The Impact of Anchorage's 2000 and 2007 Smoke-Free Policies on Select Restaurants and Bars

The American Lung Association in Alaska (ALAA) asked the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) to investigate the impact of the Anchorage 2000 and 2007 Clean Indoor Air (CIA) municipal ordinances on selected restaurants and bars. As previous U.S. studies have been conducted that speak to the economic and health impacts of CIA laws, ALAA also requested that ISER synthesize results of these existing studies and conduct a survey on restaurant and bar representatives’ perceptions of the impact of the ordinances.The American Lung Association in AlaskaExecutive Summary / Introduction / Anchorage Municipal Ordinances / Policy Enforcement / Literature Review: Impact of Smoke-Free Laws on Employment and Air Quality / Methodology / Key Informant Interview Findings / Survey Findings / Limitations / References / Appendice

Preventive Screenings Gap Analysis

Prepared for: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Division of Public Health Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Sectio

Are "visitor effects" overestimated? Behaviour in captive lemurs is mainly driven by co-variation with time and weather

The potential influence of visitors on behaviour of captive animals is well known. However, little research on “visitor effects” has also evaluated time of day and weather, which can affect behaviour directly and often also co-vary with visitor numbers. Here, we examine visitor effects on captive ring-tailed lemurs Lemur catta in a walk-through enclosure, where potential for visitor effects is especially high, while specifically considering weather and time of day (between 10:00 hr when lemurs were released into their outdoor enclosure and 16:00 hr when then returned to overnight accommodation). Time, weather and visitor variables interacted in complex ways, but time and weather exerted the strongest effect on behaviour. Weather strongly affected resting, feeding/foraging, and locomotion. Sunbathing was highest in mornings; locomotion increased in afternoons. Visitor numbers were negatively associated with feeding/foraging and sunbathing; visitor activity was positively associated with locomotion and alertness. Crucially, however, “visitor effects” were small both overall and in relation to underlying effects of time/weather. Univariate models suggested visitors accounted for ~20% of behavioural variation; after time/weather had been included this dropped to ~6-8%. We conclude that underlying visitor : time and visitor : weather correlations can lead to overestimation of visitor effects and offer recommendations for future work

Indigenous Cultural Identity Protects Against Intergenerational Transmission of ACEs Among Indigenous Caregivers and Their Children

A large body of empirical research has demonstrated that caregiver adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict ACEs in one’s child, a phenomenon known as the intergenerational transmission of ACEs. Little of this empirical research, however, has focused specifically on Indigenous peoples despite a growing body of theoretical literature and the wisdom of Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers that speaks to the presence of this phenomenon within Indigenous communities as well as the protective role of Indigenous cultural identity in preventing the intergenerational transmission of ACEs. The purpose of the current study was to conduct an empirical evaluation of this hypothesis, specifically that Indigenous cultural identity and social support protects against the intergenerational transmission of ACEs among Indigenous peoples and their children in the USA. Participants were 106 Indigenous women caregivers of children ages 10 to 14 in South Dakota who completed surveys. Results showed that Indigenous cultural identity moderated the association between caregiver ACEs and child ACEs. At high levels of cultural identity, there was no association between caregiver ACEs and child ACEs. At low levels of Indigenous cultural identity, however, there was a strong and positive relationship between caregiver ACEs and child ACEs. Social support did not moderate the association between caregiver ACEs and child ACEs. These findings underscore the need for initiatives that enhance Indigenous cultural identity and social support among Indigenous caregivers to prevent the intergenerational transmission of ACEs

Rates and Correlates of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Indigenous Women Caregivers

Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a public health crisis that disproportionately impacts indigenous women. We know little about rates and correlates of IPA victimization (IPAV) and abuse directed at one’s partner (ADP) among indigenous women caregivers (people who take care of children). The purpose of the current study was to address this critical gap in the literature. Participants were 44 indigenous women caregivers in the United States in a current relationship who completed a survey. Most women reported IPAV and ADP experiences in the past 6 months, and IPAV and ADP abuse directed at partner were positively associated. Further, IPAV was positively associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), participants’ engagement in harsh parenting, and depressive symptoms. IPAV was negatively associated with age, income, indigenous cultural identity, and social support. ADP was positively associated with ACEs, harsh parenting, and depressive symptoms. ADP was negatively associated with age and income. ADP was not associated with indigenous cultural identity and social support. These data suggest the urgency with which efforts are needed to prevent and respond to IPA among indigenous women caregivers, especially those who are younger and of lower income, and that culturally grounded initiatives that seek to build social support may be especially impactful

Reply to Fischer et al

We welcome the correspondence from Fischer and colleagues regarding our recent paper on vocal learning in chimpanzee food grunts [1]. Fischer et al. make two challenges to our paper's conclusions, which we address here