An Analysis of College Students’ Perceptions on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is modern-day slavery of children and the commercial sexual abuse of children through buying, selling, or trading their sexual services.  DMST is a form of child abuse.  The victim can be any person of nationality, age, socioeconomic status, or gender. In America, throughout college campuses, a lot of students are not informed of domestic minor sex trafficking. When thinking about domestic minor sex trafficking, most people do not think that this crime happens in our country, better yet our state of Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of college students attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on domestic minor sex trafficking in our country and in our state of Arkansas (a crime that is growing aggressively in the United States). Fifty participants who were students attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff participated in the study. Participants consisted of male and female students between the ages of 18 to 25 (N = 30 Females; N = 20 Males). Survey data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Participants responded to ten yes or no descriptive questions about domestic minor sex trafficking (e.g., Questions like: have you heard about domestic minor sex trafficking; and do you think child sex trafficking is an organized crime). The data yielded both quantitative and qualitative results. Results showed that female students were more knowledgeable and were more aware of DMST than males. Implications for interventions will be discussed. Further research also is suggested

Mediators of the Socioeconomic Gradient in Outcomes of Adult Asthma and Rhinitis

Objectives. We estimated the extent to which socioeconomic status (SES) gradients in adult asthma and rhinitis outcomes can be explained by home and neighborhood environmental factors. Methods. Using survey data for 515 adults with either asthma or rhinitis, or both, we examined environmental mediators of SES associations with disease severity, using the Severity of Asthma Scale, and health-related quality of life (HRQL), using the Rhinasthma Scale. We defined SES on the basis of education and household income. Potential environmental mediators included home type and ownership, exposures to allergens and irritants, and a summary measure of perceived neighborhood problems. We modeled each outcome as a function of SES, and controlled for age, gender, and potential mediators. Results. Gradients in SES were apparent in disease severity and HRQL. Living in a rented house partially mediated the SES gradient for both severity and HRQL (P < .01). Higher perceived levels of neighborhood problems were associated with poorer HRQL and partially mediated the income–HRQL relationship (P < .01). Conclusions. Differences in home and neighborhood environments partially explained associations of SES with adult asthma and rhinitis outcomes

Race and Ethnicity and Breast Cancer Outcomes in an Underinsured Population

BACKGROUND: The disparity in breast cancer mortality between African American women and non-Hispanic white women has been the subject of increased scrutiny. Few studies have addressed these differences in the setting of equal access to health care. We compared the breast cancer outcomes of underinsured African American and non-Hispanic white patients who were treated at a single institution. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records for breast cancer patients who were treated at Wishard Memorial Hospital from January 1, 1997, to February 28, 2006. A total of 574 patients (259 non-Hispanic whites and 315 African Americans) were evaluated. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis for competing risks was performed. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Sociodemographic characteristics were similar in the two groups, and both racial groups were equally unlikely to have undergone screening mammography during the 2 years before diagnosis. Most (84%) of the patients were underinsured. The median time from diagnosis to operation, receipt of adequate surgery, and use of all types of adjuvant therapy were similar in the two groups. Median follow-up was 80.3 months for non-Hispanic whites and 77.9 months for African Americans. After accounting for the effect of comorbidities, African American race was statistically significantly associated with breast cancer-specific mortality (African Americans vs non-Hispanic whites: 26.0% vs 17.5%, P = .028; hazard ratio [HR] of death = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06 to 2.55). Adjustment for age at diagnosis, clinical stage, and hormone receptor status attenuated the effect, and the effect of race on breast cancer-specific survival was no longer statistically significant (HR of death from breast cancer = 1.43, 95% CI = 0.89 to 2.30). After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, the hazard ratio for race was further attenuated (HR = 1.26; 95% CI = 0.79 to 2.00). CONCLUSIONS: In this underinsured population, African American patients had poorer breast cancer-specific survival than non-Hispanic white patients. After adjustment for clinical and sociodemographic factors, the effect of race on survival was no longer statistically significant