The Impact of the Ideal Thin Body Image on Women

Researchers and clinicians have postulated that the thin-ideal image portrayed in the media leads to body dissatisfaction and negative self-appraisals among women; however, there is little research that has directly examined the effects of these images on women. The purpose of this research investigation was to experimentally examine the effects of exposure to the thin-ideal on women\u27s affect, self-esteem, body satisfaction, and level of internalization of the thin body image. This study also assessed how the thin-ideal image differentially impacted women with a diagnosed eating disorder. College women (N = 145) were randomly exposed to photographs from popular magazines containing either thin-ideal images or neutral images (nonmodels). The results indicated that exposure to the thin-ideal images produced body dissatisfaction, negative mood states, and lowered self-esteems. It was also expected that exposure to the thin body image would result in higher levels of internalization of the thin-ideal; however, the results indicated that women exposed to these images had significantly lower levels of internalization compared to women in the neutral condition. The results also suggest that women with eating disorders exhibited significantly more body dissatisfaction and depression after exposure to the thin-ideal relative to all other subgroups of women. Implications for prevention of eating disorders and areas of future research are discussed

A National Survey of Training Practices of Agencies Employing Home Visitors

This study reports the characteristics of home visitor training based on the results of a national survey of nominated best practice home visiting programs that service children with disabilities and their families. Two hundred thirty-six programs were nominated by their state\u27s director of Maternal-Child Health and/or their state\u27s Part H Coordinator as community-based programs that have had success integrating home visiting services into their community\u27s overall system of care for children eligible for Part H services and/or special health care needs. The return rate of the survey was 85%, and these 193 programs serve as the basis for this study. Results include information on topic areas on which home visitors received preservice and inservice training (i.e., atypical child development, community-based services, cultural competence), the amount of training home visitors received (i.e., hours of preservice and inservice training), and how training practices compare to what experts in the field view as recommended practices. The results indicate that the majority of program directors provided their home visitors with preservice and inservice training. The results also suggest that agencies that only employed professional home visitors tended to provide more training than those agencies employing only paraprofessionals. The results of this study indicate that a program\u27s model of service delivery did not predict the amount or type of training home visitors received. The discussion includes recommendations that are offered to directors of home visiting programs

Leader Strategies to Reduce Sales Personnel Attrition

Because sales are the primary revenue generators for insurance companies, reducing attrition of sales agents is essential to organizational success. The purpose of this single descriptive case study was to explore strategies that 6 Nebraskan sales leaders within the insurance industry used to reduce attrition. Participants had experience in sales leadership and the attrition of sales personnel and were able to provide insight into the unique perspectives on attrition in the insurance industry. Participants met the following criteria: (a) manage an insurance sales office or organization or (b) held an insurance sales leadership position for at least 1 year and (c) are actively employed in the insurance industry. Data were collected from interviews with sales leaders, focus groups with sales representatives, and documentation from organizational websites for data triangulation. The expectancy theory framework guided the data analysis process. The data analysis process involved using thematic analysis which allowed coding data that related to the expectancy theory and research question. Data analysis also included the uncovering of repetitive themes and patterns and synthesizing results. Five themes emerged from data analysis: (a) leadership\u27s responsibility for motivating sales personnel, (b) organizational commitment to creating a culture of engagement, (c) the use of compensation and rewards as sales motivators, (d) the necessity for training and development, and (e) a need to improve the selection process for new candidates. Organizational leaders may apply findings in other, similar settings to strategize community growth initiatives encouraging young people entering the workforce to stimulate local economies. Other possible benefits include reduced customer issues and claims

Effect of Experience Facilitating Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on Physician Assistant Student Outcomes

Abstract Purpose: The impact of prior problem-based learning (PBL) facilitation experience (measured by length of time facilitating) on student learning and student outcomes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate relationships of facilitator experience in problem-based learning on student outcomes. This study utilized both modified essay questions (MEQ) in the form of patient management assessments and multiple choice question (MCQ) assessments to evaluate different aspects of student acquisition and application of knowledge. Method: This study examined scores from six multiple choice question examinations and six patient management assessments (PMA), one each from six 5-week units arranged by organ system administered to five cohorts of first-year physician assistant students in a hybrid problem-based learning program where 18 of 45 didactic credits are solely problem-based learning. Facilitation experience, measured in total number of prior units facilitated, was calculated for each facilitator and compared with student evaluative measures. Results: Pearson product moment correlations comparing facilitator experience and scores on the patient management assessments and multiple choice question tests showed no statistically significant correlations between facilitator experience and student outcomes. Univariate analysis of variance tests comparing whether faculty were full-time versus adjunct status and status as graduates of a problem-based learning program versus graduates of programs with other pedagogies with student outcomes showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Neither experience of the facilitator, nor status as full-time versus adjunct, nor status as graduate of a problem-based learning program versus other pedagogy was related to student outcomes. Each facilitator in the study participated in training, observation, and weekly meetings, which may outweigh the effects of facilitator experience. Other factors in need of exploration related to student outcomes in future studies include individual intellectual ability, emotional stability, motivation, self-efficacy, and perseverance

How Important is Gender in Transboundary Groundwater Governance?: A Question for the Ramotswa Aquifer in Southern Africa

In semi-arid Sub-Saharan Africa, groundwater is a critical resource for rural livelihoods given the pressures on surface water and lack of piped delivery. Socially defined gen- der roles in water management often create disparities and inequalities regarding water access, use, and labour, making consideration of gender issues an important component of groundwater governance. Resources shared across borders raises the question about the relevance of and approach to gender in transboundary ground- water governance. This paper explores this question in light of the lack of gender responsive governance arrangements over transboundary groundwater resources. It uses qualitative methodologies to examine the need for institutional approaches to improve gender sensitivity and equality in transboundary groundwater cooperation. The paper seeks to assess how legal instruments on gender and transboundary water resources influence equality for women and men in terms of: reach of water access, benefits of water use, and empowerment. First, it analyses the level of gender sensi- tivity in international and regional instruments that provide the governance frame- work for transboundary groundwater. It then proposes a new integrated framework for analysis, which it applies to the case study of the Ramotswa aquifer – a resource shared between South Africa and Botswana. The paper examines the extent to which international instruments, national law and local programmes and projects related to transboundary groundwater governance correspond with the realities on the ground. The results uncover constraints in both countries regarding equal participation in decision-making, deficiencies in meeting gendered needs and ensuring benefits, and disempowering legal frameworks. The paper concludes with entry points that link transboundary water governance and local level water management, offering potential indicators that can inform governance and programming, and enable improved moni- toring of the implementation of gender responsiveness at multiple levels

Preparing Elementary Writing Teachers: An Inquiry-Driven, Field-Based Approach to Instruction

Pre-service teachers’ [PSTs] preparation for teaching writing is foundational to writing instruction in elementary schools and children’s writing. Prior research has identified elements in writing-focused methods coursework that support their preparation. In this article, an innovative component in a stand-alone writing teacher preparation course that incorporated the research-based elements is showcased: a process for deconstructing and modeling inquiry-driven writing pedagogy. This process includes five phases: (1) using mentor texts during initial immersion, (2) using mentor texts to study structure, (3) using mentor texts to study writer’s craft, (4) using mentor texts to study sentence structure, sentence fluency, and language, and (5) final editing and “going public.” PSTs were engaged as writers of Slice-of-Life stories using this process before being asked to use the same approach in their field work. Research related to using such experiences with PSTs is also shared

Southern Appalachian Peatlands Sustain Unique Assemblages of Archaea

Numerous aspects of three peatlands (Pineola Bog, NC, Sugar Mountain Bog, NC, and Tater Hill Bog, NC) located along the Southern Appalachian highlands of western North Carolina were analyzed to elucidate the impact on future climatic warming events via the release of the greenhouse gas methane. Quantitative analyses demonstrated a methanogenic community comprising roughly 50% of the Archaeal. A hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium sp. was enriched for from Pineola Bog using culture-based techniques, corroborating molecular data and indicating the presence of Methanobacteriales species (0.4%) in this peatland. In addition to the methanogenic population, many non-methanogenic species were also found among the peatlands both from DNA and cDNA analyses. Members of the deep-branching Euryarchaeota, represented 5-18% of the sequences retrieved from each of the three sites. Crenarchaeota numbers were found to significantly contribute to the overall Archaeal community across sites. Methane emission studies revealed the peak methane production to be just below (0-25 cm) the surface of the water table in each site, as was expected. Nutrient analysis of the study sites indicated a strong signature from the underlying bedrock of the area as concentrations of Fe, Al, and Na were at the high end of normal compared to other peatlands globally

Identifying Relationships Between High‐Risk Sexual Behaviors and Screening Positive for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in School‐Wide Screening Events

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96430/1/josh12004.pd