescription and gender development in different regions of Spain. Cross-sectional study of sex-differences in analgesic prescription according to the gender development of the regions studied. Analgesic prescription, pain and demographic variables were obtained from the Spanish Health Interview Survey in 2006. Gender development was measured with the Gender Development Index (GDI). A logistic regression analysis was conducted to compare analgesic prescription by sex in regions with a GDI above or below the Spanish average. Once adjusted by pain, age and social class, women were more likely to be prescribed analgesics than men, odds ratio (OR) = 1.74 (1.59-1.91), as residents in regions with a lower GDI compared with those in region with a higher GDI: ORWomen = 1.26 (1.12-1.42), ORMen = 1.30 (1.13-1.50). Women experiencing pain in regions with a lower GDI were more likely than men to be treated by a general practitioner rather than by a specialist, OR = 1.32 (1.04-1.67), irrespective of age and social class. Gender bias may be one of the pathways by which inequalities in analgesic treatment adversely affect women's health. Moreover, research into the adequacy of analgesic treatment and the possible medicalisation of women should consider contextual factors, such as gender development. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in prevalence and correlates of antisocial personality disorder among heroin dependent users in compulsory isolation treatment in China.

PubMed

Yang, Mei; Mamy, Jules; Zhou, Liang; Liao, Yan-Hui; Wang, Qiang; Seewoobudul, Vasish; Xiao, Shui-Yuan; Hao, Wei

2014-03-01

Little is known about gender difference in correlates of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) among drug users. To detect gender difference in correlates of ASPD in a Chinese heroin dependent sample. Structured interviews were conducted among 882 heroin dependent users in two compulsory isolation settings in Changsha, China. Descriptive statistics were employed to report sample characteristics by gender. Bivariate relationships were examined between co-occurring ASPD and variables measuring demographic, drug use, and psychiatric co-morbidities. Multivariate logistic regressions with stepwise forward method were conducted to determine independent predictors for co-occurring ASPD. All analyses examining correlates of co-occurring ASPD were conducted for the total, the male and the female participants respectively to detect both the common and the unique correlates of ASPD by gender. Of the total participants, 41.4% (54.2% of males and 15.4% of females) met the DSM-IV criteria of ASPD. For male participants, lower educational level, unemployment, unmarried, younger age at first heroin use, previous history of compulsory treatment, larger amounts of heroin used per day and poly-drug abuse during past month before admission, as well as psychiatric co-morbidities of lifetime major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder were independent predictors for co-occurring ASPD; while for female participants, only three variables: younger age at first heroin use, paranoid personality disorder and borderline personality disorder were independent predictors for co-occurring ASPD. Gender differences in prevalence and correlates of ASPD among heroin dependent users were detected. The findings highlight a need for gender-specific interventions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2017-05-01

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

Gender roles in persistent sex differences in health-related quality-of-life outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Norris, Colleen M; Murray, Joshua W; Triplett, Leona S; Hegadoren, Kathleen M

2010-08-01

The increased recognition of significant sex/gender differences in health status outcomes, and the implications for clinical practice and service delivery, has led to calls for more gender sensitivity and specificity in research endeavors as well as within clinical practice. Previous investigations by our research group have consistently identified important sex differences in both changes in health status from baseline to 1 year and in health status outcomes of patients treated for coronary artery disease (CAD), with women reporting poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared with men. The objective of this study was to examine whether persistent sex differences in the health status of patients with CAD may be attributed to social factors such as gender roles. Sex differences in baseline clinical and demographic characteristics of patients who completed the 1-year follow-up survey were examined using t tests and χ(2) analyses. Structural equation modeling, an inclusive statistical modeling approach for testing hypotheses about relationships among measured and latent variables (concepts not observed or measured directly), was used to test our theoretical model. HRQoL data were collected on 2403 patients 1 year after index catheterization. The results indicated that the model fit was substantially improved by the addition of the conceptualized gender-role variable. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of gender role on QoL (-0.106; P < 0.05). Age, coronary anatomy, ejection fraction, physical limitation, anginal frequency, and gender role variables in this model were able to explain 51% of the variance in HRQoL. In particular, reported physical limitations, anginal frequency, and gender role had large statistically significant direct effects on HRQoL. Advances in the treatment of CAD have led to significant decreases in mortality rates. Our current challenge is to minimize the long-term impact of CAD on HRQoL outcomes. While a substantial body of literature has examined the correlations between gender-role attributes and a wide variety of both positive and negative outcomes, this area has not been explored in patients with cardiovascular disease. These findings suggest that further study of the influence of gender role (using a gender-role measurement) on HRQoL is needed. Copyright © 2010 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of gender inequality in neighbourhoods of Québec, Canada

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Introduction Few studies have measured gender inequality at levels lower than the country. We sought to develop neighbourhood indicators of gender inequality, and assess their ability to capture variability in gender inequality across Québec, Canada. Methods Aggregate 2001 census data for 11,564 neighbourhoods were obtained for men and women. Twelve indicators of gender inequality representing demographic/household characteristics, education, income, work/leisure, and political participation were selected. Neighbourhood-level gender inequality scores were computed for each indicator, and examined across parts of Québec (metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities, rural areas). Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess the ability of indicators to capture heterogeneity in gender inequality across neighbourhoods. Results Male-dominant neighbourhood-level gender inequality tended to be present for average employment income, labour force participation, employment rate, and employment in managerial positions. Female-dominant gender inequality tended to be present for divorce, single-headed households, and participation in unpaid housework, child and elderly care. Neighbourhood-level gender inequality tended to vary across metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities, and rural areas. Gender inequality scores also varied within these geographic areas. For example, there was greater income-related gender inequality in high than low income neighbourhoods. Monte Carlo simulations suggested that the variation in gender inequality across neighbourhoods was greater than expected with chance alone. Conclusion Neighbourhood-level gender inequality tended to be present in Québec, and varied across parts of the province. Greater awareness of and research on neighbourhood-level gender inequality may be warranted to inform gender policies in Québec and other nations. PMID:22087586

Measurement of gender inequality in neighbourhoods of Québec, Canada.

PubMed

Tamambang, Lum; Auger, Nathalie; Lo, Ernest; Raynault, Marie-France

2011-11-16

Few studies have measured gender inequality at levels lower than the country. We sought to develop neighbourhood indicators of gender inequality, and assess their ability to capture variability in gender inequality across Québec, Canada. Aggregate 2001 census data for 11,564 neighbourhoods were obtained for men and women. Twelve indicators of gender inequality representing demographic/household characteristics, education, income, work/leisure, and political participation were selected. Neighbourhood-level gender inequality scores were computed for each indicator, and examined across parts of Québec (metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities, rural areas). Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess the ability of indicators to capture heterogeneity in gender inequality across neighbourhoods. Male-dominant neighbourhood-level gender inequality tended to be present for average employment income, labour force participation, employment rate, and employment in managerial positions. Female-dominant gender inequality tended to be present for divorce, single-headed households, and participation in unpaid housework, child and elderly care. Neighbourhood-level gender inequality tended to vary across metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities, and rural areas. Gender inequality scores also varied within these geographic areas. For example, there was greater income-related gender inequality in high than low income neighbourhoods. Monte Carlo simulations suggested that the variation in gender inequality across neighbourhoods was greater than expected with chance alone. Neighbourhood-level gender inequality tended to be present in Québec, and varied across parts of the province. Greater awareness of and research on neighbourhood-level gender inequality may be warranted to inform gender policies in Québec and other nations.

Prediction of thoracic injury severity in frontal impacts by selected anatomical morphomic variables through model-averaged logistic regression approach.

PubMed

Zhang, Peng; Parenteau, Chantal; Wang, Lu; Holcombe, Sven; Kohoyda-Inglis, Carla; Sullivan, June; Wang, Stewart

2013-11-01

This study resulted in a model-averaging methodology that predicts crash injury risk using vehicle, demographic, and morphomic variables and assesses the importance of individual predictors. The effectiveness of this methodology was illustrated through analysis of occupant chest injuries in frontal vehicle crashes. The crash data were obtained from the International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) database for calendar year 1996 to 2012. The morphomic data are quantitative measurements of variations in human body 3-dimensional anatomy. Morphomics are obtained from imaging records. In this study, morphomics were obtained from chest, abdomen, and spine CT using novel patented algorithms. A NASS-trained crash investigator with over thirty years of experience collected the in-depth crash data. There were 226 cases available with occupants involved in frontal crashes and morphomic measurements. Only cases with complete recorded data were retained for statistical analysis. Logistic regression models were fitted using all possible configurations of vehicle, demographic, and morphomic variables. Different models were ranked by the Akaike Information Criteria (AIC). An averaged logistic regression model approach was used due to the limited sample size relative to the number of variables. This approach is helpful when addressing variable selection, building prediction models, and assessing the importance of individual variables. The final predictive results were developed using this approach, based on the top 100 models in the AIC ranking. Model-averaging minimized model uncertainty, decreased the overall prediction variance, and provided an approach to evaluating the importance of individual variables. There were 17 variables investigated: four vehicle, four demographic, and nine morphomic. More than 130,000 logistic models were investigated in total. The models were characterized into four scenarios to assess individual variable contribution to injury risk. Scenario 1 used vehicle variables; Scenario 2, vehicle and demographic variables; Scenario 3, vehicle and morphomic variables; and Scenario 4 used all variables. AIC was used to rank the models and to address over-fitting. In each scenario, the results based on the top three models and the averages of the top 100 models were presented. The AIC and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were reported in each model. The models were re-fitted after removing each variable one at a time. The increases of AIC and the decreases of AUC were then assessed to measure the contribution and importance of the individual variables in each model. The importance of the individual variables was also determined by their weighted frequencies of appearance in the top 100 selected models. Overall, the AUC was 0.58 in Scenario 1, 0.78 in Scenario 2, 0.76 in Scenario 3 and 0.82 in Scenario 4. The results showed that morphomic variables are as accurate at predicting injury risk as demographic variables. The results of this study emphasize the importance of including morphomic variables when assessing injury risk. The results also highlight the need for morphomic data in the development of human mathematical models when assessing restraint performance in frontal crashes, since morphomic variables are more "tangible" measurements compared to demographic variables such as age and gender. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender, depression and physical impairment: an epidemiologic perspective from Aleppo, Syria

PubMed Central

Rastam, Samer; Ward, Kenneth D.; Maziak, Wasim

2010-01-01

Objective Examine the association of physical impairment with gender, depression, and socio-demographics in the community in Aleppo, Syria. Method We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study in Aleppo on adults aged 18–65 (N = 2,038). We used a computerized interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Physical impairment was measured via an adapted 12-item World Health Organization, Health State Description Individual Questionnaire which includes both physical and emotional items. We used physical impairment items score to classify individuals into low, middle, and high physical impairment category. Self-report of physician-diagnosed depression and chronic diseases active in the past year and their current treatment status were obtained. Results Sample mean age (SD) was 35.3 (12.1) years, 55% were female, and 4.5% had depression. Female gender, low socioeconomic status (SES), and depression were associated with high physical impairment. Women had more impairment (OR = 3.35, 95% CI: 2.15–5.21) with little change after controlling for depression and chronic diseases, but significantly decreased after controlling for socio-demographics (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 0.84–2.73). The association with low (vs. high) SES was prominent (OR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.32–4.67) after controlling for all variables. Depression’s association (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 1.93–12.15) lost significance after controlling for chronic diseases (OR = 2.81, 95% CI: 0.96–8.25), but further adjustment for socio-demographics had little effect. Conclusion Women and individuals of low SES appear more vulnerable to physical impairment in the community in Aleppo. Depression’s association with physical impairment may be mediated through co-existing chronic diseases. Public health planning regarding physical impairment in Syria should encompass these as putative risk factors. PMID:20195569

Impact of gender, work, and clinical presentation on diagnostic delay in Italian patients with primary ankylosing spondylitis.

PubMed

Bandinelli, F; Salvadorini, G; Delle Sedie, A; Riente, L; Bombardieri, S; Matucci-Cerinic, M

2016-02-01

The variability of demographic, social, genetic, and clinical factors might influence the time between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis [diagnostic delay (DD)] of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in different geographic areas. Different clinical manifestations in men and women affected by AS might indicate a possible role of gender in DD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of demographic, social, genetic, and clinical factors on DD and the differences of DD between men and women related to the presence of different demographic, social, clinical, and genetic parameters in an Italian cohort of primary AS patients. A total of 135 Italian primary AS patients (45 female and 90 male, 27.9 ± 0.89 years old at onset) were studied. The DD, gender, education and work (manual or non-manual) levels, and type of first clinical presentation (inflammatory back pain, arthritis, enthesitis) at onset, family history of AS, and HLA B27 presence were analyzed. The DD (8.744 mean ±0.6869) was significantly higher in men (p = 0.0023), in axial presentation (p = 0.0021), and in manual work (even if with low significance, p = 0.047). The lower DD in women in comparison to that in men was likely related to higher education (p = 0.0045) and work (p = 0.0186) levels, peripheral involvement (p = 0.0009), and HLA B27 positivity (p = 0.0231). DD was higher in AS patients: male, employed in manual jobs, and with axial symptoms at onset. In men, DD seemed to be negatively influenced by lower level of education and work, axial clinical presentation, and HLA B27.

The role of gender inequities in women’s access to reproductive health care: a population-level study of Namibia, Kenya, Nepal, and India

PubMed Central

Namasivayam, Amrita; Osuorah, Donatus C; Syed, Rahman; Antai, Diddy

2012-01-01

Background: The role of gender inequities in explaining women’s access to reproductive health care was examined in four countries (two sub-Saharan African and two South Asian countries). The extent of gender inequities varies across and within countries, and is rooted in the different cultural practices and gender norms within these different countries, and differences in the status and autonomy of women. Methods: Demographic and Health Survey data from women aged 15–49 years within these countries were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the role of multidimensional characteristics of gender inequities, operationalized as access to skilled antenatal care, tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy, and access to skilled antenatal care. Results: Significant associations were found between several dimensions of gender inequities (with the exception of decision-making autonomy) and reported use of maternal reproductive health care services. Several pathways of influence between the outcome and exposure variables were also identified. Conclusion: Dimensions of gender inequities (with the exception of decision-making autonomy) differentially influenced woman’s use of reproductive health care services, thus highlighting the urgent need for concerted and sustained efforts to change these harmful traditional values if several of these countries are to meet Millennium Development Goal-5. PMID:22927766

Transvestism: a survey of 1032 cross-dressers.

PubMed

Docter, R F; Prince, V

1997-12-01

One thousand and thirty-two male periodic cross-dressers (transvestites) responded to an anonymous survey patterned after Prince and Bentler's (1972) report. With few exceptions, the findings are closely related to the 1972 survey results. Eighty-seven percent described themselves as heterosexual. All except 17% had married and 60% were married at the time of this survey. Topics surveyed included demographic, childhood, and family variables, sexual orientation and sexual behavior, cross-gender identity, cross-gender role behavior, future plans to live entirely as a woman, and utilization of counseling or mental health services. Of the present sample, 45% reported seeking counseling compared to 24% of the 1972 survey, and those reporting strong transsexual inclinations were up by 5%. Today's transvestites strongly prefer both their masculine and feminine selves equally. A second research objective was to identify variables discriminating between so-called Nuclear (stable, periodic cross-dressers) and Marginal transvestites (more transgendered or transsexually inclined); 10 strongly discriminating parameters were found. The most important are (i) cross-gender identity, (ii) commitment to live entirely as a woman, (iii) taking steps toward body feminization, (iv) low sexual arousal to cross-dressing. Neither age nor experience as a cross-dresser were found to be correlates of cross-gender identity. Although the present generation of transvestites describe themselves much as did similar subjects 20 years ago, the percentage migrating toward full-time living as a woman is greater.

Gender differences in factors associated with suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms among middle-aged workers in Japan.

PubMed

Sugawara, Norio; Yasui-Furukori, Norio; Sasaki, Giro; Tanaka, Osamu; Umeda, Takashi; Takahashi, Ippei; Danjo, Kazuma; Matsuzaka, Masashi; Kaneko, Sunao; Nakaji, Shigeyuki

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess middle-aged Japanese workers for possible gender differences in the risk factors associated with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. 5,878 workers (40-60 yr of age) (3,631 males and 2,247 females) were recruited from randomly selected companies in northern Japan. Demographic and lifestyle factors, suicidal ideation rate, and the data for the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression scale (CES-D) were obtained from the self-report questionnaires. After adjusting for possible confounding variables, marital status, absent of stress reduction technique and low job compatibility were significant independent risk factors for suicidal ideation among males. In females, marital status, feeling of insufficient sleep and absence of stress reduction techniques were significant independent risk factors after adjusting for all variables. Under the same adjustments, temporary employment also showed a protective effect against female suicidal ideation. In conclusion, our results suggest that factors related to suicidal ideation differed by gender. Different approaches for each gender might be useful in the development of suicide prevention programs. However, interpretation of work-related effects, such as temporary employment, interpersonal conflict and transportation industry, was hampered by lack of data concerning personal income, working hours and organizational commitment. Additional studies are needed to examine the longitudinal relationships between the risk factors associated with suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms.

E-inclusion: Beyond individual socio-demographic characteristics.

PubMed

Silva, Patrícia; Matos, Alice Delerue; Martinez-Pecino, Roberto

2017-01-01

The changing demographic structure of the population, resulting in unparalleled growth of the elderly population, means that e-inclusion of this population group is considered to be a social and political priority in the context of the Information Society. Most research studies have only considered individual variables -such as age, gender, education, income and health- in the explanatory models of e-inclusion of senior citizens, while ignoring macro variables, such as the welfare systems and public policies in each country. Simultaneously, most studies focus on small-scale samples, lack international comparisons and do not consider the combined effect of several variables that influence Internet use. This study aims to analyse possible differences between two countries that have different welfare systems and public policies, after controlling for the effects of the individual variables that have been identified in the literature as relevant for Internet use. The study focuses on a sample of 8639 individuals, aged 50 years and over, residing in Portugal and Estonia, who participated in the SHARE project (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe). The results of the logistic regression analysis demonstrate that welfare systems and public policies have an impact on the likelihood of Internet use, thus reinforcing the importance of developing public policies to foster e-inclusion of senior citizens.

Gender issues and oral health in elderly Indians.

PubMed

Shah, N

2003-12-01

Gender disparity in health and diseases is increasingly being recognised. Therefore, it was decided to investigate gender differences in the elderly subjects (60+years) from a community-based study. The study was undertaken to evaluate the oral health status and treatment needs of urban and rural elderly and to study the impact of socio-demographic variables on them. An urban area in South Delhi and its adjoining four villages was selected. A modified WHO-Oral Health Survey proforma and Rup-Nagpal's scale were used to record oral health and socio-demographic data respectively. In addition, diet pattern (vegetarian/non-vegetarian) and body mass index (BMI) were also recorded. Chi square test and p values were calculated for each of the studied parameters. There were significant differences for socio-economic status, literacy level, marital and family status between elderly men and women (p<0.0001). A higher percentage of elderly women were vegetarian and overweight than elderly men (p<0.01). However, there were few differences found in the prevalence of dental caries, periodontal diseases and edentulousness between male and female elderly (p>0.01). The only difference found was in the evidence of previous dental treatment received. Elderly men had a higher percentage of filled teeth and denture wear compared to elderly women (p<0.01). Women's oral health is significantly influenced by social, economic and psychological factors.

Association between subjective actual sleep duration, subjective sleep need, age, body mass index, and gender in a large sample of young adults.

PubMed

Kalak, Nadeem; Brand, Serge; Beck, Johannes; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Wollmer, M Axel

2015-01-01

Poor sleep is a major health concern, and there is evidence that young adults are at increased risk of suffering from poor sleep. There is also evidence that sleep duration can vary as a function of gender and body mass index (BMI). We sought to replicate these findings in a large sample of young adults, and also tested the hypothesis that a smaller gap between subjective sleep duration and subjective sleep need is associated with a greater feeling of being restored. A total of 2,929 university students (mean age 23.24±3.13 years, 69.1% female) took part in an Internet-based survey. They answered questions related to demographics and subjective sleep patterns. We found no gender differences in subjective sleep duration, subjective sleep need, BMI, age, or feeling of being restored. Nonlinear associations were observed between subjective sleep duration, BMI, and feeling of being restored. Moreover, a larger discrepancy between subjective actual sleep duration and subjective sleep need was associated with a lower feeling of being restored. The present pattern of results from a large sample of young adults suggests that males and females do not differ with respect to subjective sleep duration, BMI, or feeling of being restored. Moreover, nonlinear correlations seemed to provide a more accurate reflection of the relationship between subjective sleep and demographic variables.

Social capital and its relationship to self-perceived health: National health survey in Colombia 2007

PubMed Central

Amed-Salazar, Eustorgio José

2014-01-01

Objective: To analyze the self-reported perceived health related to socio-demographic characteristics, social health inequalities and social capital in Colombia. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional design; data was obtained from the National Health Survey of Colombia 2007. Independent variables: socio-demographic characteristics; component variables: social health inequality and social capital. Dependent variable: self-reported health. Analysis of the relationship used logistic regression through OR and its confidence interval. Results: The determinant factors for a negative health perceptions are related to being a female (OR: 0.49 [0.47 to 0.52]), and in both genders being older than 37 years of age (OR: 0.72 [0.61 to 0.85]), living without a partner, black ethnicity, indigenous women (0.80 [0.69 to 0.94] and low economic incomes. Discussion: The relationship between social determinants and social capital in the perception of health shows inequities and indirectly reflects the level of health. Given the policies and the model of health, requires a rational adjustment of the goals, programs, and national and regional strategies with the object of improving the demand and quality of services. PMID:24970954

Satisfaction of Jewish and Arab teachers in Israel.

PubMed

Bogler, Ronit

2005-02-01

The author investigated the differences between Jewish Israeli and Arab Israeli teachers in their satisfaction with their work. Initially, the goal of the present study was to investigate whether there were demographic attributes (such as age, gender, and education) that differentiated between the two groups of teachers. Later, the author added two variables, teachers' perceptions of their occupation and teachers' perceptions of their principals' leadership styles, to the analysis to examine their contribution to the level of satisfaction for each group. Regression analyses revealed the significant power of the two added variables in predicting teacher satisfaction among both Jewish and Arab Israeli teachers. The author discussed implications of the findings in relation to principals' roles and teachers' perceptions.

Population and women in development: gender issues in the context of population and development.

PubMed

Eshete, A

1992-12-01

"The objective of this paper is to examine women's productive and reproductive roles and their intricate linkages and the interplay with the demographic variables of population and development. Although these interactions...are not yet fully understood, attempts will be made utilizing available data and literature to make an analysis of the linkages and interplays that exist between population variables with factors associated with the role, status and participation of women in the social and economic lives of African societies.... The paper will analyze the linkages and integrate the implications for population policies and programmes towards the enhancement of women's role and status and their participation in the development process." excerpt

Effects of age, gender, education and race on two tests of language ability in community-based older adults.

PubMed

Snitz, Beth E; Unverzagt, Frederick W; Chang, Chung-Chou H; Bilt, Joni Vander; Gao, Sujuan; Saxton, Judith; Hall, Kathleen S; Ganguli, Mary

2009-12-01

Neuropsychological tests, including tests of language ability, are frequently used to differentiate normal from pathological cognitive aging. However, language can be particularly difficult to assess in a standardized manner in cross-cultural studies and in patients from different educational and cultural backgrounds. This study examined the effects of age, gender, education and race on performance of two language tests: the animal fluency task (AFT) and the Indiana University Token Test (IUTT). We report population-based normative data on these tests from two combined ethnically divergent, cognitively normal, representative population samples of older adults. Participants aged > or =65 years from the Monongahela-Youghiogheny Healthy Aging Team (MYHAT) and from the Indianapolis Study of Health and Aging (ISHA) were selected based on (1) a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0; (2) non-missing baseline language test data; and (3) race self-reported as African-American or white. The combined sample (n = 1885) was 28.1% African-American. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to model the effects of demographic characteristics on test scores. On both language tests, better performance was significantly associated with higher education, younger age, and white race. On the IUTT, better performance was also associated with female gender. We found no significant interactions between age and sex, and between race and education. Age and education are more potent variables than are race and gender influencing performance on these language tests. Demographically stratified normative tables for these measures can be used to guide test interpretation and aid clinical diagnosis of impaired cognition.

Dating violence and nursing student well-being.

PubMed

Martins, Conceição; Gouveia, Ana; Chaves, Melanie; Lourenço, Rafael; Marques, Sara; Santos, Telmo

2014-11-01

Violence in dating relationships involves dimensions such as physical, psychological and sexual abuse, requiring strategies for prevention and early intervention. To identify the socio-demographic variables that influence violence in dating relationships; to identify whether having been a victim and/or witnessing violence in childhood has significant effect on violence in dating relationships; to verify the correlation between violence in dating relationships and psychological well-being. Quantitative non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study. Data collection conducted by a socio-demographic characterisation questionnaire; Dating Relationship Victimization Practices and Behaviours Scale and Demonstration of Psychological Well-Being Measurement Scale. The non-probabilistic, convenience sample consisted of 203 students from the Health School of Viseu. Mostly female students gender; Mean age of 18.85 years, minimum of 18 and maximum of 34; Gender and having been a victim or witness of violence against children and sexual violence are variables that seem to intervene in dating violence and psychological well-being. Age has an influence on psychological well-being. Stalking violence and psychological violence were more prevalent in the study sample. It was found that the presence of any type of violence is associated with a decrease in student psychological well-being. By analysing the results we can infer the need to include this topic in education/training, active methodologies and effective participation of all stakeholders in the process, with a view to promoting and developing relationship and affective skills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN OF RAWALPINDI.

PubMed

Mahmood, Shafaq; Nadeem, Sehrish; Saif, Tayyaba; Mannan, Mavra; Arshad, Urooj

2016-01-01

Malnutrition is a serious child health issue throughout the developing world. Pakistan has the second highest infant and child mortality rate in South Asia. This study was carried out to assess the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age and to determine the frequency and association of malnutrition with various demographic variables in the study group. A multi-centre, cross sectional study was conducted at the immunization centres of the 3 allied hospitals of Rawalpindi Medical College during March-May 2014. Healthy children of under 5 years of age without confirmed diagnosis of any disease/ailment were included. Guardians of 100 children were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Demographic variables include age, gender, family size, family income, breastfeeding, maternal education, presence of a family member with special needs and presence of siblings under 5 years in family. Weight (kg) was measured and malnutrition was assessed by weight for age. Malnutrition was found to be present in 32% of children. Adequately nourished children were 68%, while moderately and severely malnourished children were 14% and 18% respectively. Our study indicated malnutrition to be significantly associated with maternal illiteracy (p = 0.01) and presence of a family member with special needs (p = 0.05). No significant association was found between malnutrition and gender, family size, family income, breast feeding and presence of siblings under 5 years of age. There is a need to plan composite interventions to elucidate the factors that place children at greater risk for malnutrition.

Indirectly Estimating International Net Migration Flows by Age and Gender: The Community Demographic Model International Migration (CDM-IM) Dataset

PubMed Central

Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Jiang, Leiwen

2015-01-01

Although data for the total number of international migrant flows is now available, no global dataset concerning demographic characteristics, such as the age and gender composition of migrant flows exists. This paper reports on the methods used to generate the CDM-IM dataset of age and gender specific profiles of bilateral net (not gross) migrant flows. We employ raw data from the United Nations Global Migration Database and estimate net migrant flows by age and gender between two time points around the year 2000, accounting for various demographic processes (fertility, mortality). The dataset contains information on 3,713 net migrant flows. Validation analyses against existing data sets and the historical, geopolitical context demonstrate that the CDM-IM dataset is of reasonably high quality. PMID:26692590

The relevance of socio-demographic and occupational variables for the assessment of work-related stress risk.

PubMed

Marinaccio, Alessandro; Ferrante, Pierpaolo; Corfiati, Marisa; Di Tecco, Cristina; Rondinone, Bruna M; Bonafede, Michela; Ronchetti, Matteo; Persechino, Benedetta; Iavicoli, Sergio

2013-12-10

Work-related stress is widely recognized as one of the major challenges to occupational health and safety. The correlation between work-related stress risk factors and physical health outcomes is widely acknowledged. This study investigated socio-demographic and occupational variables involved in perceived risk of work-related stress. The Italian version of the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool was used in a large survey to examine the relationship between work-related stress risks and workers' demographic and occupational characteristics. Out of 8,527 questionnaires distributed among workers (from 75 organizations) 6,378 were returned compiled (74.8%); a set of mixed effects models were adopted to test single and combined effects of the variables on work-related stress risk. Female workers reported lower scores on control and peer support and more negative perceptions of relationships and change at work than male workers, most of them with full-time contracts. Age, job seniority, and educational level appeared positively correlated with control at work, but negatively with job demands. Fixed-term workers had positive perceptions regarding job demands and relationships, but more difficulties about their role at work than permanent workers. A commuting time longer than one hour and shift work appeared to be associated with higher levels of risk factors for work-related stress (except for role), the latter having more negative effects, increasing with age. The findings suggest that the assessment and management of work-related stress risk should consider specific socio-demographic and occupational risk factors such as gender, age, educational level, job status, shift work, commuting time, job contracts.

Clinical and demographic features of burn injuries in karachi: a six-year experience at the burns centre, civil hospital, Karachi

PubMed Central

Ali, S.A.; Hamiz-ul-Fawwad, S.; Al-Ibran, E.; Ahmed, G.; Saleem, A.; Mustafa, D.; Hussain, M.

2016-01-01

Summary Burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with 195,000 deaths annually. This study was conducted to identify the demographics of burn victims and the effect of different variables on the outcome of their injuries. 4016 patients admitted to the Burns Centre, Civil Hospital Karachi from January 2006 to December 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographics, burn injury details and their outcome were recorded in a pre-designed questionnaire. Injuries were categorized as: fire, chemical, scald or electrical. To estimate total body surface area (TBSA) burned in adults, the rule of nines was used. For children and infants, the Lund-Browder chart was employed. SPSS v16.0 software was used for analysis. Frequencies and percentages of all variables, and the measure of central tendencies and dispersion for continuous variables were calculated. Cross tabs were used to assess mortality. Mean age was 28.13 years. More than half of the cases (n=2337, 58.2%) were aged between 16-30 years. Labourers, housewives and students were the most commonly affected groups. Burn injuries by flame/fire and electricity were most common. Most cases were accidental, followed by suicide attempts and homicides. Mean percentage of TBSA affected was 35.49%. Mean duration of hospital stay was 16.45 days. 50.6% of the expired cases were females. The mean age of expired patients was 30.07 while for patients who survived it was 27.01 years. The outcome of burn injuries is related to various demographic factors. Female gender, increasing age, burn injuries following suicide attempts and greater surface area involvement predict poor outcome. PMID:27857643

Human vulnerability, dislocation and resettlement: adaptation processes of river-bank erosion-induced displacees in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hutton, David; Haque, C Emdad

2004-03-01

The purpose of this research was to identify and analyse patterns of economic and social adaptation among river-bank erosion-induced displacees in Bangladesh. It was hypothesised that the role of social demographic and socio-economic variables in determining the coping ability and recovery of the river-bank erosion-induced displacees is quite significant. The findings of the research reveal that displacees experience substantial socio-economic impoverishment and marginalisation as a consequence of involuntary migration. This in part is a socially constructed process, reflecting inequitable access to land and other resources. Vulnerability to disasters is further heightened by a number of identifiable social and demographic factors including gender, education and age, although extreme poverty and marginalisation create complexity to isolate the relative influence of these variables. The need to integrate hazard analysis and mitigation with the broader economic and social context is discussed. It is argued that the capacity of people to respond to environmental threats is a function of not only the physical forces which affect them, but also of underlying economic and social relationships which increase human vulnerability to risk. Hazard analysis and mitigation can be more effective when it takes into account such social and demographic and socio-economic dimensions of disasters.

Functional capacity evaluation of work performance among individuals with pelvic injuries following motor vehicle accidents.

PubMed

Ratzon, Navah Z; Ari Shevil, Eynat Ben; Froom, Paul; Friedman, Sharon; Amit, Yehuda

2013-01-01

Pelvic injuries following motor vehicle accidents (MVA) cause disability and affect work capabilities. This study evaluated functional, self-report, and medical-based factors that could predict work capacity as was reflected in a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) among persons who sustained a pelvic injury. It was hypothesized that self-reported functional status and bio-demographic variables would predict work capacity. Sixty-one community-dwelling adults previously hospitalized following a MVA induced pelvic injury. FCE for work performance was conducted using the Physical Work Performance Evaluation (PWPE). Additional data was collected through a demographics questionnaire and the Functional Status Questionnaire. All participants underwent an orthopedic medical examination of the hip and lower extremities. Most participants self-reported that their work capacity post-injury were lower than their job required. PWPE scores indicated below-range functional performance. Regression models predicted 23% to 51% of PWPE subtests. Participants' self-report of functioning (instrumental activities of daily living and work) and bio-demographic variables (gender and age) were better predictors of PWPE scores than factors originating from the medical examination. Results support the inclusion of FCE, in addition to self-report of functioning and medical examination, to evaluate work capacity among individuals' post-pelvic injury and interventions and discharge planning.

Gender differences in nurse practitioner salaries.

PubMed

Greene, Jessica; El-Banna, Majeda M; Briggs, Linda A; Park, Jeongyoung

2017-11-01

While male nurses have been shown to earn considerably more than female nurses, there is less evidence on gender disparities in salary among nurse practitioners (NPs). This study examines whether the gender gap in NP salaries persists after controlling for differences in work setting and demographic factors. We analyzed the relationship between gender and salary (2011 pretax earnings) among 6591 NPs working as NPs at least 35 h per week, using the 2012 National Sample Survey of Nurse Practitioners. We first conducted bivariate regression analyses examining the relationship between gender and earnings, and then developed a multivariate model that controlled for individual differences in demographic and work characteristics. Male NPs earned $12,859 more than female NPs, after adjusting for individual differences in demographics and work characteristics. The gender gap was $7405 for recent NP graduates, and grew over time. Male NPs earned significantly more than female NPs across all clinical specialty areas. The gender disparities in NP salaries documented here regardless of professional seniority or clinical area should spark healthcare organizations to conduct pay equity assessments of their employees' salaries to identify and ameliorate pay inequality. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Client characteristics and gender-specific correlates of testing HIV positive: a comparison of standalone center versus mobile outreach HIV testing and counseling in Botswana.

PubMed

Hood, Julia E; MacKellar, Duncan; Spaulding, Anne; Nelson, Rob; Mosiakgabo, Boingotlo; Sikwa, Bangwato; Puso, Innocentia; Raats, Jan; Loeto, Peter; Alwano, Mary Grace; Monyatsi, Blessed

2012-10-01

Using data from Botswana's largest HIV testing and counseling (HTC) provider, Tebelopele, we evaluate populations served and gender-specific correlates of testing HIV-positive among clients of two programs: standalone centers and outreach testing. Client records from January to June 2007 (n = 47,890) were evaluated by HTC program and gender. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify demographic, testing, and risk-behavior variables associated with testing HIV-positive. Compared to outreach testing, standalone centers served proportionally more clients who were young, well-educated, unmarried, and HIV-infected; outreach testing reached an older, less-educated population. Age, educational attainment, marital status, couples testing, testing because of illness or discordant relationship, and nonuse of condoms (among young clients only) were consistently associated with testing HIV-positive, by HTC program and gender. Our evaluation suggests that Tebelopele standalone and outreach HTC programs serve different populations, and identifies strategies to reduce HIV infection risk and to improve uptake of HTC by HIV-infected, undiagnosed Batswana.

Does Gender Inequity Increase the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence among Women? Evidence from a National Bangladeshi Sample

PubMed Central

Rahman, Mosiur; Nakamura, Keiko; Seino, Kaoruko; Kizuki, Masashi

2013-01-01

Background Evidence from developing countries regarding the association between gender inequity and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in women has been suggestive but inconclusive. Using nationally representative population-based data from Bangladesh, we examined the association between multidimensional aspects of gender inequity and the risk of IPV. Methods We used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. The analyses were based on the responses of 4,467 married women. The main explanatory variable was gender inequity, which reflects the multidimensional aspects of women's autonomy and the relationship inequality between women and their partner. The experience of physical and/or sexual IPV was the main outcome variable of interest. Results Over 53% of married Bangladeshi women experienced physical and/or sexual violence from their husbands. In the adjusted models, women who had a higher level of autonomy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.48; 99% confidence interval [CI] 0.37–0.61), a particularly high level of economic-decision-making autonomy (AOR 0.12; 99% CI 0.08–0.17), and a higher level of non-supportive attitudes towards wife beating or raping (AOR 0.61; 99% CI 0.47–0.83) were less likely to report having experienced IPV. Education level, age at marriage, and occupational discrepancy between spouses were also found to be significant predictors of IPV. Conclusions In conclusion, dimensions of gender inequities were significant predictors of IPV among married women in Bangladesh. An investigation of the causal link between multidimensional aspects of gender inequity and IPV will be critical to developing interventions to reduce the risk of IPV and should be considered a public health research priority. PMID:24376536

Predicting tobacco sales in community pharmacies using population demographics and pharmacy type.

PubMed

Hickey, Lisa M; Farris, Karen B; Peterson, N Andrew; Aquilino, Mary L

2006-01-01

To determine whether the population demographics of the location of pharmacies were associated with tobacco sales in pharmacies, when controlling for pharmacy type. Retrospective analysis. Iowa. All retailers in Iowa that obtained tobacco licenses and all pharmacies registered with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in 2003. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE AND INTERVENTIONS: Percentage of pharmacies selling tobacco (examined by pharmacy type using chi-square analysis); median income and distribution of race/ethnicity in the county for pharmacies that did or did not sell tobacco (t tests); predictors of whether a pharmacy sold tobacco (logistic regression using the independent variables county-level demographic variables and pharmacy characteristics). County gender composition, race/ethnicity make-up, and income levels were different for tobacco-selling and -nonselling pharmacies. Logistic regression showed that whether a pharmacy sold tobacco was strongly dependent on the type of pharmacy; compared with independent pharmacies (of which only 5% sold tobacco products), chain pharmacies were 34 times more likely to sell tobacco products, mass merchandiser outlets were 47 times more likely to stock these goods, and grocery stores were 378 times more likely to do so. Pharmacies selling tobacco were more likely to be located in counties with significantly higher numbers of multiracial groups. The best predictor of whether an Iowa pharmacy sells tobacco products is type of pharmacy. In multivariable analyses, population demographics of the county in which pharmacies were located were generally not predictive of whether a pharmacy sold tobacco.

Factors in seventh grade academics associated with performance levels on the tenth grade biology end of course test in selected middle and high schools in northwest Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Jennifer Henry

This study attempted to identify factors in seventh grade academics that are associated with overall success in tenth grade biology. The study addressed the following research questions: Are there significant differences in performance levels in seventh grade Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores in science, math, reading, and language arts associated with performance categories in tenth grade biology End of Course Test (EOCT) and the following demographic variables : gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability category, and English language proficiency level? Is there a relationship among the categorical variables on the tenth grade biology EOCT and the same five demographic variables? Retrospective causal comparative research was used on a representative sample from the middle schools in three North Georgia counties who took the four CRCTs in the 2006-2007 school year, and took the biology EOCT in the 2009-2010 school year. Chi square was used to determine the relationships of the various demographic variables on three biology EOCT performance categories. Twoway ANOVA determined relationships between the seventh grade CRCT scores of students in the various demographic groups and their performance levels on the biology EOCT. Students' performance levels on the biology EOCT matched their performance levels on the seventh grade CRCTs consistently. Females performed better than males on all seventh grade CRCTs. Black and Hispanic students did worse than White and Asian/Asian Indian students on the math CRCT. Students living in poverty did worse on reading and language arts CRCTs than students who were better off. Special education students did worse on science, reading, and language arts CRCTs than students not receiving special education services. English language learners did worse than native English speakers on all seventh grade CRCTs. These findings suggest that remedial measures may be taken in the seventh grade that could impact performance levels on the biology EOCT.

Oral Appliance Treatment Response and Polysomnographic Phenotypes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PubMed Central

Sutherland, Kate; Takaya, Hisashi; Qian, Jin; Petocz, Peter; Ng, Andrew T.; Cistulli, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: Mandibular advancement splints (MAS) are an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, therapeutic response is variable. Younger age, female gender, less obesity, and milder and supine-dependent OSA have variably been associated with treatment success in relatively small samples. Our objective was to utilize a large cohort of MAS treated patients (1) to compare efficacy across patients with different phenotypes of OSA and (2) to assess demographic, anthropometric, and polysomnography variables as treatment response predictors. Methods: Retrospective analysis of MAS-treated patients participating in clinical trials in sleep centers in Sydney, Australia between years 2000–2013. All studies used equivalent customized two-piece MAS devices and treatment protocols. Treatment response was defined as (1) apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 5/h, (2) AHI < 10/h and ≥ 50% reduction, and (3) ≥ 50% AHI reduction. Results: A total of 425 patients (109 female) were included (age 51.2 ± 10.9 years, BMI 29.2 ± 5.0 kg/m2). MAS reduced AHI by 50.3% ± 50.7% across the group. Supine-predominant OSA patients had lower treatment response rates than non-positional OSA (e.g., 36% vs. 59% for AHI < 10/h). REM-predominant OSA showed a lower response rate than either NREM or non-stage dependent OSA. In prediction modelling, age, baseline AHI, and anthropometric variables were predictive of MAS treatment outcome but not OSA phenotype. Gender was not associated with treatment outcome. Conclusions: Lower MAS treatment response rates were observed in supine and REM sleep. In a large sample, we confirm that demographic, anthropometric, and polysomnographic data only weakly inform about MAS efficacy, supporting the need for alternative objective prediction methods to reliably select patients for MAS treatment. Citation: Sutherland K, Takaya H, Qian J, Petocz P, Ng AT, Cistulli PA. Oral appliance treatment response and polysomnographic phenotypes of obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(8):861–868. PMID:25845897

Demographic factors and playing variables in online computer gaming.

PubMed

Griffiths, Mark D; Davies, Mark N O; Chappell, Darren

2004-08-01

Despite the growing popularity of online game playing, there has been no primary survey of its players. Therefore, an online questionnaire survey was used to examine basic demographic factors of online computer game players who played the popular online game Everquest (i.e., gender, age, marital status, nationality, education level, occupation). The survey also examined playing frequency (i.e., amount of time spent playing the game a week), playing history (i.e., how long they had been playing the game, who they played the game with, whether they had ever gender swapped their game character), the favorite and least favorite aspects of playing the game, and what they sacrifice (if anything) to play the game. Results showed that 81% of online game players were male, and that the mean age of players was 27.9 years of age. For many players, the social aspects of the game were the most important factor in playing. A small minority of players appear to play excessively (over 80 h a week), and results suggest that a small minority sacrifice important activities in order to play (e.g., sleep, time with family and/or partner, work, or schooling).

Healthcare employees' progression through disability benefits.

PubMed

Hawley, Carolyn E; Diaz, Sebastian; Reid, Christine

2009-01-01

Progression of Disability Benefits (PODB) refers to the migration of workers with work-limiting disabilities through a system of economic disability benefits that result in their ultimate placement into the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) system [16]. Specifically, this migration involves a "progression" from short-term disability (STD) to long-term disability (LTD) to SSDI income. This project uses Chi-squared Automatic Interaction (CHAID) Technique to study the Healthcare industry, the largest industry in the United States, and its PODB experience. The first part of the study analyzes if claimant demographic (age, gender, disability type) and PODB data (movement from STD to LTD to SSDI) can be used to predict employer industry (dependent variable). Gender was the most significant predictor, while men working outside of Healthcare had the greatest amount of progression to advanced disability levels. The second part of the study assesses if the PODB experience could be predicted through claimant demographics and the sub-set industry within Healthcare in which claimants' were employed. The resulting dendogram reveals that disability type was the strongest predictor of claimant movement through disability benefits levels. Age was the second strongest predictor for all but 1 category of disability type, in which the Healthcare sector was the strongest predictor.

The Impacts of Demographic Variables on Technological and Contextual Challenges of E-learning Implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldowah, Hanan; Ghazal, Samar; Naufal Umar, Irfan; Muniandy, Balakrishnan

2017-09-01

Information technology has achieved robust growth which has made it possible for learning to occur quickly. The rapid development of information, communication and technologies (ICT) has initiated an unparalleled transformation in universities all over the world. This development of technology and learning is offering new techniques to represent knowledge, new practices, and new global communities of learners. As a result, today’s economic and social changes force universities to try to find new learning approaches and systems. E-learning seems to be an appropriate approach in this aspect. However, the implementation of e-learning systems in universities is not an easy task because of some challenges related to context, technology, and other challenges. This paper studied the impacts of demographic data and reported the critical points for the decision makers to consider when planning and implementing e-learning in universities. A quantitative approach was used to study the effects of technological and contextual challenges on e-learning implementation in which a questionnaire was used for the data collection. According to the findings of the study, the most important challenges of the implementation of e-learning are related either to organizational (Contextual) and technological (technical) issues. The demographic variables have been found to play a direct and indirect role with the technological and contextual challenges of implementing e-learning. This paper showed that there are some significant differences in the two challenges faced by instructors in terms of the demographic variables. The result revealed that some significant differences exist between demographic variables and the two challenges of e-learning in terms of gender, age, teaching experience, ICT experience and e-learning experience. However, there is no significant difference in terms of e-learning experience. The obtained data, from such study, can provide information about what academic institutions can do before implementing e-learning to reduce and overcome the challenges in implementing e-learning in universities. So, university administrators interested in implementing e-learning should recognize the challenges that their instructors are facing and to provide the necessary policy and support to help overcome these challenges.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among hospitalised patients: reported use of CAM and reasons for use, CAM preferred during hospitalisation, and the socio-demographic determinants of CAM users.

PubMed

Shorofi, Seyed Afshin

2011-11-01

This paper reports a study to examine hospitalised patients' frequency and patterns of CAM use, their reasons for CAM use, their preferences of CAMs during hospitalisation, and the association between patients' socio-demographic variables and use of each individual CAM/CAM domain. A convenience sample of 353 patients hospitalised in 19 surgical wards at four metropolitan hospitals completed a questionnaire on CAM use and socio-demographic variables. The response rate was 73.5%, and over 90% of the sample acknowledged using CAMs. Non-herbal supplements (60.3%) and massage therapy (45%) were the most frequently used CAMs, with biologically based therapies (68.8%) as well as mind-body interventions (65.4%) being the most often used CAM domains. About 1 in 10 patients (9.6%) used CAMs from all five domains. With the exception of herbal-botanical therapies, self-prayer for health reasons/spiritual healing and music therapy, all CAMs were mainly used on an 'only when needed' basis. The most common reason nominated for using CAMs was that '[it] fits into my way of life/philosophy' (26%). The majority of patients declared interest in and support for the hospital providing CAMs. Patients were most inclined to choose therapies categorised as manipulative and body-based methods (65.4%) for use in hospital. Massage therapy (53.5%) and non-herbal supplements (43.1%) were the top two CAMs favoured for use in hospital. CAM use was also dependent of socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, place of residence, education level, religion, and income in hospitalised patients). The use of CAMs is pervasive amongst surgical in-patients, making it feasible to initially assess these patients for CAM use and provide them with clinically approved CAMs where possible. Notwithstanding that CAM use is fairly predictable by socio-demographic variables, further studies should be directed to know the variables useful for predicting the use of each CAM approach. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of a workplace intervention on attitudes and practices related to gender equity in Bengaluru, India.

PubMed

Krishnan, Suneeta; Gambhir, Shalini; Luecke, Ellen; Jagannathan, Latha

2016-10-01

We describe the evaluation of a participatory, garment factory-based intervention to promote gender equity. The intervention comprised four campaigns focused on gender and violence against women, alcoholism, sexual and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS, which were implemented using information displays (standees and posters) and interactive methods (street play, one-to-one interactions, experience-sharing, and health camps). Each campaign lasted six days and the entire intervention was implemented over 10 months. We evaluated the intervention using a quasi-experimental design in which one factory served as the intervention site and a second as a delayed control. Two mobile-phone-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted at baseline and 12 months with separate systematic random samples of employees from each site. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge and attitudes related to gender equity, intimate partner violence (IPV) and alcohol use were assessed, and differences in these variables associated with the intervention were examined using difference-in-difference estimation. Analyses of data from 835 respondents revealed substantial, statistically significant improvements in attitudes related to gender equity, unacceptability of IPV, and awareness of IPV and alcohol-related support services. In conclusion, our study offers compelling evidence on the effectiveness of workplace-based interventions in advancing gender equity.

Frontal and temporal volumes in Childhood Absence Epilepsy.

PubMed

Caplan, Rochelle; Levitt, Jennifer; Siddarth, Prabha; Wu, Keng Nei; Gurbani, Suresh; Sankar, Raman; Shields, W Donald

2009-11-01

This study compared frontotemporal brain volumes in children with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) to age- and gender-matched children without epilepsy. It also examined the association of these volumes with seizure, demographic, perinatal, intelligence quotient (IQ), and psychopathology variables. Twenty-six children with CAE, aged 7.5-11.8 years, and 37 children without epilepsy underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at 1.5 Tesla. Tissue was segmented, and total brain, frontal lobe, frontal parcellations, and temporal lobe volumes were computed. All children had IQ testing and structured psychiatric interviews. Parents provided seizure, perinatal, and behavioral information on each child. The CAE group had significantly smaller gray matter volumes of the left orbital frontal gyrus as well as both left and right temporal lobes compared to the age- and gender-matched children without epilepsy. In the CAE group these volumes were related to age, gender, ethnicity, and pregnancy complications but not to seizure, IQ, and psychopathology variables. In the group of children without epilepsy, however, the volumes were related to IQ. These findings suggest that CAE impacts brain development in regions implicated in behavior, cognition, and language. In addition to supporting the cortical focus theory of CAE, these findings also imply that CAE is not a benign disorder.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Alcohol-related Problems: Differences by Gender and Level of Heavy Drinking

PubMed Central

Witbrodt, Jane; Mulia, Nina; Zemore, Sarah E.; Kerr, William C.

2014-01-01

Objective While prior studies have reported racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol-related problems at a given level of heavy drinking, particularly lower levels, it is unclear whether these occur in both genders and are an artifact of racial/ethnic differences in drink alcohol content. Such information is important to understanding disparities and developing specific, targeted interventions. This study addresses these questions and examines disparities in specific types of alcohol problems across racial-gender groups. Method Using 2005 and 2010 National Alcohol Survey data (N=7,249 current drinkers), gender-stratified regression analyses were conducted to assess black-white and Hispanic-white disparities in alcohol dependence and negative drinking consequences at equivalent levels of heavy drinking. Heavy drinking was measured using a gender-specific, composite drinking-patterns variable derived through factor analysis. Analyses were replicated using adjusted-alcohol consumption variables that account for group differences in drink alcohol content based on race/ethnicity, gender, age and alcoholic beverage. Results Compared to white men, black and Hispanic men had higher rates of injuries/accidents/health and social consequences, and marginally greater work/legal consequences (p< .10). Hispanic women had marginally higher rates of social consequences. In main effects models controlling for demographics, light drinking and heavy drinking, only black women and men had greater odds of alcohol-related problems relative to whites. Interaction models indicated that compared to whites, black women had greater odds of dependence at all levels of heavy drinking, while both black and Hispanic men had elevated risk of alcohol problems only at lower levels of heavy drinking. Drink alcohol content adjustments did not significantly alter findings for either gender. Conclusions This study highlights the gender-specific nature of racial/ethnic disparities. Interventions focused on reducing heavy drinking might not address disparities in alcohol-related problems that exist at low levels of heavy drinking. Future research should consider the potential role of environmental and genetic factors in these disparities. PMID:24730475

Examining gender salary disparities: an analysis of the 2003 multistate salary survey.

PubMed

Brown, Lawrence M; Schommer, Jon C; Mott, Dave; Gaither, Caroline A; Doucette, William R; Zgarrick, Dave P; Droege, Marcus

2006-09-01

Pharmacist salary and wage surveys have been conducted at the state and national level for more than 20 years; however, it is not known to what extent, if any, wage disparities due to gender still exist. The overall objective of this study was to determine if wage disparities exist among male and female pharmacists at the multistate and individual state level for each of 6 states studied. A secondary objective was to explore the effect of various demographic variables on the hourly wages of pharmacists. Data were collected from 1,688 pharmacists in 6 states during 2003 using a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. A multiple regression analysis on hourly wage testing the effects of state of practice, practice setting, position, terminal degree, and years in practice was conducted. Subsequent multiple regression analyses were conducted individually for each of the 6 states to test the effects of the above variables on hourly wage for both male and female pharmacists, followed by state-level analyses for male and female pharmacists, respectively. For the pooled data, all variables were found to be significant predictors of hourly wage, except for earning a PharmD degree without a residency or graduate degree. Gender was not a significant predictor of wage disparities in the state-level analyses. Position was the only significant predictor of wage disparities in all states (except Tennessee) such that pharmacists in management positions make significantly higher salaries than those in staff positions. The results of these analyses suggest that wage disparities due to gender do not exist at the state level for the 6 states surveyed, when controlling for practice setting, position, terminal degree, and years in practice. The larger number of men in management positions may explain lower wages for female pharmacists.

Policy-relevant behaviours predict heavier drinking and mediate the relationship with age, gender and education status: Analysis from the International Alcohol Control study.

PubMed

Casswell, Sally; Huckle, Taisia; Wall, Martin; Parker, Karl; Chaiyasong, Surasak; Parry, Charles D H; Viet Cuong, Pham; Gray-Phillip, Gaile; Piazza, Marina

2018-02-21

To investigate behaviours related to four alcohol policy variables (policy-relevant behaviours) and demographic variables in relation to typical quantities of alcohol consumed on-premise in six International Alcohol Control study countries. General population surveys with drinkers using a comparable survey instrument and data analysed using path analysis in an overall model and for each country. typical quantities per occasion consumed on-premise; gender, age; years of education, prices paid, time of purchase, time to access alcohol and liking for alcohol advertisements. In the overall model younger people, males and those with fewer years of education consumed larger typical quantities. Overall lower prices paid, later time of purchase and liking for alcohol ads predicted consuming larger typical quantities; this was found in the high-income countries, less consistently in the high-middle-income countries and not in the low middle-income country. Three policy-relevant behaviours (prices paid, time of purchase, liking for alcohol ads) mediated the relationships between age, gender, education and consumption in high-income countries. International Alcohol Control survey data showed a relationship between policy-relevant behaviours and typical quantities consumed and support the likely effect of policy change (trading hours, price and restrictions on marketing) on heavier drinking. The path analysis also revealed policy-relevant behaviours were significant mediating variables between the effect of age, gender and educational status on consumption. However, this relationship is clearest in high-income countries. Further research is required to understand better how circumstances in low-middle-income countries impact effects of policies. © 2018 The Authors Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Gender Difference in Health-Care Expenditure: Evidence from India Human Development Survey.

PubMed

Saikia, Nandita; Moradhvaj; Bora, Jayanta Kumar

2016-01-01

While the gender disparity in health and mortality in various stages of life in India is well documented, there is limited evidence on female disadvantage in health-care expenditure (HCE). Examine the gender difference in HCE in short-term and major morbidity in India, and understand the role of factors underlying the difference. Using two rounds of nationally representative panel data-the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2004-2005 and 2011-2012 (IHDS I & II)-we calculate morbidity prevalence rate and mean HCE by gender, and examine the adjusted effect of gender on major morbidity-related HCE by using a two-part regression model. Further, we performed Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the gender gap in HCE in major morbidity to understand the contribution of demographic and socio-economic factors. Health-care expenditure on females was systematically lower than on males across all demographic and socio-economic groups. Multivariate analysis confirms that female HCE is significantly lower than male HCE even after controlling demographic and socio-economic factors (β = -0.148, p = 0.000, CI:-0.206-0.091). For both short-term and major morbidity, a female disadvantage on HCE increased from IHDS I to IHDS II. For instance, the male-female gap in major morbidity related expenditure increased from INR 1298 to INR 4172. A decomposition analysis of gender gap in HCE demonstrates that about 48% of the gap is attributable to differences in demographic and socio-economic factors (endowment effect), whereas 50% of the gap is due to the differential effect of the determinants (coefficient effect). Indians spend less on female health care than on male health care. Most of the gender gap in HCE is not due to differential distribution of factors affecting HCE.

Consumer Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare-Friendly Products and Willingness to Pay: Exploration of Mexican Market Segments.

PubMed

Miranda-de la Lama, Genaro C; Estévez-Moreno, Laura X; Villarroel, Morris; Rayas-Amor, Adolfo A; María, Gustavo A; Sepúlveda, Wilmer S

2018-04-03

The study aim was to identify consumer segmentation based on nonhuman animal welfare (AW) attitudes and their relationship with demographic features and willingness to pay (WTP) for welfare-friendly products (WFP) in Mexico. Personal interviews were conducted with 843 Mexican consumers who stated they purchased most of the animal products in their home. Respondents were selected using a quota sampling method with age, gender, education, and origin as quota control variables. The multivariate analysis suggested there were three clusters or consumer profiles labeled "skeptical," "concerned," and "ethical," which helped explain the association between AW attitudes, some demographic variables, and WTP for WFP. This study is one of the first to address consumer profiling in Latin America, and the findings could have implications for the commercialization of WFP. Hence, customers should receive information to consider welfare innovations when deciding to purchase animal products. The growth of the WFP food market establishes an element of a far more multifaceted phenomenon of sustainable consumption and support of a new paradigm called responsible marketing in emerging markets such as Mexico.

Trends in Gender-affirming Surgery in Insured Patients in the United States

PubMed Central

Ives, Graham C.; Sluiter, Emily C.; Waljee, Jennifer F.; Yao, Tsung-Hung; Hu, Hsou Mei

2018-01-01

Background: An estimated 0.6% of the U.S. population identifies as transgender and an increasing number of patients are presenting for gender-related medical and surgical services. Utilization of health care services, especially surgical services, by transgender patients is poorly understood beyond survey-based studies. In this article, our aim is 2-fold; first, we intend to demonstrate the utilization of datasets generated by insurance claims data as a means of analyzing gender-related health services, and second, we use this modality to provide basic demographic, utilization, and outcomes data about the insured transgender population. Methods: The Truven MarketScan Database, containing data from 2009 to 2015, was utilized, and a sample set was created using the Gender Identity Disorder diagnosis code. Basic demographic information and utilization of gender-affirming procedures was tabulated. Results: We identified 7,905 transgender patients, 1,047 of which underwent surgical procedures from 2009 to 2015. Our demographic results were consistent with previous survey-based studies, suggesting transgender patients are on average young adults (average age = 29.8), and geographically diverse. The most common procedure from 2009 to 2015 was mastectomy. Complications of all gender-affirming procedures was 5.8%, with the highest rate of complications occurring with phalloplasty. There was a marked year-by-year increase in utilization of surgical services. Conclusion: Transgender care and gender confirming surgery are an increasing component of health care in the United States. The data contained in existing databases can provide demographic, utilization, and outcomes data relevant to providers caring for the transgender patient population. PMID:29876180

The Relation of Student Behavior, Peer Status, Race, and Gender to Decisions about School Discipline Using CHAID Decision Trees and Regression Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horner, Stacy B.; Fireman, Gary D.; Wang, Eugene W.

2010-01-01

Peer nominations and demographic information were collected from a diverse sample of 1493 elementary school participants to examine behavior (overt and relational aggression, impulsivity, and prosociality), context (peer status), and demographic characteristics (race and gender) as predictors of teacher and administrator decisions about…

The Age Parameters of the Starting Demographic Events across Russian Generations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitrofanova, E. S.

2016-01-01

This article presents comparisons of the ages and facts of starting demographic events in Russia based on the findings of three large-scale surveys: the European Social Survey, 2006; the Generations and Gender Survey, 2004, 2007, and 2011; and Person, Family, Society, 2013. This study focuses on the intergenerational and gender differences in the…

Socio-demographic characteristics of New Zealand adult smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers: results from the 2013 Census.

PubMed

Tu, Danny; Newcombe, Rhiannon; Edwards, Richard; Walton, Darren

2016-12-16

To describe the smoking prevalence by key socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, education, labour status, income and socioeconomic deprivation) in New Zealand in 2013 and make comparisons with 2006. Data on cigarette smoking and key socio-demographics variables were obtained from the 2013 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings. Age standardised smoking prevalence rates were calculated by gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic deprivation using the WHO Population Standard. Results were compared against 2006 Census data to identify changes in smoking prevalence. In 2013, around one in seven (15.1%) of New Zealand adults aged 15 years and older reported that they were regular smokers (smoked one or more cigarettes per day), a 5.6% absolute decrease in the smoking prevalence since the previous Census in 2006. The number of regular adult smokers dropped from 597,792 in 2006 to 463,194 in 2013, a 22.5% decrease. Falls in smoking prevalence occurred among all demographic sub-groups, including Māori and young adults. There were substantial disparities in smoking by age, ethnicity and socio-economic status. Māori continue to have the highest age-standardised smoking prevalence (32.4%), with the highest prevalence (43.1%) among young Māori women aged 25 to 29 years. Decreases in smoking prevalence were greater between 2006 and 2013 than between 1996 and 2006. The findings suggest that the decline in smoking prevalence is accelerating in New Zealand, including among high priority groups like Māori, Pacific peoples and young adults. This study confirms the value of census data for understanding patterns of tobacco use in New Zealand, to inform effective intervention development and monitoring progress towards the Smokefree 2025 goal.

The influence of farmer demographic characteristics on environmental behaviour: a review.

PubMed

Burton, Rob J F

2014-03-15

Many agricultural studies have observed a relationship between farmer demographic characteristics and environmental behaviours. These relationships are frequently employed in the construction of models, the identification of farmer types, or as part of more descriptive analyses aimed at understanding farmers' environmental behaviour. However, they have also often been found to be inconsistent or contradictory. Although a considerable body of literature has built up around the subject area, research has a tendency to focus on factors such as the direction, strength and consistency of the relationship - leaving the issue of causality largely to speculation. This review addresses this gap by reviewing literature on 4 key demographic variables: age, experience, education, and gender for hypothesised causal links. Overall the review indicates that the issue of causality is a complex one. Inconsistent relationships can be attributed to the presence of multiple causal pathways, the role of scheme factors in determining which pathway is important, inadequately specified measurements of demographic characteristics, and the treatment of non-linear causalities as linear. In addition, all demographic characteristics were perceived to be influenced (to varying extents) by cultural-historical patterns leading to cohort effects or socialised differences in the relationship with environmental behaviour. The paper concludes that more work is required on the issue of causality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes and use of pornography in the Norwegian population 2002.

PubMed

Traeen, Bente; Spitznogle, Kristin; Beverfjord, Alexandra

2004-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze use of pornographic material in a representative sample of adult Norwegians. The data collection was carried out by means of a standardized questionnaire administered via personal telephone interviews. Among the 90% of participants who reported ever having examined pornography, 76% reported examining a pornographic magazine, 67% had watched a pornographic film, and 24% had examined pornography on the Internet. Significant gender differences emerged in the reporting. The percentage of men and women who reported frequent use of pornography was small. We identified three dimensions of attitudes toward pornography: pornography as a means of sexual enhancement, pornography as a moral issue, and social climate. These attitude dimensions were included in path models as intermediating variables between demographic variables (age, gender, and level of education) and frequency of reading or watching pornographic materials. These models explained 36% of the variance in frequency of watching pornographic films, 35% of the variance in frequency of reading pornographic magazines, and 21% of the variance in frequency of watching pornography on the Internet.

Health information-seeking behaviors among classically trained singers.

PubMed

Petty, Brian E

2012-05-01

Understanding health information-seeking behaviors (HISBs) within a particular patient demographic group is an important part of effective clinical outreach and education efforts. Although the community of classically trained singers has long been recognized by specialized health care providers, no studies have yet addressed the processes by which they search for voice-related health information, and little is known about how they use and access medical care. An electronic questionnaire focusing on HISB and voice-related health care issues was administered to 151 self-identified classically trained singers and 49 nonsinger controls. Outcomes of interest were tested for association with groups of singers and controls, followed by tests of association between demographic variables (age, gender, insurance status) with each outcome of interest. Results showed significant differences in specialty care access including point of first contact (P=0.0085), gender-associated delay of treatment initiation (P=0.0324), and use of home remedies for vocal problems (P≤0.0001). Significant differences in HISB were noted as well, including history of having undertaken an information search (P≤0.0001), likelihood of having concerns about information quality (P≤0.0001), and difficulty knowing where to find information (P≤0.0001). Differences were influenced by singing status, age, and gender. The insights provided by these data may inform decision-making processes regarding patient care, patient education, and clinical outreach to the target population. Copyright © 2012 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between attainment of recommended physical activity guidelines and academic achievement: undergraduate students in Egypt.

PubMed

El Ansari, Walid; Stock, Christiane

2014-07-14

We assessed and compared by gender, students' achievement of recommended guidelines of four PA forms, and the association between guideline achievement of each of the four PA forms and students' academic performance. Data (2009-2010) comprised 3,271 students (11 faculties) at Assiut University, Egypt. A self-administered questionnaire measured: moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), muscle-strengthening PA; five socio-demographic variables (gender, age, year of study, father's education, living arrangements during semester); self-rated health; and, academic performance. We compared the levels of four PA forms, socio-demographic variables, and academic performance by gender. Binary logistic regression examined the factors associated with achieving the guidelines of the four PA forms. Linear regression examined the association between frequency of four PA forms and level of academic performance. Nearly equal proportions of males and females (37%, 36%) achieved the MPA guidelines. Significantly more males achieved the VPA, MVPA, and muscle strengthening PA guidelines. Father's education was positively associated with achieving all four PA guidelines (with each increasing educational achievement of the father, student's odds of achieving PA guidelines increased by 7-9%). Students living with their parents or room mates off campus were more likely to achieve the VPA and MVPA guidelines. Students who achieved VPA and MVPA guidelines were more likely to report better academic performance. For all PA forms (except MPA), increasing academic achievement was positively associated with increasing frequency of PA, but standardised Beta (0.05-0.07) suggested a modest correlation between academic achievement and PA frequency. The linear association between frequency of PA and academic achievement, and the finding that the proportions of students who achieved the recommended levels of several forms of PA were below half of the sample call for higher engagement of universities in fostering PA and active lifestyle among students.

Relationship Between Attainment of Recommended Physical Activity Guidelines and Academic Achievement: Undergraduate Students in Egypt

PubMed Central

Ansari, Walid El; Stock, Christiane

2014-01-01

Introduction: We assessed and compared by gender, students’ achievement of recommended guidelines of four PA forms, and the association between guideline achievement of each of the four PA forms and students’ academic performance. Methods: Data (2009-2010) comprised 3,271 students (11 faculties) at Assiut University, Egypt. A self-administered questionnaire measured: moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), muscle-strengthening PA; five socio-demographic variables (gender, age, year of study, father’s education, living arrangements during semester); self-rated health; and, academic performance. We compared the levels of four PA forms, socio-demographic variables, and academic performance by gender. Binary logistic regression examined the factors associated with achieving the guidelines of the four PA forms. Linear regression examined the association between frequency of four PA forms and level of academic performance. Results: Nearly equal proportions of males and females (37%, 36%) achieved the MPA guidelines. Significantly more males achieved the VPA, MVPA, and muscle strengthening PA guidelines. Father’s education was positively associated with achieving all four PA guidelines (with each increasing educational achievement of the father, student’s odds of achieving PA guidelines increased by 7-9%). Students living with their parents or room mates off campus were more likely to achieve the VPA and MVPA guidelines. Students who achieved VPA and MVPA guidelines were more likely to report better academic performance. For all PA forms (except MPA), increasing academic achievement was positively associated with increasing frequency of PA, but standardised Beta (0.05-0.07) suggested a modest correlation between academic achievement and PA frequency. Conclusion: The linear association between frequency of PA and academic achievement, and the finding that the proportions of students who achieved the recommended levels of several forms of PA were below half of the sample call for higher engagement of universities in fostering PA and active lifestyle among students. PMID:25169005

Gender differences in infant survival: a secondary data analysis in rural North India.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Ranadip; Taneja, Sunita; Mazumder, Sarmila; Bhandari, Nita; Strand, Tor A

2017-08-11

To examine gender differences in infant survival on the first day of life, in the first week of life, and in the neonatal and post-neonatal periods by socio-demographic and economic variables. Secondary data analysis was performed on data from a cluster randomised trial on the effect of implementation of the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness programme, India. The study setting was Palwal and Faridabad, districts of Haryana, a state in North India. Multiple logistic regression models taking the cluster design into account were used to estimate gender differences in mortality in different periods of infancy. A total of 60 480 infants were included in these analyses. Of 4060 infant deaths, 2054 were female (7.2% of all females born) and 2006 were male (6.3% of all males born). The death rate was significantly higher in females in the post-neonatal period but not during the neonatal period. The odds of death at 29-180 days and at 181-365 days were 1.4 (95% CI 1.3 to 1.6) and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.4 to 2.0) higher in females compared with males, respectively. This increase was seen across all socio-demographic and economic strata. Gender differences during the post-neonatal period are a major threat to the survival and health of female infants in India. Programmes need to identify measures that can specifically reduce female mortality. Clinical trials NCT00474981. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Patient demographics, insurance status, race, and ethnicity as predictors of morbidity and mortality after spine trauma: a study using the National Trauma Data Bank.

PubMed

Schoenfeld, Andrew J; Belmont, Philip J; See, Aaron A; Bader, Julia O; Bono, Christopher M

2013-12-01

Predictors of complications and mortality after spine trauma are underexplored. At present, no study exists capable of predicting the impact of demographic factors, injury-specific predictors, race, ethnicity, and insurance status on morbidity and mortality after spine trauma. This study endeavored to describe the impact of patient demographics, comorbidities, injury-specific factors, race/ethnicity, and insurance status on outcomes after spinal trauma using the National Sample Program (NSP) of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). The weighted sample of 75,351 incidents of spine trauma in the NTDB was used to develop a predictive model for important factors associated with mortality, postinjury complications, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) days, and time on a ventilator. A weighted sample of 75,351 incidents of spine trauma as contained in the NTDB. Mortality, postinjury complications, length of hospital stay, ICU days, and time on a ventilator as reported in the NTDB. The 2008 NSP of the NTDB was queried to identify patients sustaining spine trauma. Patient demographics, race/ethnicity, insurance status, comorbidities, injury-specific factors, and outcomes were recorded, and a national estimate model was derived. Unadjusted differences in baseline characteristics between racial/ethnic groups and insurance status were evaluated using the t test for continuous variables and Wald chi-square analysis for categorical variables with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Weighted logistic regression was performed for categorical variables (mortality and risk of one or more complications), and weighted multiple linear regression analysis was used for continuous variables (length of hospital stay, ICU days, and ventilator time). Initial determinations were checked against a sensitivity analysis using imputed data. The weighted sample contained 75,351 incidents of spine trauma. The average age was 45.8 years. Sixty-four percent of the population was male, 9% was black/African American, 38% possessed private/commercial insurance, and 12.5% lacked insurance. The mortality rate was 6% and 16% sustained complications. Increased age, male gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and blood pressure at presentation were significant predictors of mortality, whereas age, male gender, other mechanism of injury, ISS, and blood pressure at presentation influenced the risk of one or more complications. Nonwhite and black/African American race increased risk of mortality, and lack of insurance increased mortality and decreased the number of hospital days, ICU days, and ventilator time. This is the first study to postulate predictors of morbidity and mortality after spinal trauma in a national model. Race/ethnicity and insurance status appear to be associated with greater risk of mortality after spine trauma. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Socio-demographic correlates of breast-feeding in urban slums of Chandigarh.

PubMed

Kumar, Dinesh; Agarwal, Neeraj; Swami, H M

2006-11-01

Whether socio-demographic factors are associated with initiation of breast-feeding in urban slums of Chandigarh. (1) To study the prevailing breast-feeding practices adopted by mothers, (2) To study the socio-demographic factors associated with initiation of breast-feeding. Cross-sectional. Mothers of infants willing to participate in the study in the selected area. A total of 270 respondents. Social and demographic characteristics like age, socioeconomic status, educational level, birth interval, parity, gender preference, natal care practices, etc.; and variables related to various aspects of breast-feeding practices like prelacteal feed, initiation of feeding, colostrum feeding, reasons of discarding colostrum, etc. Chi-square test and odd ratios along with their respective 95% confidence intervals, multiple logistic regression analysis. Out of all 270 respondents, 159 (58.9%) initiated breast-feeding within 6 h of birth, only 43 (15.9%) discarded colostrum and 108 (40.0%) mothers gave prelacteal feed. Illiterate/just literate mothers who delivered at home were found at significantly higher risk of delay in initiation of breast-feeding on the basis of multiple logistic regression analysis. Promotion of institutional deliveries and imparting health education to mothers for protecting and promoting optimal breast-feeding practices are suggested.

Evidentiary, extraevidentiary, and deliberation process predictors of real jury verdicts.

PubMed

Devine, Dennis J; Krouse, Paige C; Cavanaugh, Caitlin M; Basora, Jaime Colon

2016-12-01

In contrast to the extensive literature based on mock jurors, large-sample studies of decision making by real juries are relatively rare. In this field study, we examined relationships between jury verdicts and variables representing 3 classes of potential determinants-evidentiary, extraevidentiary, and deliberation process-using a sample of 114 criminal jury trials. Posttrial data were collected from 11 presiding judges, 31 attorneys, and 367 jurors using a Web-based questionnaire. The strength of the prosecution's evidence was strongly related to the occurrence of a conviction, whereas most extraevidentiary and deliberation process variables were only weakly to modestly related in bivariate form and when the prosecution's evidence strength was controlled. Notable exceptions to this pattern were jury demographic diversity as represented by the number of different race-gender subgroups (e.g., Black males) present in the jury, and several deliberation process variables reflecting advocacy for acquittal (e.g., presence of an identifiable proacquittal faction within the jury and proacquittal advocacy by the foreperson). Variables reflecting advocacy for conviction were essentially unrelated to jury verdict. Sets of extraevidentiary and deliberation variables were each able to modestly improve the explanation of jury verdicts over prosecution evidence strength in multivariate models. This study highlights the predictive efficacy of prosecution evidence strength with respect to jury verdicts, as well as the potential importance of jury demographic diversity and advocacy for acquittal during deliberation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender Expression and Mental Health in Black South African Men Who Have Sex with Men: Further Explorations of Unexpected Findings.

PubMed

Sandfort, Theo G M; Bos, Henny; Reddy, Vasu

2018-02-20

Unlike studies conducted in Western countries, two studies among Black South African men who have sex with men (MSM) found no support for the association between gender nonconformity and mental distress, even though gender-nonconforming men experienced more discrimination and discrimination was associated with mental distress (Cook, Sandfort, Nel, & Rich, 2013; Sandfort, Bos, Knox, & Reddy, 2016). In Sandfort et al., gender nonconformity was assessed as a continuous variable, validated by comparing scores between a categorical assessment of gender presentation (masculine, feminine, no preference). Using the same dataset, we further explored this topic by (1) testing differences between gender expression groups in sexual minority stressors, resilience factors, and mental distress; (2) testing whether the impact of elevated discrimination in the feminine group was counterbalanced by lower scores on other stressors or higher scores on resilience factors; and (3) exploring whether relationships of stressors and resilience factors with mental distress varied between gender expression groups. Controlling for demographics, we found several differences between the gender expression groups in the stressors and resilience factors, but not in mental distress. We found no support for the idea that the lack of differences in mental distress between the gender expression groups was a consequence of factors working in opposite directions. However, internalized homophobia had a differential impact on depression in feminine men compared to masculine men. In our discussion of these findings, we explored the meaning of our participants' self-categorization as it might relate to gender instead of sexual identities.

Impact of Selected Socio-demographic Factors on the Development of Mortality due to Circulatory System Diseases in the Slovak Republic.

PubMed

Gavurová, Beáta; Kubák, Matúš

2017-12-01

We mapped the situation within a group of diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) in the Slovak Republic during 1996-2014. We focused mainly on spatiotemporal differences in mortality while controlling for age and sex. We performed binary logistic regression aiming to reveal socio-demographic factors that influence the odds of dying due to diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99). In our analysis, the dependent variable was death diagnosis and the independent variables were age, region, gender, and marital status. Our findings suggest that odds of dying due to diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) increased for every year of age by 5.4%. Within the period from 1996 to 2014, the risk of dying from diseases of the circulatory system decreased by 2% every year. We also documented the fact that being female raised the odds of dying due to diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) by 12.9% compared to males. Furthermore, it could be argued that serious differences in terms of regional distribution of deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) exist in the Slovak Republic. We present the development of diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) in the Slovak Republic. Differences in spatial distribution of deaths are documented as well as related gender differences. Our study can serve as a tool for policy makers and benchmark for professionals. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2017.

Symptoms and health complaints and their association with perceived stressors among students at nine Libyan universities.

PubMed

El Ansari, Walid; Khalil, Khalid; Stock, Christiane

2014-11-25

University students are exposed to many stressors. We assessed the associations between two stressors (educational related and general overall), socio-demographic characteristics (five variables), health behaviours/lifestyle factors (six variables), as well as religiosity and quality of life as independent variables, with self-reported symptoms/health complaints as dependent variables (eight health complaints). A sample of 2100 undergraduate students from nine institutions (six universities, three colleges) located in seven cities in Libya completed a general health questionnaire. The most prevalent symptoms were headaches, depressive mood, difficulties to concentrate and sleep disorder/insomnia that have been reported by 50%-60% of the students. The majority of students (62%) reported having had three or more symptoms sometimes or very often in the last 12 months. There was a positive association between perceived stressors and health symptoms, which remained significant after adjustment for gender and many other relevant factors for headache (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.15-2.02), depressive mood (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.64-2.94) and sleep disorder/ insomnia (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.19-2.03). Other factors independently associated with most health symptoms were female gender and poor self-perceived health. Stress management programmes and a reduction of educational related stressors might help to prevent stress-related symptoms and health complaints in this student population.

Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities

PubMed Central

El Ansari, Walid; Khalil, Khalid; Stock, Christiane

2014-01-01

University students are exposed to many stressors. We assessed the associations between two stressors (educational related and general overall), socio-demographic characteristics (five variables), health behaviours/lifestyle factors (six variables), as well as religiosity and quality of life as independent variables, with self-reported symptoms/health complaints as dependent variables (eight health complaints). A sample of 2100 undergraduate students from nine institutions (six universities, three colleges) located in seven cities in Libya completed a general health questionnaire. The most prevalent symptoms were headaches, depressive mood, difficulties to concentrate and sleep disorder/insomnia that have been reported by 50%–60% of the students. The majority of students (62%) reported having had three or more symptoms sometimes or very often in the last 12 months. There was a positive association between perceived stressors and health symptoms, which remained significant after adjustment for gender and many other relevant factors for headache (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.15–2.02), depressive mood (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.64–2.94) and sleep disorder/ insomnia (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.19–2.03). Other factors independently associated with most health symptoms were female gender and poor self-perceived health. Stress management programmes and a reduction of educational related stressors might help to prevent stress-related symptoms and health complaints in this student population. PMID:25429678

[Analysis of neurological assistance demand in immigrant population].

PubMed

Martínez, A Miralles; Tejedor, E Díez

2008-01-01

Immigration has been a growing phenomenon in recent years due to the aging of the population and demographic pressure of immigration in Spain. This study has aimed to know the community out-patient neurological care pressure of the immigrant population and the differences between them and the Spanish population. A descriptive, prospective and observational study of neurological out-patient care in the community of the population covered by the Hospital Universitario La Paz over 12 consecutive months was performed. We analyzed three community out-patient clinics of neurology. The variables analyzed were: demographic (age, gender, nationality, stay time in Spain), care variables (visit type, source of consultation, existence of previous diagnosis and attendance at neurological citation) and diagnostic variables (diagnostic group defined in the ICD-9 M). Of the 4,771 visits analyzed, 8.26% (393) were immigrants. They accounted for a younger population 37.4 +/- 15.2 years, with a larger percentage of women (70.7%; p<0.001). The countries with the greater number of immigrants attended were Ecuador (21.9%) and Colombia (9.9%). Referral to the emergency department was greater for the immigrant patients (p=0.042). Failure to come to the appointment was greater among the immigrant patients (p=0 0.001). Diagnosis of headache and epilepsy were significantly more prevalent in the immigrant population, but syncope, poorly-defined signs and symptoms of those being studied and absence of neurological disorders were more frequent in the Spanish group. Neurological assistance demand of the immigrant population is that expected according to their demographic weight. The most frequent diagnostic groups among the immigrants are headache and epilepsy.

Assessing the Accuracy of a Wrist Motion Tracking Method for Counting Bites across Demographic and Food Variables

PubMed Central

Shen, Yiru; Salley, James; Muth, Eric; Hoover, Adam

2017-01-01

This paper describes a study to test the accuracy of a method that tracks wrist motion during eating to detect and count bites. The purpose was to assess its accuracy across demographic (age, gender, ethnicity) and bite (utensil, container, hand used, food type) variables. Data were collected in a cafeteria under normal eating conditions. A total of 271 participants ate a single meal while wearing a watch-like device to track their wrist motion. Video was simultaneously recorded of each participant and subsequently reviewed to determine the ground truth times of bites. Bite times were operationally defined as the moment when food or beverage was placed into the mouth. Food and beverage choices were not scripted or restricted. Participants were seated in groups of 2–4 and were encouraged to eat naturally. A total of 24,088 bites of 374 different food and beverage items were consumed. Overall the method for automatically detecting bites had a sensitivity of 75% with a positive predictive value of 89%. A range of 62–86% sensitivity was found across demographic variables, with slower eating rates trending towards higher sensitivity. Variations in sensitivity due to food type showed a modest correlation with the total wrist motion during the bite, possibly due to an increase in head-towards-plate motion and decrease in hand-towards-mouth motion for some food types. Overall, the findings provide the largest evidence to date that the method produces a reliable automated measure of intake during unrestricted eating. PMID:28113994

A comparative analysis of health-related quality of life for residents of U.S. counties with and without coal mining.

PubMed

Zullig, Keith J; Hendryx, Michael

2010-01-01

We compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in mining and non-mining counties in and out of Appalachia using the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Dependent variables included self-rated health, the number of poor physical and mental health days, the number of activity limitation days (in the last 30 days), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Days Index. Independent variables included the presence of coal mining, Appalachian region residence, metropolitan status, primary care physician supply, and BRFSS behavioral (e.g., smoking, body mass index, and alcohol consumption) and demographic (e.g., age, gender, race, and income) variables. We compared dependent variables across a four-category variable: Appalachia (yes/ no) and coal mining (yes/no). We used SUDAAN Multilog and multiple linear regression models with post-hoc least-squares means to test for Appalachian coal-mining effects after adjusting for covariates. Residents of coal-mining counties inside and outside of Appalachia reported significantly fewer healthy days for both physical and mental health, and poorer self-rated health (p < 0.0005) when compared with referent U.S. non-coal-mining counties, but disparities were greatest for people residing in Appalachian coal-mining areas. Furthermore, results remained consistent in separate analyses by gender and age. Coal-mining areas are characterized by greater socioeconomic disadvantage, riskier health behaviors, and environmental degradation that are associated with reduced HRQOL.

Rural Status, Suicide Ideation, and Telemental Health: Risk Assessment in a Clinical Sample.

PubMed

Tarlow, Kevin R; Johnson, Tina A; McCord, Carly E

2018-06-25

Individuals living in rural areas die by suicide at higher rates than those living in metropolitan areas. Telemental health interventions provide rural residing individuals with access to needed care. Identifying telemental health clients at risk for suicide is an important task for clinicians and policymakers. This study evaluated to what degree rural status and other demographic variables predicted suicide ideation in clients seeking services at a telemental health clinic. Study participants included 457 low-income clients residing in the medically underserved, geographically diverse Brazos Valley region of Texas. Clients completed the patient health questionnaire during their initial counseling appointment, which assessed depression severity and suicide ideation in the 2 weeks prior to assessment. Suicide ideation was common among telemental health clients, with approximately 40% of clients in all demographic groups reporting some recent thoughts of suicide. Rates of suicide ideation did not significantly differ by geographic designation (ie, rural/metropolitan status), gender, or race/ethnicity. However, depression was a strong predictor of recent suicide ideation. Telemental health programs can effectively connect clinicians with rural residing clients who are otherwise isolated from health care services. However, clinicians working in high-need, historically underserved areas should be prepared to encounter a high prevalence of suicide ideation and depression. In these regions, clinical and diagnostic features may be better indicators of suicide ideation than demographic variables. © 2018 National Rural Health Association.

[Effect of the sociodemographic, occupational, organisational and environmental variables on the duration of temporary sick leave in Spain].

PubMed

Villaplana García, María; Sáez Navarro, Concepción; Meseguer de Pedro, Mariano; García-Izquierdo, Mariano

2015-02-01

This study examines the relationship, and relevance of the effect between the duration of the cases of temporary sick leave, as an indicator of absenteeism, and several characteristics (sociodemographic, labor, organizational and the environment) of workers covered by the Social Security System in Spain. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 598,988 processes, between 15 and 365days. The relationships between length of absence, and several characteristics such as demographic, sociodemographic, occupational, organizational and environment characteristics were determined (using P values). The mean duration for each of the features is described, and the size effect is calculated to estimate the importance of the relationships found. There were significant relationships between the duration of temporary sick leave and several demographic characteristics (gender, age, nationality and length of service), occupational (wages, type of contract), organizational (economic sector, activity and size company), the environmental (region, state) characteristics. The age also showed a significant size effect (rxy=.134), especially after age 44. Only age had a significance effect on the duration of work absence, although there was also a relationship with the rest of the demographic, occupational and work environment characteristics. There was also evidence of a cross-effects between the variables, which could cause errors in interpreting the results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and correlates of cognitive impairment in kidney transplant recipients.

PubMed

Gupta, Aditi; Mahnken, Jonathan D; Johnson, David K; Thomas, Tashra S; Subramaniam, Dipti; Polshak, Tyler; Gani, Imran; John Chen, G; Burns, Jeffrey M; Sarnak, Mark J

2017-05-12

There is a high prevalence of cognitive impairment in dialysis patients. The prevalence of cognitive impairment after kidney transplantation is unknown. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Single center study of prevalent kidney transplant recipients from a transplant clinic in a large academic center. Assessment of cognition using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Demographic and clinical variables associated with cognitive impairment were also examined. Outcomes and Measurements: a) Prevalence of cognitive impairment defined by a MoCA score of <26. b) Multivariable linear and logistic regression to examine the association of demographic and clinical factors with cognitive impairment. Data from 226 patients were analyzed. Mean (SD) age was 54 (13.4) years, 73% were white, 60% were male, 37% had diabetes, 58% had an education level of college or above, and the mean (SD) time since kidney transplant was 3.4 (4.1) years. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 58.0%. Multivariable linear regression demonstrated that older age, male gender and absence of diabetes were associated with lower MoCA scores (p < 0.01 for all). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was not associated with level of cognition. The logistic regression analysis confirmed the association of older age with cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is common in prevalent kidney transplant recipients, at a younger age compared to general population, and is associated with certain demographic variables, but not level of eGFR.

Hope in newly diagnosed cancer patients.

PubMed

Duggleby, Wendy; Ghosh, Sunita; Cooper, Dan; Dwernychuk, Lynne

2013-11-01

Hope is important to cancer patients as it helps them deal with their diagnosis. Little is known about hope in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Based on the Transcending Possibilities conceptual model of hope, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of hope with pain, energy, and psychological and demographic characteristics in newly diagnosed adult oncology outpatients. Data from 310 New Patient Assessment Forms from cancer outpatients' health records were collected. Health records from the first six months of 2009 were reviewed and data were collected on hope, energy, pain, depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and demographic variables. A generalized linear modeling approach was used to study the relationship of hope scores with these variables. Hypothesized variables and variables that were significant at the P = 0.01 level from the univariate analysis were entered into the multivariate model, with hope scores as the dependent variable. Hope scores were significantly negatively related to age (P = 0.02). More specifically, oncology patients who were 65 years of age or older had significantly less hope than those under the age of 65 years (P = 0.01). Gender (P = 0.009) also was a significant factor, with men having higher hope scores than women. No other variables were significant. Older adults comprise the majority of persons in Canada with cancer. The lower hope scores found in this age group compared with their younger counterparts underscore the importance of further research. This study provides a foundation for future research in this important area for oncology patients. Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender and Parenthood (American Sociological Association, 1983 Presidential Address).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi, Alice S.

1984-01-01

Examines demographic trends relevant to change in gender and parenting roles. Reviews gender differences in parenting in traditional and nontraditional family arrangements. Examines current social explanations of gender differences in parenting, and argues for a model drawing on bio-evolutionary theory and the neurosciences. (CMG)

PREDICTING RECIDIVISM FOR RELEASED STATE PRISON OFFENDERS

PubMed Central

Stahler, Gerald J.; Mennis, Jeremy; Belenko, Steven; Welsh, Wayne N.; Hiller, Matthew L.; Zajac, Gary

2013-01-01

We examined the influence of individual and neighborhood characteristics and spatial contagion in predicting reincarceration on a sample of 5,354 released Pennsylvania state prisoners. Independent variables included demographic characteristics, offense type, drug involvement, various neighborhood variables (e.g., concentrated disadvantage, residential mobility), and spatial contagion (i.e., proximity to others who become reincarcerated). Using geographic information systems (GIS) and logistic regression modeling, our results showed that the likelihood of reincarceration was increased with male gender, drug involvement, offense type, and living in areas with high rates of recidivism. Older offenders and those convicted of violent or drug offenses were less likely to be reincarcerated. For violent offenders, drug involvement, age, and spatial contagion were particular risk factors for reincarceration. None of the neighborhood environment variables were associated with increased risk of reincarceration. Reentry programs need to particularly address substance abuse issues of ex-offenders as well as take into consideration their residential locations. PMID:24443612

Psychosexual Correlates of Sexual Double Standard Endorsement in Adolescent Sexuality.

PubMed

Emmerink, Peggy M J; Vanwesenbeeck, Ine; van den Eijnden, Regina J J M; Ter Bogt, Tom F M

2016-01-01

Endorsement and enactment of the (hetero)sexual double standard (SDS), prescribing sexual modesty for girls and sexual prowess for boys, has been shown to be negatively related to sexual and mental health. To be able to challenge the SDS, more insight is needed into the conditions that shape gendered sexual attitudes. A survey was conducted among 465 heterosexual adolescents (aged 16-20 years), examining the relationship between a number of relevant demographic and psychosexual variables and SDS endorsement. SDS endorsement was assessed using a newly developed instrument, the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards Among Youth (SASSY). Gender (being male) and religiousness were significantly associated with increased SDS endorsement. For both boys and girls, increased feelings of entitlement to self-induced sexual pleasure (e.g., masturbation) were significantly associated with reduced SDS endorsement, whereas higher gender investment was significantly associated with increased SDS endorsement. Furthermore, increased feelings of entitlement to partner-induced sexual pleasure and more frequent talking about sexuality with peers were associated with increased SDS endorsement among boys but not among girls. We conclude that future research should explore peer influence processes through peer communication about sex, gender investment, and feelings of entitlement to both self and partner-induced sexual pleasure.

"Not to intrude": a Danish perspective on gender and class in nineteenth-century dairying.

PubMed

Fink, Deborah

2009-01-01

This study follows the thread of gender divisions in dairying in Denmark and the American Midwest in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Gender organization of dairying shifted at this time in diverse European and North American contexts. As agriculture mechanized and production scale increased, access to advanced education and international markets became critical. Women, who had been in the forefront of the development of dairying, ceded their leadership to men as these changes occurred. While some scholars see this shift as a strategic loss for women, this study finds that variables of class, marital status, rural demographics, and alternative occupations mediated the rural women's experience of change. Not all women experienced the change as a loss. The question of which women were invested in dairying is critical to understanding the course of change. Increasingly, middle-class farm women were turning away from the hard work of dairying and investing themselves in new ways in the upward mobility of their family farms. Rural life shaped distinct gender patterns in European and American history, and the rural experience shaped the larger trajectory of women's economic and political evolution, even though few rural women were involved in the organized women's movement.

Gender as a prognostic factor and its impact on the incidence of multiple sclerosis in Lorraine, France.

PubMed

Debouverie, M

2009-11-15

We sought to identify (a) the change of incidence rates among gender from 1990 to 2002 from the LORSEP (Lorraine Multiple Sclerosis) population-based cohort, and (b) the role of gender as a predictive demographic factor of disability during the initial course of the disease among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The incidence rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Lorraine, France, have significantly increased in women, but not in men, from 1990 to 2002 but this increase in incidence of MS was not related to a better ascertainment of patients with mild disability. A total of 2871 MS patients were analyzed. For relapsing-remitting (RR) patients, a multivariate analysis showed that a shorter time to the assignment of an EDSS score of 3 and 4 was associated with the late onset MS, incomplete recovery from the first relapse and a high number of relapses during the first 5 years after the MS onset. Median times were not influenced by gender or by time between the first two relapses. The data were very different for the time between the assignment of scores of 4 and 6, since the median times were not influenced by any of the predicting variables.

Sexual Orientation and Risk of Pregnancy Among New York City High-School Students.

PubMed

Lindley, Lisa L; Walsemann, Katrina M

2015-07-01

We examined associations between sexual orientation and pregnancy risk among sexually experienced New York City high-school students. We analyzed data from 2005, 2007, and 2009 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. We excluded students who had never engaged in sexual intercourse, only had same-gender sexual partners, or had missing data on variables of interest, resulting in a final sample of 4892 female and 4811 male students. We employed multivariable logistic regression to examine pregnancy risk by sexual orientation, measured as self-reported sexual identity and gender of sexual partners, with adjustment for demographics and sexual behaviors. We stratified analyses by gender. Overall, 14.3% of female and 10.8% of male students had experienced a pregnancy. Students who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or reported both male and female sexual partners had higher odds of pregnancy than heterosexual students or students who only had opposite-gender sexual partners. Sexual behaviors accounted for higher odds of pregnancy among female, but only partially accounted for higher odds of pregnancy involvement among male, sexual-minority students. Sexual orientation should be considered in future adolescent pregnancy-prevention efforts, including the design of pregnancy-prevention interventions.

Sexual Orientation and Risk of Pregnancy Among New York City High-School Students

PubMed Central

Walsemann, Katrina M.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We examined associations between sexual orientation and pregnancy risk among sexually experienced New York City high-school students. Methods. We analyzed data from 2005, 2007, and 2009 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. We excluded students who had never engaged in sexual intercourse, only had same-gender sexual partners, or had missing data on variables of interest, resulting in a final sample of 4892 female and 4811 male students. We employed multivariable logistic regression to examine pregnancy risk by sexual orientation, measured as self-reported sexual identity and gender of sexual partners, with adjustment for demographics and sexual behaviors. We stratified analyses by gender. Results. Overall, 14.3% of female and 10.8% of male students had experienced a pregnancy. Students who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or reported both male and female sexual partners had higher odds of pregnancy than heterosexual students or students who only had opposite-gender sexual partners. Sexual behaviors accounted for higher odds of pregnancy among female, but only partially accounted for higher odds of pregnancy involvement among male, sexual-minority students. Conclusions. Sexual orientation should be considered in future adolescent pregnancy-prevention efforts, including the design of pregnancy-prevention interventions. PMID:25973807

Gender differences and demographic influences in perceived concern for driver safety and support for impaired driving countermeasures.

PubMed

Butters, Jennifer; Mann, Robert E; Wickens, Christine M; Boase, Paul

2012-12-01

Driving safety, impaired driving, and legislation to address these concerns remain important issues. It is imperative countermeasures be targeted toward the most appropriate groups. This paper explores the potential relationship between gender and driving attitudes toward safety issues and impaired-driving countermeasures. The data are from the 2007 Impaired Driving Survey commissioned by Transport Canada and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada. The survey is a, stratified by region, telephone survey of 1,514 Canadian drivers 18years of age and older with a valid driver's license who had driven within the past 30days. The findings illustrate a consistent impact of gender on these issues. Other variables were also identified as relevant factors although less consistently. Current findings suggest that strategies for building support for interventions, or for changing risk perception/concern for risky driving behaviors should be tailored by gender to maximize the potential for behavior change. This information may assist program and policy developers through the identification of more or less receptive target groups. Future research directions are also presented. Copyright © 2012 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient Preference for Physician Gender in the Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Nolen, Haley A.; Moore, Justin Xavier; Rodgers, Joel B.; Wang, Henry E.; Walter, Lauren A.

2016-01-01

Despite historical gender bias against female physicians, few studies have investigated patients’ physician gender preference in the emergency department (ED) setting. We sought to determine if there is an association between ED patient demographics and physician gender preference. We surveyed patients presenting to an ED to determine association between patient demographics and patient physician gender preference for five ED situations: 1) ‘routine’ visit, 2) emergency visit, 3) ‘sensitive’ medical visit, 4) minor surgical/‘procedural’ visit, and 5) ‘bad news’ delivery. A total of 200 ED patients were surveyed. The majority of ED patients reported no physician gender preference for ‘routine’ visits (89.5 percent), ‘emergent’ visits (89 percent), ‘sensitive’ medical visits (59 percent), ‘procedural’ visits (89 percent) or when receiving ‘bad news’ (82 percent). In the setting of ‘routine’ visits and ‘sensitive’ medical visits, there was a propensity for same-sex physician preference. PMID:27354840

Gender Differences and Correlated Factors of Heroin Use Among Heroin Users.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaobo; Yi, Zhihua; Yang, Xiaorong; Wang, Zhuo; Lyu, Xianxiang; Li, Jing

2017-01-02

Gender differences in illicit drug use are becoming increasingly recognized. However, there are few studies concerning differences between male and female heroin users in China. The study aimed to explore gender differences in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, drug-related behaviors, and treatment history among a heroin-using population in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four cities in December 2013. A total of 788 participants were recruited from several types of sites in each city: compulsory detoxification centers, methadone maintenance treatment clinics, and detention facilities. The data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire. Analysis of variance, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine gender differences in socio-demographic characteristics, drug-related behaviors, and treatment history. Female heroin users were more likely to be unemployed, have more education, and use heroin with their spouse/companion (p <.05). Male heroin users were more likely to be in detention facilities and MMT clinics, and relapse when they felt hopeless (p <.05). Conclusions/Importance: Although there were some similarities between male and female heroin users, significant gender differences do exist in some aspects of socio-demographic characteristics and heroin use. The data provide evidence that interventions aimed at preventing the initiation of heroin use and reducing relapse should take gender into account.

[Epidemiology of urolithiasis in Spain: Review of published demographic data in the period 1977-2016.

PubMed

Sánchez-Martín, Francisco María; Angerri, Oriol; Emiliani, Esteban; Moncada, Enver; Carpio, José; Millán, Félix; Villavicencio, Humberto

2017-03-01

Epidemiological data on urolithiasis in Spain have appeared in publications especially local and regional level, with few referrals to Spanish national territory. The aim of this paper is to review and systematize the epidemiological data published on urolithiasis in Spain. We reviewed publications in national and international scientific journals, meetings and conferences, and research reports (1977-2016). PubMed search (indexed papers) and manual bibliography search (not indexed works) were performed. Bibliometric data evaluated: Year of publication, geographic area, number of cases, sample type, study design and publishing format. Demographic systematization of data: age, age and frequency distribution by gender, family history, social stratum, profession, place of residence, ethnics, seasonality and dietary habits. Publications revised: 79 corresponding to 56 main authors. Selected publications with original data: 42 (2 composed by Part I and II, and 2 composed by paper and thesis), corresponding to 35 authors. Bibliometric and demographic data of all publications are displayed in tables, sorted by variables. The comprehensive review of studies on epidemiology in Spain constitutes a solid basis for future research about epidemiology of urolithiasis.

The effect of manager exclusion on nurse turnover intention and care quality.

PubMed

Cottingham, Marci D; Erickson, Rebecca J; Diefendorff, James M; Bromley, Gail

2013-09-01

Little is known about how exclusionary practices (i.e., ignored, ostracized) by managers differ across demographics and influence nursing outcomes. This study examines whether managerial exclusion varies by generation, race, and gender, and the extent to which these variables, in turn, relate to turnover intention and perceived patient care among a sample of 747 nurses working in hospitals in a midwestern health system. Exclusion did not differ across most demographic groups, though men reported less exclusion than women. Younger nurses of the Millennial generation, those feeling excluded, and those with fewer years of experience reported lower quality patient care. Managerial exclusion, being a nurse of color, and less experience were associated with stronger intentions to leave. Nursing leaders should attend to factors that may contribute to racial minorities seeking other jobs, diminish younger nurses' ability to provide high-quality care, and minimize practices that might lead nurses to feel excluded.

[Association between the risk of major depression and low physical activity in peruvian workers studying in universities].

PubMed

Murillo-Pérez, Luis; Rojas-Adrianzén, Carolay; Ramos-Torres, Gabriela; Cárdenas-Vicente, Bryan; Hernández-Fernández, Wendy; Larco-Castilla, Piero; Haro-García, Luis; Mezones-Holguín, Edward

2014-01-01

In order to assess if an association exists between the risk of major depression (RMD) and physical activity (PA), controlling for demographic and academic variables in workers enrolled in undergraduate studies at a private university in Lima, Peru, we carried out a cross-sectional study of 1,111 people. We used the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to measure RMD and PA, respectively. RMD prevalence was 4.2%. In the multiple regression model adjusted for age, gender, unemployment and hours of sleep, low levels of PA were associated with increased odds of RDM (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.16 to 4.00). We conclude that there is an association between RMD and PA in the study population, independent of demographic and academics factors. Strategies to improve screening and development of longitudinal studies to assess causality are suggested.

Relevance of spirituality for people with mental illness attending consumer-centered services.

PubMed

Bellamy, Chyrell D; Jarrett, Nicole C; Mowbray, Orion; MacFarlane, Peter; Mowbray, Carol T; Holter, Mark C

2007-01-01

Spirituality has been cited in the literature as having a positive effect on mental health outcomes. This paper explores the relationship of spirituality to demographic, psychiatric illness history and psychological constructs for people with mental illness (N=1835) involved in consumer-centered services (CCS-Clubhouses and Consumer run drop-in centers). Descriptive statistics indicate that spirituality is important for at least two thirds of the members in the study. Members primarily indicated participation in public spiritual activities (i.e., church, bible study groups), followed by private activities (prayer, reading the bible, and meditation) (both of which were centered on belief in the transcendent). A logistic regression analysis was done to explore variables related to spirituality (i.e., demographics, psychiatric illness history, and psychological constructs). Results suggest that age, gender, having psychotic symptoms, having depressive symptoms, and having a higher global quality of life, hope and sense of community were all significant correlates of spirituality.

Gender Difference in Health-Care Expenditure: Evidence from India Human Development Survey

PubMed Central

Saikia, Nandita; Moradhvaj; Bora, Jayanta Kumar

2016-01-01

Background While the gender disparity in health and mortality in various stages of life in India is well documented, there is limited evidence on female disadvantage in health-care expenditure (HCE). Aims Examine the gender difference in HCE in short-term and major morbidity in India, and understand the role of factors underlying the difference. Data and Methods Using two rounds of nationally representative panel data—the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2004–2005 and 2011–2012 (IHDS I & II)—we calculate morbidity prevalence rate and mean HCE by gender, and examine the adjusted effect of gender on major morbidity-related HCE by using a two-part regression model. Further, we performed Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the gender gap in HCE in major morbidity to understand the contribution of demographic and socio-economic factors. Results Health-care expenditure on females was systematically lower than on males across all demographic and socio-economic groups. Multivariate analysis confirms that female HCE is significantly lower than male HCE even after controlling demographic and socio-economic factors (β = -0.148, p = 0.000, CI:-0.206–0.091). For both short-term and major morbidity, a female disadvantage on HCE increased from IHDS I to IHDS II. For instance, the male–female gap in major morbidity related expenditure increased from INR 1298 to INR 4172. A decomposition analysis of gender gap in HCE demonstrates that about 48% of the gap is attributable to differences in demographic and socio-economic factors (endowment effect), whereas 50% of the gap is due to the differential effect of the determinants (coefficient effect). Interpretation Indians spend less on female health care than on male health care. Most of the gender gap in HCE is not due to differential distribution of factors affecting HCE. PMID:27391322

Differentiating suicide ideators from attempters: violence--a research note.

PubMed

Stack, Steven

2014-02-01

Which factors distinguish suicide attempters from suicide ideators is a relatively neglected question in suicidology. Data from the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, encompassing 1,439 youth suicide ideators and 1,097 attempters, was used to explore which factors best differentiate suicide attempters from ideators, with a focus on violence involvement. Measures of violence include the contexts of fights, dating, and weapons carrying. Controls were incorporated for psychiatric disorders, risky sexual behavior, school integration, and demographics. Controlling for the other variables, violence differentiated attempts from ideation: fighting (OR = 2.18) and weapon carrying (OR = 1.13). Psychiatric factors that predicted attempts over ideation included major depression (OR = 1.86), use of cocaine (OR = 2.34), and having a suicide plan (OR = 2.69), while demographic factors included gender, age, residence in the Midwest, and Hispanic, African American, or Asian ethnicity. A supplementary analysis (N = 11,546) determined that violence also helped to differentiate suicide ideators from nonsuicidal youth. Four factors (including violence involvement, eating disorders, and gender consistently) differentiated both between suicide attempts and ideation, and also between suicide ideators and nonsuicidal youth. The link between violence involvement and suicidality is interpreted in terms of the capability for suicide from the interpersonal theory of suicide. © 2013 The American Association of Suicidology.

Learning Disabilities and Emotional Intelligence.

PubMed

Zysberg, Leehu; Kasler, Jon

2017-07-04

The literature is conflicted around the subject of the emotional abilities of individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs): While many claim cognitive challenges are associated with emotional difficulties, some suggest emotional and interpersonal abilities are not compromised in such disorders and may help individuals compensate and cope effectively with the challenges they meet in learning environments. Two studies explored differences in emotional intelligence (EI) between young adults with and without SLD. Two samples (matched on gender, approximate age, and program of study; n = 100, and unmatched; n = 584) of college students took self-report and performance-based tests of EI (Ability-EI) as well as a measure of self-esteem and demographics associated with college performance (e.g.: SAT scores, gender, etc.). The results showed that while SAT scores and ability emotional intelligence (Ability-EI) were associated with college GPA, Ability-EI did not differ between the two groups, while self-report measures of EI and self-esteem did show differences, with the group with learning disabilities ranking lower. The effects remained stable when we controlled for demographics and potential intervening factors. The results suggest that EI may play a protective role in the association between background variables and college attainment in students with SLD. The results may provide a basis for interventions to empower students with SLD in academia.

Predictors of unmet needs and psychological distress in adolescent and young adult siblings of people diagnosed with cancer.

PubMed

McDonald, F E J; Patterson, P; White, K J; Butow, P; Bell, M L

2015-03-01

Predictors of psychological distress and unmet needs amongst adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who have a brother or sister diagnosed with cancer were examined. There were 106 AYAs (12-24 years old) who completed questionnaires covering demographics, psychological distress (Kessler 10), unmet needs (Sibling Cancer Needs Instrument) and family relationships (Family Relationship Index; Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire; Sibling Perception Questionnaire (SPQ)). Three models were analysed (demographic variables, cancer-specific variables and family functioning variables) using multiple linear regression to determine the role of the variables in predicting psychological distress and unmet needs. Unmet needs were higher for AYA siblings when treatment was current or a relapse had occurred. Higher scores on the SPQ-Interpersonal subscale indicating a perceived decrease in the quality of relationships with parents and others were associated with higher levels of distress and unmet needs. The age and gender of the AYA sibling, whether it was their brother or sister who was diagnosed with cancer, the age difference between them, the number of parents living with the AYA sibling, parental birth country, time since diagnosis, Family Relationship Index, Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and the SPQ-Communication subscale did not significantly impact outcome variables. These results highlight the variables that can assist in identifying AYA siblings of cancer patients who are at risk and have a greater need for psychosocial assistance. Variables that may be associated with increased distress and unmet needs are reported to assist with future research. The results are also useful in informing the development of targeted psychosocial support for AYA siblings of cancer patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The demography of aging in the industrializing portion of the Pacific rim: a case for gender justice.

PubMed

Cowart, M E; Serow, W J

1995-05-01

The authors examine the impact of probable future trends in demographic aging on women's roles in the newly industrializing countries of the Pacific Rim (in Southeastern and east Asia). They also suggest that women will in all probability be expected to cope with additional household and family responsibilities due to demographic aging at a time when they are trying to change gender status and improve gender equity, and that these growing responsibilities could severely handicap women's efforts to play a larger role in the economy and in policy making.

Contextual variables associated with psychosocial adjustment of adolescents.

PubMed

Sbicigo, Juliana Burges; Dell'Aglio, Débora Dalbosco

2013-01-01

This study investigated associations of contextual variables of risk (stressful events and exposure to community violence), variables of protection (family environment, connectivity to the school and community perceptions) and demographic variables (gender and age) with indicators of psychosocial adjustment (self-esteem, involvement in illegal activities and alcohol use in past month) among adolescents. The participants were 685 students (61.5% girls) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 15.10, SD = 1.52) of public schools in southern Brazil. They answered a questionnaire with 77 questions and an inventory for assessment of family relationships. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the negative perception of family environment, poor connectivity to the school and exposure to community violence were associated with low self-esteem. Involvement in illegal activities was associated with low connectivity to school, stressful events, exposure to community violence and male sex. Finally, alcohol use/month was associated with negative perception of the community, community violence, stressful events, and particularly at the ages of 15-16 years.

Footprints in the Sand: Personal, Psychological, and Relational Profiles of Religious, Spiritual, and Atheist LGB Individuals.

PubMed

Foster, Aasha B; Brewster, Melanie E; Velez, Brandon L; Eklund, Austin; Keum, Brian T

2017-01-01

The present study offers a comparison of the demographic features and lived experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals with religious, spiritual, or atheist (R/S/A) belief systems. In this sample of 212 participants, the relationship of participants' R/S/A beliefs to personal variables (e.g., age, gender, race), mental health variables (e.g., life satisfaction, psychological distress, internalized heterosexism, self-esteem), and relational variables (e.g., outness, connection to LGBTQ communities) were assessed. Correlational analyses indicated that level of R/S/A belief was unrelated to self-esteem, life satisfaction, or psychological distress; however, greater religious belief was correlated positively and significantly with internalized heterosexism and outness as LGB. To test the interactions of R/S/A beliefs and categorical variables of interest (e.g., race), log-linear analyses with follow-up chi-square tests were conducted. Findings suggested more similarities than differences for LGB people across R/S/A systems of belief. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Demographics, behavior problems, and psychosexual characteristics of adolescents with gender identity disorder or transvestic fetishism.

PubMed

Zucker, Kenneth J; Bradley, Susan J; Owen-Anderson, Allison; Kibblewhite, Sarah J; Wood, Hayley; Singh, Devita; Choi, Kathryn

2012-01-01

This study provided a descriptive and quantitative comparative analysis of data from an assessment protocol for adolescents referred clinically for gender identity disorder (n = 192; 105 boys, 87 girls) or transvestic fetishism (n = 137, all boys). The protocol included information on demographics, behavior problems, and psychosexual measures. Gender identity disorder and transvestic fetishism youth had high rates of general behavior problems and poor peer relations. On the psychosexual measures, gender identity disorder patients had considerably greater cross-gender behavior and gender dysphoria than did transvestic fetishism youth and other control youth. Male gender identity disorder patients classified as having a nonhomosexual sexual orientation (in relation to birth sex) reported more indicators of transvestic fetishism than did male gender identity disorder patients classified as having a homosexual sexual orientation (in relation to birth sex). The percentage of transvestic fetishism youth and male gender identity disorder patients with a nonhomosexual sexual orientation self-reported similar degrees of behaviors pertaining to transvestic fetishism. Last, male and female gender identity disorder patients with a homosexual sexual orientation had more recalled cross-gender behavior during childhood and more concurrent cross-gender behavior and gender dysphoria than did patients with a nonhomosexual sexual orientation. The authors discuss the clinical utility of their assessment protocol.

The social location of heavy episodic alcohol consumption in the Victorian population.

PubMed

Matthews, Sharon; Dietze, Paul; Room, Robin; Chikritzhs, Tanya; Jolley, Damien

2013-03-01

To examine heavy episodic drinking across demographic subgroups to identify where heavy episodic drinking is socially located in an Australian state. Cross-sectional survey, 2483 adult Victorians using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. Two measures of heavy drinking were used: (i) heavy episodic drinking-more than five standard drinks at least weekly; and (ii) typically heavy drinking-50% or more of all drinking occasions involving consumption of 5+ standard drinks. Associations between heavy episodic drinking and eight potential sociodemographic correlates (gender, age, education, income, marital status, ethnic origin, religion and geographical remoteness) were examined. There were few significant correlates of heavy episodic drinking apart from gender and age, once gender and age were controlled. Men were more likely to report heavy episodic drinking than women, but this was attenuated in the measure of typically heavy drinking, suggesting that women reporting heavy episodic drinking were more likely to typically drink that much when they drank. Younger people were more likely to report weekly heavy episodic drinking and more likely to report engaging in this pattern on at least half of their drinking occasions, and this was also true for those unmarried or in de facto relationships. Those of Asian background were less likely to report heavy drinking. In multivariate analysis, the remaining sociodemographic variables were largely unrelated to the drinking measures. The study clearly shows that the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking varies particularly across gender and age groups in Victoria. These variations appear to hold across key sociodemographic variables such as income and education. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Help-seeking intention for depression in early adolescents: Associated factors and sex differences.

PubMed

Ando, Shuntaro; Nishida, Atsushi; Usami, Satoshi; Koike, Shinsuke; Yamasaki, Syudo; Kanata, Sho; Fujikawa, Shinya; Furukawa, Toshiaki A; Fukuda, Masato; Sawyer, Susan M; Hiraiwa-Hasegawa, Mariko; Kasai, Kiyoto

2018-06-07

Seeking help from others is an essential behavioural intention for humans to adapt to the social environment. Transgenerational and gender-related mechanisms of how this intention is shaped is an important but unresolved question in adolescent development. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the factors promoting or inhibiting intention to seek help for depression in 10-year-olds, including transgenerational factors, and to investigate the sex differences in the effect of these factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a community of 4478 10-year-old children and their parents using self-report questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The dependent variable was intention of seeking help for depression, which was assessed using a depression case vignette. Independent variables were demographic, psychological, and transgenerational/social factors including depressive symptoms, psychotic-like symptoms, tendency to help classmates, and parents' help-seeking intention. Girls were more likely to seek help than boys. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that factors promoting help-seeking intention included the recognition of a need for help, emotional openness, tendency to help classmates, parents' positive intention of seeking help for depression, and the number of people to consult. The inhibiting factors included depressive symptoms, psychotic-like symptoms, and gender norms regarding problem solving. Gender norms inhibited intention of seeking help for depression more strongly in boys than in girls. Parents' and children's help-seeking intention were correlated to each other. Actions should be considered against gender norms presuming that boys should solve their own problems. Further, these actions should target adults as much as adolescents. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

India’s Distorted Sex Ratio: Dire Consequences for Girls

PubMed Central

Roberts, Lisa R.; Montgomery, Susanne B.

2017-01-01

Female gender discrimination related to cultural preference for males is a common global problem, especially in Asian countries. Numerous laws intended to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender have been passed in India, yet the distorted female-to-male sex ratio seems to show worsening tendencies. Using detailed, two-year longitudinal chart abstraction data about delivery records of a private mission hospital in rural India, we explored if hospital birth ratio data differed in comparison to regional data, and what demographic and contextual variables may have influenced these outcomes. Using quantitative chart abstraction and qualitative contextual data, study results showed the female-to-male ratio was lower than the reported state ratio at birth. In the context of India’s patriarchal structure, with its strong son preference, women are under tremendous pressure or coerced to access community-based, sex-selective identification and female fetus abortion. Nurses may be key to turning the tide. PMID:28286369

Inventory of pediatric neurology "manpower" in Canada.

PubMed

Keene, Daniel L; Humphreys, Peter

2005-08-01

To review the demographics and workload characteristics of pediatric neurology in Canada. A standardized survey questionnaire was mailed out to practicing pediatric neurologists in Canada in 2001. Variables examined were age, gender, hours on call, regular hours worked per week, type of practice and projected changes in practice over next five to ten years. Results were compared to the 1994 Pediatric Neurology Manpower Survey which had used the same survey instrument. Fifty-six (70%) pediatric neurologists practicing in Canada returned the survey. As was the case in 1994, no significant differences in workload were found based on age or gender. The average age of the practicing pediatric neurologist in 2001 was 51 years compared to 45 years in 1994. The proportion of physicians over 55 years in 2001 was 35% compared to 25% in 1994. Pediatric neurology in Canada is an aging specialty needing a significant recruitment of new members

Evaluation of natural sounds in urban greenery: potential impact for urban nature preservation

PubMed Central

Knez, I.; Ode Sang, Å.; Gunnarsson, B.

2017-01-01

Most humans now live in cities and their main experience of nature is through urban greenery. An increasing number of studies show the importance of urban green spaces for well-being, although most of them are based on visual perception. A questionnaire examining people's evaluations of natural sounds was answered by 1326 individuals living near one of six urban green areas of varying naturalness in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. Women and the elderly reported greater calmness when hearing bird song and rustling leaves (and placed a higher importance on the richness of bird species) than did men, younger and middle-aged individuals. Independent of age and gender, urban woodlands (high naturalness) had higher evaluations than parks (low naturalness). Our results suggest that to increase positive experiences of urban green areas, demographic variables of gender and age should be taken into account, and settings that mimic nature should be prioritized in planning. PMID:28386456

[Factors associated with participation in sports and physical education among students from Londrina, Paraná State, Brazil].

PubMed

Coledam, Diogo Henrique Constantino; Ferraiol, Philippe Fanelli; Pires Junior, Raymundo; dos-Santos, Júlio Wilson; Oliveira, Arli Ramos de

2014-03-01

This study aimed to analyze factors associated with participation in sports and physical education. The sample consisted of 827 young people selected in two stages and stratified by neighborhood of Londrina, Paraná State, Brazil. The study analyzed participation in sports and physical education in relation to socio-demographic, behavioral, and environmental variables. Factors associated with participation in physical education included: male gender, age (10-13 years), equal to high self-rated physical activity, participation in sports, moving around during classes, and having classes on the court. Factors associated with participation in sports were male gender, age (10-13 years), equal to high self-rated physical activity, physical activity (≥ 7 hours/week), participation in physical education, having ≥ 10 friends, participation in sports with friends, and frequency using facilities for sports practice. These factors should be considered in programs to encourage sports and participation in physical education.

An empirical study of the influence of demographic variable on the choice criteria for assisted living facilities.

PubMed

O'Bryan, D; Clow, K E; O'Bryan, J; Kurtz, D

1996-01-01

Despite the growth and prevalence of assisted-living facilities, empirical marketing research for these facilities is scarce. The objectives of this study were to determine the relative importance of three sets of evaluation criteria in the initial selection of an assisted-living facility, and determine whether the relative importance of these three sets of criteria differed by gender, marital status, level of household, age, or income of the consumer. Survey responses from 279 households indicates that primary service criteria are relatively more important than facilities amenities or organized social activities in the initial selection of an assisted-living facility. The relative importance of the choice criteria differed markedly by gender of the consumer, but marital status, level of household income, and age of the consumer did not have as great an impact on consumers' choice criteria.

Radiologist Uncertainty and the Interpretation of Screening

PubMed Central

Carney, Patricia A.; Elmore, Joann G.; Abraham, Linn A.; Gerrity, Martha S.; Hendrick, R. Edward; Taplin, Stephen H.; Barlow, William E.; Cutter, Gary R.; Poplack, Steven P.; D’Orsi, Carl J.

2011-01-01

Objective To determine radiologists’ reactions to uncertainty when interpreting mammography and the extent to which radiologist uncertainty explains variability in interpretive performance. Methods The authors used a mailed survey to assess demographic and clinical characteristics of radiologists and reactions to uncertainty associated with practice. Responses were linked to radiologists’ actual interpretive performance data obtained from 3 regionally located mammography registries. Results More than 180 radiologists were eligible to participate, and 139 consented for a response rate of 76.8%. Radiologist gender, more years interpreting, and higher volume were associated with lower uncertainty scores. Positive predictive value, recall rates, and specificity were more affected by reactions to uncertainty than sensitivity or negative predictive value; however, none of these relationships was statistically significant. Conclusion Certain practice factors, such as gender and years of interpretive experience, affect uncertainty scores. Radiologists’ reactions to uncertainty do not appear to affect interpretive performance. PMID:15155014

India's Distorted Sex Ratio: Dire Consequences for Girls.

PubMed

Roberts, Lisa R; Montgomery, Susanne B

2016-01-01

Female gender discrimination related to cultural preference for males is a common global problem, especially in Asian countries. Numerous laws intended to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender have been passed in India, yet the distorted female-to-male sex ratio seems to show worsening tendencies. Using detailed, two-year longitudinal chart abstraction data about delivery records of a private mission hospital in rural India, we explored if hospital birth ratio data differed in comparison to regional data, and what demographic and contextual variables may have influenced these outcomes. Using quantitative chart abstraction and qualitative contextual data, study results showed the female-to-male ratio was lower than the reported state ratio at birth. In the context of India's patriarchal structure, with its strong son preference, women are under tremendous pressure or coerced to access community-based, sex-selective identification and female fetus abortion. Nurses may be key to turning the tide.

Prevalence of obesity and factors associated with it in a worksite setting in Malaysia.

PubMed

Cheong, Siew Man; Kandiah, Mirnalini; Chinna, Karuthan; Chan, Yoke Mun; Saad, Hazizi Abu

2010-12-01

Socio-economic status, lifestyle behaviors, and psychosocial factors have been implicated in the development of overweight and obesity. This study aims to observe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in an academic worksite and to examine the possible association between variables such as socio-economic characteristics, work factors, psychosocial factors, and weight control behaviors and obesity. In this study, the target population were full-time academic and non-academic staff. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were computed to determine obesity. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic factors, work related factors, psychosocial factors, and weight control behaviors. Data were obtained on 367 adults of whom 39.2% were males and 60.8% females. Overweight was seen in 31.9% of males and 26.5% of females while 16.1% of them were obese, irrespective of gender. Central obesity was noted in about 37% of males and 39% of females. The results showed that socio-demographic factors (age, gender, and education) and psychosocial factors (perceived health status, body weight perception, and weight-control goals) were significantly associated with BMI. Working hours were also significantly associated with BMI. However, weight control practices (diet-control practices and physical activity practices) were not significantly associated with BMI. In conclusion, this study found a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among employees of a selected public university in comparison to the general population. Socio-demographic, psychosocial factors, and working hours were found to contribute to obesity in this sample of adults.

South African medical schools: Current state of selection criteria and medical students' demographic profile.

PubMed

van der Merwe, L J; van Zyl, G J; St Clair Gibson, A; Viljoen, M; Iputo, J E; Mammen, M; Chitha, W; Perez, A M; Hartman, N; Fonn, S; Green-Thompson, L; Ayo-Ysuf, O A; Botha, G C; Manning, D; Botha, S J; Hift, R; Retief, P; van Heerden, B B; Volmink, J

2015-12-16

Selection of medical students at South African (SA) medical schools must promote equitable and fair access to students from all population groups, while ensuring optimal student throughput and success, and training future healthcare practitioners who will fulfil the needs of the local society. In keeping with international practices, a variety of academic and non-academic measures are used to select applicants for medical training programmes in SA medical schools. To provide an overview of the selection procedures used by all eight medical schools in SA, and the student demographics (race and gender) at these medical schools, and to determine to what extent collective practices are achieving the goals of student diversity and inclusivity. A retrospective, quantitative, descriptive study design was used. All eight medical schools in SA provided information regarding selection criteria, selection procedures, and student demographics (race and gender). Descriptive analysis of data was done by calculating frequencies and percentages of the variables measured. Medical schools in SA make use of academic and non-academic criteria in their selection processes. The latter include indices of socioeconomic disadvantage. Most undergraduate medical students in SA are black (38.7%), followed by white (33.0%), coloured (13.4%) and Indian/Asian (13.6%). The majority of students are female (62.2%). The number of black students is still proportionately lower than in the general population, while other groups are overrepresented. Selection policies for undergraduate medical programmes aimed at redress should be continued and further refined, along with the provision of support to ensure student success.

The intensity and correlates of the feelings of loneliness in people with psychosis.

PubMed

Chrostek, A; Grygiel, P; Anczewska, M; Wciórka, J; Świtaj, P

2016-10-01

Loneliness is an established risk factor for numerous negative health outcomes. The aims of the present study were to compare the levels of loneliness between patients with psychotic disorders and members of the general population and to identify factors independently associated with loneliness in psychosis. A total of 207 patients with psychotic disorders recruited between February 2013 and February 2015 from inpatient and day wards and an outpatient clinic of the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (IPN) in Warsaw (Poland) were included in this cross-sectional study. They were administered the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) and a set of instruments assessing three types of explanatory variables: socio-demographic, psychosocial and psychiatric (clinical). The comparison group was a random sample of 20,000 inhabitants of Poland who took part in the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS-PL) conducted in 2011. The two groups were matched for socio-demographic characteristics. The patient sample proved to be significantly lonelier than the general population sample. The higher level of loneliness in people with psychotic disorders was most strongly related to psychosocial factors, particularly more severe internalized stigma and lesser social support, followed by worse interpersonal competence and smaller social network. After adjusting for socio-demographic and psychosocial variables, the only clinical variable significantly associated with more intense feelings of loneliness turned out to be the greater number of psychiatric inpatient admissions. The findings did not lend support to the view that socio-demographics play a major role in explaining variation in loneliness in psychosis. People with psychotic disorders are predisposed to experiencing elevated levels of loneliness. To counteract the pernicious effects of this on their health and well-being, there is a need for comprehensive therapeutic programs targeting self-stigma, enhancing social support networks and improving social skills. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patterns of gender equality at workplaces and psychological distress.

PubMed

Elwér, Sofia; Harryson, Lisa; Bolin, Malin; Hammarström, Anne

2013-01-01

Research in the field of occupational health often uses a risk factor approach which has been criticized by feminist researchers for not considering the combination of many different variables that are at play simultaneously. To overcome this shortcoming this study aims to identify patterns of gender equality at workplaces and to investigate how these patterns are associated with psychological distress. Questionnaire data from the Northern Swedish Cohort (n = 715) have been analysed and supplemented with register data about the participants' workplaces. The register data were used to create gender equality indicators of women/men ratios of number of employees, educational level, salary and parental leave. Cluster analysis was used to identify patterns of gender equality at the workplaces. Differences in psychological distress between the clusters were analysed by chi-square test and logistic regression analyses, adjusting for individual socio-demographics and previous psychological distress. The cluster analysis resulted in six distinctive clusters with different patterns of gender equality at the workplaces that were associated to psychological distress for women but not for men. For women the highest odds of psychological distress was found on traditionally gender unequal workplaces. The lowest overall occurrence of psychological distress as well as same occurrence for women and men was found on the most gender equal workplaces. The results from this study support the convergence hypothesis as gender equality at the workplace does not only relate to better mental health for women, but also more similar occurrence of mental ill-health between women and men. This study highlights the importance of utilizing a multidimensional view of gender equality to understand its association to health outcomes. Health policies need to consider gender equality at the workplace level as a social determinant of health that is of importance for reducing differences in health outcomes for women and men.

Relation of type 2 diabetes mellitus with gender, education, and marital status in an Iranian urban population.

PubMed

Rahmanian, Karamatollah; Shojaei, Mohammad; Sotoodeh Jahromi, Abdolreza

2013-04-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors. This study was performed to assess the relationship of diabetes with gender, education, and marital status in an Iranian urban population. A total of 892 men and women aged 30-85 were recruited using a cluster-stratified sampling method from an urban population. Using a questionnaire, demographical data including gender, education, and marital status were collected. A blood sample after fasting for at least eight hours was collected from each subject. Associations of type 2 diabetes mellitus and studied variables were tested for significance. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 11.6%; 11.1% in men and 12.1% in women with no significant difference between them. Diabetes mellitus was most prevalent in the oldest age (age more than 60 years, 22.9%) and low education groups (17.9%, P < 0.001). Marital status was not significantly related to diabetes mellitus (P= 0.37). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is related to education within the Iranian population. Thus preventive strategies should be based on the affective factors.

Peer victimization and academic adjustment among early adolescents: moderation by gender and mediation by perceived classmate support.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Iannotti, Ronald J; Luk, Jeremy W

2011-07-01

This study examined the moderating role of gender and the mediating role of perceived peer support in the association between peer victimization and academic adjustment. Data were obtained from adolescents in grades 7 and 8 in the US 2005/2006 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study (N = 3436; mean age = 13.6 years). The magnitude of correlation between victimization and academic adjustment was -.155 for males and -.337 for females. After controlling for the socio-demographic variables, victimization had a significantly stronger influence on academic adjustment in females than in males. For both genders, perceived classmate support was negatively associated with peer victimization and positively associated with academic adjustment. Classmate support mediated the association between victimization and academic adjustment in males and was a partial mediator for females. These results provide support for efforts reducing victimization of female adolescents and fostering peer support in the school setting. © Published 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Gender differences in sex-related alcohol expectancies in young adults from a peri-urban area in Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Gálvez-Buccollini, Juan A; Paz-Soldán, Valerie A; Herrera, Phabiola M; DeLea, Suzanne; Gilman, Robert H

2009-06-01

To estimate the effect of sex-related alcohol expectancies (SRAE) on hazardous drinking prevalence and examine gender differences in reporting SRAE. Trained research assistants administered part of a questionnaire to 393 men and 400 women between 18 and 30 years old from a peri-urban shantytown in Lima, Peru. The remaining questions were self-administered. Two measuring instruments-one testing for hazardous drinking and one for SRAE-were used. Multivariate data analysis was performed using logistic regression. Based on odds ratios adjusted for socio-demographic variables (age, marital status, education, and employment status) (n = 793), men with one or two SRAE and men with three or more SRAE were 2.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-3.8; p = 0.001) and 3.9 (95% CI = 2.1-7.3; p < 0.001) times more likely than men with no SRAE, respectively, to be hazardous drinkers. Reporting of SRAE was significantly higher in men versus women. In a shantytown in Lima, SRAE is associated with hazardous drinking among men, but not among women, and reporting of SRAE differs by gender.

The Stroop color-word test: influence of age, sex, and education; and normative data for a large sample across the adult age range.

PubMed

Van der Elst, Wim; Van Boxtel, Martin P J; Van Breukelen, Gerard J P; Jolles, Jelle

2006-03-01

The Stroop Color-Word Test was administered to 1,856 cognitively screened, healthy Dutch speaking participants aged 24 to 81 years. The effects of age, gender, and education on Stroop test performance were investigated to adequately stratify the normative data. The results showed that especially the speed-dependent Stroop scores (time to complete a subtest), rather than the accuracy measures (the errors made per Stroop sub-task), were profoundly affected by the demographic variables. In addition to the main effects of the demographic variables, an Age Low Level of Education interaction was found for the Error III and the Stroop Interference scores. This suggests that executive function, as measured by the Stroop test, declines with age and that the decline is more pronounced in people with a low level of education. This is consistent with the reserve hypothesis of brain aging (i.e., that education generates reserve capacity against the damaging effects of aging on brain functions). Normative Stroop data were established using both a regression-based and traditional approach, and the appropriateness of both methods for generating normative data is discussed.

Predictors of subjective well-being among college youth in Lebanon.

PubMed

Ayyash-Abdo, Huda; Alamuddin, Rayane

2007-06-01

The authors investigated the prevalence and predictors of subjective well-being (SWB) in a particular Middle Eastern culture: that of Lebanon. The authors examined personality constructs of self-esteem, optimism, and positive affect in relation to SWB. The authors surveyed a sample of 689 individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 by using four instruments with established cross-cultural validity: (a) the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; E. Diener, R. Emmons, R. J. Larsen, & S. Griffin, 1985), (b) the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; D. Watson, L. A. Clark, & A. Tellegen, 1988), (c) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; M. Rosenberg, 1965), and (d) the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; M. F. Scheier, C. S. Carver, & M. W. Bridges, 1994). The results indicated that college youth's SWB was positively correlated with self-esteem, optimism, and positive affect. Examining the demographic variable of gender, the authors found that men had higher scores on positive affect than did women. A trend emerged that suggested that language dominance and socioeconomic status were associated with SWB levels. The results suggest that internal personality constructs are more predictive of satisfaction with life than are demographic variables.

Management of orthodontic emergencies in primary care - self-reported confidence of general dental practitioners.

PubMed

Popat, H; Thomas, K; Farnell, D J J

2016-07-08

Objective To determine general dental practitioners' (GDPs) confidence in managing orthodontic emergencies.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Primary dental care.Subjects and methods An online survey was distributed to dentists practicing in Wales. The survey collected basic demographic information and included descriptions of ten common orthodontic emergency scenarios.Main outcome measure Respondents' self-reported confidence in managing the orthodontic emergency scenarios on a 5-point Likert scale. Differences between the Likert responses and the demographic variables were investigated using chi-squared tests.Results The median number of orthodontic emergencies encountered by respondents over the previous six months was 1. Overall, the self-reported confidence of respondents was high with 7 of the 10 scenarios presented scoring a median of 4 indicating that GDPs were 'confident' in their management. Statistical analysis revealed that GDPs who saw more orthodontic emergencies in the previous six months were more confident when managing the presented scenarios. Other variables such as age, gender, geographic location of practice and number of years practising dentistry were not associated with self-reported confidence.Conclusions Despite GDPs encountering very few orthodontic emergencies in primary care, they appear to be confident in dealing with commonly arising orthodontic emergency situations.

Prediction of the Dimensions of the Spiritual Well-Being of Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran: The Roles of Demographic Variables.

PubMed

Ziapour, Arash; Khatony, Alireza; Jafari, Faranak; Kianipour, Neda

2017-07-01

Spiritual well-being is one of the aspects of well-being which organize the physical, psychological, and social aspects. Given the outstanding and unique roles of students in society, providing spiritual well-being as well as identifying and eliminating the negative factors affecting their mental well-being are of the essence. The present study aimed to predict the dimensions of the spiritual well-being of students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and to investigate the roles of demographic variables in this respect. In this descriptive and correlational study, the statistical population was comprised of 346 doctoral students in the for-profit Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceuticals in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2016. For data collection, an instrument comprising the demographic questions and the 20-item spiritual well-being scale by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) was utilized. To analyze data, the descriptive (frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and chi-squared test) were employed in the SPSS Statistics Software Version 21.0. The results of the present study demonstrated that the spiritual well-being of students was average (71.86±4.84), and of all demographic variables under study, only the variable of gender significantly correlated with the mean score of spiritual well-being. Also, the results revealed that the students' score of religious well-being measured higher than that of their existential well-being. However, a significant correlation was found between spiritual well-being and its dimensions. Also, the religious and existential well-being were found to be significantly related (p<0.05). The results of the present study showed the significance of addressing the issue of spirituality among the students of the for-profit Schools at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriate plans be laid by the culture and education policy makers to promote the spiritual well-being of university students.

Prediction of the Dimensions of the Spiritual Well-Being of Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran: The Roles of Demographic Variables

PubMed Central

Ziapour, Arash; Jafari, Faranak; Kianipour, Neda

2017-01-01

Introduction Spiritual well-being is one of the aspects of well-being which organize the physical, psychological, and social aspects. Given the outstanding and unique roles of students in society, providing spiritual well-being as well as identifying and eliminating the negative factors affecting their mental well-being are of the essence. Aim The present study aimed to predict the dimensions of the spiritual well-being of students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and to investigate the roles of demographic variables in this respect. Materials and Methods In this descriptive and correlational study, the statistical population was comprised of 346 doctoral students in the for-profit Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceuticals in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2016. For data collection, an instrument comprising the demographic questions and the 20-item spiritual well-being scale by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) was utilized. To analyze data, the descriptive (frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and chi-squared test) were employed in the SPSS Statistics Software Version 21.0. Results The results of the present study demonstrated that the spiritual well-being of students was average (71.86±4.84), and of all demographic variables under study, only the variable of gender significantly correlated with the mean score of spiritual well-being. Also, the results revealed that the students’ score of religious well-being measured higher than that of their existential well-being. However, a significant correlation was found between spiritual well-being and its dimensions. Also, the religious and existential well-being were found to be significantly related (p<0.05). Conclusion The results of the present study showed the significance of addressing the issue of spirituality among the students of the for-profit Schools at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriate plans be laid by the culture and education policy makers to promote the spiritual well-being of university students. PMID:28893021

Gender by Preferred Gambling Activity in Treatment Seeking Problem Gamblers: A Comparison of Subgroup Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes.

PubMed

Khanbhai, Yasmin; Smith, David; Battersby, Malcolm

2017-03-01

Problem gambling is a growing public health concern and treatment incompletion levels remain high. The study aims to support and extend previous studies in relation to the heterogeneity of the gambling population based on gender and gambling type, and the implications of subgroup differences on treatment outcomes. Additionally, the concept of drop-out is addressed in terms of categorical treatment measures. The empirical findings are examined in the context of the theoretical framework of the pathways model. Participants were recruited from the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service and stratified into subgroups based on gender and gambling mode preference [Electronic Gambling Machines (EGM) or track race betters]. Baseline predictors collected and analysed using multinomial logistical regression included demographic information as well as gambling variables, while treatment outcomes consisted of three therapist rated measures. Significant differences between the subgroups were found for age, marital and employment status, gambling duration, alcohol use and the Kessler 10 measure of psychological distress. Specifically, male track race gamblers were younger, married, employed, had a longer duration of gambling, higher alcohol use and lower psychological distress relative to EGM users. No difference was found in any of the treatment outcomes, however, consistent with previous studies, all subgroups had high treatment incompletion levels. The findings demonstrate the importance of screening, assessing and treating problem gamblers as a heterogeneous group with different underlying demographics and psychopathologies. It is also hoped future studies will continue to address treatment incompletion with a re-conceptualisation of the term drop-out.

Validity and Reliability of the 8-Item Work Limitations Questionnaire.

PubMed

Walker, Timothy J; Tullar, Jessica M; Diamond, Pamela M; Kohl, Harold W; Amick, Benjamin C

2017-12-01

Purpose To evaluate factorial validity, scale reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the 8-item Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) among employees from a public university system. Methods A secondary analysis using de-identified data from employees who completed an annual Health Assessment between the years 2009-2015 tested research aims. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 10,165) tested the latent structure of the 8-item WLQ. Scale reliability was determined using a CFA-based approach while test-retest reliability was determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Convergent/discriminant validity was tested by evaluating relations between the 8-item WLQ with health/performance variables for convergent validity (health-related work performance, number of chronic conditions, and general health) and demographic variables for discriminant validity (gender and institution type). Results A 1-factor model with three correlated residuals demonstrated excellent model fit (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03, and SRMR = 0.01). The scale reliability was acceptable (0.69, 95% CI 0.68-0.70) and the test-retest reliability was very good (ICC = 0.78). Low-to-moderate associations were observed between the 8-item WLQ and the health/performance variables while weak associations were observed between the demographic variables. Conclusions The 8-item WLQ demonstrated sufficient reliability and validity among employees from a public university system. Results suggest the 8-item WLQ is a usable alternative for studies when the more comprehensive 25-item WLQ is not available.

PREDICTORS OF COMPUTER USE IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING ETHNICALLY DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS

PubMed Central

Werner, Julie M.; Carlson, Mike; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice; Clark, Florence

2011-01-01

Objective In this study we analyzed self-reported computer use, demographic variables, psychosocial variables, and health and well-being variables collected from 460 ethnically diverse, community-dwelling elders in order to investigate the relationship computer use has with demographics, well-being and other key psychosocial variables in older adults. Background Although younger elders with more education, those who employ active coping strategies, or those who are low in anxiety levels are thought to use computers at higher rates than others, previous research has produced mixed or inconclusive results regarding ethnic, gender, and psychological factors, or has concentrated on computer-specific psychological factors only (e.g., computer anxiety). Few such studies have employed large sample sizes or have focused on ethnically diverse populations of community-dwelling elders. Method With a large number of overlapping predictors, zero-order analysis alone is poorly equipped to identify variables that are independently associated with computer use. Accordingly, both zero-order and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlates of two types of computer use: email and general computer use. Results Results indicate that younger age, greater level of education, non-Hispanic ethnicity, behaviorally active coping style, general physical health, and role-related emotional health each independently predicted computer usage. Conclusion Study findings highlight differences in computer usage, especially in regard to Hispanic ethnicity and specific health and well-being factors. Application Potential applications of this research include future intervention studies, individualized computer-based activity programming, or customizable software and user interface design for older adults responsive to a variety of personal characteristics and capabilities. PMID:22046718

Predictors of computer use in community-dwelling, ethnically diverse older adults.

PubMed

Werner, Julie M; Carlson, Mike; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice; Clark, Florence

2011-10-01

In this study, we analyzed self-reported computer use, demographic variables, psychosocial variables, and health and well-being variables collected from 460 ethnically diverse, community-dwelling elders to investigate the relationship computer use has with demographics, well-being, and other key psychosocial variables in older adults. Although younger elders with more education, those who employ active coping strategies, or those who are low in anxiety levels are thought to use computers at higher rates than do others, previous research has produced mixed or inconclusive results regarding ethnic, gender, and psychological factors or has concentrated on computer-specific psychological factors only (e.g., computer anxiety). Few such studies have employed large sample sizes or have focused on ethnically diverse populations of community-dwelling elders. With a large number of overlapping predictors, zero-order analysis alone is poorly equipped to identify variables that are independently associated with computer use. Accordingly, both zero-order and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlates of two types of computer use: e-mail and general computer use. Results indicate that younger age, greater level of education, non-Hispanic ethnicity, behaviorally active coping style, general physical health, and role-related emotional health each independently predicted computer usage. Study findings highlight differences in computer usage, especially in regard to Hispanic ethnicity and specific health and well-being factors. Potential applications of this research include future intervention studies, individualized computer-based activity programming, or customizable software and user interface design for older adults responsive to a variety of personal characteristics and capabilities.

Spirituality and Religiousness are Associated With Fewer Depressive Symptoms in Individuals With Medical Conditions.

PubMed

Lucette, Aurelie; Ironson, Gail; Pargament, Kenneth I; Krause, Neal

2016-01-01

The increased prevalence of depressive symptoms among adults diagnosed with chronic health issues has been largely documented. Research is needed to clarify the effect of religiousness/spirituality in relation to chronic health conditions and depression, to establish whether these variables can serve as protective factors. Self-report data from a nationwide study of spirituality and health were used. Individuals with at least 1 chronic illness (N = 1696) formed the subsample for this study. Religiousness/spirituality variables included frequency of church attendance, prayer, religious meaning, religious hope, general meaning, general hope, peace, and view of God. Other variables included depressive symptoms and demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, and education). A series of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that chronic conditions were consistently associated with more depressive symptoms. Greater religiousness/spirituality was significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms, contributing 16% of the variance above demographics and the number of chronic illnesses. The religiousness/spirituality variables conferring the greatest protection against depression were psychospiritual variables (general meaning and general hope, followed by peace). Also significant but making a smaller contribution to less depression were church attendance, religious meaning, religious hope, and positive view of God. Only prayer did not relate significantly to less depression. Maintaining a sense of spirituality or religiousness can benefit well-being of individuals diagnosed with a chronic health condition, especially having meaning, maintaining hope, and having a sense of peace. Patients could potentially benefit from being offered the resources that support their spiritual/religious practices and beliefs as they cope with chronic illness. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

U.S. Department of Education Chapter of Blacks In Government (BIG) Report: The Status of the African American Workforce at the U.S. Department of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Wanda E.

2012-01-01

The report includes racial and gender demographic data at the Department of Education [ED] during the Obama administration at the SES [Senior Executive Service] and specific grade levels for Pay period 11 in the year 2012. The report compares this racial and gender demographic data with a pay period towards the end of the George W. Bush…

Genotype 3 is the predominant hepatitis C genotype in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Malaysia.

PubMed

Ho, Shiaw-Hooi; Ng, Kee-Peng; Kaur, Harvinder; Goh, Khean-Lee

2015-06-01

Genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are distributed differently across the world. There is a paucity of such data in a multi-ethnic Asian population like Malaysia. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of HCV genotypes between major ethnic groups and to ascertain their association with basic demographic variables like age and gender. This was a cross-sectional prospective study conducted from September 2007 to September 2013. Consecutive patients who were detected to have anti-HCV antibodies in the University of Malaya Medical Centre were included and tested for the presence of HCV RNA using Roche Cobas Amplicor Analyzer and HCV genotype using Roche single Linear Array HCV Genotyping strip. Five hundred and ninety-six subjects were found to have positive anti-HCV antibodies during this period of time. However, only 396 (66.4%) were HCV RNA positive and included in the final analysis. Our results showed that HCV genotype 3 was the predominant genotype with overall frequency of 61.9% followed by genotypes 1 (35.9%), 2 (1.8%) and 6 (0.5%). There was a slightly higher prevalence of HCV genotype 3 among the Malays when compared to the Chinese (P=0.043). No other statistical significant differences were observed in the distribution of HCV genotypes among the major ethnic groups. There was also no association between the predominant genotypes and basic demographic variables. In a multi-ethnic Asian society in Malaysia, genotype 3 is the predominant genotype among all the major ethnic groups with genotype 1 as the second commonest genotype. Both genotypes 2 and 6 are uncommon. Neither genotype 4 nor 5 was detected. There is no identification of HCV genotype according to ethnic origin, age and gender.

Emergency Department Referrals for Adolescent Urgent Psychiatric Consultation: Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Repeat-presentations and Single-presentation.

PubMed

Roberts, Nasreen; Nesdole, Robert; Hu, Tina

2018-01-01

a) to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics of repeat-presentations to an adolescent urgent psychiatric clinic, and b) to compare them with single-time presentation. This 18-month retrospective study compared repeat-presenters to age and gender matched single-time presenters. Demographic variables included age gender and ethnicity. Clinical variables included reason for referral, family history, diagnosis, recommendations and compliance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, McNemar's Chi-square tests for matched pairs, and conditional logistic regression. Of 624 assessments 24% (N=151) were repeat-presentations. Compared with single-presentation, repeat-presentation group had a higher proportion of Aboriginal youth (X2 (1) = 108.28 p < 0.01), a higher proportion in special educational placement (X2 (1) = 6.82, p < 0.01), a higher proportion with a family history of anxiety disorders (X2 (1) = 10.62, p = 0.01) and substance use disorder (X2 (1) = 18.99, p < 0.01). Conditional logistic regression results suggested that repeat-presentation group had higher odds of past hospital admission (OR: 3.50, p < 0.01) higher odds of family history of mood disorders (OR: 4.86, p < 0.01) and of antisocial disorders (OR: 4.97, p = 0.02), and lower odds of recommendation compliance (OR: 0.10, p < 0.01). Repeat-presentations for urgent psychiatric consultation constitute a quarter of referrals to the urgent psychiatric clinic. Identifying and addressing factors that contribute to repeat-presentations may, assist in improving treatment compliance by ensuring focused interventions and service delivery for these youth. In turn, this will improve access to the limited urgent services for other youth.

The Relationships between Workaholism and Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Mark D.; Sinha, Rajita; Hetland, Jørn

2016-01-01

Despite the many number of studies examining workaholism, large-scale studies have been lacking. The present study utilized an open web-based cross-sectional survey assessing symptoms of psychiatric disorders and workaholism among 16,426 workers (Mage = 37.3 years, SD = 11.4, range = 16–75 years). Participants were administered the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, the Obsession-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, along with additional questions examining demographic and work-related variables. Correlations between workaholism and all psychiatric disorder symptoms were positive and significant. Workaholism comprised the dependent variable in a three-step linear multiple hierarchical regression analysis. Basic demographics (age, gender, relationship status, and education) explained 1.2% of the variance in workaholism, whereas work demographics (work status, position, sector, and annual income) explained an additional 5.4% of the variance. Age (inversely) and managerial positions (positively) were of most importance. The psychiatric symptoms (ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression) explained 17.0% of the variance. ADHD and anxiety contributed considerably. The prevalence rate of workaholism status was 7.8% of the present sample. In an adjusted logistic regression analysis, all psychiatric symptoms were positively associated with being a workaholic. The independent variables explained between 6.1% and 14.4% in total of the variance in workaholism cases. Although most effect sizes were relatively small, the study’s findings expand our understanding of possible psychiatric predictors of workaholism, and particularly shed new insight into the reality of adult ADHD in work life. The study’s implications, strengths, and shortcomings are also discussed. PMID:27192149

A cross-sectional exploration of the personality traits of dietitians.

PubMed

Ball, L; Eley, D S; Desbrow, B; Lee, P; Ferguson, M

2015-10-01

Personality traits refer to habitual patterns of behaviour, thought and emotions, and have been shown to influence health professionals' career decisions, career development, job satisfaction and retention. There is an opportunity to better understand and support the career pathways of dietitians by exploring their personality traits. The two primary aspects of personality are: (i) temperament traits, which determine automatic emotional responses to experiences, and are generally stable over lifetime, and (ii) character traits, which reflect personal goals and values, and tend to develop with life experience. The present study explored the levels of temperament and character traits of dietitians, as well as their relationship to demographic variables. The study comprised a cross-sectional online survey of 346 Australian dietitians [95% female; mean (SD) age 32 (10) years; mean (SD) time since graduation 7 (9) years]. Temperament and character traits were measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory. Key demographic variables were measured to describe career decisions and pathways of dietitians. Multivariate analyses of variance was used to investigate the relationship between demographic variables and personality traits. Levels of several traits were significantly associated with gender, age and highest level of education. In comparison to the general population, the dietitians displayed average levels of Novelty Seeking; high levels of Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Persistence, Self-Directedness and Cooperativeness; and low levels of Self-Transcendence. The dietitians in the present study displayed levels of personality traits that were similar to other health professionals, although they differed from the general population. These findings are the precursor to further work that may inform recruitment strategies and career counselling in dietetics. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Gender differences in treatment progress of drug-addicted patients.

PubMed

Fernández-Montalvo, Javier; López-Goñi, José J; Azanza, Paula; Arteaga, Alfonso; Cacho, Raúl

2017-03-01

The authors of this study explored the differences in treatment progress between men and women who were addicted to drugs. The differential rate of completion of/dropout from treatment in men and women with substance dependence was established. Moreover, comparisons between completers and dropouts, accounting for gender, were carried out for several variables related to treatment progress and clinical profile. A sample of 183 addicted patients (96 male and 87 female) who sought outpatient treatment between 2002 and 2006 was assessed. Information on socio-demographic, consumption, and associated characteristics was collected. A detailed tracking of each patient's progress was maintained for a minimum period of 8 years to assess treatment progression. The treatment dropout rate in the whole sample was 38.8%, with statistically significant differences between women (47.1%) and men (31.3%). Women who dropped out of treatment presented a more severe profile in most of the psychopathologic variables than women who completed it. Moreover, women who dropped out from treatment presented a more severe profile than men who dropped out. According to these results, drug-addicted women showed worse therapeutic progress than men with similar histories. Thus, women must be provided with additional targeted intervention to promote better treatment outcomes.

Prevalence of pulmonary edema among the deceased cases with acute Methadone poisoning: A report from Iran.

PubMed

Eizadi-Mood, Nastaran; Naeini, Seyed Amir Hossein Madani; Hedaiaty, Mahrang; Sabzghabaee, Ali Mohammad; Moudi, Maryam

2016-01-01

Methadone poisoning is common in our society, mainly in drug addicts. One of its lethal complications is pulmonary edema. Therefore, we evaluated the prevalence of pulmonary edema in the deceased cases with methadone poisoning and its possible relationship with some medical variables. In this cross-sectional study which was done in 2014, we have investigated the deceased patients with methadone toxicity who underwent autopsy at Isfahan Forensic Medicine Department (Iran). All variables including age, gender, and autopsy findings were recorded and analyzed. Demographic characteristics and medical complications of the patients were compared between the patients with or without pulmonary edema in the autopsy findings. There were 64 cases who died with methadone poisoning during the 1-year study period. The average age of cases (±standard deviation) was 32.1 ± 10.29 years, among which 92.2% were male. Based on the autopsy findings, 64.1% were diagnosed with pulmonary edema. There was no statistically significant relationship between pulmonary edema and age, gender, history of addiction, and hepatic or cardiovascular complications. Pulmonary edema is a common finding in deceased methadone poisoning cases and must be considered and ruled out in patients with acute methadone toxicity.

Dancing with Demographers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Heather-Jane

2000-01-01

Demographic projections concerning the shortage of teachers in Canada, their pay scale, the feminization of teaching, the gender gap in salaries, and teacher autonomy have often been incorrect, or correct for the wrong reasons. Instead of relying on demographic predictions, teachers should contemplate who they really want to be professionally,…

Individual differences affecting caffeine intake. Analysis of consumption behaviours for different times of day and caffeine sources.

PubMed

Penolazzi, Barbara; Natale, Vincenzo; Leone, Luigi; Russo, Paolo Maria

2012-06-01

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the individual variables contributing to determine the high variability in the consumption behaviours of caffeine, a psychoactive substance which is still poorly investigated in comparison with other drugs. The effects of a large set of specific personality traits (i.e., Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking, Anxiety, Reward Sensitivity and Circadian Preference) were compared along with some relevant socio-demographic variables (i.e., gender and age) and cigarette smoking behaviour. Analyses revealed that daily caffeine intake was significantly higher for males, older people, participants smoking more cigarettes and showing higher scores on Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking and a facet of Reward Sensitivity. However, more detailed analyses showed that different patterns of individual variables predicted caffeine consumption when the times of day and the caffeine sources were considered. The present results suggest that such detailed analyses are required to detect the critical predictive variables that could be obscured when only total caffeine intake during the entire day is considered. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individual and hospital-specific factors influencing medical graduates' time to medical specialization.

PubMed

Johannessen, Karl-Arne; Hagen, Terje P

2013-11-01

Previous studies of gender differences in relation to medical specialization have focused more on social variables than hospital-specific factors. In a multivariate analysis with extended Cox regression, we used register data for socio-demographic variables (gender, family and having a child born during the study period) together with hospital-specific variables (the amount of supervision available, efficiency pressure and the type of teaching hospital) to study the concurrent effect of these variables on specialty qualification among all 2474 Norwegian residents who began specialization in 1999-2001. We followed the residents until 2010. A lower proportion of women qualified for a specialty in the study period (67.9% compared with 78.7% of men, p < 0.001), and they took on average six months longer than men did to complete the specialization qualification (p < 0.01). Fewer women than men entered specialties providing emergency services and those with longer working hours, and women worked shorter hours than men in all specialties. Hospital factors were significant predictors for the timely attainment of specialization: working at university hospitals (regional) or central hospitals was associated with a reduction in the time taken to complete the specialization, whereas an increased patient load and less supervision had the opposite effect. Multivariate analysis showed that the smaller proportion of women who qualified for a specialty was explained principally by childbirth and by the number of children aged under 18 years. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insomnia Severity, Subjective Sleep Quality, and Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Veterans With Gulf War Illness.

PubMed

Chao, Linda L; Abadjian, Linda R; Esparza, Iva L; Reeb, Rosemary

2016-09-01

Despite the fact that sleep disturbances are common in veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI), there has been a paucity of published sleep studies in this veteran population to date. Therefore, the present study examined subjective sleep quality (assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), insomnia severity (assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index), and risk for obstructive sleep apnea (assessed with the STOP questionnaire) in 98 Gulf War veterans. Veterans with GWI, defined either by the Kansas or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, had greater risk for obstructive sleep apnea (i.e., higher STOP scores) than veterans without GWI. This difference persisted even after accounting for potentially confounding demographic (e.g., age, gender) and clinical variables. Veterans with GWI, defined by either the Kansas or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, also had significantly greater insomnia severity and poorer sleep quality than veterans without GWI (p < 0.05), even after accounting for potentially confounding variables. Furthermore, there were significant, positive correlations between insomnia severity, subjective sleep quality, and GWI symptom severity (p ≤ 0.01). In stepwise linear regression models, insomnia severity significantly predicted GWI status over and above demographic and clinical variables. Together these findings provide good rationale for treating sleep disturbances in the management of GWI. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Openness to experience is related to better memory ability in older adults with questionable dementia.

PubMed

Terry, Douglas P; Puente, Antonio N; Brown, Courtney L; Faraco, Carlos C; Miller, L Stephen

2013-01-01

The personality traits Openness to experience and Neuroticism of the five-factor model have previously been associated with memory performance in nondemented older adults, but this relationship has not been investigated in samples with memory impairment. Our examination of 50 community-dwelling older adults (29 cognitively intact; 21 with questionable dementia as determined by the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale) showed that demographic variables (age, years of education, gender, and estimated premorbid IQ) and current depressive symptoms explained a significant amount of variance of Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status Delayed Memory (adjusted R (2) = 0.23). After controlling for these variables, a measure of global cognitive status further explained a significant portion of variance in memory performance (ΔR(2) = 0.13; adjusted R(2) = 0.36; p < .01). Finally, adding Openness to this hierarchical linear regression model explained a significant additional portion of variance (ΔR(2) = 0.08; adjusted R(2) = 0.44; p < .01) but adding Neuroticism did not explain any additional variance. This significant relationship between Openness and better memory performance above and beyond one's cognitive status and demographic variables may suggest that a lifelong pattern of involvement in new cognitive activities could be preserved in old age or protect from memory decline. This study suggests that personality may be a powerful predictor of memory ability and clinically useful in this heterogeneous population.

Prevalence, Demographic Characteristics and Associated Risk Factors of Malnutrition Among 0-5 Aged Children: A Cross-Sectional Study From Van, Eastern Turkey.

PubMed

Kizilyildiz, Baran Serdar; Sönmez, Bülent; Karaman, Kamuran; Beger, Burhan; Mercen, Adnan; Alioglu, Süleyman; Cesur, Yasar

2016-11-17

Malnutrition in childhood is a dramatic indicator of poor socio-economical status worldwide. To recognize and reveal the socio-demographic features is crucial, especially for developing countries. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence and association with sociodemographic variables of malnutrition in 0-5 years old children in Van, Turkey. A total of 702 children are included in this cross-sectional study. Demographic features of subject including age, gender, family characteristics and other data were obtained. Nutritional assessment was done using anthropometric indices including weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height, head circumference and body mass index-for-age. Multivariate logistic regressions were carried out to assess malnutrition-associated factors. Prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting were 19.7, 17.7 and 16.2%, respectively. Socio-demographic variables that statistical significantly in association with malnutrition were low monthly family income, educational level and employment status of father, parental consanguinity, number of pregnancies, regular intake of vitamin D and history of prematurity. The prevalence of children with head circumference-z score ≤2SD and body mass index-for-age ≤2SD were 9.8 and 16.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis detected following risk factors for these indices; low monthly family income, history of prematurity, unemployed father and the period between pregnancies (1-2 years). We found that prevalence of malnutrition in the city of Van, was still higher than more developed regions of Turkey. The associated risk factors of malnutrition should be specifically interpreted by health professionals and also by government authorities that are responsible for making practical politics of public health.

The regular general practitioner and sickness absence--a register-based study.

PubMed

Winde, Lee; Haukenes, Inger; Hetlevik, Øystein; Gjesdal, Sturla

2013-01-08

Undertaking research on the role of regular GPs with regard to rates of sickness absence is methodologically challenging, and existing results show a wide divergence. We investigated how long-term sickness absence is affected by the characteristics of doctors and their patient lists. The study encompassed all those vocationally active residents of Oslo and Bergen in 2005-2006 who had the same regular GP throughout 2006 (N = 298,039). Encrypted data on sickness absence for each individual in 2006, as well their age, gender and level of education were merged with data on the regular GPs (N = 568) and their patient lists, and subsequently analysed with the aid of logistic regression. The outcome variable was at least one period of sickness absence which had been paid for by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NLWA). The explanatory variables included the age, gender, list length and list status (open/closed) of the regular GPs, as well as variables that characterised the composition of the patient lists. The analyses were stratified by gender and controlled for individual age and education. The age, gender and list length of the regular GPs were not associated with sickness absence paid for by the NLWA. The odds ratio for sickness absence > 16 days was reduced for both women and men when the list contained many highly educated patients, a high proportion of elderly people and few disability pensioners. Men on lists with a high proportion of men and lists with a high proportion of vocationally active patients also had lower odds rates for sickness absence > 16 days. Among women, the rate of sickness absence was lower for those on open lists than for those on closed lists. In addition to well-known individual factors, the study shows that the likelihood of sickness absence is affected by the socio-demographic composition of the patient list to which one belongs.

Few smokers in South Auckland access subsidised nicotine replacement therapy.

PubMed

Thornley, Simon; Jackson, Gary; McRobbie, Hayden; Sinclair, Siniva; Smith, James

2010-01-29

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a life-saving, cost-effective smoking cessation treatment that doubles the chances of long-term abstinence regardless of the amount of additional support provided. We investigate the proportion of working age people (age 15-64 years) in Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB) who obtained at least one packet of subsidised NRT during 2007, and whether this varied by demographic characteristics. We linked health data in residents of CMDHB aged 15 to 64, using a cross sectional method, to estimate the odds of Maori and Pacific ethnic groups with high smoking prevalence accessing subsidised NRT during 2007 using logistic regression. Demographic variables such as age, gender, other ethnic groups, and socioeconomic deprivation (NZdep) were also included. Subsidised NRT was infrequently (proportion of 'ever users' 0.5%/year, or about 2.1% of smokers) claimed for in CMDHB in 2007. When adjusted for demographic variables, Pacific peoples were 60% less likely to claim NRT than European (odds ratio 0.34; 95%CI 0.29-0.41), despite a higher prevalence of smoking in the former group. An over four-fold increased use of NRT was observed in those aged 55 to 64 years compared to 15 to 25 year olds. Dispensing of NRT is low overall in CMDHB. Lowest rates of treatment were observed in younger age groups, men and Pacific and Maori people. Programmes to increase uptake of such treatment in these groups are urgently needed.

Effects of demographic and health variables on Rasch scaled cognitive scores.

PubMed

Zelinski, Elizabeth M; Gilewski, Michael J

2003-08-01

To determine whether demographic and health variables interact to predict cognitive scores in Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest-Old (AHEAD), a representative survey of older Americans, as a test of the developmental discontinuity hypothesis. Rasch modeling procedures were used to rescale cognitive measures into interval scores, equating scales across measures, making it possible to compare predictor effects directly. Rasch scaling also reduces the likelihood of obtaining spurious interactions. Tasks included combined immediate and delayed recall, the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), Series 7, and an overall cognitive score. Demographic variables most strongly predicted performance on all scores, with health variables having smaller effects. Age interacted with both demographic and health variables, but patterns of effects varied. Demographic variables have strong effects on cognition. The developmental discontinuity hypothesis that health variables have stronger effects than demographic ones on cognition in older adults was not supported.

Risk factors and prevalence of burnout syndrome in the nursing profession.

PubMed

Cañadas-De la Fuente, Guillermo A; Vargas, Cristina; San Luis, Concepción; García, Inmaculada; Cañadas, Gustavo R; De la Fuente, Emilia I

2015-01-01

The burnout syndrome is beginning to be regarded as an occupational illness of high prevalence among nursing in Spain. Individuals suffering from the syndrome manifest important health problems. More information about prevalence and risk factors for burnout is needed to prevent the syndrome and to determine the most appropriate clinical interventions when the disorder appears. Burnout levels were evaluated in a group of nurses. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of burnout, to identify the variables related to burnout and to propose a risk profile for this syndrome among the nursing personnel. The study was carried out in public health centers in Andalusia (Spain). The sample consisted of 676 nursing professionals from public health centers. Dependent variables were the three Burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Independent variables were socio-demographic, organizational, personality-related variables. The nurses manifested average to high burnout levels. There were statistically significant differences in burnout levels associated with the following variables: age, gender, marital status, having children, level of healthcare, type of work shift, healthcare service areas and conducting administrative tasks. Burnout was also associated with personality-related variables. The prevalence of burnout among nursing professionals is high. Gender, age, marital status, level of healthcare, work shift and healthcare service areas predicted at least one of the dimensions of the syndrome. Neuroticism, agreeability, extraversion and conscientiousness are personality traits that predict at least two of the dimensions of burnout syndrome in nurses. Therefore, personality factors should be considered in any theory of risk profiles for developing burnout syndrome in the nursing profession. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Validity of Self-Rated Health with the Short Physical Performance Battery: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the International Mobility in Aging Study.

PubMed

Pérez-Zepeda, Mario U; Belanger, Emmanuelle; Zunzunegui, Maria-Victoria; Phillips, Susan; Ylli, Alban; Guralnik, Jack

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the validity of self-rated health across different populations of older adults, when compared to the Short Physical Performance Battery. Cross-sectional analysis of the International Mobility in Aging Study. Five locations: Saint-Hyacinthe and Kingston (Canada), Tirana (Albania), Manizales (Colombia), and Natal (Brazil). Older adults between 65 and 74 years old (n = 1,995). The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to measure physical performance. Self-rated health was assessed with one single five-point question. Linear trends between SPPB scores and self-rated health were tested separately for men and women at each of the five international study sites. Poor physical performance (independent variable) (SPPB less than 8) was used in logistic regression models of self-rated health (dependent variable), adjusting for potential covariates. All analyses were stratified by gender and site of origin. A significant linear association was found between the mean scores of the Short Physical Performance Battery and ordinal categories of self-rated health across research sites and gender groups. After extensive control for objective physical and mental health indicators and socio-demographic variables, these graded associations became non-significant in some research sites. These findings further confirm the validity of SRH as a measure of overall health status in older adults.

Predicting folic acid intake among college students.

PubMed

Lane, Susan H; Hines, Annette; Krowchuk, Heidi

2015-01-01

Annually in the United States, approximately 3,000 babies are born with neural tube defects (NTDs). Folic acid supplementation can reduce NTDs by 50% to 70%. Despite recommendations for folic acid intake, only 30% of women ages 18 to 24 report folic acid supplementation and 6% have knowledge of when to take folic acid. There is little information regarding lifestyle factors that correlate with consuming folic acid. The purpose was to describe folic acid consumption among college students; and explore the relationship between folic acid intake and the variables of: age, gender, year in college, alcohol and tobacco use, and vitamin supplement intake. This was a descriptive study with secondary analysis of data from 1,921 college-aged student participants in North Carolina who took part in a pretest/posttest-designed intervention to increase folic acid consumption and knowledge. Surveys included demographic, lifestyle, folic acid knowledge, and consumption questions adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention questionnaire. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Of the 1,921 college students, 83.3% reported taking a vitamin supplement, but only 47.6% stated that the vitamin contained folic acid. A relationship was found between age, year in school, gender, and vitamin intake. Lifestyle variables were not significant predictors of folic acid consumption. Identification of variables associated with folic acid intake, marketing, and education can be focused to increase supplementation levels, and ultimately reduce the number of NTDs.

Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with body mass index and body fat percentage among workers at six Connecticut manufacturing companies across different age groups: a cohort study.

PubMed

Garza, Jennifer L; Dugan, Alicia G; Faghri, Pouran D; Gorin, Amy A; Huedo-Medina, Tania B; Kenny, Anne M; Cherniack, Martin G; Cavallari, Jennifer M

2015-01-01

Effective workplace interventions that consider the multifactorial nature of obesity are needed to reduce and prevent obesity among adults. Furthermore, the factors associated with obesity may differ for workers across age groups. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with baseline and changes in body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) and among Connecticut manufacturing workers acrossage groups. BMI and BFPof 758 workers from six Connecticut manufacturing companies were objectively measuredat two time points approximately 36 months apart. Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors wereassessed via questionnaire. All variables were included in linear regression models to identify factors associated with baseline and changes in BMI and BFP for workers in 3 age groups: <45 years (35 %), 45-55 years (37 %), >55 years (28 %). There were differences in baseline and changes in BMI and BFP among manufacturing workers across age groups. Being interested in changing weight was significantly (p < 0.01) associated with higher baseline BMI and BFP across all age categories. Other factors associated with higher baseline BMI and BFP differed by age group and included: male gender (BMI p = 0.04), female gender (BFP p < 0.01), not having a college education (BMI p = 0.01, BFP p = 0.04), having childcare responsibilities (BMI p = 0.04), and working less overtime (p = 0.02) among workers in the <45 year age category, male gender (BMI p = 0.02), female gender (BFP p < 0.01) and reporting higher stress in general (BMI p = 0.04) among workers in the 45-55 year age category, and female gender (BFP p < 0.01) and job tenure (BFP p = 0.03) among workers in the >55 year age category. Few factors were associated with change in BMI or BFP across any age category. Among manufacturing workers, we identified associations between individual, health-related, and work-related factors and baseline BMIand BFP that differed by age. Such results support the use of strategies tailored to the challenges faced by workers in specific age groups rather than adopting a one size fits all approach. Effective interventions should consider a full range of individual, health-related, and work-related factors. More work must be done to identify factors or strategies associated with changes in obesity over time.

Holocaust cancer patients: a comparative study.

PubMed

Baider, L; Peretz, T; De-Nour, A K

1993-11-01

There is as yet no consensus on the long-term effects of severe life-threatening stresses. In an earlier study (Baider et al. 1992), we gained some understanding of this issue by addressing a specific question: How do individuals who have undergone severe stress in the past cope with a current stress? We investigated whether severe stress occurring in the past had a long-term effect on present coping capabilities. We addressed the question by studying a group of Holocaust survivors (severe past stress) who were diagnosed as having cancer (current stress) and compared them to a matched group of cancer patients with no past history of trauma. The matching was done on most demographic variables (gender, age, marital status, and education), as well as on disease variables (site and stage of cancer, time since cancer diagnosis, previous and present treatments). The results were unequivocal.

[The epidemiology of pharmacologically treated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the Region of Murcia, Spain: Differences by gender, age and location of residence].

PubMed

Sánchez Martínez, Diego Pablo; Guillén Pérez, José Jesús

2018-04-01

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most frequent disorder in childhood and adolescence, and is seen as a public health problem. The recommended treatment includes pharmacological and psychosocial treatment. The aim of this work was to study the changes in the prescribing of the medicines used in ADHD treatment in the Region of Murcia, as well as their socio-demographic variability. A retrospective observational study was conducted using the dispensing of medicines for ADHD treatment by means of prescription in the Region of Murcia from 2010 to 2014. The consumption rates were determined as defined daily doses (DDD) per thousand inhabitants/day (DHD), stratified by gender and age. The reasons for prevalence of treatment by gender were also determined by comparing male and female consumption rates. The consumption of medicines for ADHD treatment had almost doubled in the period studied, from 5.58 DHD and 3.39 DHD in 2010 to 9.34 DHD and 6.71 DHD in 2014, for the age range of 10-14 and 15-19, respectively. Boys from 10-14 showed the highest consumption rates, showing a high geographical variability with less consumption in rural areas. The results showed a large increase in the use of medicines for ADHD treatment in the Region of Murcia, although the consumption rates are still lower than in other Autonomous Communities or neighbouring countries. A wide geographical variability was found, with a higher consumption in adolescents from urban areas. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Psychosexual Correlates of Sexual Double Standard Endorsement in Adolescent Sexuality

PubMed Central

Emmerink, Peggy M. J.; Vanwesenbeeck, Ine; van den Eijnden, Regina J. J. M.; ter Bogt, Tom F. M.

2016-01-01

Endorsement and enactment of the (hetero)sexual double standard (SDS), prescribing sexual modesty for girls and sexual prowess for boys, has been shown to be negatively related to sexual and mental health. To be able to challenge the SDS, more insight is needed into the conditions that shape gendered sexual attitudes. A survey was conducted among 465 heterosexual adolescents (aged 16–20 years), examining the relationship between a number of relevant demographic and psychosexual variables and SDS endorsement. SDS endorsement was assessed using a newly developed instrument, the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards Among Youth (SASSY). Gender (being male) and religiousness were significantly associated with increased SDS endorsement. For both boys and girls, increased feelings of entitlement to self-induced sexual pleasure (e.g., masturbation) were significantly associated with reduced SDS endorsement, whereas higher gender investment was significantly associated with increased SDS endorsement. Furthermore, increased feelings of entitlement to partner-induced sexual pleasure and more frequent talking about sexuality with peers were associated with increased SDS endorsement among boys but not among girls. We conclude that future research should explore peer influence processes through peer communication about sex, gender investment, and feelings of entitlement to both self and partner-induced sexual pleasure. PMID:26327361

Gender differences in the associations between perceived environment and walking for recreation in Taiwanese adults.

PubMed

Liao, Yung; Lin, Cheng-Yi; Huang, Jing-Huei; Park, Jong-Hwan

2017-01-01

This study examined gender differences in the associations between perceived environmental factors and walking for recreation in Taiwanese adults. In 2014, a telephone-based, cross-sectional survey targeting Taiwanese adults (20-64 years) was conducted. Data on nine items about environmental perception, time spent in walking for recreation, and socio-demographic variables were obtained from 1,065 adults using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long version and its environmental module. Adults who perceived good aesthetics (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36-2.23) and reported seeing people being active (AOR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.21-2.06) were more likely to perform 150 minutes of recreational walking per week. Furthermore, significant interactions regarding walking for recreation were observed between gender and five environmental correlates: access to shops (p = .046), the presence of sidewalks (p < .001), access to recreational facilities (p = .02), seeing people being active (p = .001), and aesthetics (p < .001). These five perceived environmental factors were positively associated with recreational walking in women but not in men. Gender is a potential modifier between perceived environment and walking for recreation in adults. Perceived environmental factors appear to be more critical for women in performing health-enhancing levels of recreational walking than they are for men.

Smoking Cessation Outcomes Among Sexual and Gender Minority and Nonminority Smokers in Extended Smoking Treatments

PubMed Central

Humfleet, Gary L.; Delucchi, Kevin L.; Reus, Victor I.; Muñoz, Ricardo F.; Hall, Sharon M.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Sexual and gender minority individuals (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT]) have a higher smoking prevalence than nonminority individuals. There is limited evidence of smoking abstinence success in nontailored smoking treatments among LGBT smokers. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis comparing the efficacy of extended, nontailored treatments among sexual and gender minority and nonminority smokers. Data from two clinical trials were combined to increase power and generalizability of the findings. Trials began with 12 weeks of counseling, nicotine replacement, and bupropion, after which participants were randomized to an extended treatment. Results: Follow-up occurred at weeks 12, 24, 52, 64, and 104. Of the sample (n = 777), 17% identified as sexual and gender minority and 83% as nonminority. The sample was 75% non-Hispanic White, with 86% completing at least some college, and 68% were employed. Sexual and gender minorities were younger and indicated a greater desire to quit smoking than nonminority smokers. No other differences emerged on demographic, smoking, or mood variables. The average Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score was 4.8, and mean daily cigarettes was 19.8. The generalized estimating equations model revealed no significant differences in abstinence between sexual and gender minority smokers and nonminority smokers at all follow-up assessments. Conclusions: Sexual and gender minority smokers appear as likely to quit or abstain as nonminority smokers in extended, nontailored interventions. However, these findings may not generalize to other geographic areas, where access to treatment is limited or a higher stigma of sexual orientation exists. PMID:24727483

Gender differences in Reasons for Sickness Presenteeism - a study among GPs in a Swedish health care organization.

PubMed

Gustafsson Sendén, Marie; Schenck-Gustafsson, Karin; Fridner, Ann

2016-01-01

It is common that physicians go to work while sick and therefore it is important to understand the reasons behind. Previous research has shown that women and men differ in health and health related behavior. In this study, we examine gender differences among general practitioners who work while sick. General practitioners (GP's) working in outpatient care in a Swedish city participated in the study (n = 283; women = 63 %; response rate = 41 %). Data were obtained from a large web-based questionnaire about health and organization within primary care. Two questions about sickness presenteeism (going to work while sick) were included; life-long and during the past 12 months, and five questions about reasons. We controlled for general health, work-family conflict and demographic variables. Female physicians reported sickness presenteeism more often than male physicians. Work-family conflict mediated the association between gender and sickness presenteeism. Women reported reasons related with "concern for others" and "workload" more strongly than men. Men reported reasons related with "capacity" and "money" more strongly than women. These differences are likely effects of gender stereotyping and different family-responsibilities. Gender socialization and gender stereotypes may influence work and health-related behavior. Because sickness presenteeism is related with negative effects both on individuals and at organizational levels, it is important that managers of health organizations understand the reasons for this, and how gender roles may influence the prevalence of sickness presenteeism and the reasons that female and male GPs give for their behavior.

Police officers who commit suicide by cop: a clinical study with analysis.

PubMed

Arias, Elizabeth A; Schlesinger, Louis B; Pinizzotto, Anthony J; Davis, Edward F; Fava, Joanna L; Dewey, Lauren M

2008-11-01

Suicide by cop has become a familiar topic among members of law enforcement, mental health professionals, and the general public. This paper presents two cases where police officers chose to commit suicide by getting other police officers to kill them. The two police officers studied, by examination of closed case files, were found to be similar to civilians who committed suicide by cop on several demographic (gender, age, history of mental illness, and suicide attempts), and situational (stress factors, trigger) variables. The cases help us to understand possible motives and management for individuals who choose to end their life in this manner.

Academic dishonesty among nursing students: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Keçeci, Ayla; Bulduk, Serap; Oruç, Deniz; Çelik, Serpil

2011-09-01

This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to evaluate academic dishonesty among university nursing students in Turkey. The study's sample included 196 students. Two instruments were used for gathering data. The first instrument, a questionnaire, which included some socio-demographic variables (age, class, gender, education, family structure, parents' attitude and educators' attitude) formed the first part. The second part included the Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale developed by Eminoğlu and Nartgün. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Kruskall Wallis, One-way Anova, t- test and Mann-Whitney U test. It was found that academic dishonesty was at medium-level (2.60-3.39) in nursing students.

Relationship between self-confidence and sex role identity among managerial women and men.

PubMed

Chusmir, L H; Koberg, C S

1991-12-01

The self-confidence and sex role identities of 437 American female and male managers were examined by using three subscales of the Adjective Check List. Results showed that, contrary to stereotypes and older research, female and male managers were strikingly similar. Women and men with cross-sex role identities showed lower levels of self-confidence than those did with androgynous orientations; high self-confidence was linked with masculine and androgynous orientations. The managers were not significantly different in self-confidence when demographic variables and sex role identity were held constant. Sex role identity (but not gender) was a major factor in the level of self-confidence.

Gender interactions and success.

PubMed

Wiggins, Carla; Peterson, Teri

2004-01-01

Does gender by itself, or does gender's interaction with career variables, better explain the difference between women and men's careers in healthcare management? US healthcare managers were surveyed regarding career and personal experiences. Gender was statistically interacted with explanatory variables. Multiple regression with backwards selection systematically removed non-significant variables. All gender interaction variables were non-significant. Much of the literature proposes that work and career factors impact working women differently than working men. We find that while gender alone is a significant predictor of income, it does not significantly interact with other career variables.

Ethnic, Gender and Class Intersections in British Women's Leadership Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Showunmi, Victoria; Atewologun, Doyin; Bebbington, Diane

2016-01-01

A qualitative study was conducted to examine how gender and ethnicity influenced leadership experiences of a mixed ethnic sample of British women. An intersectional framework was used which took the viewpoint that socio-demographic identities should be considered simultaneously in order to challenge universalist, gender and ethnic neutral…

Demographics and Leadership Philosophy: Exploring Gender Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korac-Kakabadse, Andrew; Korac-Kakabadse, Nada; Myers, Andrew

1998-01-01

A study of 569 men and 145 women managers in Australian public service and 406 men and 108 women managers in the British National Health Services found no significant gender differences in leadership characteristics. Job and organizational tenure and senior management experience had more influence than gender on the formation of leadership…

Geography matters: the prevalence of diabetes in the Auckland Region by age, gender and ethnicity.

PubMed

Warin, Briar; Exeter, Daniel J; Zhao, Jinfeng; Kenealy, Timothy; Wells, Susan

2016-06-10

To determine whether the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the greater Auckland Region varies by General Electoral District (GED). Using encrypted National Health Identifiers and record linkage of routine health datasets, we identified a regional cohort of people with diagnosed diabetes in 2011 from inpatient records and medication dispensing. The geographical unit of a person's residence (meshblock) was used to determine the GED of residence. We calculated prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals and used binary logistic regression to map geographical variations in diabetes. An estimated 63,014 people had diagnosed diabetes in Auckland in 2011, a prevalence of 8.5% of the adult population ≥30 years of age. We found significant variation in diabetes prevalence by age, gender, ethnicity and GED. There was a more than five-fold difference in the unadjusted prevalence of diabetes by GED, ranging from 3.2% (3.1 to 3.4%) in the North Shore to 17.3% (16.8 to 17.7%) in Mangere. Such variations remained after binary logistic regression adjusting for socio-demographic variables. Compared to New Zealand Europeans, Indian people had the highest odds of having diabetes at 3.85 (3.73 to 3.97), while the odds of people living in the most deprived areas having diabetes was nearly twice that of those living in least deprived areas (OR 1.93, [1.87 to 1.99]). Geographic variations in diabetes remained after adjusting for socio-demographic circumstances: people living in GEDs in south-west Auckland were at least 60% more likely than people living in the North Shore GED to have diabetes. There is significant variation in the prevalence of diabetes by GED in Auckland that persists across strata of age group, gender and ethnicity, and persists after controlling for these same variables. These inequities should prompt action by politicians, policymakers, funders, health providers and communities for interventions aimed at reducing such inequities. Geography and its implications on access to and availability of health resources appears to be a key driver of inequity in diabetes rates, supporting an argument for interventions based on geography, especially a public health rather than an individual risk approach.

Predictive equations for central obesity via anthropometrics, stereovision imaging and MRI in adults.

PubMed

Lee, Jane J; Freeland-Graves, Jeanne H; Pepper, M Reese; Yao, Ming; Xu, Bugao

2014-03-01

Abdominal visceral adiposity is related to risks for insulin resistance and metabolic perturbations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography are advanced instruments that quantify abdominal adiposity; yet field use is constrained by their bulkiness and costliness. The purpose of this study is to develop prediction equations for total abdominal, subcutaneous, and visceral adiposity via anthropometrics, stereovision body imaging (SBI), and MRI. Participants (67 men and 55 women) were measured for anthropometrics and abdominal adiposity volumes evaluated by MRI umbilicus scans. Body circumferences and central obesity were obtained via SBI. Prediction models were developed via multiple linear regression analysis, utilizing body measurements and demographics as independent predictors, and abdominal adiposity as a dependent variable. Cross-validation was performed by the data-splitting method. The final total abdominal adiposity prediction equation was -470.28 + 7.10 waist circumference - 91.01 gender + 5.74 sagittal diameter (R2 = 89.9%), subcutaneous adiposity was -172.37 + 8.57 waist circumference - 62.65 gender - 450.16 stereovision waist-to-hip ratio (R2 =90.4%), and visceral adiposity was -96.76 + 11.48 central obesity depth - 5.09 central obesity width + 204.74 stereovision waist-to-hip ratio - 18.59 gender (R2 = 71.7%). R2 significantly improved for predicting visceral fat when SBI variables were included, but not for total abdominal or subcutaneous adiposity. SBI is effective for predicting visceral adiposity and the prediction equations derived from SBI measurements can assess obesity. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Gender differences in determinants of condom use among HIV clients in Uganda.

PubMed

Walusaga, Happy Annet; Kyohangirwe, Rossette; Wagner, Glenn J

2012-11-01

Little research has examined gender differences in reporting of condom use, which is the goal of our analysis. A baseline study was conducted in two urban clinics and we examined data from sexually active clients entering HIV care who enrolled in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. The primary outcome was consistent condom use and determinant variables were demographics, physical health and immune status, economic well-being, relationship characteristics, psychosocial functioning, and self-efficacy. Of 280 participants, 129 were males and 151 females, and 41.7% had at least some secondary education; 60.7% did not always use condoms. Nearly half (48.1%) of men reported always using condoms compared to 31.8% of females. In bivariate analyses, men who consistently use condoms were more likely to be working, have a primary partner who was HIV negative, to have disclosed their HIV status to their primary partner, and to have higher general self-efficacy and condom use self-efficacy compared to men who did not always use condoms. Higher general self-efficacy and condom use self-efficacy were the only variables associated with reported consistent condom use among women. In regression analysis, working in the last 7 days, general self efficacy, and condom use self-efficacy were associated with consistent condom use among men. These findings reveal low rates of consistent condom use among people living with HIV, and a gender difference with men more likely to report consistent condom use. These data suggest the need for gender sensitive prevention programs and strategies, including programs that can provide women with greater control and self-efficacy regarding use of protective methods.

Anatomic characteristics of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm on conventional CT scans: Implications for rupture risk.

PubMed

Fillinger, Mark F; Racusin, Jessica; Baker, Robert K; Cronenwett, Jack L; Teutelink, Arno; Schermerhorn, Marc L; Zwolak, Robert M; Powell, Richard J; Walsh, Daniel B; Rzucidlo, Eva M

2004-06-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze anatomic characteristics of patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), with conventional two-dimensional computed tomography (CT), including comparison with control subjects matched for age, gender, and size. Records were reviewed to identify all CT scans obtained at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center or referring hospitals before emergency AAA repair performed because of rupture or acute severe pain (RUP group). CT scans obtained before elective AAA repair (ELEC group) were reviewed for age and gender match with patients in the RUP group. More than 40 variables were measured on each CT scan. Aneurysm diameter matching was achieved by consecutively deleting the largest RUP scan and the smallest ELEC scan to prevent bias. CT scans were analyzed for 259 patients with AAAs: 122 RUP and 137 ELEC. Patients were well matched for age, gender, and other demographic variables or risk factors. Maximum AAA diameter was significantly different in comparisons of all patients (RUP, 6.5 +/- 2 cm vs ELEC, 5.6 +/- 1 cm; P <.0001), and mean diameter of ruptured AAAs was 5 mm smaller in female patients (6.1 +/- 2 cm vs 6.6 +/- 2 cm; P =.007). Two hundred patients were matched for diameter, gender, and age (100 from each group; maximum AAA diameter, 6.0 +/- 1 cm vs 6.0 +/- 1 cm). Analysis of diameter-matched AAAs indicated that most variables were statistically similar in the two groups, including infrarenal neck length (17 +/- 1 mm vs 19 +/- 1 mm; P =.3), maximum thrombus thickness (25 +/- 1 mm vs 23 +/- 1 mm, P =.4), and indices of body habitus, such as [(maximum AAA diameter)/(normal suprarenal aorta diameter)] or [(maximum AAA diameter)/(L3 transverse diameter)]. Multivariate analysis controlling for gender indicated that the most significant variables for rupture were aortic tortuosity (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, indicating greater risk with no or mild tortuosity), diameter asymmetry (OR, 3.2 for a 1-cm difference in major-minor axis), and current smoking (OR, 2.7, with the greater risk in current smokers). When matched for age, gender, and diameter, ruptured AAAs tend to be less tortuous, yet have greater cross-sectional diameter asymmetry. On conventional two-dimensional CT axial sections, it appears that when diameter asymmetry is associated with low aortic tortuosity, the larger diameter on axial sections more accurately reflects rupture risk, and when diameter asymmetry is associated with moderate or severe aortic tortuosity, the smaller diameter on axial sections more accurately reflects rupture risk. Current smoking is significantly associated with rupture, even when controlling for gender and AAA anatomy.

Demographics, Velocity Distributions, and Impact Type as Predictors of AIS 4+ Head Injuries in Motor Vehicle Crashes

PubMed Central

Yoganandan, Narayan; Fitzharris, Michael; Pintar, Frank A.; Stemper, Brian D.; Rinaldi, James; Maiman, Dennis J.; Fildes, Brian N.

2011-01-01

The objective of the study was to determine differences between the United States-based NASS and CIREN and Australia-based ANCIS databases in occupant-, crash-, and vehicle-related parameters for AIS 4+ head injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine roles of the change in velocity (DV), crash type (frontal, far-side, nearside, rear impact), seatbelt use, and occupant position, gender, age, stature, and body mass in cranial traumas. Belted and unbelted non-ejected occupant (age >16 years) data from 1997–2006 were used for the NASS and CIREN datasets, and 2000–2010 for ANCIS. Vehicle model year, and occupant position and demographics including body mass index (BMI) data were obtained. Injuries were coded using AIS 1990–1998 update. Similarities were apparent across all databases: mean demographics were close to the mid-size anthropometry, mean BMI was in the normal to overweight range, and representations of extreme variations were uncommon. Side impacts contributed to over one-half of the ensemble, implying susceptibility to head trauma in this mode. Odds of sustaining head injury increased by 4% per unit increase in DV (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03–1.04, p<0.001; adjusted for other variables); one-half for belted compared to unbelted occupants (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.37–0.61, p<0.001); nearside, then far-side had significantly higher odds than frontal, and no difference by gender or position (front-left, front-right). Similar crash- and occupant-related outcomes from the two continents indicate a worldwide need to revise the translation acceleration-based head injury criterion to include the angular component in an appropriate format for improved injury assessment and mitigation. PMID:22105402

Illness representations of cancer among healthy residents of Kolkata, India.

PubMed

Das, Lala Tanmoy; Wagner, Christina D; Bigatti, Silvia M

2015-01-01

Cancer illness representations and screening history among residents of Kolkata, India, were investigated along with socio-demographic characteristics in an effort to understand possible motivations for health behavior. A total of 106 participants were recruited from community locations in Kolkata, India and completed surveys including demographics, the illness perception questionnaire-revised (IPQ-R), and previous experience with cancer and screening practices. Participants were 51.5% college educated, 57% female, 51.5% full-time employed with average age of 32.7 years (R: 18-60 years). Descriptive statistics were generated for the subscales of the IPQ-R, cancer-screening practices and cancer experience. Correlation analyses were conducted to investigate associations between cancer representations and socio-demographic variables. Univariate ANOVAs were calculated to determine gender differences in IPQ-R subscales and differences between participants who knew someone diagnosed with cancer versus those who did not. While 76% of participants knew someone with cancer, only 5% of the sample engaged in cancer screening. Participants perceived cancer as a serious illness with negative emotional valence. Younger age (r(100)=-.36, p<0.001) and male gender (F(1, 98)=5.22, p=0.01, η2=0.05) were associated with better illness coherence. Males also reported greater personal control (F(1, 98)=5.34, p=0.02, η2=0.05) were associated with better illness coherence. Low screening rates precluded analyses of the relationship between illness representations and cancer screening. Cancer was viewed as a threatening and uncontrollable disease among this sample of educated, middle class Kolkata residents. This view may act as a barrier to seeking cancer screening. Public awareness campaigns aimed at improving understanding of the causes, symptoms and consequences of cancer might reduce misunderstandings and fear, especially among women and older populations, who report less comprehension of cancer.

Vegetable parenting practices scale. Item response modeling analyses

PubMed Central

Chen, Tzu-An; O’Connor, Teresia; Hughes, Sheryl; Beltran, Alicia; Baranowski, Janice; Diep, Cassandra; Baranowski, Tom

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate the psychometric properties of a vegetable parenting practices scale using multidimensional polytomous item response modeling which enables assessing item fit to latent variables and the distributional characteristics of the items in comparison to the respondents. We also tested for differences in the ways item function (called differential item functioning) across child’s gender, ethnicity, age, and household income groups. Method Parents of 3–5 year old children completed a self-reported vegetable parenting practices scale online. Vegetable parenting practices consisted of 14 effective vegetable parenting practices and 12 ineffective vegetable parenting practices items, each with three subscales (responsiveness, structure, and control). Multidimensional polytomous item response modeling was conducted separately on effective vegetable parenting practices and ineffective vegetable parenting practices. Results One effective vegetable parenting practice item did not fit the model well in the full sample or across demographic groups, and another was a misfit in differential item functioning analyses across child’s gender. Significant differential item functioning was detected across children’s age and ethnicity groups, and more among effective vegetable parenting practices than ineffective vegetable parenting practices items. Wright maps showed items only covered parts of the latent trait distribution. The harder- and easier-to-respond ends of the construct were not covered by items for effective vegetable parenting practices and ineffective vegetable parenting practices, respectively. Conclusions Several effective vegetable parenting practices and ineffective vegetable parenting practices scale items functioned differently on the basis of child’s demographic characteristics; therefore, researchers should use these vegetable parenting practices scales with caution. Item response modeling should be incorporated in analyses of parenting practice questionnaires to better assess differences across demographic characteristics. PMID:25895694

A Spatial Analysis of County-level Variation in Syphilis and Gonorrhea in Guangdong Province, China

PubMed Central

Tan, Nicholas X.; Messina, Jane P.; Yang, Li-Gang; Yang, Bin; Emch, Michael; Chen, Xiang-Sheng; Cohen, Myron S.; Tucker, Joseph D.

2011-01-01

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STI) have made a resurgence in many rapidly developing regions of southern China, but there is little understanding of the social changes that contribute to this spatial distribution of STI. This study examines county-level socio-demographic characteristics associated with syphilis and gonorrhea in Guangdong Province. Methods/Principal Findings This study uses linear regression and spatial lag regression to determine county-level (n = 97) socio-demographic characteristics associated with a greater burden of syphilis, gonorrhea, and a combined syphilis/gonorrhea index. Data were obtained from the 2005 China Population Census and published public health data. A range of socio-demographic variables including gross domestic product, the Gender Empowerment Measure, standard of living, education level, migrant population and employment are examined. Reported syphilis and gonorrhea cases are disproportionately clustered in the Pearl River Delta, the central region of Guangdong Province. A higher fraction of employed men among the adult population, higher fraction of divorced men among the adult population, and higher standard of living (based on water availability and people per room) are significantly associated with higher STI cases across all three models. Gross domestic product and gender inequality measures are not significant predictors of reported STI in these models. Conclusions/Significance Although many ecological studies of STIs have found poverty to be associated with higher reported STI, this analysis found a greater number of reported syphilis cases in counties with a higher standard of living. Spatially targeted syphilis screening measures in regions with a higher standard of living may facilitate successful control efforts. This analysis also reinforces the importance of changing male sexual behaviors as part of a comprehensive response to syphilis control in China. PMID:21573127

Leadership, self-efficacy, and student achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grayson, Kristin

This study examined the relationships between teacher leadership, science teacher self-efficacy, and fifth-grade science student achievement in diverse schools in a San Antonio, Texas, metropolitan school district. Teachers completed a modified version of the Leadership Behavior Description Question (LBDQ) Form XII by Stogdill (1969), the Science Efficacy and Belief Expectations for Science Teaching (SEBEST) by Ritter, Boone, and Rubba (2001, January). Students' scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) measured fifth-grade science achievement. At the teacher level of analysis multiple regressions showed the following relationships between teachers' science self-efficacy and teacher classroom leadership behaviors and the various teacher and school demographic variables. Predictors of teacher self efficacy beliefs included teacher's level of education, gender, and leadership initiating structure. The only significant predictor of teacher self-efficacy outcome expectancy was gender. Higher teacher self-efficacy beliefs predicted higher leadership initiating structure. At the school level of analysis, higher school levels of percentage of students from low socio-economic backgrounds and higher percentage of limited English proficient students predicted lower school student mean science achievement. These findings suggest a need for continued research to clarify relationships between teacher classroom leadership, science teacher self-efficacy, and student achievement especially at the teacher level of analysis. Findings also indicate the importance of developing instructional methods to address student demographics and their needs so that all students, despite their backgrounds, will achieve in science.

Gender Distribution Among American Board of Medical Specialties Boards of Directors.

PubMed

Walker, Laura E; Sadosty, Annie T; Colletti, James E; Goyal, Deepi G; Sunga, Kharmene L; Hayes, Sharonne N

2016-11-01

Since 1995, women have comprised more than 40% of all medical school graduates. However, representation at leadership levels in medicine remains considerably lower. Gender representation among the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) boards of directors (BODs) has not previously been evaluated. Our objective was to determine the relative representation of women on ABMS BODs and compare it with the in-training and in-practice gender composition of the respective specialties. The composition of the ABMS BODs was obtained from websites in March 2016 for all Member Boards. Association of American Medical Colleges and American Medical Association data were utilized to identify current and future trends in gender composition. Although represented by a common board, neurology and psychiatry were evaluated separately because of their very different practices and gender demographic characteristics. A total of 25 specialties were evaluated. Of the 25 specialties analyzed, 12 BODs have proportional gender representation compared with their constituency. Seven specialties have a larger proportion of women serving on their boards compared with physicians in practice, and 6 specialties have a greater proportion of men populating their BODs. Based on the most recent trainee data (2013), women have increasing workforce representation in almost all specialties. Although women in both training and practice are approaching equal representation, there is variability in gender ratios across specialties. Directorship within ABMS BODs has a more equitable gender distribution than other areas of leadership in medicine. Further investigation is needed to determine the reasons behind this difference and to identify opportunities to engage women in leadership in medicine. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in the use of health care in China: cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Song, Yan; Bian, Ying

2014-01-30

Differences between women and men in education, employment, political and economic empowerment have been well-documented in China due to the long traditional culture that male is superior to female. This study is to explore whether the similar gender differences exist in the use of health care by analyzing hospital admission, duration of hospitalization and medical expense of both genders in a Chinese hospital. This cross-sectional study evaluated the gender differences in clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients who were admitted for any reason to hospital in Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, Southern China, from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2009. Chi-square test was used to calculate differences between proportions and the t test was used to test differences between means. A total of 156,887 patients were recruited in the analysis, with a male/female ratio of 1.1:1.0. The average age and the duration of hospitalization were significantly greater among men (p < 0.05). A larger proportion of hospitalized female underwent surgery compared to male (p < 0.05). The total medical expense per inpatient indicated important differences between genders, with higher expenditures observed among men (p < 0.05). Furthermore, gender differences were observed in length of hospitalization and medical expense for five common conditions respectively and most differences favoring men were significant (p < 0.05) while differences favoring women were not significant (p > 0.05). Among all the self-paid patients, men were also superior in all investigating variables compared with women. Gender differences in the use of health care do occur in China. Despite of demographic factors, the differences between female and male can be in part explained by social power relations. China should increase attention to gender and equity in health.

A systematic review of studies identifying predictors of poor return to work outcomes following workplace injury.

PubMed

Street, Tamara D; Lacey, Sarah J

2015-06-05

Injuries occurring in the workplace can have serious implications for the health of the individual, the productivity of the employer and the overall economic community. The objective of this paper is to increase the current state of understanding of individual demographic and psychosocial characteristics associated with extended absenteeism from the workforce due to a workplace injury. Studies included in this systematic literature review tracked participants' return to work status over a minimum of three months, identified either demographic, psychosocial or general injury predictors of poor return to work outcomes and included a heterogeneous sample of workplace injuries. Identified predictors of poor return to work outcomes included older age, female gender, divorced marital status, two or more dependent family members, lower education levels, employment variables associated with reduced labour market desirability, severity or sensitive injury locations, negative attitudes and outcome perceptions of the participant. There is a need for clear and consistent definition and measurement of return to work outcomes and a holistic theoretical model integrating injury, psychosocial and demographic predictors of return to work. Through greater understanding of the nature of factors affecting return to work, improved outcomes could be achieved.

Correlates of engaging in survival sex among homeless youth and young adults.

PubMed

Walls, N Eugene; Bell, Stephanie

2011-09-01

Using a sample of 1,625 homeless youth and young adults aged 10 to 25 from 28 different states in the United States, this study examines the correlates of having engaged in survival sex. Findings suggest that differences exist based on demographic variables (gender, age, race, and sexual orientation), lifetime drug use (inhalants, Valium™, crack cocaine, alcohol, Coricidin™, and morphine), recent drug use (alcohol, ecstasy, heroin, and methamphetamine), mental health variables (suicide attempts, familial history of substance use, and having been in substance abuse treatment), and health variables (sharing needles and having been tested for HIV). In addition to replicating previous findings, this study's findings suggest that African American youth; gay, lesbian, or bisexual youth; and youth who had been tested for HIV were significantly more likely to have engaged in survival sex than White, heterosexual youth, and youth who had not been tested for HIV, respectively. Implications for interventions with youth and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Recruitment of Refugees for Health Research: A Qualitative Study to Add Refugees' Perspectives.

PubMed

Gabriel, Patricia; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Berry, Nicole

2017-01-29

Research is needed to understand refugees' health challenges and barriers to accessing health services during settlement. However, there are practical and ethical challenges for engaging refugees as participants. Despite this, there have been no studies to date specifically investigating refugee perspectives on factors affecting engagement in health research. Language-concordant focus groups in British Columbia, Canada, with four government-assisted refugee language groups (Farsi/Dari, Somali, Karen, Arabic) inquired about willingness to participate in health research. Twenty-three variables associated with the willingness of refugees to participate in health research were elicited. Variables related to research design included recruitment strategies, characteristics of the research team members and the nature of the research. Variables related to individual participants included demographic features such as gender and education, attitudes towards research and previous experience with research. This research can be used to increase opportunities for refugees' engagement in research and includes recommendations for subgroups of refugees that may have more difficulties engaging in research.

Leaks in the pipeline: separating demographic inertia from ongoing gender differences in academia.

PubMed

Shaw, Allison K; Stanton, Daniel E

2012-09-22

Identification of the causes underlying the under-representation of women and minorities in academia is a source of ongoing concern and controversy. This is a critical issue in ensuring the openness and diversity of academia; yet differences in personal experiences and interpretations have mired it in controversy. We construct a simple model of the academic career that can be used to identify general trends, and separate the demographic effects of historical differences from ongoing biological or cultural gender differences. We apply the model to data on academics collected by the National Science Foundation (USA) over the past three decades, across all of science and engineering, and within six disciplines (agricultural and biological sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, and social sciences). We show that the hiring and retention of women in academia have been affected by both demographic inertia and gender differences, but that the relative influence of gender differences appears to be dwindling for most disciplines and career transitions. Our model enables us to identify the two key non-structural bottlenecks restricting female participation in academia: choice of undergraduate major and application to faculty positions. These transitions are those in greatest need of detailed study and policy development.

Empathy differences by gender and specialty preference in medical students: a study in Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Mariana A; Grosseman, Suely; Morelli, Thiago C; Giuliano, Isabela C B; Erdmann, Thomas R

2016-05-21

We have conducted this study to assess medical students' empathy and to examine empathy differences by students' socio-demographic characteristics, including gender, and specialty preference. We have conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive research. Among 595 medical students registered at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil) in 2012, we have selected a sample of 320 enrolled in the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, and in the last semester of the course. The response rate obtained was 70.6% (n=226). Data was collected by using a self-report questionnaire, and the variables analyzed included course semester, socio-demographic characteristics (such as age, gender, household monthly income and parents level of education), students' specialty preference, and empathy assessed by the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. We have used descriptive statistics, 95% Confidence Interval for percentages, Student's t-test, and Analysis of Variance to analyze the data. Mean empathy among students was (M=119.7, SD=9.9), with no difference by according to semester (F=1.5, p=.2). Empathy means were higher among females (M=118.3, SD=10.6) than among males (M=121.0, SD=9.3, t=-2.1, p=.032). Students who preferred a people-oriented specialty obtained significantly higher mean scores (M=121.5, SD=8.1) in comparison to students who preferred technology-oriented specialties (M=118.0, SD=11.3, t=2.4, p=.02). Our study has found consistently high scores of empathy among medical students enrolled in all levels of training at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, and higher empathy among women and students who intend to pursue a people-oriented specialty. Conclusions on higher empathy among medical students require further study.

Quality of life in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia in Norway: a population based study.

PubMed

Geirdal, Amy Østertun; Dheyauldeen, Sinan; Bachmann-Harildstad, Gregor; Heimdal, Ketil

2012-06-01

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare, autosomal dominant disease characterized by the presence of recurrent epistaxis and small characteristic malformations of the peripheral blood vessels near the surface of the skin or mucosal linings. Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) of the lung, liver, and CNS are also known clinical findings. The purpose of this study was to examine quality of life (QoL) in patients with HHT in Norway. Sixty-six affected patients (39 women and 27 men) were included. QoL on overall-, health-related (HR-QoL), and disease-specific levels were measured with Cantril's Ladder (CL), Short Form 36 (SF-36), and a Symptom-specific QoL question in HHT patients (SFB-HHT-Q), respectively. Comparisons were made between patients and an age and gender adjusted normative sample from the Norwegian population (N = 990). Overall, the results reflected that several HHT disease-related variables were associated with reduced QoL on all three levels; overall QoL (CL), HR-QoL (SF36) as well as disease-specific QoL (SFB-HHT-Q), while demographic variables impacted HR-QoL in HHT patients. Compared to the normative sample, all subscales of SF36, but bodily pain, were significantly poorer in the HHT patients. HHT disease variables had the strongest association with QoL compared to demographic variables. The results substantiate that disease severity is associated with poorer QoL in this patients. Pain contributed independently to all levels of QoL. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oral health behavior and self-esteem in Swedish adolescents over four years.

PubMed

Källestål, Carina; Dahlgren, Lars; Stenlund, Hans

2006-05-01

Our analysis of data collected in 1995 showed that 12-year-olds' self-esteem was associated with demographic/socioeconomic background variables and lifestyle variables and with the quality of the variable "oral health behavior." The study reported here was conducted to identify changes at ages 14 (in 1997) and 16 years (in 1999) in the strength of the association between self-esteem and "oral health behavior." In 1995, 3370 12-year-olds answered questions about their demographic/socioeconomic background, personal attitudes/resources, and lifestyle, including "oral health behavior." Two and four years later the same study group (3105 14-year-olds in 1997 and 2836 16-year-olds in 1999) answered similar questionnaires with redefinition of "oral health behavior" as "tooth-brushing." Multivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted using "self-esteem" and "oral health behavior/tooth-brushing" as the dependent variables. The association was also analyzed between "oral health behavior/tooth-brushing" and components of "self-esteem" (two cognitive: "How do you think your teacher would rate your school work?," "How do you think you are performing in school?," and one emotional: "How content are you with your body/looks?"). The association between "self-esteem" and "oral health behavior/tooth-brushing" disappeared during adolescence, but whereas the influence of cognitive components decreased, the influence of the emotional component increased. Overall, the strongest predictor of poor oral health behavior (tooth-brushing less than twice per day) was male gender. The motives for good oral health behavior changed from age 12 to age 14 years.

Epizootiology of cranial abscess disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of Georgia, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Bradley S.; Belser, Emily H.; Killmaster, Charlie H.; Bowers, John W.; Irwin, Brian J.; Yabsley, Michael J.; Miller, Karl V.

2015-01-01

Intracranial abscess disease is a cause of natural mortality for mature male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Most cases of abscesses are associated with bacterial infection byTrueperella (Arcanobacterium) pyogenes, but a complete understanding of the epidemiology of this disease is lacking. We quantified the effects of individual characteristics, site-specific herd demographics, land cover, and soil variables in estimating the probability of this disease. We examined 7,545 white-tailed deer from 60 sites throughout Georgia US for signs of cranial abscesses, the predecessor of intracranial abscesses, and recorded the presence or absence of cranial abscesses for each individual examined. We detected no cranial abscesses in 2,562 female deer but 91 abscesses in 4,983 male deer examined (1.8%). A generalized linear mixed model, treating site as a random effect, was used to examine several potential explanatory risk factors including site-level landscape and soil characteristics (soil and forest type), demographic factors (deer density and male to female ratio), and individual host factors (deer sex and age). Model results indicated that the probability of a male having a cranial abscess increased with age and that adult sex ratio (male:female) was positively associated with this disease. Site-specific variables for land cover and soil types were not strongly associated with observations of the disease at the scale measured and a large amount of among-site variability remained. Given the demonstrated effect of age, gender, and local sex ratios but the remaining unexplained spatial variability, additional investigation into spatiotemporal variation of the presumed bacterial causative agent of cranial abscesses appears warranted.

The Physician Attrition Crisis: A Cross-Sectional Survey of the Risk Factors for Reduced Job Satisfaction Among US Surgeons.

PubMed

Jackson, Theresa N; Pearcy, Chris P; Khorgami, Zhamak; Agrawal, Vaidehi; Taubman, Kevin E; Truitt, Michael S

2018-05-01

A physician shortage is on the horizon, and surgeons are particularly vulnerable due to attrition. Reduced job satisfaction leads to increased job turnover and earlier retirement. The purpose of this study is to delineate the risk factors that contribute to reduced job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey of US surgeons was conducted from September 2016 to May 2017. Screening for job satisfaction was performed using the abridged Job in General scale. Respondents were grouped into more and less satisfied using the median split. Twenty-five potential risk factors were examined that included demographic, occupational, psychological, wellness, and work-environment variables. Overall, 993 respondents were grouped into more satisfied (n = 502) and less satisfied (n = 491) cohorts. Of the demographic variables, female gender and younger age were associated with decreased job satisfaction (p = 0.003 and p = 0.008). Most occupational variables (specialty, experience, academics, practice size, payment model) were not significant. However, increased average hours worked correlated with less satisfaction (p = 0.008). Posttraumatic stress disorder, burnout, wellness, all eight work-environment variables, and unhappiness with career choice were linked to reduced job satisfaction (p = 0.001). A surgeon shortage has serious implications for health care. Job satisfaction is associated with physician retention. Our results suggest women and younger surgeons may be at increased risk for job dissatisfaction. Targeted work-environment interventions to reduce work-hours, improve hospital culture, and provide adequate financial reimbursement may promote job satisfaction and wellness.

Correlates of current and heavy smoking among U.S. soldiers returning from combat.

PubMed

Lopez, Alexa A; Toblin, Robin L; Riviere, Lyndon A; Lee, James D; Adler, Amy B

2018-06-01

Smoking rates are higher in U.S. soldiers than civilians, with combat-experienced soldiers particularly at risk for heavy smoking (≥20 cigarettes/day). While heavy smoking is correlated with mental health symptoms in civilian samples, the extent to which these symptoms, background variables, and unit climate (self-reported assessments of cohesion, organizational support, and leadership) are linked to smoking in at-risk soldiers remains unclear. The present study examines a range of correlates of smoking-related behavior. Cross-sectional, anonymous surveys were collected from 3,380 soldiers following a deployment in 2008-2009. Measures included demographics, combat exposures, unit climate (e.g., unit cohesion, perceived organizational support, leadership), short sleep duration, and behavioral health variables (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, alcohol misuse, aggression, adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]). Logistic regression modeled the effects of these variables on two outcome variables: daily smoking and heavy smoking. In the current sample, nearly half (47%) of soldiers reported smoking daily, with 35% of all smokers reporting heavy smoking (17% of the entire sample). Daily smoking was associated with demographic (age, gender, education, rank), behavioral health (ACE, alcohol misuse, sleep duration, aggression), and unit characteristics (unit cohesion); only increased combat exposures and aggression were specifically associated with heavy smoking. Interventions focused on the postdeployment period could incorporate messages about alternatives to smoking as a coping strategy while unit interventions or individual counseling addressing aggression could also address smoking as a negative coping strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Education and trajectories of cognitive decline over 9 years in very old people: methods and risk analysis.

PubMed

Muniz-Terrera, Graciela; Matthews, Fiona; Dening, Tom; Huppert, Felicia A; Brayne, Carol

2009-05-01

the investigation of cognitive decline in the older population has been hampered by analytical considerations. Most studies of older people over prolonged periods suffer from loss to follow-up, yet this has seldom been investigated fully to date. Such considerations limit our understanding of how basic variables such as education can affect cognitive trajectories. we examined cognitive trajectories in a population-based cohort study in Cambridge, UK, of people aged 75 and over in whom multiple interviews were conducted over time. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Socio-demographic variables were measured, including educational level and social class. An age-based quadratic latent growth model was fitted to cognitive scores. The effect of socio-demographic variables was examined on all latent variables and the probability of death and dropout. at baseline, age, education, social class and mobility were associated with cognitive performance. Education and social class were not related to decline or its rate of change. In contrast, poor mobility was associated with lower cognitive performance, increased cognitive decline and increased rate of change of cognitive decline. Gender, age, mobility and cognitive ability predicted death and dropout contrary to much of the current literature, education was not related to rate of cognitive decline or change in this rate as measured by MMSE. Higher levels of education do not appear to protect against cognitive decline, though if the MMSE is used in the diagnostic process, individuals with less education may be diagnosed as having dementia somewhat earlier.

Cohort Changes in the Socio-Demographic Determinants of Gender Egalitarianism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pampel, Fred

2011-01-01

Arguments about the spread of gender egalitarian values through the population highlight several sources of change. First, structural arguments point to increases in the proportion of women with high education, jobs with good pay, commitment to careers outside the family, and direct interests in gender equality. Second, value shift arguments…

Reconsidering the Impact of Gender Stereotypes on the Advancement of Women in Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agars, Mark D.

2004-01-01

Over the last 30 years, gender issues in the workplace have received much attention. A review of this literature, however, reveals limited investigation of the impact of gender stereotypes on personnel decisions and the demographic differences present in upper management. In fact, this issue has rarely received serious attention. A…

Teacher Perceptions of Gender-Based Differences among Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Tracy D.

2009-01-01

Far fewer males than females work in elementary education today. This deficit may represent an unacceptable balance in elementary teacher gender demographics. The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions of gender-based differences among elementary school teachers. In this mixed-methods study, 217 elementary teachers in four public…

Disclosure of HIV Status and Social Support Among People Living With HIV

PubMed Central

Jorjoran Shushtari, Zahra; Sajjadi, Homeira; Forouzan, Ameneh Setareh; Salimi, Yahya; Dejman, Masoumeh

2014-01-01

Background: Disclosure of HIV is important for improving self-care behaviors, psychological well-being, commitment to the treatment, and reducing risk of transmission. One of the major benefits of disclosure is social support, which is an essential resource for effective coping with HIV infection. However, receiving any social support requires disclosing of HIV status. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the disclosure of HIV status and its related factors such as social support in addition to demographic and disease characteristics among people living with HIV in Iran. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study, using simple random sampling, was carried out on 175 people with HIV/AIDS who referred to Behavioral Counseling Centers. The self-administrated, Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire was used to measure social support. Disclosure of HIV status was assessed with an investigator-designed questions. Multiple logistic regression analysis with backward Likelihood Ratio method was applied to identify the adjusted odds ratio between disclosure as dependent variable and demographic variables, social support as independent variables. Results: Participants were often disclosed their HIV status to family members. But there were differences about disclosure of HIV status within the context of the family. Family members were perceived as more supportive. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrates that the gender (adjusted OR = 0.181; 95% CI .068-0.479), CD4 cell count (adjusted OR = 0.997; 95% CI 0.994-0.999), route of transmission (injection-drug user [adjusted OR = 9.366; 95% CI 3.358-26.123] and other routes [tattooing, mother to child, dental services, etc.], [adjusted OR = 3.752; 95% CI 1.157-12.167]), and functional support variable (adjusted OR = 1.007; 95% CI 1.001-1.013) remained in the model as significant predictors for disclosure. Conclusions: The results of this study regarding disclosure of HIV status and its relations to social support and some demographic variables can provide an understanding based on the evidence for promotion of knowledge and coping interventions about people living with HIV/AIDS and their perceived social support status. PMID:25389470

Sampling in research on interpersonal aggression.

PubMed

Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Einarsen, Ståle

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of convenience samples in research on interpersonal aggression among adults. It was hypothesised that convenience sampled targets of aggression differs from targets in general with regards to both demographic characteristics and degree of aggression exposed to. A convenience sample comprising support-seeking targets of workplace bullying was compared with a representative sample of Norwegian targets of bullying. The results showed that the two samples differed significantly on all demographic variables investigated, except gender. A far higher percentage of the convenience sample had blown the whistle on illegal, immoral or illegitimate practice at their workplace, whereas they also reported significantly more frequent and more intense exposure to aggression. The findings confirm that convenience samples have low external validity when generalising to the general population. Such samples should therefore mainly be used to investigate tendencies in, and the phenomenology of, interpersonal aggression, in studies where generalisability is not the principal objective. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Stress-coping strategies of patients with gender identity disorder.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Yosuke; Sato, Toshiki; Ohnishi, Masaru; Kishimoto, Yuki; Terada, Seishi; Kuroda, Shigetoshi

2009-12-01

Previous research has not addressed gender differences in coping strategies among patients with gender identity disorder (GID). Nor has the relationship of coping strategies to other demographic characteristics ever been clarified in GID. In this study, we tried to clarify the relationship between stress-coping strategies and demographic characteristics among patients with GID. The coping strategies of 344 patients with GID [227 female-to-male (FTM) and 117 male-to-female (MTF)] were assessed using the Japanese version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaires, Lazarus Stress-coping Inventory. Comparison of the stress-coping inventory between MTF and FTM GID patients revealed that FTM GID patients were significantly more reliant on positive reappraisal strategies in stressful situations than MTF GID patients (P = 0.007). The difference in the usage of positive reappraisal strategies between MTF and FTM type GID patients was not explained by other demographic characteristics, and we suppose that the gender difference in GID patients might influence the usage of positive reappraisal strategies. The ratio of FTM GID patients might be higher at our center because MTF GID patients can obtain vaginoplasty easily, whereas phalloplasty surgery for FTM GID patients is performed at only a few centers, including our clinic, in Japan. As a result, more FTM GID patients come to our clinic with a clear intention to undergo sexual rearrangement surgery, which might influence the gender difference in using positive reappraisal.

How Needs-Reward Match and Demographic Attributes Relate to Absenteeism and Work Attitudes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eagle, Bruce W.

1995-01-01

A study conducted in private industry (n=383) found that while flexible work arrangements and child care arrangements were not related to employee absences due to child care difficulties, employee demographic attributes, particularly age and gender, were. Both demographic factors and needs-reward match did account for some variation in job…

Measurement and Socio-Demographic Variation of Social Capital in a Large Population-Based Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieminen, Tarja; Martelin, Tuija; Koskinen, Seppo; Simpura, Jussi; Alanen, Erkki; Harkanen, Tommi; Aromaa, Arpo

2008-01-01

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to describe the variation of individual social capital according to socio-demographic factors, and to develop a suitable way to measure social capital for this purpose. The similarity of socio-demographic variation between the genders was also assessed. Data and methods: The study applied…

Personality traits of children before and after epilepsy surgery.

PubMed

Braams, Olga; Schappin, Renske; Meekes, Joost; van Rijen, Peter C; van Nieuwenhuizen, Onno; Braun, Kees P; Jennekens-Schinkel, Aag

2017-07-01

We studied how children with epilepsy (CWE) who are candidates for epilepsy surgery, perceive themselves with respect to overarching personality traits and whether the traits change after surgery. We explored influences of demographic and illness variables. A total of 23 CWE [mean age at inclusion 12.8 (sd 2.3); 12 girls] participated. Using the Dutch Personality Questionnaire Juniors (DPQ-J), we assessed 20 of the CWE shortly before epilepsy surgery and compared the results to those of 39 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, we obtained follow-up scores 6, 12 and 24 months after epilepsy surgery from the clinical group. CWE who were candidates for epilepsy surgery scored above average in inadequacy, perseverance, social inadequacy and recalcitrance, whereas healthy peers scored average. Over the two years' period after epilepsy surgery we found no changes, apart from a decrease of social inadequacy. Sporadic illness and demographic variables were related to some personality traits. However, neither post-surgical seizure freedom nor cessation of AEDs did noticeably change the self-evaluations of CWE. Asking CWE to evaluate their personality themselves may offer a shared basis for individually tailored behavior intervention in order to help them adapting to their ameliorated circumstances after surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Demographic, Psychological, and Social Characteristics of Self-Identified Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in a US Probability Sample

PubMed Central

Norton, Aaron T.; Allen, Thomas J.; Sims, Charles L.

2010-01-01

Using data from a US national probability sample of self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults (N = 662), this article reports population parameter estimates for a variety of demographic, psychological, and social variables. Special emphasis is given to information with relevance to public policy and law. Compared with the US adult population, respondents were younger, more highly educated, and less likely to be non-Hispanic White, but differences were observed between gender and sexual orientation groups on all of these variables. Overall, respondents tended to be politically liberal, not highly religious, and supportive of marriage equality for same-sex couples. Women were more likely than men to be in a committed relationship. Virtually all coupled gay men and lesbians had a same-sex partner, whereas the vast majority of coupled bisexuals were in a heterosexual relationship. Compared with bisexuals, gay men and lesbians reported stronger commitment to a sexual-minority identity, greater community identification and involvement, and more extensive disclosure of their sexual orientation to others. Most respondents reported experiencing little or no choice about their sexual orientation. The importance of distinguishing among lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men in behavioral and social research is discussed. PMID:20835383

Gaming Preferences of Aging Generations.

PubMed

Blocker, Kenneth A; Wright, Timothy J; Boot, Walter R

2014-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that action digital game training can improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities, including those that decline most with age. Unfortunately, previous work has found that older adults dislike these games and adherence may be poor for action game-based interventions. The focus of the current study was to better understand the types of games older adults are willing to play and explore predictors of game preference (e.g., gender, age, technology experience, personality). With this information action games might be modified or developed to maximize adherence and cognitive benefit. Older adults were administered a modified version of an existing game questionnaire and a custom game preference survey. Clear preferences were observed that were similar between participants with and without previous digital game experience (with puzzle and intellectually stimulating games being most interesting to older adults in our sample, and massively multiplayer online games and first-person shooters being least interesting). Personality, demographic, and technology experience variables were also collected. Interesting trends suggested the possibility that several demographic and personality variables might be predictive of game preference. Results have implications for future directions of research, designing games that would appeal to older adult audiences, and for how to design custom games to maximize intervention adherence based on individual difference characteristics.

Trauma history is associated with prior suicide attempt history in hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Brown, Lily A; Armey, Michael A; Sejourne, Corinne; Miller, Ivan W; Weinstock, Lauren M

2016-09-30

Although the relationships between PTSD, abuse history, and suicidal behaviors are well-established in military and outpatient samples, little data is available on this relationship in inpatient samples. This study examines the relationships between these variables and related demographic and clinical correlates in a sample of psychiatric inpatients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder using electronic medical record (EMR) data. Controlling for relevant demographic and clinical variables, PTSD diagnosis and history of abuse were both significantly associated with history of suicide attempt, but in a combined model, only history of abuse remained as a significant predictor. Whereas history of abuse was associated with a history multiple suicide attempts, PTSD diagnosis was not. Both insurance status and gender acted as significant moderators of the relationship between history of abuse and history of suicide attempt, with males and those with public/no insurance having greater associations with history of suicide attempts when an abuse history was present. These data indicate the importance of documentation of PTSD, abuse history, and history of suicide attempts. The results also suggest that in the presence of an abuse history or PTSD diagnosis, additional time spent on safety and aftercare planning following hospital discharge may be indicated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gaming Preferences of Aging Generations

PubMed Central

Blocker, Kenneth A.; Wright, Timothy J.; Boot, Walter R.

2017-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that action digital game training can improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities, including those that decline most with age. Unfortunately, previous work has found that older adults dislike these games and adherence may be poor for action game-based interventions. The focus of the current study was to better understand the types of games older adults are willing to play and explore predictors of game preference (e.g., gender, age, technology experience, personality). With this information action games might be modified or developed to maximize adherence and cognitive benefit. Older adults were administered a modified version of an existing game questionnaire and a custom game preference survey. Clear preferences were observed that were similar between participants with and without previous digital game experience (with puzzle and intellectually stimulating games being most interesting to older adults in our sample, and massively multiplayer online games and first-person shooters being least interesting). Personality, demographic, and technology experience variables were also collected. Interesting trends suggested the possibility that several demographic and personality variables might be predictive of game preference. Results have implications for future directions of research, designing games that would appeal to older adult audiences, and for how to design custom games to maximize intervention adherence based on individual difference characteristics. PMID:29033699

Analysis of self-determined motivation in basketball players through goal orientations.

PubMed

Gómez-López, Manuel; Granero-Gallegos, Antonio; Abraldes, J Arturo; Rodríguez-Suárez, Nuria

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was twofold. Firstly to examine the relations between the different constructs that defines Nicholls' Achievement Goal Theory and Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory. Secondly to analyse the differences that exist between them with respect to the socio-demographic variables gender and age. A sample of 292 federated basketball players from the Region of Murcia (Spain) with ages between 14 and 18 years old was used. In addition, Castilian versions of The Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ) and the Sports Motivational Scale (SMS) were administered. Three statistical analyses were employed, a descriptive analysis, a correlation analysis and a regression analysis. The results showed a positive relation between ego orientation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation. The motivational relations between both theories and the differences with respect to gender and age are discussed. We have found out that mainly gender and also age differences are strong predictors of ego orientation, extrinsic motivation of external regulation and amotivation. We can also confirm that extrinsic motivation of external regulation positively predicts ego orientation and a decrease of task orientation. The results ratify the use of the Spanish version of the SMS to measure different types of motivation within the sports context.

Moderating effects of age, gender and education on the associations of perceived neighborhood environment attributes with accelerometer-based physical activity: the IPEN Adult study Moderating effects of age, gender and education on the associations of perceived neighborhood environment attributes with accelerometer-based physical activity: the IPEN Adult study

PubMed Central

Van Dyck, Delfien; Cerin, Ester; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Salvo, Deborah; Christiansen, Lars B; Macfarlane, Duncan; Owen, Neville; Mitas, Josef; Troelsen, Jens; Aguinaga-Ontoso, Ines; Davey, Rachel; Reis, Rodrigo; Sarmiento, Olga L; Schofield, Grant; Conway, Terry L; Sallis, James F

2015-01-01

The study's purpose was to examine age, gender, and education as potential moderators of the associations of perceived neighborhood environment variables with accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Data were from 7273 adults from 16 sites (11 countries) that were part of a coordinated multi-country cross-sectional study. Age moderated the associations of perceived crime safety, and perceiving no major physical barriers to walking, with MVPA: positive associations were only found in older adults. Perceived land use mix-access was linearly (positive) associated with MVPA in men, and curvilinearly in women. Perceived crime safety was related to MVPA only in women. No moderating relationships were found for education. Overall the associations of adults’ perceptions of environmental attributes with MVPA were largely independent of the socio-demographic factors examined. These findings are encouraging, suggesting that efforts to optimize the perceived built and social environment may act in a socially-equitable manner to facilitate MVPA. PMID:26454247

Differences Between Landline and Mobile Phone Users in Sexual Behavior Research.

PubMed

Badcock, Paul B; Patrick, Kent; Smith, Anthony M A; Simpson, Judy M; Pennay, Darren; Rissel, Chris E; de Visser, Richard O; Grulich, Andrew E; Richters, Juliet

2017-08-01

This study investigated differences between the demographic characteristics, participation rates (i.e., agreeing to respond to questions about sexual behavior), and sexual behaviors of landline and mobile phone samples in Australia. A nationally representative sample of Australians aged 18 years and over was recruited via random digit dialing in December 2011 to collect data via computer-assisted telephone interviews. A total of 1012 people (370 men, 642 women) completed a landline interview and 1002 (524 men, 478 women) completed a mobile phone interview. Results revealed that telephone user status was significantly related to all demographic variables: gender, age, educational attainment, area of residence, country of birth, household composition, and current ongoing relationship status. In unadjusted analyses, telephone status was also associated with women's participation rates, participants' number of other-sex sexual partners in the previous year, and women's lifetime sexual experience. However, after controlling for significant demographic factors, telephone status was only independently related to women's participation rates. Post hoc analyses showed that significant, between-group differences for all other sexual behavior outcomes could be explained by demographic covariates. Results also suggested that telephone status may be associated with participation bias in research on sexual behavior. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of sampling both landline and mobile phone users to improve the representativeness of sexual behavior data collected via telephone interviews.

Investigating the importance of various individual, interpersonal, organisational and demographic variables when predicting job burnout in disability support workers.

PubMed

Vassos, Maria V; Nankervis, Karen L

2012-01-01

Previous research has highlighted that factors such as large workload, role ambiguity, lack of support from colleagues, and challenging behaviour are associated with higher levels of burnout within the disability support worker (DSW) population. The aim of this research was to investigate which factors contribute the most to the prediction of the three facets of burnout--feeling exhausted and overextended by one's work (emotional exhaustion), detached and callous responses towards work (depersonalisation) and a lack of achievement and productivity within one's role (personal accomplishment). The factors chosen for analysis within this research were analysed within four categories linked to theories of burnout development (individual, interpersonal, organisational and demographic). A sample of 108 DSWs completed a questionnaire booklet that contained standardised measures of burnout and job stressors related to disability work. Results highlighted the importance of predictors such as challenging behaviour (interpersonal), workload (individual), supervisor support (individual), work-home conflict (individual), job feedback (individual), role ambiguity (organisational), low job status (organisational), role conflict (organisational), gender (demographic) and work hours (demographic) when predicting one or more of the facets of burnout. In conclusion, disability services and organisations may benefit from focusing on remodelling their staff-related organisational practices in order to prevent the development of burnout in their DSWs (e.g., increase supervision and support practices). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What explains gender inequalities in HIV/AIDS prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from the demographic and health surveys.

PubMed

Sia, Drissa; Onadja, Yentéma; Hajizadeh, Mohammad; Heymann, S Jody; Brewer, Timothy F; Nandi, Arijit

2016-11-03

Women are disproportionally affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The determinants of gender inequality in HIV/AIDS may vary across countries and require country-specific interventions to address them. This study aimed to identify the socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics underlying gender inequalities in HIV/AIDS in 21 SSA countries. We applied an extension of the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition approach to data from Demographic and Health Surveys and AIDS Indicator Surveys to quantify the differences in HIV/AIDS prevalence between women and men attributable to socio-demographic factors, sexual behaviours, and awareness of HIV/AIDS. We decomposed gender inequalities into two components: the percentage attributable to different levels of the risk factors between women and men (the "composition effect") and the percentage attributable to risk factors having differential effects on HIV/AIDS prevalence in women and men (the "response effect"). Descriptive analyses showed that the difference between women and men in HIV/AIDS prevalence varied from a low of 0.68 % (P = 0.008) in Liberia to a high of 11.5 % (P < 0.001) in Swaziland. The decomposition analysis showed that 84 % (P < 0.001) and 92 % (P < 0.001) of the higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women in Uganda and Ghana, respectively, was explained by the different distributions of HIV/AIDS risk factors, particularly age at first sex between women and men. In the majority of countries, however, observed gender inequalities in HIV/AIDS were chiefly explained by differences in the responses to risk factors; the differential effects of age, marital status and occupation on prevalence of HIV/AIDS for women and men were among the significant contributors to this component. In Cameroon, Guinea, Malawi and Swaziland, a combination of the composition and response effects explained gender inequalities in HIV/AIDS prevalence. The factors that explain gender inequality in HIV/AIDS in SSA vary by country, suggesting that country-specific interventions are needed. Unmeasured factors also contributed substantially to the difference in HIV/AIDS prevalence between women and men, highlighting the need for further study.

EEG abnormalities and two year outcome in first episode psychosis.

PubMed

Manchanda, R; Norman, R; Malla, A; Harricharan, R; Takhar, J; Northcott, S

2005-03-01

This study examines the relationship of EEG to 2 year symptomatic outcome, duration of illness and untreated psychosis and gender. A total of 122 patients presenting for treatment of first episode psychosis had their baseline EEG classified by modified Mayo Clinic system criteria as normal, essentially normal or dysrhythmia. Positive and negative symptoms of psychoses were rated on entry and after 2 years of treatment. The socio-demographic variables and duration of illness and of untreated psychosis were also recorded. Patients with a normal EEG showed significantly more reduction in both positive and negative symptoms of psychoses over 2 years and were more likely to be in 'remission' as compared with the essentially normal or dysrhythmia group. The dysrhythmic group had significantly higher duration of illness than either the normal or essentially normal groups. There were no gender differences in the distribution of EEGs. An abnormal EEG in patients with first episode psychosis is associated with a poorer prognosis and a longer duration of untreated illness. Copyright (c) Blackwell Munksgaard 2005

Family communication in a population at risk for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Batte, Brittany; Sheldon, Jane P; Arscott, Patricia; Huismann, Darcy J; Salberg, Lisa; Day, Sharlene M; Yashar, Beverly M

2015-04-01

Encouraging family communication is an integral component of genetic counseling; therefore, we sought to identify factors impacting communication to family members at risk for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Participants (N = 383) completed an online survey assessing: 1) demographics (gender, genetic test results, HCM family history, and disease severity); 2) illness representations; 3) family functioning and cohesiveness; 4) coping styles; 5) comprehension of HCM autosomal dominant inheritance; and 6) communication of HCM risk information to at-risk relatives. Participants were a national sample of individuals with HCM, recruited through the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association. Data from 183 participants were analyzed using a logistic regression analysis, with family communication as a dichotomous dependent variable. We found that female gender and higher comprehension of autosomal dominant inheritance were significant predictors of participants' communication of HCM risk information to all their siblings and children. Our results suggest that utilizing interventions that promote patient comprehension (e.g., a teaching-focused model of genetic counseling) are important and may positively impact family communication within families with HCM.

Computer Use and Computer Anxiety in Older Korean Americans.

PubMed

Yoon, Hyunwoo; Jang, Yuri; Xie, Bo

2016-09-01

Responding to the limited literature on computer use in ethnic minority older populations, the present study examined predictors of computer use and computer anxiety in older Korean Americans. Separate regression models were estimated for computer use and computer anxiety with the common sets of predictors: (a) demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, and education), (b) physical health indicators (chronic conditions, functional disability, and self-rated health), and (c) sociocultural factors (acculturation and attitudes toward aging). Approximately 60% of the participants were computer-users, and they had significantly lower levels of computer anxiety than non-users. A higher likelihood of computer use and lower levels of computer anxiety were commonly observed among individuals with younger age, male gender, advanced education, more positive ratings of health, and higher levels of acculturation. In addition, positive attitudes toward aging were found to reduce computer anxiety. Findings provide implications for developing computer training and education programs for the target population. © The Author(s) 2015.

e-Mental health in South Australia: impact of age, gender and region of residence.

PubMed

Keane, Miriam C; Roeger, Leigh S; Allison, Stephen; Reed, Richard L

2013-01-01

Respondents to the 2008 South Australian Health Omnibus survey (n=2996) indicated whether, in the previous 12 months, they had searched for information on the Internet relating to emotional issues such as depression, anxiety or relationship problems. Logistic regression was used to examine the penetration of e-mental health in rural and metropolitan areas (region of residence), and determine if other demographic variables (age group, gender) also impacted on the likelihood of an individual reporting that they had used the Internet to obtain such information. Overall, 9% of respondents reported that they had used the Internet for this purpose. The multivariate model was significant, F(11, 2985)=4.82, P<0.0001, with middle-aged rural females most likely to report doing so (18.1%), whereas older rural males were least likely to report doing so (2.2.%). These findings have important implications for the design of e-mental health promotional programs that provide information and interventions to improve mental health.

What variables affect public perceptions for EMS meeting general community needs?

PubMed

Blau, Gary; Hochner, Arthur; Portwood, James

2012-01-01

In the fall, 2010, a phone survey of 928 respondents examined two research questions: does the general public perceive Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as meeting their community needs? And what factors or correlates help to explain EMS meeting community needs? To maximize geographical representation across the contiguous United States, a clustered stratified sampling strategy was used based upon zip codes across the 48 states. Results showed strong support by the sample for perceiving that EMS was meeting their general community needs. 17 percent of the variance in EMS meeting community needs was collectively explained by the demographic and perceptual variables in the regression model. Of the correlates tested, the strongest relationship was found between greater admiration for EMS professionals and higher perception of EMS meeting community needs. Study limitations included sampling households with only landline (no cell) phones, using a simulated emergency situation, and not collecting gender data.

Climate Projections and Uncertainty Communication.

PubMed

Joslyn, Susan L; LeClerc, Jared E

2016-01-01

Lingering skepticism about climate change might be due in part to the way climate projections are perceived by members of the public. Variability between scientists' estimates might give the impression that scientists disagree about the fact of climate change rather than about details concerning the extent or timing. Providing uncertainty estimates might clarify that the variability is due in part to quantifiable uncertainty inherent in the prediction process, thereby increasing people's trust in climate projections. This hypothesis was tested in two experiments. Results suggest that including uncertainty estimates along with climate projections leads to an increase in participants' trust in the information. Analyses explored the roles of time, place, demographic differences (e.g., age, gender, education level, political party affiliation), and initial belief in climate change. Implications are discussed in terms of the potential benefit of adding uncertainty estimates to public climate projections. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Marital status is a prognostic factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Spataro, R; Volanti, P; Lo Coco, D; La Bella, V

2017-12-01

Several variables have been linked to a shorter survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), for example, female sex, older age, site of disease onset, rapid disease progression, and a relatively short diagnostic delay. With regard to marital status, previous studies suggested that living with a partner might be associated to a longer survival and a higher likelihood to proceed to tracheostomy. Therefore, to further strengthen this hypothesis, we investigated the role of marital status as a prognostic variable in a cohort of ALS patients. We performed a retrospective analysis on 501 consecutive ALS patients for which a complete disease's natural history and clinical/demographic data were available. At diagnosis, 409 patients (81.6%) were married or lived with a stable partner, whereas 92 patients (18.4%) were single/widowed/divorced. In our ALS cohort, being married was associated with a median longer survival (married, 35 months [24-50] vs unmarried, 27 months [18-42]; P<.004). Moreover, married and unmarried patients were significantly different in many clinical and demographic variables, including age at disease onset, gender, body mass index, and number of children. Cox regression analysis showed that age at onset, diagnostic delay, and marital status were independent predictors of survival. In unmarried patients, female sex was also significantly associated with shorter survival. Marital status is a prognostic factor in ALS, and it significantly affects survival. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health profile and disease determinants among asylum seekers: a cross-sectional retrospective study from an Italian reception centre.

PubMed

Russo, Gianluca; Vita, Serena; Miglietta, Alessandro; Terrazzini, Nadia; Sannella, Alessandra; Vullo, Vincenzo

2016-06-01

Data on diseases' determinants and health status of asylum seekers (ASs) are limited. We performed a cross-sectional retrospective study in a large ASs centre in Italy. Data were collected during a 1-year period. Descriptive statistics were calculated. A χ(2) test was used to assess the association between socio-demographics characteristics of ASs and screening test results. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify diseases' predictors by using ICD-10 diagnoses classification as outcome variable, socio-demographic characteristics as independent variable and visits' number as confounding variable. Overall, data on 792 ASs (mean age 27 years, 80% males, 58% from Africa) were assessed, 43% underwent voluntary infectious diseases screening and 2843 diagnoses were recorded. The most frequent diagnoses were: respiratory diseases, symptoms/signs not elsewhere classified, digestive diseases and infectious diseases. Gender was the most frequent predictor of ICD-10 diagnoses, while African origin, civil status and education were, respectively, predictive of cardiovascular and infectious diseases, genitourinary diseases and pregnancy-related disorders. Higher mean age was associated with syphilis, HIV and HCV infection and African origin with HIV infection. Communicable diseases were not prevalent in the ASs population we analysed. A stronger cultural mediation support is needed to facilitate prevention, access and continuity of care for ASs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Son Preference in Pakistan; A Myth or Reality.

PubMed

Atif, Khaula; Ullah, Muhammad Zia; Afsheen, Afeera; Naqvi, Syed Abid Hassan; Raja, Zulqarnain Ashraf; Niazi, Saleem Asif

2016-01-01

To analyze desire for sons/daughters among ladies of Peshawar, Pakistan, with a view to rule out son preference and to study impact of various demographic characteristics on the subject. Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar, from August 2015 - January 2016; sampling technique was random/probability/non-purposive. Self-designed questionnaire was utilized; carrying questions pertinent to desire for sons/daughters during marital life, and demographic details. Data analyzed via descriptive analysis (SPSS-21), expressed as frequencies/percentages and mean ± standard deviation(minimum/maximum). Sons and daughters desired (dependent variables) were cross-tabulated with independent variables. Response rate was 63.25% (n-506). Data revealed following: Sons desired 3.05±2.061(1/12); Daughters desired 1.15±0.767(0/4); 6.1%(n-31) and 0.6%(n-3) desired infinite number of sons and daughters respectively, 18.2%(n-92) did not desire to have even one daughter, while 2.2%(n-11) considered it immaterial to have daughters or sons. There was a significant relation between sons desired and client's education (p<0.001), husband's education (p<0.001) and socioeconomic class (p<0.001). There was no significant impact of religion (p-0.142) on desire for sons. Impact of independent variables on daughters desired was similar but less pronounced. There was candid son preference among the respondents. Gender discrimination can be attenuated by adequately addressing son preference at all tiers.

Depressive Mood Among Within-Country Migrants in Periurban Shantytowns of Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Ruiz-Grosso, Paulo; Bernabe-Ortiz, Antonio; Diez-Canseco, Francisco; Gilman, Robert H; Checkley, William; Bennett, Ian M; Miranda, J Jaime

2015-12-01

In low- and middle-income countries, migration to urban settings has reshaped the sprawl and socio demographic profiles of major cities. Depressive episodes make up a large portion of the burden of disease worldwide and are related to socio-demographic disruptions. As a result of terrorism, political upheaval, followed by economic development, Peru has undergone major demographic transitions over the previous three decades including large migrations within the country. We aimed to determine the prevalence of current depressive mood and its relationship with parameters of internal migration, i.e. region of origin, age at migration, and years since migration. A community-wide census was carried out between January and June 2010 within a shantytown immigrant receiving community in Lima, Peru. One male or female adult per household completed a survey. Depressive mood was assessed with a 2-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD) scale. Migration-related variables included place of birth, duration of residence in Lima, and age at migration. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. A total of 8,551 out of 9,561 participants, response rate 89%, participated in the census. Of these, 8,091 records were analyzed: 71.8% were women [average age 39.4 (SD 13.9 years)] and 59.3% were immigrants. The overall prevalence of individuals with current depressive mood was 17.1% (95% CI 16.2-17.9%) and varied significantly by all socio-demographic and migration variables assessed. On unadjusted analyses, immigrants to Lima had higher prevalence of depressive mood if they originated in other costal or Andean areas, had lived in Lima for more than 20 years, or were <30 years of age when they out-migrated. When controlling for age, gender and socio-demographic variables the association was no longer significant, the only exception being a 20% lower prevalence of current depressive mood among those who out-migrated aged ≥30 years old (PR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.63-0.98). In conclusion, these results suggest that current depressive mood is very prevalent in this immigrant receiving community. Among all proxies for internal migration explored, in fully adjusted models, there was evidence of an association between age at migration (≥30 years old) and a lower probability of current depressive mood compared to non-migrants.

Quality of life and its socio-demographic and psychological determinants after bone marrow transplantation.

PubMed

Janicsák, Henriett; Masszi, Tamás; Reményi, Péter; Ungvari, Gabor S; Gazdag, Gábor

2013-08-01

A host of medical, socio-demographic, and psychological factors that affect bone marrow transplantation (BMT) patients' quality of life (QOL) have been identified, but due to the methodological diversity of the studies, the findings have been contradictory. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of somatic status, social characteristics, and psychological symptoms on QOL in BMT patients. The study had a cross-sectional design. QOL was evaluated using the Hungarian version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) scale. Anxiety and depression were assessed using Spielberger's State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (SSTAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A questionnaire designed for the study was used to record socio-demographic variables. One hundred and twenty-one patients formed the study sample. Patients' QOL was better in our sample than in another study with similar mean time after BMT. BDI scores indicated mild depression; SSTAI scores corresponded with healthy population levels. QOL was strongly influenced by psychological symptoms (depression P < 0.001; anxiety P = 0.001; psychiatric comorbidity P = 0.001), employment status (P = 0.042), and gender (P = 0.05). The somatic factors influenced only separate aspects of QOL; somatic comorbidity only affected cancer-associated QOL (P = 0.004). This is the first study on a Hungarian BMT sample that included economic factors in the assessment of QOL. Psychological variables were the strongest determinants of QOL in this study. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effects of gender, age, schooling, and cultural background on the identification of facial emotions: a transcultural study.

PubMed

de Souza, Leonardo Cruz; Bertoux, Maxime; de Faria, Ângelo Ribeiro Vaz; Corgosinho, Laiane Tábata Souza; Prado, Ana Carolina de Almeida; Barbosa, Izabela Guimarães; Caramelli, Paulo; Colosimo, Enrico; Teixeira, Antônio Lúcio

2018-05-25

ABSTRACTBackground:Social cognition tasks, such as identification of emotions, can contribute to the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders. The wide use of Facial Emotion Recognition Test (FERT) is hampered by the absence of normative dataset and by the limited understanding of how demographic factors such as age, education, gender, and cultural background may influence the performance on the test. We analyzed the influence of these variables in the performance in the FERT from the short version of the Social and Emotional Assessment. This task is composed by 35 pictures with 7 different emotions presented 5 times each. Cognitively healthy Brazilian participants (n = 203; 109 females and 94 males) underwent the FERT. We compared the performance of participants across gender, age, and educational subgroups. We also compared the performance of Brazilians with a group of French subjects (n = 60) matched for gender, age, and educational level. There was no gender difference regarding the performance on total score and in each emotion subscore in the Brazilian sample. We found a significant effect of aging and schooling on the performance on the FERT, with younger and more educated subjects having higher scores. Brazilian and French participants did not differ in the FERT and its subscores. Normative data for employing the FERT in Brazilian population is presented. Data here provided may contribute to the interpretation of the results of FERT in different cultural contexts and highlight the common bias that should be corrected in the future tasks to be developed.

Gender, poverty, and postnatal depression: a study of mothers in Goa, India.

PubMed

Patel, Vikram; Rodrigues, Merlyn; DeSouza, Nandita

2002-01-01

This study described the natural history of depression in mothers who recently gave birth in a low-income country and to investigate the effect of risk factors, particularly related to infant gender bias, on the occurrence and outcome of depression. The authors studied a group of pregnant mothers recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy from a district hospital in Goa, India. The mothers were interviewed at recruitment, 6-8 weeks, and 6 months after childbirth. Interview data included presence of antenatal and postnatal depression, obstetric history, economic and demographic characteristics, and gender-based variables (preference for male infant, presence of marital violence). Depressive disorder was detected in 59 (23%) of the mothers at 6-8 weeks after childbirth; 78% of these patients had had clinically substantial psychological morbidity during the antenatal period. More than one-half of the patients remained ill at 6 months after delivery. Economic deprivation and poor marital relationships were important risk factors for the occurrence and chronicity of depression. The gender of the infant was a determinant of postnatal depression; it modified the effect of other risk factors, such as marital violence and hunger. Depressed mothers were more disabled and were more likely to use health services than nondepressed mothers. Maternal and infant health policies, a priority in low-income countries, must integrate maternal depression as a disorder of public health significance. Interventions should target mothers in the antenatal period and incorporate a strong gender-based component.

Return migration: changing roles of men and women.

PubMed

Sakka, D; Dikaiou, M; Kiosseoglou, G

1999-01-01

This article addresses changes in gender roles among returning migrant families. It focuses on Greek returnees from the Federal Republic of Germany and explores changes in task sharing behavior and gender role attitudes resulting from changes in the sociocultural environments. A group of return migrants was compared with a group of non-migrants, both living in villages in the District of Drama, Greece. Groups were interviewed to investigate the extent to which each spouse shared house tasks, as well as their attitudes towards sharing and gender role in the family. The t-test for independent samples was used to determine mean differences between the two groups. In addition to demographic variables, those concerning the "time lived abroad" and the "number of years in Greece" after return were inserted into a series of regression analyses. Findings showed that migrants' task sharing and gender role attitudes were influenced differently by the migration-repatriation experience and subsequent cultural alternation. Results also suggest that migrant couples either take on new patterns of behavior or maintain traditional ones only when these were congruent with the financial aims of the family or can be integrated into living conditions in Greece upon return. Furthermore, migrants seem to adopt a more "traditional" attitude than non-migrants toward the participation of women in family decision making. From the study, it is suggested that gender role change is an on-going process influenced by the migration-repatriation experience, as well the factors, which accompany movement between the two countries.

Patterns of Gender Equality at Workplaces and Psychological Distress

PubMed Central

Bolin, Malin; Hammarström, Anne

2013-01-01

Research in the field of occupational health often uses a risk factor approach which has been criticized by feminist researchers for not considering the combination of many different variables that are at play simultaneously. To overcome this shortcoming this study aims to identify patterns of gender equality at workplaces and to investigate how these patterns are associated with psychological distress. Questionnaire data from the Northern Swedish Cohort (n = 715) have been analysed and supplemented with register data about the participants' workplaces. The register data were used to create gender equality indicators of women/men ratios of number of employees, educational level, salary and parental leave. Cluster analysis was used to identify patterns of gender equality at the workplaces. Differences in psychological distress between the clusters were analysed by chi-square test and logistic regression analyses, adjusting for individual socio-demographics and previous psychological distress. The cluster analysis resulted in six distinctive clusters with different patterns of gender equality at the workplaces that were associated to psychological distress for women but not for men. For women the highest odds of psychological distress was found on traditionally gender unequal workplaces. The lowest overall occurrence of psychological distress as well as same occurrence for women and men was found on the most gender equal workplaces. The results from this study support the convergence hypothesis as gender equality at the workplace does not only relate to better mental health for women, but also more similar occurrence of mental ill-health between women and men. This study highlights the importance of utilizing a multidimensional view of gender equality to understand its association to health outcomes. Health policies need to consider gender equality at the workplace level as a social determinant of health that is of importance for reducing differences in health outcomes for women and men. PMID:23326404

Prevalence of Chronic Pain, Treatments, Perception, and Interference on Life Activities: Brazilian Population-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Perissinotti, Dirce Maria Navas; de Oliveira Junior, Jose Oswaldo; da Fonseca, Paulo Renato Barreiros; Posso, Irimar de Paula

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives Chronic pain affects between 30% and 50% of the world population. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of chronic pain in Brazil, describe and compare differences between pain types and characteristics, and identify the types of therapies adopted and the impact of pain on daily life. Methods Cross-sectional study of a population-based survey with randomized sample from a private database. The interviews were conducted by phone. 78% of the respondents aged 18 years or more agreed to be interviewed, for a total of 723 respondents distributed throughout the country. Independent variables were demographic data, pain and treatment characteristics, and impact of pain on daily life. Comparative and associative statistical analyses were conducted to select variables for nonhierarchical logistic regression. Results Chronic pain prevalence was 39% and mean age was 41 years with predominance of females (56%). We found higher prevalence of chronic pain in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Pain treatment was not specific to gender. Dissatisfaction with chronic pain management was reported by 49% of participants. Conclusion 39% of interviewed participants reported chronic pain, with prevalence of females. Gender-associated differences were found in intensity perception and interference of pain on daily life activities. PMID:29081680

Depression and anxiety symptoms in bronchiectasis: associations with health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Olveira, Casilda; Olveira, Gabriel; Gaspar, Inmaculada; Dorado, Antonio; Cruz, Ivette; Soriguer, Federico; Quittner, Alexandra L; Espildora, Francisco

2013-04-01

Bronchiectasis causes pulmonary infections and loss of lung function, resulting in chronic respiratory symptoms and worsening health-related quality of life. The aims of this study were to measure symptoms of depression and anxiety in a sample of patients with bronchiectasis and evaluate their relationship to health outcomes and health-related quality of life. This cross-sectional study included adolescents and adults with bronchiectasis. Patients completed the hospital anxiety and depression scale and the St. George respiratory questionnaire. Health outcome data, including clinical, radiological and spirometric values, were recorded from medical charts. Ninety-three participants with bronchiectasis of any aetiology were recruited: 20 % had elevated depression-related scores and 38 % had elevated anxiety-related scores. Increased symptoms of depression and anxiety were significantly associated with age; anxiety was associated with more frequent exacerbations. Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic (gender and age) and clinical variables (exacerbations frequency, daily sputum, aetiology and spirometry), both depression and anxiety symptoms predicted significantly worse health-related quality of life. In comparison with other predictors, psychological symptoms explained the largest amount of variance in health-related quality of life. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were significant predictors of health-related quality of life in patients with bronchiectasis, independently of respiratory involvement, gender, age or other variables.

Optimism as a predictor of health-related quality of life in psoriatics

PubMed Central

Miniszewska, Joanna; Chodkiewicz, Jan; Zalewska-Janowska, Anna

2013-01-01

Introduction Psoriasis is a chronic and relapsing disease which significantly affects the quality of life and social functioning of the affected people. It is one of the so-called psychodermatological diseases, which means that there exists a psychological component in the image of the disease. Aim To examine the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in psoriatics and selected demographic, medical and psychological (dispositional optimism) variables and to determine the predictors of HRQoL in the examined group. Material and methods The study consisted of 138 patients with the diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris. Most respondents (125) had psoriasis on exposed parts of the body. Methods used: SKINDEX, Life Orientation Test, PASI. Results The gender does not differentiate patients in terms of HRQoL and optimism. Almost all of analyzed variables correlate with HRQoL and all examined variables explain the results variability for overall HRQoL but only optimism explains the highest percentage of the variability (β = –0.35). Conclusions The study demonstrated a very interesting relationship – the stronger optimism the better quality of life in psoriatics. So, a generalized expectation of positive life events is related to better assessment of HRQoL. PMID:24278054

Mapping the structure of perceptual and visual-motor abilities in healthy young adults.

PubMed

Wang, Lingling; Krasich, Kristina; Bel-Bahar, Tarik; Hughes, Lauren; Mitroff, Stephen R; Appelbaum, L Gregory

2015-05-01

The ability to quickly detect and respond to visual stimuli in the environment is critical to many human activities. While such perceptual and visual-motor skills are important in a myriad of contexts, considerable variability exists between individuals in these abilities. To better understand the sources of this variability, we assessed perceptual and visual-motor skills in a large sample of 230 healthy individuals via the Nike SPARQ Sensory Station, and compared variability in their behavioral performance to demographic, state, sleep and consumption characteristics. Dimension reduction and regression analyses indicated three underlying factors: Visual-Motor Control, Visual Sensitivity, and Eye Quickness, which accounted for roughly half of the overall population variance in performance on this battery. Inter-individual variability in Visual-Motor Control was correlated with gender and circadian patters such that performance on this factor was better for males and for those who had been awake for a longer period of time before assessment. The current findings indicate that abilities involving coordinated hand movements in response to stimuli are subject to greater individual variability, while visual sensitivity and occulomotor control are largely stable across individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bridging the Gender Gap: The demographics of scientists in the USDA Forest Service and academia

Treesearch

Christel C. Kern; Laura S. Kenefic; Susan L. Stout

2015-01-01

Past research has established that diverse scientific communities foster innovation and problem solving more effectively than communities with a narrow range of knowledge, skills, and experience. However, gender diversity among scientists is limited, particularly in natural-resource fields. We compared data on scientist gender and rank from the US Department of...

[Gender-based differences in the management of low back pain].

PubMed

Sagy, Iftach; Friger, Michael; Sagy, Tal Peleg; Rudich, Zvia

2014-07-01

Low back pain (LBP) is a well-known reason people worldwide seek medical help and it is a Leading cause of chronic pain and disability among people of working age. Recent research reveals that the female gender is not only a risk factor for developing LBP but it may also influence the management of this common condition. Our objective was to evaluate gender-related differences in the management of LBP patients in a specialized hospital-based chronic pain unit. A cross-sectional survey was carried out through telephone interviews and the hospital computerized database (N = 129). Socio-demographic, Lifestyle, occupational and medical variables were collected, and their association with the frequency of use of five different diagnostic and/or therapeutic modalities was examined using gender stratification. After adjustment for age, religion, socioeconomic data and the number of co-morbid conditions, women were more prone to poly-pharmacy of analgesic medications prescribed in the previous year compared to men (p = 0.024) and exhibited an increased rate of treatment cessations due to adverse effects (p < 0.001). Interestingly, while women tended to utilize more healthcare services besides the pain clinic (p = 0.097), men tended on average to have more visits than women to the pain clinic for their complaints (p = 0.019). Among those who applied for insurance compensation for LBP-related disability, women exhibited increased use of imaging procedures compared to men (p = 0.038). This cross-sectional study reveals gender-related differences in management and health services utilization for treatment of LBP in the chronic pain clinic. If confirmed in other centers, these findings should inspire gender-sensitive resource management of the treatment of chronic pain patients. Moreover, the findings suggest that increased awareness of gender bias when seeking insurance compensation for LBP-related disability is warranted.

The Variability of Gender-Based Communication in Japanese Magazine Advertising.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maynard, Michael L.

1995-01-01

Analyzes Japanese magazine advertising text from an intracultural perspective based on gender. Uses content analysis to examine advertising text of eight gender-specific magazines. Reveals significant difference in the variability of message perception depending on target gender. Suggests the importance of recognizing intracultural variability,…

Assessing the Validity of Self-Rated Health with the Short Physical Performance Battery: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the International Mobility in Aging Study

PubMed Central

Belanger, Emmanuelle; Zunzunegui, Maria–Victoria; Phillips, Susan; Ylli, Alban; Guralnik, Jack

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the validity of self-rated health across different populations of older adults, when compared to the Short Physical Performance Battery. Design Cross-sectional analysis of the International Mobility in Aging Study. Setting Five locations: Saint-Hyacinthe and Kingston (Canada), Tirana (Albania), Manizales (Colombia), and Natal (Brazil). Participants Older adults between 65 and 74 years old (n = 1,995). Methods The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to measure physical performance. Self-rated health was assessed with one single five-point question. Linear trends between SPPB scores and self-rated health were tested separately for men and women at each of the five international study sites. Poor physical performance (independent variable) (SPPB less than 8) was used in logistic regression models of self-rated health (dependent variable), adjusting for potential covariates. All analyses were stratified by gender and site of origin. Results A significant linear association was found between the mean scores of the Short Physical Performance Battery and ordinal categories of self-rated health across research sites and gender groups. After extensive control for objective physical and mental health indicators and socio-demographic variables, these graded associations became non-significant in some research sites. Conclusion These findings further confirm the validity of SRH as a measure of overall health status in older adults. PMID:27089219

Environmental Literacy in Madeira Island (Portugal): The Influence of Demographic Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinola, Hélder

2016-01-01

Demographic factors are among those that influence environmental literacy and, particularly, environmentally responsible behaviours, either directly or due to an aggregation effect dependent on other types of variables. Present study evaluates a set of demographic variables as predictors for environmental literacy among 9th grade students from…

In a stroke cohort with incident hypertension; are more women than men likely to be excluded from recombinant tissue-type Plasminogen Activator (rtPA)?

PubMed

Gainey, Jordan; Brechtel, Leanne; Konklin, Sarah; Madeline, Lee; Lowther, Ervin; Blum, Brice; Nathaniel, Thomas I

2018-04-15

The treatment outcomes in the use of rt-PA have been reported. Some studies reported worse outcome in women than men, while others presented opposing data. Using data from a hospital-based stroke registry, we investigated evidence of gender difference and determined exclusion criteria in a stroke population with incidence of hypertension. In a stroke population of women and men with incident of hypertension from a stroke registry, demographics and clinical factors were compared. Univariate analysis was used to determine gender differences, while multivariable models adjusted for demographic and clinical variables. Among the 669 stroke patients with incident of hypertension that were excluded from rt-PA treatment, 362 were female and 307 were male. Female patients with increasing age (OR = 0.956-0.984, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 0.095-0.559, P = 0.001), higher NIH stroke scale score (OR = 1.019-1.090, P = 0.002), previous stroke (OR = 0.337-0.850, P = 0.008), diabetes medication (OR = 1.200-7.724, P = 0.019), and INR (OR = 0.033-0.597, P = 0.008) are more likely to be excluded. Male patients with a history of a previous stroke (OR = 0.265-0.704, P = 0.001), risk of mortality (OR = 0.803-0.950, P = 0.002), higher NIH stroke scale score(OR = 1.101-1.276, P < 0.001), cholesterol reducing medication (OR = 1.191-2.910, P = 0.006), weakness at presentation(OR = 1.207-4.421, P = 0.011), and INR (OR = 0.016-0.243, P < 0.001) are more likely to be excluded. Women have a worse outcome than men in an untreated acute ischemic stroke population, but when treated, women have a better treatment outcome compared to men. In a hypertensive stroke population, the clinical variables for the exclusion criteria for women and men are significantly different, even after adjustment for confounding variables. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimating verbal fluency and naming ability from the test of premorbid functioning and demographic variables: Regression equations derived from a regional UK sample.

PubMed

Jenkinson, Toni-Marie; Muncer, Steven; Wheeler, Miranda; Brechin, Don; Evans, Stephen

2018-06-01

Neuropsychological assessment requires accurate estimation of an individual's premorbid cognitive abilities. Oral word reading tests, such as the test of premorbid functioning (TOPF), and demographic variables, such as age, sex, and level of education, provide a reasonable indication of premorbid intelligence, but their ability to predict other related cognitive abilities is less well understood. This study aimed to develop regression equations, based on the TOPF and demographic variables, to predict scores on tests of verbal fluency and naming ability. A sample of 119 healthy adults provided demographic information and were tested using the TOPF, FAS, animal naming test (ANT), and graded naming test (GNT). Multiple regression analyses, using the TOPF and demographics as predictor variables, were used to estimate verbal fluency and naming ability test scores. Change scores and cases of significant impairment were calculated for two clinical samples with diagnosed neurological conditions (TBI and meningioma) using the method in Knight, McMahon, Green, and Skeaff (). Demographic variables provided a significant contribution to the prediction of all verbal fluency and naming ability test scores; however, adding TOPF score to the equation considerably improved prediction beyond that afforded by demographic variables alone. The percentage of variance accounted for by demographic variables and/or TOPF score varied from 19 per cent (FAS), 28 per cent (ANT), and 41 per cent (GNT). Change scores revealed significant differences in performance in the clinical groups, particularity the TBI group. Demographic variables, particularly education level, and scores on the TOPF should be taken into consideration when interpreting performance on tests of verbal fluency and naming ability. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

The Importance of Demographic Data in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmegreen, Debra M.

2014-01-01

The most effective astronomical workforce will be one that comprises a diverse and inclusive community. The “New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics” Decadal Survey, with input from its Infrastructure Study Group on Demographics, provided an overview of recent demographic trends. Demographics in astronomy have undergone significant changes over the past two generations in several, but not all, categories. Maintaining records of demographics regarding age, gender, and minority status, as well as trends by discipline and career choices, is vital in planning for the future training and employment of astronomers.

Measuring the health effects of gender.

PubMed

Phillips, S P

2008-04-01

The health effects of gender are mediated via group-level constraints of sex roles and norms, discrimination and marginalisation of individuals, and internalisation of the stresses of role discordance. Although gender is frequently a lens through which data are interpreted there are few composite measures that insert gender as an independent variable into research design. Instead, sex disaggregation of data is often conflated with gender, identifying statistically significant but sometimes clinically insignificant sex differences. To directly assess the impact of gender on wellbeing requires development of group and individual-level derived variables. At the ecological level such a summative variable could be composed of a selection of group-level measures of equality between sexes. This gender index could be used in ecological and individual-level studies of health outcomes. A quantitative indicator of gender role acceptance and of the personal effects of gender inequities could insert the often hidden variable of gender into individual-level clinical research.

Leaks in the pipeline: separating demographic inertia from ongoing gender differences in academia

PubMed Central

Shaw, Allison K.; Stanton, Daniel E.

2012-01-01

Identification of the causes underlying the under-representation of women and minorities in academia is a source of ongoing concern and controversy. This is a critical issue in ensuring the openness and diversity of academia; yet differences in personal experiences and interpretations have mired it in controversy. We construct a simple model of the academic career that can be used to identify general trends, and separate the demographic effects of historical differences from ongoing biological or cultural gender differences. We apply the model to data on academics collected by the National Science Foundation (USA) over the past three decades, across all of science and engineering, and within six disciplines (agricultural and biological sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, and social sciences). We show that the hiring and retention of women in academia have been affected by both demographic inertia and gender differences, but that the relative influence of gender differences appears to be dwindling for most disciplines and career transitions. Our model enables us to identify the two key non-structural bottlenecks restricting female participation in academia: choice of undergraduate major and application to faculty positions. These transitions are those in greatest need of detailed study and policy development. PMID:22719028

Men at risk; a qualitative study on HIV risk, gender identity and violence among men who have sex with men who report high risk behavior in Kampala, Uganda.

PubMed

King, Rachel; Barker, Joseph; Nakayiwa, Sylvia; Katuntu, David; Lubwama, George; Bagenda, Danstan; Lane, Tim; Opio, Alex; Hladik, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

In Uganda, men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for HIV. Between May 2008 and February 2009 in Kampala, Uganda, we used respondent driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 295 MSM≥18 years who reported having had sex with another man in the preceding three months. The parent study conducted HIV and STI testing and collected demographic and HIV-related behavioral data through audio computer-assisted self-administered interviews. We conducted a nested qualitative sub-study with 16 men purposively sampled from among the survey participants based on responses to behavioral variables indicating higher risk for HIV infection. Sub-study participants were interviewed face-to-face. Domains of inquiry included sexual orientation, gender identity, condom use, stigma, discrimination, violence and health seeking behavior. Emergent themes included a description of sexual orientation/gender identity categories. All groups of men described conflicting feelings related to their sexual orientation and contextual issues that do not accept same-sex identities or behaviors and non-normative gender presentation. The emerging domains for facilitating condom use included: lack of trust in partner and fear of HIV infection. We discuss themes in the context of social and policy issues surrounding homosexuality and HIV prevention in Uganda that directly affect men's lives, risk and health-promoting behaviors.

Men at Risk; a Qualitative Study on HIV Risk, Gender Identity and Violence among Men Who Have Sex with Men Who Report High Risk Behavior in Kampala, Uganda

PubMed Central

King, Rachel; Barker, Joseph; Nakayiwa, Sylvia; Katuntu, David; Lubwama, George; Bagenda, Danstan; Lane, Tim; Opio, Alex; Hladik, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

In Uganda, men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for HIV. Between May 2008 and February 2009 in Kampala, Uganda, we used respondent driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 295 MSM≥18 years who reported having had sex with another man in the preceding three months. The parent study conducted HIV and STI testing and collected demographic and HIV-related behavioral data through audio computer-assisted self-administered interviews. We conducted a nested qualitative sub-study with 16 men purposively sampled from among the survey participants based on responses to behavioral variables indicating higher risk for HIV infection. Sub-study participants were interviewed face-to-face. Domains of inquiry included sexual orientation, gender identity, condom use, stigma, discrimination, violence and health seeking behavior. Emergent themes included a description of sexual orientation/gender identity categories. All groups of men described conflicting feelings related to their sexual orientation and contextual issues that do not accept same-sex identities or behaviors and non-normative gender presentation. The emerging domains for facilitating condom use included: lack of trust in partner and fear of HIV infection. We discuss themes in the context of social and policy issues surrounding homosexuality and HIV prevention in Uganda that directly affect men's lives, risk and health-promoting behaviors. PMID:24358239

Factors related to the persistence and attainment of graduate degrees in the sciences by women science majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carl, Janet E.

Researchers have shown that women remain underrepresented in the sciences particularly in doctorate degree attainment. This investigator aimed to extend previous research by examining possible causes of gender disparity in science graduate education using data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, B&B.:93/03. Variables in categories of demographics, academic achievement, financial resources, degree expectations and attitudes toward educational experiences, future study and employment were analyzed by t tests and hierarchical regression to determine gender differences in graduate degree expectations and attainment by male and female science majors. Findings supported gender disparity in undergraduate and graduate fields of study. Women dominated health areas and earned terminal master's degrees, whereas men dominated the physical science field and attained a higher proportion of doctorate degrees. Results also showed no gender differences in master's degree attainment in other fields thus confirming that these graduates did not persist in science fields. Graduate degree expectation was a strong predictor for master's and doctorate degree attainment. Parent education had a significant effect on degree expectations but not on graduate degree attainment. Women tended to have lower degree expectations and earned fewer science and math credits than men. Results showed that unemployment and loans predicted doctorate degree attainment by men and women showed higher levels of employment in graduate school.

Examination of Demographic Differences Between the United States Population and the United States Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-04-01

realm of gender and race /ethnic background. Finally, analysis is accomplished on these differences and conclusions drawn to ascertain any consequences... Race /Ethnic Comparison ............................................................................................ 31 Hispanic Population...Population............................................................................ 36 Race /Ethnic by Gender Comparison

Knowing Your Worth: Salary Expectations and Gender of Matriculating Physician Assistant Students.

PubMed

Streilein, Annamarie; Leach, Brandi; Everett, Christine; Morgan, Perri

2018-03-01

The male-female wage gap is present and persistent in the health care sector, even among physician assistants (PAs). Explanations for the persistent gender earnings gap include differential salary expectations of men and women based, in part, on women's lower pay entitlement. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in salary expectations between male and female matriculating PA students nationwide, adjusting for other factors expected to affect salaries and pay expectations of both male and female matriculants. Using data from the Physician Assistant Education Association Matriculating Student Survey of 2013, 2014, and 2015, we investigated the relationship between first-year PA students' gender and their salary expectations after graduation using a multinomial logistic regression analysis. We controlled for possible confounders by including independent variables measuring student demographics, background characteristics, qualifications, future career plans, and financial considerations. We found that female PA students were less likely than male PA students to expect a salary of $80,000-$89,999 (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.73), $90,000-$99,999 (OR = 0.58), or $100,000 or greater (OR = 0.42) in comparison to an expected salary of less than $70,000, when controlling for our independent variables. Our analysis shows that on entry into PA training programs, female PA students' earnings expectations are less than those of male PA students. Our results are consistent with research, suggesting that women typically expect lower pay and systematically undervalue their contributions and skills in comparison to men. Physician assistant programs should consider strategies to promote realistic salary expectations among PA students as one way to promote earnings equity.

Separation as a suicide risk factor.

PubMed

Wyder, Marianne; Ward, Patrick; De Leo, Diego

2009-08-01

Marital separation (as distinct from divorce) is rarely researched in the suicidological literature. Studies usually report on the statuses of 'separated' and 'divorced' as a combined category, possibly because demographic registries are not able to identify separation reliably. However, in most countries divorce only happens once the process of separation has settled which, in most cases, occurs a long time after the initial break-up. It has been hypothesised that separation might carry a far greater risk of suicide than divorce. The present study investigates the impact of separation on suicide risk by taking into account the effects of age and gender. The incidence of suicide associated with marital status, age and gender was determined by comparing the Queensland Suicide Register (a large dataset of all suicides in Queensland from 1994 to 2004) with the QLD population through two different census datasets: the Registered Marital Status and the Social Marital Status. These two registries permit the isolation of the variable 'separated' with great reliability. During the examined period, 6062 persons died by suicide in QLD (an average of 551 cases per year), with males outnumbering females by four to one. For both males and females separation created a risk of suicide at least 4 times higher than any other marital status. The risk was particularly high for males aged 15 to 24 (RR 91.62). This study highlights a great variation in the incidence of suicide by marital status, age and gender, which suggests that these variables should not be studied in isolation. Furthermore, particularly in younger males, separation appears to be strongly associated with the risk of suicide.

Perceived self-efficacy and student-teacher relationships among diverse Title I students' achievement in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larry, Triaka A.

The need for more diversity in STEM-related careers and college majors is urgent. Self-efficacy and student-teacher relationships are factors that have been linked to influencing students’ pursuit of subject-specific careers and academic achievement. The impact of self-efficacy and student perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviors on student achievement have been extensively researched in the areas of Mathematics and English, however, most studies using science achievement, as a criterion variable, were conducted using non-diverse, White upper middle class to affluent participants. In order to determine the strength of relationships between perceived science self-efficacy, and student perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviors as factors that influence science achievement (science GPA), the Science Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ) and Questionnaire on Teacher Interactions (QTI) were administered to twelfth grade students enrolled at a highly diverse urban Title I high school, while controlling for demographics, defined as gender, ethnicity, and minority status. Using a hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, results demonstrated that the predictor variables (i.e., gender, ethnicity, minority status, science self-efficacy, and teacher interpersonal behaviors) accounted for 20.8% of the variance in science GPAs. Science self-efficacy made the strongest unique contribution to explaining science GPA, while minority status and gender were found to be statistically significant contributors to the full model as well. Ethnicity and teacher interpersonal behaviors did not make a statistically significant contribution to the variance in science GPA, and accounted for ≤ 1% of the variance. Implications and recommendations for future research are subsequently given.

Demographically corrected norms for African Americans and Caucasians on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, Stroop Color and Word Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test 64-Card Version.

PubMed

Norman, Marc A; Moore, David J; Taylor, Michael; Franklin, Donald; Cysique, Lucette; Ake, Chris; Lazarretto, Deborah; Vaida, Florin; Heaton, Robert K

2011-08-01

Memory and executive functioning are two important components of clinical neuropsychological (NP) practice and research. Multiple demographic factors are known to affect performance differentially on most NP tests, but adequate normative corrections, inclusive of race/ethnicity, are not available for many widely used instruments. This study compared demographic contributions for widely used tests of verbal and visual learning and memory (Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised, Hopkins Verbal Memory Test-Revised) and executive functioning (Stroop Color and Word Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-64) in groups of healthy Caucasians (n = 143) and African Americans (n = 103). Demographic factors of age, education, gender, and race/ethnicity were found to be significant factors on some indices of all four tests. The magnitude of demographic contributions (especially age) was greater for African Americans than for Caucasians on most measures. New, demographically corrected T-score formulas were calculated for each race/ethnicity. The rates of NP impairment using previously published normative standards significantly overestimated NP impairment in African Americans. Utilizing the new demographic corrections developed and presented herein, NP impairment rates were comparable between the two race/ethnicities and were unrelated to the other demographic characteristics (age, education, gender) in either race/ethnicity group. Findings support the need to consider extended demographic contributions to neuropsychological test performance in clinical and research settings.

Can Propensity Score Analysis Approximate Randomized Experiments Using Pretest and Demographic Information in Pre-K Intervention Research?

PubMed

Dong, Nianbo; Lipsey, Mark W

2017-01-01

It is unclear whether propensity score analysis (PSA) based on pretest and demographic covariates will meet the ignorability assumption for replicating the results of randomized experiments. This study applies within-study comparisons to assess whether pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) treatment effects on achievement outcomes estimated using PSA based on a pretest and demographic covariates can approximate those found in a randomized experiment. Data-Four studies with samples of pre-K children each provided data on two math achievement outcome measures with baseline pretests and child demographic variables that included race, gender, age, language spoken at home, and mother's highest education. Research Design and Data Analysis-A randomized study of a pre-K math curriculum provided benchmark estimates of effects on achievement measures. Comparison samples from other pre-K studies were then substituted for the original randomized control and the effects were reestimated using PSA. The correspondence was evaluated using multiple criteria. The effect estimates using PSA were in the same direction as the benchmark estimates, had similar but not identical statistical significance, and did not differ from the benchmarks at statistically significant levels. However, the magnitude of the effect sizes differed and displayed both absolute and relative bias larger than required to show statistical equivalence with formal tests, but those results were not definitive because of the limited statistical power. We conclude that treatment effect estimates based on a single pretest and demographic covariates in PSA correspond to those from a randomized experiment on the most general criteria for equivalence.

Personality Traits and Socio-Demographic Variables as Correlates of Counselling Effectiveness of Counsellors in Enugu State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onyekuru, Bruno U.; Ibegbunam, Josephat

2015-01-01

Quality personality traits and socio-demographic variables are essential elements of effective counselling. This correlational study investigated personality traits and socio-demographic variables as predictors of counselling effectiveness of counsellors in Enugu State. The instruments for data collection were Personality Traits Assessment Scale…

Demographic characteristics, social competence, and behavior problems in children with gender identity disorder: a cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis.

PubMed

Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Owen, Allison; Kaijser, Vanessa G; Bradley, Susan J; Zucker, Kenneth J

2003-02-01

This study examined demographic characteristics, social competence, and behavior problems in clinic-referred children with gender identity problems in Toronto, Canada (N = 358), and Utrecht, The Netherlands (N = 130). The Toronto sample was, on average, about a year younger than the Utrecht sample at referral, had a higher percentage of boys, had a higher mean IQ, and was less likely to be living with both parents. On the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), both groups showed, on average, clinical range scores in both social competence and behavior problems. A CBCL-derived measure of poor peer relations showed that boys in both clinics had worse ratings than did the girls. A multiple regression analysis showed that poor peer relations were the strongest predictor of behavior problems in both samples. This study-the first cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis of children with gender identity disorder-found far more similarities than differences in both social competence and behavior problems. The most salient demographic difference was age at referral. Cross-national differences in factors that might influence referral patterns are discussed.

The relationship between societal change and rising support for gender egalitarianism among men and women: Results from counterfactual analyses in the Netherlands, 1979-2012.

PubMed

Thijs, Paula; Te Grotenhuis, Manfred; Scheepers, Peer

2017-11-01

This study examines the relationship between important social, cultural, economic, and demographic changes and the rise of support for gender egalitarianism within the Dutch population between 1979 and 2012. Cohort replacement, educational expansion, secularization, and the feminization of the labor force are important processes that have taken place in western societies in ways that may have fostered support for gender egalitarianism. Using unique data from 16 repeated cross-sectional surveys in the Netherlands, we estimate age-period-cohort regression models, and the outcomes are subsequently applied in counterfactual simulation designs. Our results show that the social, cultural, economic, and demographic changes explain only a small part of the modest rise in support for gender egalitarianism for men, while they provide a much better explanation of the stronger rise among women. Especially the replacement of older female cohorts by younger ones seems to have propelled support for gender egalitarianism among women throughout the years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing demographic, health status and psychosocial strategies of audience segmentation to promote physical activity.

PubMed

Boslaugh, Sarah E; Kreuter, Matthew W; Nicholson, Robert A; Naleid, Kimberly

2005-08-01

The goal of audience segmentation is to identify population subgroups that are homogeneous with respect to certain variables associated with a given outcome or behavior. When such groups are identified and understood, targeted intervention strategies can be developed to address their unique characteristics and needs. This study compares the results of audience segmentation for physical activity that is based on either demographic, health status or psychosocial variables alone, or a combination of all three types of variables. Participants were 1090 African-American and White adults from two public health centers in St Louis, MO. Using a classification-tree algorithm to form homogeneous groups, analyses showed that more segments with greater variability in physical activity were created using psychosocial versus health status or demographic variables and that a combination of the three outperformed any individual set of variables. Simple segmentation strategies such as those relying on demographic variables alone provided little improvement over no segmentation at all. Audience segmentation appears to yield more homogeneous subgroups when psychosocial and health status factors are combined with demographic variables.

Facial anthropometric differences among gender, ethnicity, and age groups.

PubMed

Zhuang, Ziqing; Landsittel, Douglas; Benson, Stacey; Roberge, Raymond; Shaffer, Ronald

2010-06-01

The impact of race/ethnicity upon facial anthropometric data in the US workforce, on the development of personal protective equipment, has not been investigated to any significant degree. The proliferation of minority populations in the US workforce has increased the need to investigate differences in facial dimensions among these workers. The objective of this study was to determine the face shape and size differences among race and age groups from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health survey of 3997 US civilian workers. Survey participants were divided into two gender groups, four racial/ethnic groups, and three age groups. Measurements of height, weight, neck circumference, and 18 facial dimensions were collected using traditional anthropometric techniques. A multivariate analysis of the data was performed using Principal Component Analysis. An exploratory analysis to determine the effect of different demographic factors had on anthropometric features was assessed via a linear model. The 21 anthropometric measurements, body mass index, and the first and second principal component scores were dependent variables, while gender, ethnicity, age, occupation, weight, and height served as independent variables. Gender significantly contributes to size for 19 of 24 dependent variables. African-Americans have statistically shorter, wider, and shallower noses than Caucasians. Hispanic workers have 14 facial features that are significantly larger than Caucasians, while their nose protrusion, height, and head length are significantly shorter. The other ethnic group was composed primarily of Asian subjects and has statistically different dimensions from Caucasians for 16 anthropometric values. Nineteen anthropometric values for subjects at least 45 years of age are statistically different from those measured for subjects between 18 and 29 years of age. Workers employed in manufacturing, fire fighting, healthcare, law enforcement, and other occupational groups have facial features that differ significantly than those in construction. Statistically significant differences in facial anthropometric dimensions (P < 0.05) were noted between males and females, all racial/ethnic groups, and the subjects who were at least 45 years old when compared to workers between 18 and 29 years of age. These findings could be important to the design and manufacture of respirators, as well as employers responsible for supplying respiratory protective equipment to their employees.

Compassion fatigue and substance use among nurses.

PubMed

Jarrad, Reem; Hammad, Sawsan; Shawashi, Tagreed; Mahmoud, Naser

2018-01-01

This study aimed to detect if there were differences in compassion fatigue (CF) among nurses based on substance use and demographic variables of gender, marital status, type of health institution and income. Compassion fatigue is considered an outcome of poorly handled stressful situations in which nurses may respond with self-harming behaviours like substance use. Evidence in this area is critically lacking. This study used a descriptive design to survey differences in CF of 282 nurses. The participants completed a demographic survey and indicated whether they consume any of the following substances on a frequent basis: cigarettes, sleeping pills, power drinks, anti-depressant drugs, anti-anxiety drugs, coffee, analgesics, amphetamines and alcohol. Compassion Fatigue scores were surveyed using CF self-test 66 items developed by Stamm and Figely (Compassion satisfaction and fatigue test. http://www.isu.edu/~bhstamm/tests.htm, 1996). There were significant differences in CF scores in favour of nurses who used cigarettes, sleeping pills, power drinks, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs. While no significant differences in CF were found between nurses who used coffee, analgesics, amphetamines and alcohol, significant differences in nurses' CF were found in relation to type of institution, gender and marital status. But nurses' income did not bring differences to CF scores. Nurses who might be lacking resilience cope negatively with CF using maladaptive negative behaviours such as substance use. Nursing management should be aware of the substance use drive among nurses and build organizational solutions to overcome compassion fatigue and potential substance use problems.

Variable School Start Times and Middle School Student's Sleep Health and Academic Performance.

PubMed

Lewin, Daniel S; Wang, Guanghai; Chen, Yao I; Skora, Elizabeth; Hoehn, Jessica; Baylor, Allison; Wang, Jichuan

2017-08-01

Improving sleep health among adolescents is a national health priority and implementing healthy school start times (SSTs) is an important strategy to achieve these goals. This study leveraged the differences in middle school SST in a large district to evaluate associations between SST, sleep health, and academic performance. This cross-sectional study draws data from a county-wide surveillance survey. Participants were three cohorts of eighth graders (n = 26,440). The school district is unique because SST ranged from 7:20 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Path analysis and probit regression were used to analyze associations between SST and self-report measures of weekday sleep duration, grades, and homework controlling for demographic variables (sex, race, and socioeconomic status). The independent contributions of SST and sleep duration to academic performance were also analyzed. Earlier SST was associated with decreased sleep duration (χ 2  = 173, p < .0001) and deficient sleep (≤7 hours) among 45% of students. Students with SST before 7:45 a.m. were at increased risk of decreased sleep duration, academic performance, and academic effort. Path analysis models demonstrated the independent contributions of sleep duration, SST, and variable effects for demographic variables. This is the first study to evaluate the independent contributions of SST and sleep to academic performance in a large sample of middle school students. Deficient sleep was prevalent, and the earliest SST was associated with decrements in sleep and academics. These findings support the prioritization of policy initiatives to implement healthy SST for younger adolescents and highlight the importance of sleep health education disparities among race and gender groups. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temperament types are associated with weak self-construct, elevated distress and emotion-oriented coping in schizophrenia: evidence for a complex vulnerability marker?

PubMed

Ritsner, Michael; Susser, Ehud

2004-10-30

Knowledge concerning temperament factors involved in vulnerability to schizophrenia is limited. We hypothesized that temperament and self-variables (emotional distress, coping styles, self-efficacy and self-esteem) might present a complex trait marker for underlying vulnerability to schizophrenia. We sought to (1) assess temperament dimensions and types in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls using the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), and (2) explore their association with symptom dimensions, emotional distress, coping styles, self-constructs, demographic and background variables. We evaluated 90 consecutively recruited DSM-IV schizophrenia patients and 136 healthy controls matched for gender and age. We found that the harm avoidance (HA) factor was higher, while reward dependence (RD) was lower in schizophrenia patients than in healthy controls. Relationships of negative symptoms to novelty seeking (NS) and general psychopathology with both NS and HA show a confounding relation to self-variables. TPQ temperament types were defined by dichotomization into high and low according to medians of the three TPQ temperament dimensions. The odds ratios for the HA and HA/NS temperament types were significantly higher, while the NS/RD type was lower in schizophrenia patients than in healthy controls. HA/NS, HA/RD and high-HA/NS/RD types revealed higher scores for emotional distress, emotion-oriented coping and lower scores on self-constructs. No links were found between temperament types and schizophrenia symptom dimensions, task and avoidance oriented coping, or demographic and background variables. Thus, our findings strengthen the hypothesis that temperament types, when associated with elevated emotional distress, emotion-oriented coping and weak self-constructs, might represent a complex trait marker for underlying vulnerability to schizophrenia.

Determinants of physical activity in America: a first characterization of physical activity profile using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

PubMed

Kao, Ming-Chih Jeffrey; Jarosz, Renata; Goldin, Michael; Patel, Amy; Smuck, Matthew

2014-10-01

To develop and implement methodologies for characterizing accelerometry-derived patterns of physical activity (PA) in the United States in relation to demographics, anthropometrics, behaviors, and comorbidities using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset. Retrospective analysis of nationally representative database. Computer-generated modeling in silico. A total of 6329 adults in the United States from the NHANES 2003-2004 database. To discover subtle multivariate signal in the dynamic and noisy accelerometry data, we developed a novel approach, termed discretized multiple adaptive regression and implemented the algorithm in SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Demographic, anthropometric, comorbidity, and behavioral variables. The intensity of PA decreased with both increased age and increased body mass index. Both greater education and greater income correlate with increased activity over short durations and reduced activity intensity over long durations. Numerous predictors demonstrated effects within activity ranges that may be masked by use of the standard activity intensity intervals. These include age, one of the most robust variables, where we discovered decreasing activities inside the moderate activity range. It also includes gender, where women compared with men have increased proportions of active times up to the center of light activity range, and income greater than $45,000, where a complex effect is seen with little correspondence to existing cut-points. The results presented in this study suggest that the method of multiple regression and heat map visualization can generate insights otherwise hidden in large datasets such as NHANES. A review of the provided heat maps reveals the trends discussed previously involving demographic, anthropometric, comorbidity, and behavioral variables. It also demonstrates the power of accelerometry to expose alterations in PA. Ultimately, this study provides a US population-based norm to use in future studies of PA. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Decrements in health-related quality of life associated with gender nonconformity among U.S. adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Gordon, Allegra R; Krieger, Nancy; Okechukwu, Cassandra A; Haneuse, Sebastien; Samnaliev, Mihail; Charlton, Brittany M; Austin, S Bryn

2017-08-01

Gender nonconformity, that is, transgressing conventionally "masculine" vs. "feminine" characteristics, is often stigmatized. Stigmatization and discrimination are social stressors that raise risk of adverse mental and physical health outcomes and may drive health inequities. However, little is known about the relationship between such social stressors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This paper aimed to examine associations between perceived gender nonconformity and HRQOL in a cohort of U.S. adolescents and young adults. Using data from 8408 participants (18-31 years) in the U.S. Growing Up Today Study (93% white, 88% middle-to-high income), we estimated risk ratios (RRs) for the association of gender nonconformity (three levels: highly gender conforming, moderately conforming, and gender nonconforming) and HRQOL using the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). Models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, including sexual orientation identity. Gender nonconformity was independently associated with increased risk of having problems with mobility [RR (95% confidence interval): 1.76 (1.16, 2.68)], usual activities [2.29 (1.67, 3.13)], pain or discomfort [1.59, (1.38, 1.83)], and anxiety or depression [1.72 (1.39, 2.13)], after adjusting for sexual orientation and demographic characteristics. Decrements in health utility by gender nonconformity were observed: compared to persons who were highly gender conforming, mean health utility was lower for the moderately gender conforming [beta (SE): -0.011 (.002)] and lowest for the most gender nonconforming [-0.034 (.005)]. In our study, HRQOL exhibited inequities by gender nonconformity. Future studies, including in more diverse populations, should measure the effect of gender-related harassment, discrimination, and violence victimization on health and HRQOL.

Food, ethics and aesthetics.

PubMed

Tivadar, Blanka; Luthar, Breda

2005-04-01

The authors test the popular thesis of some of the most influential theorists of contemporary societies about the erosion of the social structuring of consumption choices and their consequent individualisation in westernised societies, using the example of food practices. The analysis is based on data obtained from a random sample of the Slovenian population within a research project entitled 'Lifestyles in a Mediated Society.' The aims of the analysis were: (a) to explore the role of socio-demographic variables in food practices, and (b) to discover the inherent logic that motivates each particular set of food practices and which makes them meaningful for the individual, by studying an association of respondents' food practices with their worldview and cultural consumption. A cluster analysis revealed six food cultures (Male traditionalists, Yes-sayers, Male modernists, Weight-watchers, Carefree hedonists, and Health-conscious hedonists) lying along a continuum where traditionalism occupies one end and post-traditionalism the other. The authors conclude that although two out of six food cultures crosscut socio-demographic affiliations and transform food consumption into a constituent part of a lifestyle as an identity project, there is still a significant influence of socio-demographic characteristics (particularly gender and formal education) on food practices in contemporary Slovenia. Furthermore, significant associations exist between food practices, on the one hand, and the respondent's worldview and cultural consumption, on the other.

Gender differences in demographic and clinical features and prescribing patterns of psychotropic medications in patients with major depressive disorder in China.

PubMed

Xiang, Yu-Tao; Wang, Gang; Guo, Tong; Hu, Chen; Ungvari, Gabor S; Kilbourne, Amy M; Lai, Kelly Y C; Wong, Samuel Y S; Si, Tian-Mei; Zheng, Qi-Wen; Chen, Da-Fang; Fang, Yi-Ru; Lu, Zheng; Yang, Hai-Chen; Hu, Jian; Chen, Zhi-Yu; Huang, Yi; Sun, Jing; Wang, Xiao-Ping; Li, Hui-Chun; Zhang, Jin-Bei; Chiu, Helen F K

2013-11-01

Little is known about gender differences associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) in China. This study examined gender differences associated with other demographic and clinical characteristics and psychotropic drug treatment in Chinese patients with MDD. A total of 1178 patients with MDD from 13 psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric units of general hospitals in China nationwide were enrolled. Cross-sectional data including patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and prescriptions of psychotropic medications were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. The sample consisted of 793 female and 385 male patients. Univariate analyses revealed that male patients were younger than female patients, had a younger age of onset of depression, had less lifetime depressive episodes and had more bipolar features (i.e. patients who screened positive for hypomanic symptoms on the 32-item Hypomania Checklist, but did not meet the diagnostic criteria for DSM-IV bipolar disorders as measured by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Also, men were more likely to be employed than women and less likely to have depressive episodes following stressful life events. In multivariate analyses, being employed, having bipolar features and not having depressive episodes following stressful life events were independently associated with being a male patient with major depressive disorder. There was no difference in use of psychotropic medications by gender. Most gender differences in MDD patients in this study are not consistent with findings of Western studies suggesting that gender differences in MDD may be determined by both biological and sociocultural differences among ethnically different patient populations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Integration of demographic variables into development plans in the Sahel].

PubMed

Wane, H R

1992-07-01

A founding principle of the Program of Action of N'Djamena is the interdependence of population and development and the need for development strategies to take demographic factors into account. The concept of integration of population variables into development has evolved since its introduction in the 1974 World Population Plan of Action from a simple description of population size, growth rates, and distribution to a stress on harmonizing population policies and development policies with macroeconomic variables. The essence of the concept is the consideration given by development policies and programs to the interrelations between population, resources, the environment, and development factors. Population variables and goals should ideally be treated as endogenous variables in development planning, but in practice the extreme complexity of such a systematic approach limits its ability to be made operational. Usually the most crucial problems only are included. Integrated planning is composed of explicit or implicit population policies intended to influence demographic variables and of socioeconomic policies intended to adapt to demographic change. In the Sahel, only Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali have formal population policies, but around 1980 several countries of the region began to show interest in influencing demographic variables as they did economic variables. Fundamental principles for developing an integration strategy can be applied regardless or whether the plan is based on projections, analysis of interaction of a demographic variable with factors specific to a sector, or a monosectorial or multisectorial demoeconomic planning model. Demographic data is used more frequently in diagnosing problems than in developing projections or formulating objectives. The level of disaggregation of demographic projections and estimates tends to be low, despite the great potential utility of demographic projections in planning. Demographic projections can be useful in analyses of the extent of changes and the implications of alternative scenarios of development planning. The most frequently used demographic variables in development planning have been spatial distribution of the population and mortality. An examination of past development plans in Mali relating to population and nutrition and population and health reveals several inconsistencies between stated goals and strategies intended to achieve them. The incoherence can be explained in part by the absence of a coherent national population policy, the failure to translate the population policy into programs that take into account reciprocal effects of demographic trends and economic perspectives and their social effects, and the absence of disaggregated population projections. An example from Senegal demonstrates the constraints imposed by structural adjustment programs on the entire planning process.

Personality Traits and Burnout Among Athletic Trainers Employed in the Collegiate Setting

PubMed Central

Eason, Christianne M.; Lazar, Rhyan; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.

2016-01-01

Context:  Burnout, a psychological state of mental weariness that occurs when work stresses become overwhelming, has frequently been documented in athletic trainers and has been hypothesized to affect professional retention. Experiences of burnout may be influenced by individual-level factors such as gender or personality, though few researchers have investigated such interactions in athletic trainers. Objective:  To investigate the relationship between personalities, as measured by the Big Five Personality Inventory, and burnout. Design:  Cross-sectional study. Setting:  Online Web-based survey. Patients or Other Participants:  A total of 189 athletic trainers working in the collegiate setting, 65 men (34.4%) and 124 women (65.6%), with an average of 5 ± 3 years certified and 2.5 ± 2 years working in their current position. Main Outcome Measure(s):  Data were collected using a Web-based survey instrument consisting of 3 sections: (1) demographics, (2) burnout survey, and (3) Big Five Personality Inventory. Likert responses for the burnout score were summed. Independent t tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple regressions were calculated to evaluate the relationships between demographics and burnout and between burnout and personality. Results:  This group of athletic trainers experienced moderate burnout, regardless of gender. A weak negative correlation was present between burnout score and both agreeableness and extraversion. A weak positive correlation existed between burnout and neuroticism. These variables did not predict burnout scores; only neuroticism added significantly to the weak predictive value. Personality explained only 17.3% of the variability in burnout scores. Conclusions:  Our study confirms the findings of previous researchers highlighting moderate burnout in athletic trainers employed in the collegiate setting. We did not find that personality significantly predicted burnout, though it did account for a small amount of the variance in burnout scores. Thus, organizational-level factors may play a greater role in determining burnout in athletic trainers than individual-level factors such as personality. PMID:27415851

Roadside sobriety tests and attitudes toward a regulated cannabis market

PubMed Central

Looby, Alison; Earleywine, Mitch; Gieringer, Dale

2007-01-01

Background Many argue that prohibition creates more troubles than alternative policies, but fewer than half of American voters support a taxed and regulated market for cannabis. Some oppose a regulated market because of concerns about driving after smoking cannabis. Although a roadside sobriety test for impairment exists, few voters know about it. The widespread use of a roadside sobriety test that could detect recent cannabis use might lead some voters who currently oppose a regulated market to support it. In contrast, a question that primes respondents about the potential for driving after cannabis use might lead respondents to be less likely to support a regulated market. Methods Phone interviews with a national sample of 1002 registered voters asked about support for a regulated cannabis market and support for such a market if a reliable roadside sobriety test were widely available. Results In this sample of registered voters, 36% supported a regulated cannabis market. Exploratory chi-square tests revealed significantly higher support among men and Caucasians but no link to age or education. These demographic variables covaried significantly. Logistic regression revealed that gender, ethnicity, and political party were significant when all predictors were included. Support increased significantly with a reliable roadside sobriety test to 44%, but some respondents who had agreed to the regulated market no longer agreed when the sobriety test was mentioned. Logistic regression revealed that ethnicity and political affiliation were again significant predictors of support with a reliable sobriety test, but gender was no longer significant. None of these demographic variables could identify who would change their votes in response to the reliable roadside test. Conclusion Increased awareness and use of roadside sobriety tests that detect recent cannabis use could increase support for a regulated cannabis market. Identifying concerns of voters who are not Caucasian or Democrats could help alter cannabis policy. PMID:17266759

Attitudes toward Money and Demographic Variables as Related to Income and Life Satisfaction: USA Vs. Spain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Thomas Li-Ping; Arocas, Roberto Luna; Whiteside, Harold D.

A study of 207 faculty at a state university in the southeastern United States and 102 faculty members at the University of Valencia (Spain) examined demographic variables and attitudes toward money, income, and life satisfaction. Demographic variables (sex, age, education, marital status, race, current job experience, total work experience, and…