Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Absent from National Surveillance and Present Online: Implications for Mental and Behavioral Health.

In the United States there is a need to increase awareness and management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a metabolic, reproductive, and endocrine condition the National Institutes of Health has described as a major public health problem for women. PCOS is a highly prevalent chronic condition that can begin in adolescence and is associated with irregular or no menstrual periods, excessive body hair, acne, infertility, obesity, anxiety and depression, and poor health-related quality of life. This paper consists of two studies that aim to understand PCOS and women’s health in two contexts, the health care system and digital (online) spaces. The first paper examines the demographics and behavioral health care of patients seen for PCOS-related medical visits using national health care data. The findings point to potential disparities in PCOS-related health care access and utilization by age, race, insurance type, and percent poverty greater than 10% in the patient’s zip code. Limited information on behavioral health education and mental health including depression screening, depression diagnosis, and mental health care underscores the need to strengthen national surveillance to further understand behavioral health care services for PCOS. The second paper explores how teen and women’s digital magazines portray adolescents and women with PCOS to understand discourse and ideologies related to health, illness, and gender in these media. The results suggest these magazine articles contain dominant ideologies of beauty and gender and place considerable personal responsibility on women to improve their health through lifestyle changes. Women were also depicted as change agents that used their personal experiences with PCOS to advocate for women’s health. The results can inform the strategic use of digital women’s magazines to promote health and the development of health education programs that train women to be critical consumers of health media. Given that individuals look to the internet and magazines, in addition to health care providers, for health information, these studies highlight how the digital landscape and health care intersect and provide directions for future research to improve women’s health.PhDSocial Work and PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113329/1/ninive_1.pd

Parental perceptions of neighborhood effects in Latino comunas: the script of "the delinquent" in understanding drug use, violence, and social disorganization

OBJECTIVES: To obtain rich information about how adult Latinos living in high-poverty/high-drug use neighborhoods perceive and negotiate their environment. METHODS: In 2008, thirteen adult caregivers in Santiago, Chile were interviewed with open-ended questions to ascertain beliefs about neighborhood effects and drug use. ANALYSIS: Inductive analysis was used to develop the codebook/identify trends. DISCUSSION: Residents externalized their understanding of drug use and misuse by invoking the concept of delinquent youth. A typology of their perceptions is offered. Learning more about residents’ circumstances may help focus on needs-based interventions. More research with Latino neighborhoods is needed for culturally-competent models of interventions.The present study received support from National Hispanic Science Network Fellows Summer grant awarded to the lead author. The study was also partially supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01:DA021181) and the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center, University of Michigan. (National Hispanic Science Network; R01:DA021181 - National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse; Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center, University of Michigan

Sexual intercourse among adolescents in Santiago, Chile: a study of individual and parenting factors

OBJECTIVE: To examine a range of individual, parenting, and family factors associated with sexual intercourse among a community sample of youth and their families in Santiago, Chile. METHODS: Data were taken from the first wave of the Santiago Longitudinal Study conducted in January 2008–November 2009. Participants were 766 youth (mean age = 14.03 years, 51% male) from municipalities of low-to mid-socioeconomic status. Variables included emotional and behavioral subscales from the Child Behavior Checklist’s Youth Self Report, parental monitoring, family involvement, parental control and autonomy, relationship with each parent, and sexual activity. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the odds of sexual intercourse initiation. RESULTS: Seventy (9.14%) youth reported having had sex in their lifetime; the average age of first sexual intercourse among this group was 13.5 years (Standard Deviation [SD] = 1.74) for males and 14.08 (SD = 1.40) for females. Having sex was inversely associated with withdrawn-depressed symptoms (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.84, Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.72–0.97), but positively associated with somatic complaints (OR = 1.20, CI = 1.04–1.38) and rule breaking behavior (OR = 1.21, CI = 1.08–1.36), after adjusting for demographic and other individual and parenting variables. The majority (80%) of the youth who had had sex reported using protection at the time of last intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the role that mental health problems—some of them not commonly associated with onset of sexual activity—may play in a youth’s decision to have sex. The potential protective effects of several parenting and family characteristics disappeared with youth age and youth behavioral problems.R01 HD033487 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 DA021181 - NIDA NIH HHS; DA021181 - NIDA NIH HH

Examining the quality of adolescent–parent relationships among Chilean families

The purpose of this study was to examine if adolescents reports of warm and harsh parenting practices by their mothers and fathers varied as a function of demographic, youth and their mothers or mother figures' individual and family characteristics. Data are from 707 community-dwelling adolescents (mean age=14, SD=1.4) and their mothers or mother figures in Santiago, Chile. Having a warmer relationship with both parents was inversely associated with the adolescents' age and positively associated with adolescents' family involvement and parental monitoring. Both mothers' and fathers' harsh parenting were positively associated with adolescent externalizing behaviors and being male and inversely associated with youth autonomy and family involvement. These findings suggest that net of adolescent developmental emancipation and adolescent behavioral problems, positive relationships with parents, especially fathers, may be nurtured through parental monitoring and creation of an interactive family environment, and can help to foster positive developmental outcomes.http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC3839673&blobtype=pdfAccepted manuscrip

The association of at-risk, problem, and pathological gambling with substance use, depression, and arrest history

We examined at-risk, problem, or pathological gambling co-occurrence with frequency of past-year alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use; depressive symptoms; and arrest history. Data included the responses of over 3,000 individuals who participated in a 2006 telephone survey designed to understand the extent of at-risk, problem, and pathological gambling; comorbidity levels with substance use; mental health; and social problems among Southwestern U.S. residents. Data were analyzed with multinomial and bivariate logistic regression. Respondents at risk for problem gambling were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana than those respondents not at risk. Pathological gamblers were no more or less likely to consume alcohol or tobacco than were non-gamblers or those not at risk. A dose-response relationship existed between degree of gambling problems and depressive symptoms and arrest history. Interventions for at-risk or problem gamblers need to include substance use treatment, and the phenomenon of low levels of substance use among pathological gamblers needs further exploration

Fibropapillomatosis in immature Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the Gulf of Venezuela / Fibropapilomatosis en juveniles de Tortuga Verde (Chelonia mydas) del Golfo de Venezuela

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is affecting multiple marine turtle (MT) species worldwide. In Venezuela, the understanding about this neoplastic condition is still in early stage. Hence, this paper aims to assess the occurrence and frequency of FP in green turtles (GT) in the Gulf of Venezuela (GV). Herein, it was compiled and analyzed the reports in the database of the NGO ‘Grupo de Trabajo en Tortugas Marinas del Golfo de Venezuela’, which includes all records of stranded MT in the GV from 2000 to 2011. Between 2000 and 2006, in the GV only 2 cases of FP in MT had been reported (1.71 % of total records). Subsequently, between 2008 and 2011, encounters of FP were more frequent; resulting in a total of 7 immature GT (2.93 % of the records) documented showing large masses or skin tumors in various parts of the body. The most affected area of the MT’s body was neck and venous sinus (37.50 %), followed by the anterior flippers (18.75 %), plastron (18.75 %), posterior region (cloaca 18.75 %) and lastly, the eyes (6.25 %). All individuals presented two or more body areas with FP. Although a correlation between the presence of FP and environmental factors observed in the study area was not assessed, the turtles evaluated came from coastal waters with high levels of eutrophication, habitat degradation, and pollution. It is necessary to monitor the occurrence of this disease and the environmental factors that may negatively affect the survival of MT populations in the GV

First report of a Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) (Cetartiodactyla: Balaenopteridae) stranding in the Gulf of Venezuela

On February 04th, 2009, we recorded a male humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in the Gulf of Venezuela. This animal was found stranded alive by a few neighboring fishermen and died minutes later in Kazuzain village (11°36'08.5” N - 71°55'42.7” W), located in Venezuelan portion of the Güajira Peninsula at Zulia state. The specimen was a sub-adult male, with total length of 10.5 m and width of 3.04 ± 0.27 m. This is the first record of this species in the Gulf of Venezuela. This study allows us contributing to insight of biology and ecology to marine mammals across Gulf of Venezuela, where details of large cetaceans remain somewhat opaque

International Branch Campuses

In this thesis, I studied the socio-economic, cultural, and political impact of International Branch Campuses in developing countries. I focused on the financial implications for the host country and examine whether international education providers are helping to enhance students’ core competency levels. I have investigated the advantages and disadvantages of international education providers in developing countries and what contribution they provide to the development of the host country’s economy. I conducted three case studies (Malaysia, United Arab Emirate and South Africa), which provided empirical understanding of all aspects of International Branch Campuses; including why and how host governments are financing/subsidizing foreign universities and if International Branch Campuses are productive in alleviating the demand for higher education in host countries. Some small and well-known universities do establish International Branch Campuses in foreign countries with the sole purpose of generating additional income for their home institutions and to take advantage of the monetary incentives offered by local host governments. A major concern for critics of International Branch Campuses is how local culture and customs are not acknowledged by international education providers; this lack of acknowledgement can create problems and controversies. I considered all aspects education has on a developing country’s economy. Also important is how foreign universities through education are helping to transform developing countries’ political environment as well as the development of the society as a whole. I utilized the research conducted by others in the field of international education and higher education and base my research mainly on the numerous articles, journals and publications from the field of international education and international studies to answer and support my hypothesis

Ecological factors and adolescent marijuana use: results of a prospective study in Santiago, Chile

PURPOSE: Despite the growing evidence that ecological factors contribute to substance use, the relationship of ecological factors and illicit drugs such as marijuana use is not well understood, particularly among adolescents in Latin America. Guided by social disorganization and social stress theories, we prospectively examined the association of disaggregated neighborhood characteristics with marijuana use among adolescents in Santiago, Chile, and tested if these relationships varied by sex. METHODS: Data for this study are from 725 community-dwelling adolescents participating in the Santiago Longitudinal Study, a study of substance using behaviors among urban adolescents in Santiago, Chile. Adolescents completed a two-hour interviewer administered questionnaire with questions about drug use and factors related to drug using behaviors. RESULTS: As the neighborhood levels of drug availability at baseline increased, but not crime or noxious environment, adolescents had higher odds of occasions of marijuana use at follow up, approximately 2 years later (odds ratio [OR] = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.16–1.66), even after controlling for the study’s covariates. No interactions by sex were significant. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that “poverty”, “crime”, and “drug problems” may not be synonyms and thus can be understood discretely. As Latin American countries re-examine their drug policies, especially those concerning decriminalizing marijuana use, the findings suggest that attempts to reduce adolescent marijuana use in disadvantaged neighborhoods may do best if efforts are concentrated on specific features of the “substance abuse environment”.We are extremely grateful to the families in Chile for their participation in this study. This study received support from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA021181; T32 DA007267) and the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center. (R01 DA021181 - U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse; T32 DA007267 - U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse; Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center

A educação integral no ensino médio brasileiro: proteção integral ou formação humana?

O artigo traz resultados de pesquisas realizadas pelo Grupo GESTOR – Pesquisa em Gestão da Educação e Políticas do Tempo Livre em torno da temática da Educação Integral no Ensino Médio Brasileiro. O objetivo geral do artigo foi debater o contexto atual em torno da Educação Integral no Ensino Médio. Através de uma pesquisa com palavras-chave (integral, integrada, ensino médio) foi feita uma seleção de documentos e posterior análise através da categorização por temas, conforme a concepção dialógica de Bakhtin (1997). Os resultados da pesquisa indicam que a Educação Integral, no contexto do Ensino Médio, vem sendo utilizada para a disputa pela captura da subjetividade dos jovens, pelo Capital, bem como para compensar a ausência de políticas públicas em torno da projeção integral, diante do avanço do ideário neoliberal, na perspectiva de guarda e controle dos jovens