Social Determinants of Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy: Findings From Waves 1 & 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study

Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are associated with a myriad of negative health effects for both mother and child. However, less is known regarding social determinants for SHS exposure, which may differ from those of maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP). To identify social determinants for SHS exposure only, MSDP only, and MSDP and SHS exposure, data were obtained from all pregnant women (18–54 years; N = 726) in waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2014–2015). Multiple logistic regressions were conducted using SAS 9.4. Smoke exposure during pregnancy was common; 23.0% reported SHS exposure only, 6.1% reported MSDP only, and 11.8% reported both SHS exposure and MSDP. Results demonstrate that relationships between smoke exposure during pregnancy and social determinants vary by type of exposure. Women at risk for any smoke exposure during pregnancy include those who are unmarried and allow the use of combustible tobacco products within the home. Those who are at higher risk for SHS exposure include those who are younger in age, and those who are earlier in their pregnancy. Those who are at higher risk for maternal smoking include those with fair/poor mental health status and those who believe that others\u27 view tobacco use more positively. These results suggest the need for implementing more comprehensive policies that promote smoke-free environments. Implementing these strategies have the potential to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes associated with tobacco smoke exposure

Implications Of Discordances Between Stroke Clinical Diagnoses And Icd-9-Cm Codes – 2013 Data From The Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program

Background/ Purpose: Epidemiology and health services research often use International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes to translate clinical information contained in administrative databases. Since errors in ICD-9-CM codes can affect the interpretation of results from these studies, we sought to expand upon existing research by determining if there are systematic variations in concordance between stroke patient clinical diagnoses and ICD-9-CM codes by hospital characteristics and degrees of stroke severity. Methods: We used patient records with a discharge date in 2013 from the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program (PCNASP). Our primary analysis quantified the concordance between the attending physician’s clinical diagnosis and the primary ICD-9-CM billing code. Hospital characteristics data were used to examine concordance by presence/absence of a stroke unit and stroke team, hospital bed size categories, and urban/rural status of the hospital’s location. Furthermore, concordance by stroke severity (NIHSS) categories was compared for ischemic stroke and TIA patients. Results: The overall sensitivity was 93.8% for all stroke and TIA diagnosis groups. Concordance was relatively high for each diagnosis category except “stroke not otherwise specified”. Carotid endarterectomy was a common reason for discordances between the clinical diagnosis and ICD-9-CM code. Concordance was highest for larger metropolitan hospitals with stroke units and teams, and more severe strokes. Conclusions: Systematic variations in the coding accuracy of stroke patients’ diagnoses by hospital and patient characteristics have implications for hospital reimbursements and stroke case identification in epidemiologic studies and quality metrics

Group Discussion of Power among College Women

The present study addresses power in a discussion group format. The purpose of the study is to examine the experience of group discussion of power by college women and to test for an effect of that experience on measures of self-efficacy, attitudes about women, and depression. The study uses Foucault’s definition of power and a postmodern feminist approach to therapy and research. Sixteen participants joined one of three discussion groups about power. Each group met three times to discuss their understanding and experiences of power. Pre-, post-, and delayed post-test measures of depression, self-efficacy, and attitude towards women were administered to all three discussion groups before the first group meeting, three weeks after the groups concluded, and again after three months. Individual interviews were conducted with ten participants after the last group meeting. In the interviews, participants elaborated on their thoughts about power and described their experience of participating in the discussion groups. A one-way, repeated measures analysis of variance was performed on the questionnaire data and revealed no significant changes on the measures over the course of the study. The content from each group discussion session was subjected to discourse analysis. Discourses on power over others, control over one’s emotions, power in the workplace, and power in social situations were present. The contents of the individual interviews were transcribed and reviewed using discourse analysis. Discourses on conflict and manipulation, leadership, and gender roles were present. The group process in the discussion groups was analyzed in terms of the participation of members and the presence of inappropriate laughter, and the stated impact of the study on participants. The results are discussed in the context of the literature on power. Implications of the findings for feminism and the psychology of women are presented and recommendations are made for future research

Using Popular Media and a Collaborative Approach to Teaching Grounded Theory Research Methods

Popular movies were used in a doctoral-level qualitative research methods course as a way to help students learn about how to collect and analyze qualitative observational data in order to develop a grounded theory. The course was designed in such a way that collaboration was central to the generation of knowledge. Using media depictions had the practical advantage of enabling the group to create fieldnotes from a common set of data collected simultaneously in a short period of time. Fictional representations in popular media can provide the basis to learn about both the methods and foundational assumptions for conducting qualitative research, including the challenges of bracketing prior assumptions

From blues to rainbows: the mental health and well-being of gender diverse and transgender young people in Australia

This study of gender diverse and transgender young people reveals high rates of depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety. Introduction This report is the culmination of many months of engagement across Australia with young people aged between 14 and 25 who have shared their thoughts, understandings, experiences, hopes and dreams with us through an online survey and online interviews. Their narratives are insightful, touching, and hopeful. Young voices have told us how they care for themselves as well as shining a light on how health services, schools, government and policy makers can better serve their needs. This research was designed to expand on findings from previous Australian research with young people that found that gender-questioning and transgender young people not only experienced higher rates of self-harm and suicidal thoughts, but were also more likely to be involved in activism than their cisgender and same-sex attracted peers. This later finding is a potentially positive one and points to the need for research to not only explore the mental health needs of these young people but also the ways in which they advocate and care for themselves in the face of discrimination and abuse

Adapting to Provide Innovative In-Person Extension Programming During a Pandemic

The success of Extension programming is often predicated on in-person events, and numerous Extension programs are preplanned and scheduled well in advance of the anticipated programming date. In-person events help foster community, collaboration, and the human connection within our society. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical for Extension to be adaptive and innovative and react proactively to worldwide, nationwide, and local authorities\u27 and health professionals\u27 recommendations to protect clientele, staff, and volunteers. Extension educators can tailor in-person programs to align with health professionals\u27 recommendations by using creative, innovative, and adaptive measures. We describe two such programs

A Comparison of Seasonal Reproductive Pattern in Two Sympatric Darters of the \u3ci\u3eSimoperca\u3c/i\u3e Clade, \u3ci\u3eEtheostoma duryi\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eEtheostoma simoterum\u3c/i\u3e

We present results from an examination of the seasonal reproductive patterns of two closely related sympatric darter species of the Simoperca clade, Etheostoma duryi and Etheostoma simoterum. Most members of the genus Etheostoma exhibit striking sexual dimorphism, making reproductive strategy a logical point of study. Monthly collections of specimens over a one-year period were performed at a single site on the Flint River near Huntsville, Alabama. Standard length and gross somatic mass were measured for all individuals. Sex ratio was examined for possible skew. Measures of reproductive effort were monthly means of gonadosomatic index of both sexes, total oocyte count, oocyte size at different development stages, and clutch size. Reproductive season for both species was February through May. Etheostoma duryi was found to be slightly larger in SL and mass, and to produce more oocytes, larger clutch size, and smaller oocytes earlier in the breeding season. Both species displayed strong female skew, especially Etheostoma simoterum

Experiencing the Event Brand: Examining the Branded Images for a New England Regional Fair

Introduction. Brands and branding are critical to the understanding and perception of destinations and products and now events are even “branded. ” Some of these events have had a long history, and may or may not have been intentionally ‘branded ” but contain images and perceptions of a ‘branded event ” by different types of event consumers. Clearly different types of event consumers likely have different brand images of the same event or in this study- a regiona