Psychosocial Correlates of Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms among Help-Seeking Hispanic Smokers

Objectives: Research has demonstrated robust associations between perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and cigarette smoking. The extent to which these findings from the general population generalize to Hispanic smokers is unknown. The present study examined (a) correlates of perceived stress and depressive symptoms among help-seeking Hispanic smokers and (b) whether maladaptive coping and social support were related to stress and depressive symptoms. Design: Hispanic smokers (N=123) enrolled in an RCT completed demographic and smoking history, perceived stress, depressive symptoms, perceived social support, and maladaptive coping measures. Results: Bivariate associations indicated that perceived stress was positively correlated with depressive symptoms and maladaptive coping, and inversely related to perceived social support. These relationships were maintained in multiple regression analyses. Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with nicotine dependence, perceived stress, and maladaptive coping, and inversely related to education and perceived social support. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated independent associations between depressive symptoms and maladaptive coping, perceived stress, and education, but not perceived social support or nicotine dependence. Conclusions: These findings suggest that stress and depression among Hispanics are related to factors known to impact cessation. Recommendations for targeted interventions are discussed

Original investigatiOn efficacy of a DvD-Based smoking Cessation intervention for african americans

aBstraCt introduction: Previous research suggests that African American smokers may have improved outcomes if interventions are culturally specific. However, few interventions sufficiently address the unique needs of this population in a format with large reach potential. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a newly developed digital video disc (DVD)-based cessation intervention targeting African Americans

Accountability synopticism: How a think tank and the media developed a quasimarket for school choice in British Columbia

This paper describes how a locally developed school ranking systemaffected student enrolment patterns in British Columbia over time.In developing an annual school ‘report card’ that was published innewspapers and online, the Vancouver-based Fraser Institute createda marketplace for school choice by devising an accountability schemethat highlighted and concealed visibility asymmetries between schools.Against the backdrop of a shifting political landscape, report cardshelped focus the public’s attention on school achievement scores thatidentified low-, mid-, and high-performing schools. A quasi-market foreducation emerged in the non-place of language and discourse whenschool ranking results became the basis by which parents made decisionsabout where to send their children to school. When student achievementdata is used to identify British Columbia’s ‘best’ and ‘worst’ performingsecondary schools in this way, standardized assessment practices may beconsidered high-stakes

Developing and Integrating the Management of Elder Abuse in Primary Practice: A Case Study Using A Web-Based CME Course Format

Introduction: As the population in the United States continues to age, more attention in primary practice settings is now devoted toward managing the care of the elderly. The occurrence of elder abuse is a growing problem. It is a condition many professionals in primary care may be ill prepared with the knowledge or resources to identify and manage. [See PDF for complete abstract

Ethnomusicology, Study Abroad and the Urban Perspective: The Case of Ghana

Through the lens of SIT Study Abroad’s Ghana: Urban Ethnomusicology program, this paper discusses two important aspects of urban-centered study abroad programs, thematically and spatially, in Africa. First, the city functions as an important location in African music studies for young undergraduates as it challenges preconceptions and theoretical orientations that young American students often carry with them to the continent. Music and the performing arts provide important data to students about the social, cultural, political, economic and other processes that shape and are shaped by urbanization and the city. Second, the SITSA model provides students with not only the intellectual engagement with African and urban music studies, but its experiential model, the core of SITSA pedagogical approach, facilitates a visceral, embodied and experience-based learning environment as well

Impact on Student Achievement of Teacher Participation in K-8 Mathematics Professional Development.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact on student achievement of elementary school teachers who participated in professional development in the content area of mathematics. Teachers participated in professional development courses and have accumulated a range from three to eighteen total credits from the summers of 1998 through 2007. The impact is measured by student achievement data collected on standardized tests

Neighborhood factors and six-month weight change among overweight individuals in a weight loss intervention

The purpose of this study was to examine the neighborhood environment and the association with weight change among overweight/obese individuals in the first six months of a 12-month weight loss intervention, EMPOWER, from 2011 to 2015. Measures of the neighborhood environment included neighborhood racial composition, neighborhood income, and neighborhood food retail stores density (e.g., grocery stores). Weight was measured at baseline and 6 months and calculated as the percent weight change from baseline to 6 months. The analytic sample (N = 127) was 91% female and 81% white with a mean age of 51 (±10.4) years. At 6 months, the mean weight loss was 8.0 kg (±5.7), which was equivalent to 8.8% (±6%) of baseline weight. Participants living in neighborhoods in which 25–75% of the residents identified as black had the greatest percentage of weight loss compared to those living in neighborhoods with 75% black residents. No other neighborhood measures were associated with weight loss. Future studies testing individual-level behavioral weight loss interventions need to consider the influence of neighborhood factors, and how neighborhood-level interventions could be enhanced with individual-level interventions that address behaviors and lifestyle changes. Keywords: Neighborhood, Environment, Weight loss, Obesity, Interventio

Risk of dying unnaturally among people aged 15–35 years who have harmed themselves and inflicted violence on others: a national nested case-control study

Summary: Background: Self-harm and violent criminality have overlapping causes, but people who engage in these behaviours are typically studied as two discrete populations. In this study, we aimed to examine the risk of unnatural death (ie, death from external causes such as accidents, suicide, and undetermined causes) among people with a history of self-harm and violent crime, focusing specifically on those with co-occurring behaviours. Methods: For this population-based nested case-control study, we used national interlinked Danish registers. Individuals aged 35 years or younger, who were alive and residing in the country on their 15th birthday, and who died from external causes (cases) were matched by age and gender to living people (controls). We compared risks of suicide, accidental death, and any death by external causes among those with a history of hospital-treated self-harm, violent criminality, or both behaviours with those in individuals without histories of either behaviour. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs), adjusted for age and gender, to compare risks. Findings: We identified 2246 individuals who died from external causes, whom we matched to 44 920 living controls. 1499 (66·7%) of 2246 individuals died from accidental causes and 604 (26·9%) died by suicide. The risk of unnatural death was elevated for individuals with a history of violence (IRR 5·19, 95% CI 4·45–6·06) or self-harm (12·65, 10·84–14·77), but the greatest risk increase was among those with histories of both behaviours (29·37, 23·08–37·38). Substance misuse disorders, particularly multiple drug use, was more prevalent among individuals with co-occurring self-harm and violence than among those engaging in just one of these behaviours. Psychiatric disorders seemed to account for some of the excess risk of unnatural death among people with dual-harm histories, but excess risk, particularly of accidental death, persisted in the multivariable models. Interpretation: Among individuals with co-occurring self-harm and violence, the risk of accidental death, particularly accidental self-poisoning, should be considered to be as important as the risk of suicide. People with a history of both behaviours who also have a substance misuse disorder are at particularly high risk of dying from external causes. Strategies should be designed to be accessible for people facing turbulent lives with multiple problems. Individuals in this group with both behaviours are likely to be treated by health-care services for self-harm and have contact with criminal justice services, providing multiple opportunities for proactive intervention. Funding: European Research Council

Willingness of Older Adults From Culturally Diverse Populations to Participate in COVID-19 Related Treatment Trials and Associated Factors

This survey study aimed to assess the willingness of culturally diverse older adults to participate in COVID-19 research. The majority of the 276 participants were women (81%, n  = 223) and Black/African American (62%, n  = 172) or White Hispanic (20%, n  = 56). A key finding from the survey was less than 1 of 10 respondents would be likely to participate in COVID-19 related research if given the opportunity. There were no differences observed by gender, race or ethnicity. Implications of these findings are considered. These study findings indicate continued effort and better messaging strategies are required to increase awareness that COVID-19 related research needs to include culturally diverse older adults to ensure vaccines and treatments are efficacious in different populations