A systematic review of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health in the West Midlands region of the UK compared to published UK research

It is estimated that approximately 3-8% of the UK population identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT). Until now, most health research on gay and bisexual men has been around HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases and for trans people has been on the transitioning process only. However, it has been apparent to the LGBT community that that there are a wide variety of other physical and mental health issues that are also important and that the proportion of gay and bisexual men who have HIV/AIDS is relatively small. Very little general LGBT health research has been published so far and there are very few health services that specifically address the general health concerns of the LGBT community. This systematic review presents all available research conducted in the West Midlands on LGBT health since 2000. Local health research is compared to UK national, peer reviewed and published LGBT health research in order to determine whether the local results are unusual compared to national LGBT data, and to routinely collected data on the UK population, where appropriate, in order to determine whether and where the LGBT population differ from the general population. Only UK research has been included because there was no previous UK specific systematic review so it was unclear how generalisable foreign research would be to the UK

The geographies of cyberspace

In this I paper I explore the need for a new field of geographic enquiry called cybergeography. This is the investigation of the complex and multifaceted structure, use and experience of the online world inside global computer-communications networks, most obviously represented by the Internet and the World-Wide Web. In particular I focus on how one can study the geography of Internet diffusion from publicly available statistics. Then I consider ways that the landscapes of Cyberspace can be mapped to enhance our understanding of their evolving form and texture using examples of a real-time “weather map” of Internet congestion and maps of the urban structure of virtual world

Understanding Social Capital: Its Nature and Manifestiations in Rural Canada

This presentation discusses an interpretation and analysis of social capital that is strongly integrated into a framework of social relations. We argue that social capital is organized in four fundamental types of social relations: market, bureaucratic, associative, and communal. Each type of relation is distinguished by its own norms, rules of engagement, institutions, and control mechanisms. As a result, the processes by which social capital is created, maintained, and used will vary by each type. Using national community and household data collected as part of a research project on rural Canada (The New Rural Economy Project of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation), we outline the framework, propose measures of the four types of social capital, demonstrate their multidimensional nature, and test a number of hypotheses regarding their relation to community and individual characteristics. Finally, we conclude with some theoretical and research implications for investigating rural communities and rural programs.Social Capital; Measurement; Rural; Canada

Case study: embedding 'A vision of Britain through time' as a resource for academic research and learning

As part of the 'JISC e-Content and Digitisation Programmes: Impact and Embedding of Digitised Resources,' this case study explores the impacts of the A Vision of Britain Through Time website (http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/) on academic research and learning. It is complemented by 'Impact Report on ‘A Vision of Britain through Time’ 2004-10: Investigating the current use and impact of a popular digital resource for local history research.

Media consumption and creation in attitudes toward and knowledge of inflammatory bowel disease: web-based survey

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal condition affecting over 5 million people globally and 1.6 million in the United States but currently lacks a precisely determined cause or cure. The range of symptoms IBD patients experience are often debilitating, and the societal stigmas associated with some such symptoms can further degrade their quality of life. Better understanding the nature of this public reproach then is a critical component for improving awareness campaigns and, ultimately, the experiences of IBD patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore and assess the public's awareness and knowledge of IBD, as well as what relationship, if any, exists between the social stigma surrounding IBD, knowledge of the disease, and various media usage, including social media. METHODS: Utilizing a Web-based opt-in platform, we surveyed a nationally representative sample (n=1200) with demographics mirroring those of the US Census figures across baseline parameters. Using constructed indices based on factor analysis, we were able to build reliable measures of personal characteristics, media behaviors, and perceptions and knowledge of IBD. RESULTS: Among the American public, IBD is the most stigmatized of seven diseases, including genital herpes and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Additionally, IBD knowledge is generally low with 11.08% (133/1200) of the sample indicating no familiarity with the disease and 85.50% (1026/1200) of participants inaccurately answering two-thirds of the IBD index questions with which their knowledge was assessed. Increased knowledge of IBD is associated with lower levels of stigma. However, social media use is currently related to lower levels of IBD knowledge (P<.05). Furthermore, findings indicate that participants who most frequently engaged in producing social media content are less knowledgeable about IBD (P<.10), highlighting the potential for a dangerous cycle should they be contributing to a Web-based IBD dialogue. CONCLUSIONS: Greater efforts must be taken to stymie IBD misinformation across all media, but especially in social media channels, to increase IBD knowledge and reduce stigma surrounding IBD. These findings pave the way for further research qualitatively examining the pervasiveness of specific IBD messages found in today's social media landscape and their impact on enacted stigmas so as to better equip providers and patient advocacy organizations with impactful communication solutions

The UK geography of the E-Society: a national classification

It is simplistic to think of the impacts of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in terms of a single, or even small number of, 'digital divides'. As developments in what has been termed the ?e-society? reach wider and more generalisedaudiences, so it becomes appropriate to think of digital media as having wider-ranging but differentiated impacts upon consumer transactions, information gathering and citizen participation. This paper describes the development of a detailed, nationwide household classification based on levels of awareness of different ICTs; levels of use of ICTs; andtheir perceived impacts upon human capital formation and the quality of life. It discusses how geodemographic classification makes it possible to provide context for detailed case studies, and hence identify how policy might best improve both the quality and degree ofsociety?s access to ICTs. The primary focus of the paper is methodological, but it alsoillustrates how the classification may be used to investigate a range of regional and subregional policy issues. This paper illustrates the potential contribution of bespoke classifications to evidence-based policy, and the likely benefits of combining the most appropriate methods, techniques, datasets and practices that are used in the public and private sectors. It is simplistic to think of the impacts of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in terms of a single, or even small number of, 'digital divides'. As developments in what has been termed the ?e-society? reach wider and more generalisedaudiences, so it becomes appropriate to think of digital media as having wider-rangingbut differentiated impacts upon consumer transactions, information gathering and citizen participation. This paper describes the development of a detailed, nationwide household classification based on levels of awareness of different ICTs; levels of use of ICTs; and their perceived impacts upon human capital formation and the quality of life. It discusses how geodemographic classification makes it possible to provide context for detailed case studies, and hence identify how policy might best improve both the quality and degree of society?s access to ICTs. The primary focus of the paper is methodological, but it also illustrates how the classification may be used to investigate a range of regional and subregional policy issues. This paper illustrates the potential contribution of bespoke classifications to evidence-based policy, and the likely benefits of combining the most appropriate methods, techniques, datasets and practices that are used in the public and private sectors

Uneven Capacity and Delivery of Human Services in the Chicago Suburbs: The Role of Townships and Municipalities

Examines the social services suburban townships and municipalities deliver, their ability to expand their role to meet rising demand during the economic crisis, and the need to strengthen the nonprofit infrastructure. Urges collaboration and coordination

Field rules and bias in random surveys with quota samples. An assessment of CIS surveys

Surveys applying quota sampling in their final step are widely used in opinion and market research all over the world. This is also the case in Spain, where the surveys carried out by CIS (a public institution for sociological research supported by the government) have become a point of reference. The rules used by CIS to select individuals within quotas, however, could be improved as they lead to biases in age distributions. Analysing more than 545,000 responses collected in the 220 monthly barometers conducted between 1997 and 2016 by CIS, we compare the empirical distributions of the barometers with the expected distributions from the sample design and/or target populations. Among other results, we find, as a consequence of the rules used, significant overrepresentations in the observed proportions of respondents with ages equal to the minimum and maximum of each quota (age and gender group). Furthermore, in line with previous literature, we also note a significant overrepresentation of ages ending in zero. After offering simple solutions to avoid all these biases, we discuss some of their consequences for modelling and inference and about limitations and potentialities of CIS data.Peer Reviewe