Rural Teachers in Project Launch

The success of Project Launch, a teacher induction program sponsored by a regional teacher center and a consortium of universities, is compared for rural and non-rural participants. Indicators of success include teacher accomplishment of action plan goals, teacher self and mentor assessment of teaching strengths related to action plan goals, profiles of teaching strengths, and retention in teaching. Measures of teaching strength are related to INTASC standards. Rural participants differed significantly from non-rural participants in their lower self-perceived accomplishment of action plan goals. Rural participants were significantly more likely to move from their 1st positions after 1 year, but their attrition was not significantly different in later years. Ways to structure induction programs more effectively for rural participants are proposed

Assessing Impairment in Childhood ADHD: Validation of the Parent and Teacher ADHD-FX Rating Scale in a Dual-Site Clinical Sample

Objective: The current study sought to establish psychometric properties of the ADHD-FX (a culturally sensitive measure designed to assess functional impairment related to ADHD) in a dual-site clinical sample. Method: We analyzed patient charts of 67 children (47 boys and 20 girls, ages 5 to 15 years) receiving comprehensive assessments from two university-based ADHD clinics. Results: The parent and teacher ADHD-FX rating scales demonstrated good psychometric properties via adequate reliability (Cronbach’s α \u3e .70), convergent construct validity (significant correlations with majority of theoretically related measures), and divergent construct validity (insignificant correlations with majority of theoretically unrelated measures). Conclusion: Results extend upon previously published psychometric analyses to suggest that the ADHD-FX is a reliable and valid measure for parents and teachers to assess functional impairment related to ADHD (i.e., difficulties with academic achievement, social competence, and familial relationships) in community and clinical populations. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed

Concepts of Health in Older Urban African American Women with Chronic Health Conditions: A Focus Group Study

The purpose of this report is to relate the findings of the study ‘Concepts of Health in Older Urban African American Women with Chronic Health Conditions.’ This investigation, undertaken at the request of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Inc. (IMHC) is collaboration between IMHC, Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the community partner, the Black Nurses Association of Indianapolis, Inc. (BNA). The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of the ways older African American women from medically underserved areas of Indianapolis characterize the various parts of the concept of health; how they understand and interpret the determinants of health status; and to understand how they assess health. Researchers decided to hold focus groups of African American women from Indianapolis ages 50 years and older who had at least one diagnosis of a chronic illness. The Principal Investigator created a moderator’s guide for the focus group. All research partners met to review and redesign the guide to make sure that it was appropriate and would be effective in stimulating discussion to address the three specific aims. The groups, one of currently employed women, two of residents of senior/disabled housing, one group of members of a community church, and one mixed-recruitment group, were held in community settings. Participants received $25.00 gift cards for their involvement. Major findings are that women view ‘health’ as a concept that includes many elements: physical health, mental/emotional health, ability to function through day-to-day activities, and spiritual health. These components work together to produce a state of wholeness or well-being. ‘Health’ is determined through interplay between influences that operate on many levels: the personal, the interpersonal, and the immediate and social/political environment. Specific determinates include health behaviors, state of mind, stress, relationship with God, and the aging process. Women speak at length about their relationship with institutions of healthcare. They express problems in communicating with their healthcare providers, feeling that they are not treated as unique individuals, and they often express distrust of providers. Participants assess their own health through paying attention to their own physical symptoms, their state of mind, and their energy level. Medications are named as determinants of health and markers of health status. Women assess health of their families and friends through observation, intuition, and communication. These women act as facilitators of health status and behaviors for their family members and others in the community. Women are well aware of the importance of positive health behaviors, especially diet and exercise, and they feel strong senses of control over their health. As these women envision ‘health’ as involving many concepts and levels, interventions need to address issues beyond the physical, involving women actively through relationships within communities. Public health professionals need to work with these women in a respectful and collaborative manner. Issues that need further exploration are interplay between mental and physical health through the aging process, patient-provider communication, and women’s understanding of medications in maintaining and improving health

Проблема коррупции в современном обществе

Abstract Background Agricultural workers may be exposed to potential carcinogens including pesticides, sensitizing agents and solar radiation. Previous studies indicate increased risks of hematopoietic cancers and decreased risks at other sites, possibly due to differences in lifestyle or risk behaviours. We present findings from CanCHEC (Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort), the largest national population-based cohort of agricultural workers. Methods Statistics Canada created the cohort using deterministic and probabilistic linkage of the 1991 Canadian Long Form Census to National Cancer Registry records for 1992–2010. Self-reported occupations were coded using the Standard Occupational Classification (1991) system. Analyses were restricted to employed persons aged 25–74 years at baseline (N = 2,051,315), with follow-up until December 31, 2010. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were modeled using Cox proportional hazards for all workers in agricultural occupations (n = 70,570; 70.8% male), stratified by sex, and adjusted for age at cohort entry, province of residence, and highest level of education. Results A total of 9515 incident cancer cases (7295 in males) occurred in agricultural workers. Among men, increased risks were observed for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.00–1.21), prostate (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06–1.16), melanoma (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02–1.31), and lip cancer (HR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.70–2.70). Decreased risks in males were observed for lung, larynx, and liver cancers. Among female agricultural workers there was an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07–1.72). Increased risks of melanoma (HR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.17–2.73), leukemia (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.24–3.25) and multiple myeloma (HR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.16–4.37) were observed in a subset of female crop farmers. Conclusions Exposure to pesticides may have contributed to increased risks of hematopoietic cancers, while increased risks of lip cancer and melanoma may be attributed to sun exposure. The array of decreased risks suggests reduced smoking and alcohol consumption in this occupational group compared to the general population