Perceptions of Bullying: a Comparison of Pre-service and In-service Teachers

Bullying continues to exist in schools and students want teachers to take an active role in prevention and intervention. Prior research has explored why teachers do not intervene in bullying, but a gap exists in the research in regard to how the personal characteristics of teachers are related to their approach to bullying. This research addresses this. Studies on the perspectives and characteristics of pre-service and in-service teachers were conducted. The research tested the hypothesis that certain characteristics of teachers will be related to teachers being more willing to intervene in bullying situations and be related to teachers' attitudes about bullying. It was determined that pre-service and in-service teachers differed in their attitudes and approaches to bullying. Pre-service teachers perceived bullying as more serious. Pre-service teachers tended to also rate themselves as more feminine than in-service teachers. Pre-service teachers also indicated that they were not prepared to handle bullying incidents, as they lacked confidence. Pre-service also had views that differed from in-service in regard to the school climate and environment and how bullying would be handled. There were some differences in thinking styles that predicted preferred interventions. Both types of teachers viewed physical bullying as more serious than relational aggression. Some differences existed in recognizing bullying in scenarios containing a student with a disability compared to a student without a disability. The results suggest that the ideal training for teachers in how to handle bullying may be training that is tailored specifically for the type of teacher (i.e. pre-service versus in-service).Psycholog

Relationship Between Human-canine Personality Match and Pet Satisfaction

I tested the hypothesis that pet-to-owner personality-matching may improve pet-owner satisfaction on an instrument I designed. If a prospective pet owner adopted a dog with similar personality characteristics, the pet owner may be more satisfied with the pet and less likely to relinquish it. The 88 participants had self-selected their dog. The participants worked in a veterinarian clinic/hospital, zoo, grooming parlor or were employed as university faculty or graduate students. The survey consisted of 45 questions about the dog and 45 questions about the participants. A satisfaction rating and demographic survey were used. Out of the 45 traits for a possible human-to-pet match, there were four matches. The one slightly moderate correlation is stated below, followed by three weak correlations. These results do indicate a trend in human-to-pet matches. Both humans and dogs are willing to share possessions and make an attempt to get along with others. Both enjoyed running outside together. The dog owner is not likely to leave trash such as wrappers around, and the dog does not chew up items, so the living space is clean. Further, there was a trend for people highly satisfied with their pets to own a dog that had certain behaviors. These included dogs that greeted them by running up to them, shared toys and food, and refrained from tearing up items. A trend existed to show that people who were highly satisfied with their dog had particular personality characteristics themselves. They were more motivated to exercise rather than lounge on the sofa, but were not likely to go running outside without a pet. Further, they tended to be satisfied with the routine of everyday life. These people seem well adjusted in that they are not likely to tear up anything when anxious or insist on getting their own way in situations of everyday life. Despite the few significant results, the research provides an important contribution to the literature in that it demonstrates the challenge of isolating personality of dogs and prospective owners for the purpose of matching them during pet adoption. This study is helpful in advancing the idea of certain personality matching that might be effective to some slight degree for some who share the aforementioned traits. However, overall, this study did not achieve the desired significance level. It had limitations regarding statistical power in that there were few who were not satisfied with their dog, including even some who had returned a dog. More participants who returned dogs were needed to be able to have enough power to analyze this population separately The goal is to reduce the number of dogs relinquished.Department of Psycholog

Temporal trends in recording of diabetes on death certificates: results from Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency that diabetes is reported on death certificates of decedents with known diabetes and describe trends in reporting over 8 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were obtained from 11,927 participants with diabetes who were enrolled in Translating Research into Action for Diabetes, a multicenter prospective observational study of diabetes care in managed care. Data on decedents (N=2,261) were obtained from the National Death Index from 1 January 2000 through 31 December 2007. The primary dependent variables were the presence of the ICD-10 codes for diabetes listed anywhere on the death certificate or as the underlying cause of death. RESULTS: Diabetes was recorded on 41% of death certificates and as the underlying cause of death for 13% of decedents with diabetes. Diabetes was significantly more likely to be reported on the death certificate of decedents dying of cardiovascular disease than all other causes. There was a statistically significant trend of increased reporting of diabetes as the underlying cause of death over time (P<0.001), which persisted after controlling for duration of diabetes at death. The increase in reporting of diabetes as the underlying cause of death was associated with a decrease in the reporting of cardiovascular disease as the underlying cause of death (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Death certificates continue to underestimate the prevalence of diabetes among decedents. The increase in reporting of diabetes as the underlying cause of death over the past 8 years will likely impact estimates of the burden of diabetes in the U.S

Calcium, magnesium and potassium intake and mortality in women with heart failure: The Women\u27s Health Initiative

Although diet is thought to affect the natural history of heart failure (HF), nutrient intake in HF patients has not been well studied. Based on prior research linking high intake of Ca, Mg and K to improved cardiovascular health, we hypothesised that these nutrients would be inversely associated with mortality in people with HF. Of the 161 808 participants in the Women\u27s Health Initiative (WHI), we studied 3340 who experienced a HF hospitalisation. These participants were followed for post-hospitalisation all-cause mortality. Intake was assessed using questionnaires on food and supplement intake. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, physical function, co-morbidities and dietary covariates. Over a median of 4·6 years of follow-up, 1433 (42·9 %) of the women died. HR across quartiles of dietary Ca intake were 1·00 (referent), 0·86 (95 % CI 0·73, 1·00), 0·88 (95 % CI 0·75, 1·04) and 0·92 (95 % CI 0·76, 1·11) (P for trend = 0·63). Corresponding HR were 1·00 (referent), 0·86 (95 % CI 0·71, 1·04), 0·88 (95 % CI 0·69, 1·11) and 0·84 (95 % CI 0·63, 1·12) (P for trend = 0·29), across quartiles of dietary Mg intake, and 1·00 (referent), 1·20 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·43), 1·06 (95 % CI 0·86, 1·32) and 1·16 (95 % CI 0·90, 1·51) (P for trend = 0·35), across quartiles of dietary K intake. Results were similar when total (dietary plus supplemental) nutrient intakes were examined. In summary, among WHI participants with incident HF hospitalisation, intakes of Ca, Mg and K were not significantly associated with subsequent mortality

Antiepileptic Drug Use, Falls, Fractures, and BMD in Postmenopausal Women: Findings From the Women's Health Initiative (WHI)

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are used increasingly in clinical practice to treat a number of conditions. However, the relationship between the use of these medications, particularly the newer AEDs, and fracture risk has not been well characterized. We used data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) to determine the relationship bewteen the use of AEDs and falls, fractures, and bone mineral density (BMD) over an average of 7.7 years of follow-up. We included 138,667 women (1,385 users of AEDs and 137,282 nonusers) aged 50 to 79 years in this longitudinal cohort analyses. After adjustment for covariates, use of AEDs was positively associated with total fractures [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30–1.61], all site-specific fractures including the hip (HR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.05–2.17), clinical vertebral fractures (HR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.20–2.12), lower arm or wrist fractures (HR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.11–1.76), and other clinical fractures (HR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.29–1.65) and two or more falls (HR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.50–1.74) but not with baseline BMD or changes in BMD (p ≥ .064 for all sites). Use of more than one and use of enzyme-inducing AEDs were significantly associated with total fractures (HR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.15–2.09 and HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.09–1.69, respectively). We conclude that in clinical practice, postmenopausal women who use AEDs should be considered at increased risk for fracture, and attention to fall prevention may be particularly important in these women. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Incorporating macadamia oil and butter to reduce dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake

Aim: Claims have been made that the level of omega-6 fats in the diet is too high and that this cannot be reduced without increasing the saturated fat intake. The aim of this study was to design a diet within the framework of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) which would supply <2% energy (% E) from the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), linoleic acid, compared with the 4-5% E in the current Australian diet. Methods: Separate seven-day diet plans were designed using FoodWorks (version 2009) for males (10000kJ)/day) and females (8000kJ/day). The reduction in dietary omega-6 PUFA content was achieved by replacing standard plant-based oils and spreads used in cooking and baking (canola and sunflower oils) with macadamia oil and butter, and restricting the intake of some processed foods. All diets complied with the AGHE. Results: We successfully designed diets which complied with the AGHE and which had a linoleic acid (LA) content of 1.80% E and 1.75% E in females and males, respectively. In both cases, the omega-6:omega-3 ratio was reduced to 5.1:1, compared with ∼12:1 in the typical Australian diet, and the saturated fat content was <10% E. Conclusion: These results suggest that reducing the LA content of the diet can be readily achieved within the boundaries set by the AGHE, without an increase in saturated fat intake. © 2013 The Authors Nutrition & Dietetics © 2013 Dietitians Association of Australia.Katie E. Wood, Evangeline Mantzioris, Robert A. Gibson and Beverly S. Muhlhausle

Beliefs, benefits, barriers, attitude, intake and knowledge about peanuts and tree nuts among WIC participants in eastern North Carolina

The objective of this study was to assess beliefs (e.g. advantages, disadvantages, benefits, barriers) and knowledge about eating peanuts and tree nuts. Personal interviews based on the Theory of Planned Behavior were conducted to elicit beliefs about eating nuts. Then, a cross-sectional survey was administered to WIC participants from one county in North Carolina. One-hundred-twenty-four WIC participants (mean (SD) age=28.39 (8.09) completed the study. Most were Caucasian (51.6%) females (96%). About one third believed that eating nuts may help to lower cholesterol level. However, only about one forth believed that nuts can lower a risk of a heart attack or diabetes. More than one third believed that eating nuts will cause weight gain. The knowledge of respondents' about nutrient content of nuts was low with correct answers to most questions about 20% or below. The mean (SD) positive attitude, negative attitude, benefits and barriers scores, based on a range from 1 to 5, were 2.53 (0.91), 3.25 (0.89), 2.97 (0.85) and 2.90 (0.76), respectively. WIC participants' beliefs regarding the health effects of nuts are inconsistent with the most recent research findings. They are in a need to education about benefits of eating nuts

An evaluation of the metabolic syndrome in a large multi-ethnic study: the Family Blood Pressure Program

BACKGROUND: The Family Blood Pressure Program is an ongoing, NHLBI-sponsored, multi-center program to study the genetic determinants of high blood pressure. The goal of this particular study was to study patterns of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in four ethnic groups: African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, and Asians. METHODS: A major part of participants in three networks GENOA, HyperGEN and SAPPHIRe were recruited mainly through hypertensive probands. MetS was defined as a categorical trait following the National Cholesterol Education Program definition (c-MetS). MetS was also characterized quantitatively through multivariate factor analyses (FA) of 10 risk variables (q-MetS). Logistic regression and frequency tables were used for studying associations among traits. RESULTS: Using the NCEP definition, the Hispanic sample, which by design was enriched for type 2 diabetes (T2D), had a very high prevalence of MetS (73%). In contrast, its prevalence in Chinese was the lowest (17%). In African Americans and Hispanics, c-MetS was more prevalent in women than in men. Association of c-MetS with type 2 diabetes (T2D) was prominent in the Hispanics and African Americans, less pronounced in the Whites and Japanese, (although still significant), and weakest in the Chinese sample. Using FA without rotation, we found that the main factor loaded obesity (OBS) and blood pressure (BP) in African Americans; OBS and insulin (INS) in Hispanics, in Japanese, and in Whites; and OBS alone in Chinese. In Hispanics, Whites, and Japanese, BP loaded as a separate factor. Lipids in combination with INS also loaded in a separate factor. Using FA with Varimax rotation, 4 independent factors were identified: "Obesity-INS," "Blood pressure," "Lipids-INS," and "Central obesity." They explained about 60% of the variance present in the original risk variables. CONCLUSION: MetS ethnic differences were identified. Ascertaining for hypertension or T2D increased the MetS prevalence in networks compared with the one in the US general population. Obesity was the most prominent risk factor contributing to both c-MetS and q-MetS. INS contributed in two important factors (obesity and lipids). The information imbedded into c-MetS trait /q-MetS factors scores can contribute in future research of the MetS, especially its utilization in the genetic analysis

Lack of Association Between 25(OH)D Levels and Incident Type 2 Diabetes in Older Women

Objective: To examine whether lower serum levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH) D [25(OH)D] are associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Research Design and Methods: A post hoc analysis of three nested case-control studies of fractures, colon cancer, and breast cancer that measured serum 25(OH)D levels in women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trials and Observational Study who were free of prevalent diabetes at baseline. Diabetes was defined as self-report of physician diagnosis or receiving insulin or oral hypoglycemic medication. We used inverse probability weighting to make the study population representative of the WHI population as a whole. Weighted logistic regression models compared 25(OH)D levels (divided into quartiles, clinical cut points [<50, 50–<75, $\geq$75 nmol/L], or as a continuous variable) using the distribution of control subjects and adjusted for multiple confounding factors. Results: Of 5,140 women (mean age 66 years) followed for an average of 7.3 years, 317 (6.2%) developed diabetes. Regardless of the cut points used or as a continuous variable, 25(OH)D levels were not associated with diabetes incidence in either age or fully adjusted models. Nor was any relationship found between 25(OH)D and incident diabetes when evaluated by strata of BMI, race/ethnicity, or randomization status in the Calcium Vitamin D trial. Conclusions: Lower serum 25(OH)D levels were not associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in this racially and ethnically diverse population of postmenopausal women