‘It's all the way you look at it, you know’: reading Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson's film career

This paper engages with a major paradox in African American tap dancer Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson's film image – namely, its concurrent adherences to and contestations of dehumanising racial iconography – to reveal the complex and often ambivalent ways in which identity is staged and enacted. Although Robinson is often understood as an embodiment of popular cultural imagery historically designed to dehumanise African Americans, this paper shows that Robinson's artistry displaces these readings by providing viewing pleasure for black, as much as white, audiences. Robinson's racially segregated scenes in Dixiana (1930) and Hooray for Love (1935) illuminate classical Hollywood's racial codes, whilst also showing how his inclusion within these otherwise all-white films provides grounding for creative and self-reflexive artistry. The films' references to Robinson's stage image and artistry overlap with minstrelsy-derived constructions of ‘blackness’, with the effect that they heighten possible interpretations of his cinematic persona by evading representational conclusion. Ultimately, Robinson's films should be read as sites of representational struggle that help to uncover the slipperiness of performances of African American identities in 1930s Hollywood

Stretching the spines of gymnasts: a review

Gymnastics is noted for involving highly specialized strength, power, agility and flexibility. Flexibility is perhaps the single greatest discriminator of gymnastics from other sports. The extreme ranges of motion achieved by gymnasts require long periods of training, often occupying more than a decade. Gymnasts also start training at an early age (particularly female gymnasts), and the effect of gymnastics training on these young athletes is poorly understood. One of the concerns of many gymnastics professionals is the training of the spine in hyperextension-the ubiquitous 'arch' seen in many gymnastics positions and movements. Training in spine hyperextension usually begins in early childhood through performance of a skill known as a back-bend. Does practising a back-bend and other hyperextension exercises harm young gymnasts? Current information on spine stretching among gymnasts indicates that, within reason, spine stretching does not appear to be an unusual threat to gymnasts' health. However, the paucity of information demands that further study be undertaken

Étude transversale sur la santé mentale et le bien-être de jeunes de familles liées au milieu militaire

IntroductionL’objectif de l’étude était de comparer la santé mentale et les comportements à risque de jeunes Canadiens de familles liées au milieu militaire (« familles de militaires ») et de jeunes Canadiens de familles de civils au sein d’un échantillon récent. Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que les jeunes de familles de militaires auraient une moins bonne santé mentale, une moins grande satisfaction à l’égard de la vie et une plus grande propension à prendre des risques que les jeunes de familles de civils. MéthodologieDans cette étude transversale, nous avons utilisé les données de l’Enquête sur les comportements de santé des jeunes d’âge scolaire au Canada menée en 2017-2018, dont les participants constituaient un échantillon représentatif des jeunes de la 6e à la 10e années. Les questionnaires utilisés ont permis de recueillir des renseignements sur l’emploi des parents dans l’armée et sur six indicateurs de santé mentale, de satisfaction à l’égard de la vie et de comportements à risque. Nous avons utilisé des modèles multivariés de régression de Poisson avec une variance d’erreur robuste, en pondérant les données de l’enquête et en tenant compte des grappes correspondant aux écoles. RésultatsL’échantillon comprenait 16 737 élèves, dont 9,5 % ont indiqué qu’un parent ou un tuteur servait ou avait servi dans l’armée canadienne. Après ajustement pour le niveau scolaire, le sexe et le niveau d’aisance familiale, les jeunes de famille de militaires étaient 28 % plus susceptibles de faire état d’un faible sentiment de bien-être (IC à 95 % : 1,17 à 1,40), 32 % plus susceptibles de faire état de sentiments persistants de désespoir (1,22 à 1,43), 22 % plus susceptibles de faire état de problèmes émotionnels (1,13 à 1,32), 42 % plus susceptibles de faire état d’un faible degré de satisfaction à l’égard de la vie (1,27 à 1,59) et 37 % plus susceptibles de déclarer adopter fréquemment des comportements à risque (1,21 à 1,55). ConclusionLes jeunes de familles de militaires ont déclaré avoir une moins bonne santé mentale et adopter davantage de comportements à risque que les jeunes issus de familles de civils. Les résultats laissent penser qu’il faudrait prévoir un soutien supplémentaire en matière de santé mentale et de bien-être pour les jeunes Canadiens de familles de militaires et qu’il faudrait mener des travaux de recherche longitudinaux pour comprendre les déterminants sous-jacents qui contribuent à ces différences

A cross-sectional study of mental health and well-being among youth in military-connected families

IntroductionThe study objective was to compare the mental health and risk-taking behaviour of Canadian youth in military-connected families to those not in military-connected families in a contemporary sample. We hypothesized that youth in military-connected families have worse mental health, lower life satisfaction and greater engagement in risk-taking behaviours than those not in military-connected families. MethodsThis cross-sectional study used 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children in Canada survey data, a representative sample of youth attending Grades 6 to 10. Questionnaires collected information on parental service and six indicators of mental health, life satisfaction and risk-taking behaviour. Multivariable Poisson regression models with robust error variance were implemented, applying survey weights and accounting for clustering by school. ResultsThis sample included 16 737 students; 9.5% reported that a parent and/or guardian served in the Canadian military. After adjusting for grade, sex and family affluence, youth with a family connection to the military were 28% more likely to report low well-being (95% CI: 1.17–1.40), 32% more likely to report persistent feelings of hopelessness (1.22–1.43), 22% more likely to report emotional problems (1.13–1.32), 42% more likely to report low life satisfaction (1.27–1.59) and 37% more likely to report frequent engagement in overt risk-taking (1.21–1.55). ConclusionYouth in military-connected families reported worse mental health and more risk-taking behaviours than youth not in military-connected families. The results suggest a need for additional mental health and well-being supports for youth in Canadian military-connected families and longitudinal research to understand underlying determinants that contribute to these differences

Australian Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Registry : vital lessons from a national prospective collaborative project

There is little Australian epidemiologic data on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a relatively uncommon but devastating disease. The vast geographic distances in Australia have been a major impediment for collaborative research into IPF. A collaborative national effort, the Australian IPF Registry, has been formed, launched and is recruiting successfully (n = 359, January 2014). Our experience provides unique insights for others wishing to set up IPF registries and in time for a global IPF registry