Comparing the stress levels of inclusion teachers and non-inclusion teachers

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the practice of inclusion had a significant effect on the stress levels of inclusion teachers. Forty-seven elementary school teachers were compared across various teacher demographics. The hypothesis stated that the stress levels of inclusion teachers would be higher than the stress levels of regular education teachers based on the belief that inclusion teachers have a heavier workload. In previous studies, a heavier workload has been shown to be significantly related to higher stress levels. The Occupational Stress Inventory was administered in two schools in Southern New Jersey in January 1999. Scores were statistically analyzed using one way ANOVA\u27s and t tests. Results of this study indicated no significant differences when comparing the stress levels of inclusion teachers and non-inclusion teachers, however significant differences in stress levels were seen when teachers were compared by years of experience, age and level of education

Gaps in Health Insurance: Why So Many Americans Experience Breaks in Coverage and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help

Presents findings from the Health Insurance Tracking Survey of U.S. Adults, including the percentage of those who were uninsured during 2011, reasons for gaps in coverage, access to regular and preventive care, and the impact of federal healthcare reform

Realizing Health Reform's Potential: When Unemployed Means Uninsured: The Toll of Job Loss on Health Coverage, and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help

Examines how the 2010 healthcare reform will significantly expand affordable health coverage options for the unemployed who cannot afford COBRA. Calls for re-establishing COBRA premium subsidies to bridge coverage gaps until it is implemented in 2014

Utility of accelerometers to measure physical activity in children attending an obesity treatment intervention

Objectives. To investigate the use of accelerometers to monitor change in physical activity in a childhood obesity treatment intervention. Methods. 28 children aged 7–13 taking part in “Families for Health” were asked to wear an accelerometer (Actigraph) for 7-days, and complete an accompanying activity diary, at baseline, 3-months and 9-months. Interviews with 12 parents asked about research measurements. Results. Over 90% of children provided 4 days of accelerometer data, and around half of children provided 7 days. Adequately completed diaries were collected from 60% of children. Children partake in a wide range of physical activity which uniaxial monitors may undermonitor (cycling, nonmotorised scootering) or overmonitor (trampolining). Two different cutoffs (4 METS or 3200 counts⋅min-1) for minutes spent in moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) yielded very different results, although reached the same conclusion regarding a lack of change in MVPA after the intervention. Some children were unwilling to wear accelerometers at school and during sport because they felt they put them at risk of stigma and bullying. Conclusion. Accelerometers are acceptable to a majority of children, although their use at school is problematic for some, but they may underestimate children's physical activity

Fractal Properties of the Distribution of Earthquake Hypocenters

We investigate a recent suggestion that the spatial distribution of earthquake hypocenters makes a fractal set with a structure and fractal dimensionality close to those of the backbone of critical percolation clusters, by analyzing four different sets of data for the hypocenter distributions and calculating the dynamical properties of the geometrical distribution such as the spectral dimension $d_s$. We find that the value of $d_s$ is consistent with that of the backbone, thus supporting further the identification of the hypocenter distribution as having the structure of the percolation backbone.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX, HLRZ 68/9

The Impact of Short Breaks on Families with a Disabled Child: Report One of the Quantitative Phase

This document reports on a cross-sectional sample of families with a disabled child using short breaks in England; it describes the characteristics of children and families using short breaks, the nature and quantity of the short breaks they are using, their experiences of and satisfaction with short breaks and which factors are associated with a range of outcomes for family carers, disabled children and their siblings. This report uses both quantitative data derived from standardised questions and qualitative data from family members’ written responses to open-ended questions in the survey instruments

The impacts of short break provision on disabled children and families: an international literature review

For over 30 years, short breaks have been part of the landscape of support provision for families with a disabled child. Historically, the term ‘respite care’ has been used in much of the research literature concerning short breaks for families with a disabled child. However, ‘short breaks’ has become the preferred term, partly due to the negative connotations of family carers requiring ‘respite’ from their children, and partly because short breaks now encompass a much wider range of supports than out-of-home placement in specialist residential facilities (Cramer and Carlin, 2008). As such, the term ‘short breaks’ will be used throughout this review, with the exception of direct quotes from research studies where the term ‘respite’ is used by study participants or study authors