Methodological Problems Associated With Research On Unfair Discrimination Against Racial Minorities

Despite the passage of civil rights legislation, racial and ethnic minorities continue to experience unfair discrimination in the workplace. Therefore, considerable research in human resource management and social psychology has examined the factors thought to affect unfair discrimination in organizations [Cox, T. (1993). Cultural diversity in organizations: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler]. Although research has focused on unfair discrimination, researchers have argued that the construct and external validity of the results have been adversely affected by methodological problems [e.g., Stone, E.F., Stone, D.L., & Dipboye, R.L. (1992). Stigmas in organizations: Race, handicaps, and physical unattractiveness. In Kelly, K. (Ed.). Issues, theory, and research in industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 385-457). Amsterdam: Elsevier]. Given this critique, the present paper (a) examines the degree to which recent research suffered from a number of methodological problems (e.g., obtrusive measures, non-representative samples, and demand characteristics), (b) identifies strategies for overcoming these problems, and (c) offers recommendations for advancing our understanding of unfair discrimination in organizational contexts. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

AUSDRISK: an Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool based on demographic, lifestyle and simple anthropometric measures

Objective: To develop and validate a diabetes risk assessment tool for Australia based on demographic, lifestyle and simple anthropometric measures. Design and setting: 5-year follow-up (2004–2005) of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study (AusDiab, 1999–2000). Participants: 6060 AusDiab participants aged 25 years or older who did not have diagnosed diabetes at baseline. Main outcome measures: Incident diabetes at follow-up was defined by treatment with insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents or by fasting plasma glucose level ≥7.0mmol/L or 2- hour plasma glucose level in an oral glucose tolerance test ≥11.1mmol/L. The risk prediction model was developed using logistic regression and converted to a simple score, which was then validated in two independent Australian cohorts (the Blue Mountains Eye Study and the North West Adelaide Health Study) using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC) and the Hosmer–Lemeshow (HL) 2 statistic. Results: 362 people developed diabetes. Age, sex, ethnicity, parental history of diabetes, history of high blood glucose level, use of antihypertensive medications, smoking, physical inactivity and waist circumference were included in the final prediction model. The AROC of the diabetes risk tool was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.76–0.81) and HL x2 statistic was 4.1 (P = 0.85). Using a score ≥12 (maximum, 35), the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value for identifying incident diabetes were 74.0%, 67.7% and 12.7%, respectively. The AROC and HL 2 statistic in the two independent validation cohorts were 0.66 (95% CI, 0.60–0.71) and 9.2 (P = 0.32), and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.72–0.86) and 29.4 (P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: This diabetes risk assessment tool provides a simple, non-invasive method to identify Australian adults at high risk of type 2 diabetes who might benefit from interventions to prevent or delay its onset.Lei Chen, Dianna J Magliano, Beverley Balkau, Stephen Colagiuri, Paul Z Zimmet, Andrew M Tonkin, Paul Mitchell, Patrick J Phillips and Jonathan E Sha

Glucose indices, health behaviors, and incidence of diabetes in Australia: the Australian diabetes, obesity and lifestyle study (AusDiab)

OBJECTIVE--We examined the associations of objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity with continuous indexes of metabolic risk in Australian adults without known diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--An accelerometer was used to derive the percentage of monitoring time spent sedentary and in light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity activity, as well as mean activity intensity, in 169 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) participants (mean age 53.4 years). Associations with waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, resting blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and a clustered metabolic risk score were examined.RESULTS--Independent of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity activity, there were significant associations of sedentary time, light-intensity time, and mean activity intensity with waist circumference and clustered metabolic risk. Independent of waist circumference, moderate-to-vigorous-intensity activity time was significantly beneficially associated with triglycerides.CONCLUSIONS--These findings highlight the importance of decreasing sedentary time, as well as increasing time spent in physical activity, for metabolic health. <br /

Asprosin is a centrally acting orexigenic hormone.

Asprosin is a recently discovered fasting-induced hormone that promotes hepatic glucose production. Here we demonstrate that asprosin in the circulation crosses the blood-brain barrier and directly activates orexigenic AgRP+ neurons via a cAMP-dependent pathway. This signaling results in inhibition of downstream anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-positive neurons in a GABA-dependent manner, which then leads to appetite stimulation and a drive to accumulate adiposity and body weight. In humans, a genetic deficiency in asprosin causes a syndrome characterized by low appetite and extreme leanness; this is phenocopied by mice carrying similar mutations and can be fully rescued by asprosin. Furthermore, we found that obese humans and mice had pathologically elevated concentrations of circulating asprosin, and neutralization of asprosin in the blood with a monoclonal antibody reduced appetite and body weight in obese mice, in addition to improving their glycemic profile. Thus, in addition to performing a glucogenic function, asprosin is a centrally acting orexigenic hormone that is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of both obesity and diabetes

Asprosin is a centrally acting orexigenic hormone.

Asprosin is a recently discovered fasting-induced hormone that promotes hepatic glucose production. Here we demonstrate that asprosin in the circulation crosses the blood-brain barrier and directly activates orexigenic AgRP+ neurons via a cAMP-dependent pathway. This signaling results in inhibition of downstream anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-positive neurons in a GABA-dependent manner, which then leads to appetite stimulation and a drive to accumulate adiposity and body weight. In humans, a genetic deficiency in asprosin causes a syndrome characterized by low appetite and extreme leanness; this is phenocopied by mice carrying similar mutations and can be fully rescued by asprosin. Furthermore, we found that obese humans and mice had pathologically elevated concentrations of circulating asprosin, and neutralization of asprosin in the blood with a monoclonal antibody reduced appetite and body weight in obese mice, in addition to improving their glycemic profile. Thus, in addition to performing a glucogenic function, asprosin is a centrally acting orexigenic hormone that is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of both obesity and diabetes

Promoting Resilience in Immigrants Understanding Latino/a Adaptation and Strengths

Abstract This chapter outlines adversities faced by immigrants as well as factors associated with their resilience. The Latino/a immigrant population is highlighted as the largest immigrant population in the United States. Factors contributing to resilience in this population, as well as programs and approaches used to foster well-being and resilience are discussed. Recommendations for factors to consider in promoting resilience in the Latino/a immigrant population are given, and future directions are highlighted and discussed

Dropout Prevention A (Re)Conceptualization Through the Lens of Social Justice

Abstract Despite the intense focus on school dropout over the past 40 years, this pervasive social injustice continues to plague the United States. This chapter will provide a review of the extant literature on school dropout risk factors as well as the research on effective intervention and prevention programs. The chapter will begin with a rationale for focusing specifically on schools that serve students and families of color who reside in high poverty communities. The authors will critique the deficit-oriented framework that has been pervasive in school dropout literature. We hope to interrupt the dominant discourses that position poor students of color as inherently “at risk” for school dropout. The authors will present a case for counseling psychologists to develop social justice dropout prevention programs that focus primarily on institutional and structural changes. The chapter will also include a discussion of future directions for the field of counseling psychology