Family Income and Postsecondary Education In Canada

We use data from the Surveys of Consumer Finance (1975-1993) to examine how postsecondary education participation rates have evolved over time and how certain variables may affect them. A number of socio- economic influences are shown to affect participation rates. Beyond these, particularly pronounced trend increases in postsecondary education attendance for children from low-income households have led to a convergence in the participation rates of children from different income groups and a consequent reduction in the regressivity associated with subsidies for postsecondary education. We consider possible reasons for this convergence. Conditioning on a number of other variables, we are particularly interested in the possibility that increases in family real income may have affected the demand for postsecondary education by children from low-income families more than the demand by children from high-income households. We find that, although income does have a statistically significant non-linear influence which can explain much of the cross-sectional difference in attendance at postsecondary institutions, its quantitative effects are not sufficiently strong to account for the convergence over time in participation by children from different family income groups.Avec les informations fournies par les Sondages des finances des consommateurs (1975-1993), on y examine de quelle façon les taux de fréquentation ont évolué au fil des années dans les établissements d'enseignement postsecondaire et de quelle façon certaines variables pourraient les affecter. Il est démontré que plusieurs influences socio- économiques ont affecté les taux de fréquentation dans les établissements d'enseignement postsecondaire. En plus, une tendance marquée à l'augmentation de l'inscription des enfants de familles à faible revenu a mené à une convergence dans les taux de fréquentation des enfants provenant de divers milieux économiques et ainsi une baisse de la régression associée aux subventions pour l'éducation postsecondaire. On y considère les raisons possibles pour cette convergence. Prenant en considération plusieurs variables, on s'intéresse particulièrement à la possibilité que les augmentations réelles dans les revenus familiaux auraient pu affecter la demande d'éducation postsecondaire pour les enfants de familles à faible revenu davantage que pour ceux de familles à revenu élevé. On démontre que, même si le niveau de revenu exerce une influence non-linéaire statistiquement significative qui peut expliquer en grande partie la différence dans la fréquentation des établissements d'enseignement postsecondaire, les effets quantitatifs ne sont pas suffisamment importants pour expliquer la convergence, au fil des années, des taux de fréquentation dans les établissements d'enseignement postsecondaire des enfants de divers milieux économiques

Lack of Mutual Respect in Relationship The Endangered Partner

Violence in a relationship and in a family setting has been an issue of concern to various interest groups and professional organizations. Of particular interest in this article is violence against women in a relationship. While there is an abundance of knowledge on violence against women in general, intimate or partner femicide seems to have received less attention. Unfortunately, the incidence of violence against women, and intimate femicide in particular, has been an issue of concern in the African setting. This article examines the trends of intimate femicide in an African setting in general, and in Botswana in particular. The increase in intimate femicide is an issue of concern, which calls for collective effort to address. This article also examines trends offemicide in Botswana, and the antecedents and the precipitating factors. Some studies have implicated societal and cultural dynamics as playing significant roles in intimate femicide in the African setting. It is believed that the patriarchal nature of most African settings and the ideology of male supremacy have relegated women to a subordinate role. Consequently, respect for women in any relationship with men is lopsided in favor of men and has led to abuse of women, including intimate femicide. Other militating factors in intimate femicide ,are examined and the implications for counseling to assist the endangered female partner are discussed

The utilization of antidepressants and benzodiazepines among people with major depression in Canada

Objective: Although clinical guidelines recommend monotherapy with antidepressants (ADs) for major depression, polypharmacy with benzodiazepines (BDZs) remains an issue. Risks associated with such treatments include tolerance and dependence, among others. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of AD and BDZ utilization among Canadians who experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) in the previous 12 months, and determined the association of seeing a psychiatrist on the utilization of ADs and BDZs. Method: Data were drawn from the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey: Health and Well-Being, a nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 15 years and older. Descriptive statistics quantified utilization, while logistic regression identified factors associated with utilization, such as sociodemographic characteristics or type of physician seen. Sampling weights and bootstrap variance estimations were used for all analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of AD and BDZ utilization was 49.3% of respondents who experienced an MDE in the past 12 months and reported AD use. Key determinants of utilization were younger age and unemployment in the past week (OR 2.6; P < 0.001). Being seen by a psychiatrist increased utilization (OR 2.5; P < 0.001), possibly because psychiatrists were seeing patients with severe depression. Conclusion: A large proportion of people with past-year MDEs utilized ADs and BDZs. It is unclear how much of this is appropriate given that evidence-based clinical guidelines recommend monotherapy with ADs in the treatment of major depression