Estimates of prevalence, demographic characteristics and social factors among people with disabilities in the USA: a cross-survey comparison

Objective: A national priority for disability research in the USA is the standardised identification of people with disabilities in surveillance efforts. Mandated by federal statute, six dichotomous difficulty-focused questions were implemented in national surveys to identify people with disabilities. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, demographic characteristics and social factors among people with disabilities based on these six questions using multiple national surveys in the USA. Setting: American Community Survey (ACS), Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Participants: Civilian, non-institutionalised US residents aged 18 and over from the 2009 to 2014 ACS, 2009 to 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2009 to 2014 NHIS and 2008 SIPP waves 3, 7 and 10. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Disability was assessed using six standardised questions asking people about hearing, vision, cognition, ambulatory, self-care and independent living disabilities. Social factors were assessed with questions asking people to report their education, employment status, family size, health and marital status, health insurance and income. Results: Risk ratios and demographic distributions for people with disabilities were consistent across survey. People with disabilities were at decreased risk of having college education, employment, families with three or more people, excellent or very good self-reported health and a spouse. People with disabilities were also consistently at greater risk of having health insurance and living below the poverty line. Estimates of disability prevalence varied between surveys from 2009 to 2014 (range 11.76%–17.08%). Conclusion: Replicating the existing literature, we found the estimation of disparities and inequity people with disabilities experience to be consistent across survey. Although there was a range of prevalence estimates, demographic factors for people with disabilities were consistent across surveys. Variations in prevalence estimates can be explained by survey context effects

Annual Compendium of Disability Statistics: 2015

Statistics are a powerful tool—in research, policymaking, program evaluation, and advocacy. They are used to frame the issues, monitor current circumstances and progress, judge the effectiveness of policies and programs, make projections about the future, and predict the costs of potential policy changes. In the United States, statistics about the population with disabilities and about the government programs that serve people with disabilities—disability statistics—are often difficult to find. Numerous government agencies generate and publish disability statistics, and as a result, disability statistics are scattered and buried in documents and websites all across the federal government. The Annual Disability Statistics Compendium is a publication of statistics about people with disabilities and about the government programs which serve them. It is modeled after the Statistical Abstracts of the United States, published yearly by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Compendium is designed to serve as a summary of government statistics

Public Health Workforce Shortages Imperil Nation's Health

Examines from a community-based perspective the scope of the shortages in the public health workforce; contributing factors such as inadequate funding, salaries, and benefits; and strategies for training, recruiting, and retaining public health workers

Identifying Barriers and Supports to Breastfeeding in the Workplace Experienced by Mothers in the New Hampshire Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Utilizing the Total Worker Health Framework

Variations in the barriers and contributors to breastfeeding across industries have not been well characterized for vulnerable populations such as mothers participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Our study used the Total Worker Health Framework to characterize workplace factors acting as barriers and/or contributors to breastfeeding among women participating in the New Hampshire WIC. Surveys were collected from WIC mothers (n = 682), which asked about employment, industry, and workplace accommodation and supports related to breastfeeding in the workplace. We found workplace policy factors supporting breastfeeding (i.e., having paid maternity leave, other maternity leave, and a breastfeeding policy) varied by industry. Women in specific service-oriented industries (i.e., accommodation and retail) reported the lowest rates of breastfeeding initiation and workplace supports for breastfeeding and pumping. Further, how a woman hoped to feed and having a private pumping space at work were significantly associated with industry, breastfeeding initiation, and breastfeeding duration. A substantial portion of women reported being not sure about their workplace environment, policies, and culture related to breastfeeding. Additional studies with larger sample sizes of women participating in WIC are needed to further characterize the barriers to breastfeeding associated with specific industries

Massachusetts Health Reform: High Costs and Expanding Expectations May Weaken Employer Support

Examines how, as a result of the state's health reform, improved access to the individual insurance market and increased employer responsibility may reduce employers' motivation and ability to provide coverage. Considers implications

Quantitative evaluation of multiband photographic techniques Final report

Quantitative evaluation of multiband photographic techniques using combination of black and white and color photo

A Study of Student Reading

A method was devised to make a plan for self improvement in reading available to persons who are not conversant with the experimental literature. This consists of a self-administered experiment in reading material ordinarily read, with suggestions on ways and means of improving the speed and comprehension. A progress graph was kept by each reader to keep up his comprehension

The Relation of Background, Interest and Study Habit to Grades in College

Measures were made of attitudes toward certain matters relating to college activities (Y), study habits (S) as measured by pencil and paper tests, background, (C) as measured by the Iowa State College Cultural Inventory, and the grade-point-average of 87 students (G). Correlations were computed to determine the relative importance of the factors studied. The reliability of the grades was sufficient to insure the significance of results. It is shown by multiple correlation technique that the most important item measured for prognosticating grades is interest (Y). The second important item was background (C), which is somewhat related to intelligence, and study habits (S) were least important

A Statistical Study of Attitudes

An attitude test covering seven major attitudes, established on a priori grounds, was given to 165 adult male subjects in industrial plants. Included are attitudes toward traffic regulations and enforcement; risk and annoyance; socialistic, communistic and conventional principles; racial and religious attitudes; conformist attitudes; and those relating to sports. The reliabilities of the attitude groupings range from .86 down to .55. Intercorrelations of these items indicate grouping into a smaller number of factors. A comparison is made between accident and non-accident drivers on significant attitudes