Palmar Creases: Classification, Reliability and Relationships to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

A normal human palm contains 3 major creases: the distal transverse crease; the proximal transverse crease; and the thenar crease. Because permanent crease patterns are thought to be laid down during the first trimester, researchers have speculated that deviations in crease patterns could be indicative of insults during fetal development. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to compare the efficacy and reliability of two coding methods, the first (M1) classifying both “simian” and Sydney line variants and the second (M2) counting the total number of crease points of origin on the radial border of the hand; and 2) to ascertain the relationship between palmar crease patterns and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Bilateral palm prints were taken using the carbon paper and tape method from 237 individuals diagnosed with FASD and 190 unexposed controls. All prints were coded for crease variants under M1 and M2. Additionally, a random sample of 98 matched (right and left) prints was selected from the controls to determine the reliabilities of M1 and M2. For this analysis, each palm was read twice, at different times, by two readers. Intra-observer Kappa coefficients were similar under both methods, ranging from 0.804-0.910. Inter-observer Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.582–0.623 under M1 and from 0.647–0.757 under M2. Using data from the entire sample of 427 prints and controlling for sex and ethnicity (white v. non-white), no relationship was found between palmar crease variants and FASD. Our results suggest that palmar creases can be classified reliably, but palmar crease patterns may not be affected by fetal alcohol exposure

Structures of Resentment: On Feeling—and Being—Left Behind by Health Care Reform

Described by many as an emotional state rooted in having been treated unfairly, resentment has surged over the past decade. Resentment politics troubled the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, 2010) in the United States. While some people gained access to health insurance through the ACA, others experienced continued exclusion from affordable coverage. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with poor whites from Florida, Rhode Island, and Texas, we show how uninsured individuals talked about and experienced resentment through contradictory tropes of “us versus them,” deservingness, and personal responsibility. We argue that policies based in resentment, occurring on both national and state levels, structured these individuals’ experiences and amplified their resentment sentiments. Through this case study we argue that resentment is more than an emotion: it is also a force that structures policies and their implementation. Resentment policies in turn create the social, political, and economic circumstances that generate resentment feelings

Identifying Parents Who Are Amenable to Pro-Vaccination Conversations

While health care providers are often cited as parents’ most trusted source for information and advice about vaccination, parents differ in their level of receptiveness to pro-vaccination conversations. The purpose of this research was to identify points in individual parents’ decision-making processes when parents are particularly open to receiving information and advice from their children’s health care providers. Interview data were collected from 20 mothers and 5 couples. Analysis of these data suggested 3 primary circumstances when parents were particularly open to receiving information and advice: during parents’ initial decision-making, as parents continued to assess vaccination options, and during particular circumstances that prompted parents to reconsider previously made vaccination choices. These results provide a mechanism for providers to identify parents who may be particularly receptive to pro-vaccination conversations. By prioritizing conversations with parents at one of these points, health care providers’ efforts at promoting vaccination may be more effective

Carrying Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination Forward: Guidance Informed by Communities of Color

https://vimeo.com/57631987

It\u27s Not Just Academic: The Importance of Program Development in Applied Anthropology Education

In this article we consider applied anthropology as it exists at the program level. While individual faculty can promote applied training, sustainability in applied education is only possible when entire faculties—and the college and university administrations that provide the necessary financial, structural, and social support—are committed to this approach. While many options for program development exist, we argue that being aware of what other programs are doing, and what is and is not working for them, is both time-saving and transformative. This article provides overviews of common applied anthropology training approaches, discusses the importance of support for applied programs, and introduces the rest of the articles in this series, which focus more specifically on particular approaches, programs, and training needs

It's Not Just Academic: The Importance of Program Development in Applied Anthropology Education

In this article we consider applied anthropology as it exists at the program level. While individual faculty can promote applied training, sustainability in applied education is only possible when entire faculties—and the college and university administrations that provide the necessary financial, structural, and social support—are committed to this approach. While many options for program development exist, we argue that being aware of what other programs are doing, and what is and is not working for them, is both time-saving and transformative. This article provides overviews of common applied anthropology training approaches, discusses the importance of support for applied programs, and introduces the rest of the articles in this series, which focus more specifically on particular approaches, programs, and training needs