Age and gender differences in particpation rates, motivators for, and barriers to exercise

Participants completed a questionnaire about their involvement in exercise and the motivators for and barriers to their participation in physical activities. There was a significant age difference in the total number of barriers reported. There were also significant gender differences in several aspects of exercise, within both a college sample and a sample of community residents. Because of the numerous health benefits of exercise for men and women of all ages, it is important that we understand what motivates individuals to be active. The findings of the present study suggest that the individual’s age and gender are important factors to consider when developing programs to encourage physical activity

Ethical issues and attitudes towards euthanasia

Case studies describing end-of-life scenarios were used to assess college students’ attitudes toward euthanasia. Students used a five-point rating scale to judge if a case was ethical. Major field of study and religious conviction did not prove to be significant factors. The age of the person described in a scenario did influence ethics ratings, but not in the hypothesized direction. Euthanasia was judged to be more ethical in situations involving younger adults than in situations involving older adults

Protecting the Environment: Awareness and Responsibility

Protecting the environment is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do, in terms of both short-term and long term business goals. Green businesses can realize immediate financial benefits from environmental sustainability and energy conservation, and there are branding benefits associated with developing and maintaining a reputation for integrity and social responsibility. All participants first answered demographic questions and then responded to a ten-item questionnaire, which was a modified version of Simpson’s (1998) environmental awareness questionnaire. In conclusion, the study revealed gender, age, and political affiliation difference in environmental awareness

The relationship between rumination, gender, age, and posttraumatic stress

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between rumination and posttraumatic stress, and to determine the effects of gender and age on that relationship. Responses on brooding and reflective subscales of a rumination measure were compared across adult age groups, and evaluated in relationship to an individual\u27s gender and emotional response to trauma. Women demonstrated higher levels of rumination than men, and younger adults demonstrated higher levels of rumination than older adults. In a college sample, total rumination score was a positive indicator of whether an individual was emotionally bothered by a traumatic experience. In a community sample, age was a negative indicator of whether an individual was emotionally bothered by trauma

The age of racial profiling in the context of terrorism

Racial profiling refers to the law enforcement practice of using only race or ethnicity as probable cause to search or arrest an individual. The public has found racial profiling to be unjustified in the context of common crime, but tends to support the practice in the context of terrorism. The current study uses an explicit judgment survey to examine the expression of prejudice and factors that influence stereotyping. The study found that participants aged 18 to 24, and those who identified with a political party, were the participants most likely to racially profile individuals with stereotypical Middle-Eastern features to be potential terrorists

Correlates of life satisfaction and acculturation among university students

The present study compared correlations between life satisfaction, acculturation, socioeconomic status, and social support for students born in the United States and for students not born in the United States. Acculturation scores differed significantly between American-born and foreign born participants, while life satisfaction scores did not, indicating that living in a new country is not necessarily a negative experience for college-age students. Furthermore, acculturation to the host culture, that is, American culture, was found to correlate with life satisfaction among American-born students, and socioeconomic status correlated with acculturation for both groups. We recommend that future acculturation research control for socioeconomic status and include non-immigrant populations as comparison groups

Is there a relationship between participation in athletics and eating disorders?

Many of the psychological risk characteristics associated with eating disorders are also associated with participation in athletics. In athletics, for example, a certain kind of physique is expected. Often, there is pressure put on the athlete to have this perfect physique. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that athletes are more likely than non-athletes to be at risk of developing eating disorder characteristics. Unexpectedly, non-athletes were found to be at greater risk than athletes. As expected, women were at greater risk than men, and the type of sport did not have a significant effect on athletes\u27 risk

Views on happiness and mental health: A comparison between residents and staff at a senior care facility

Residents and staff members at a senior care facility were questioned about their views on topics related to mental health. The two groups scored similarly on a happiness questionnaire. Differences as well as similarities between residents and staff were revealed through a questionnaire addressing views on mental health, counseling, and medications. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship that develops between older adults and their care givers. We argue that the health and well-being of the residents of a senior care facility may be linked to the health and well-being of the staff. The extent to which the two groups have similar views on issues of health and happiness is probably both a result of, and a basis for, strong relationships between the two. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Staff & Provider Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework (https://www.theberylinstitute.org/ExperienceFramework). Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

Participatory Research for Rape Survivor Groups A Model for Practice

This article proposes a model for rape survivor groups that encompasses the participatory research model in the context of feminist ideology and strategies. The use of a participatory research model for rape survivor groups can be expected both to heal and to produce evidence of the recovery process. In this model, groups design a protocol for writing and disseminating their personal stories of overcoming the trauma of rape. The conceptualization is illustrated by excerpts of experience-based, aggregated group processes that provide guidance for conducting participatory research for rape survivors. Keywords: feminism; participatory research; rape survivors; stories T his article presents a theoretical approach to using the participatory research model with groups of rape survivors. The approach is based on our experiences working with rape survivors and participatory research in separate projects. In this article, we conceptualize and outline how participatory research can both heal and produce data on the rape survival experience. We propose that when rape survivor groups agree to tell and write their experiencedbased stories about how they have survived their trauma, active healing takes place. The stories form a living document of the events and feelings of the current group, which may be expanded on by future groups. The overall model for this project is participatory research in that the stories are considered qualitative data and the project would largely be led by group members. Participatory research, with its emphasis on consciousness-raising, equality in the balance of power between the researcher and participants, and the support of social justice, serves as an excellent medium for empowering and hastening the healing process. It has been identified as an excellent format for feminist research when the focus is on women's experiences and the goals are ending sexism and violence against wome

Evidence for Active Uptake and Deposition of Si-based defenses in Tall Fescue

Silicon (Si) is taken up from the soil as monosilicic acid by plant roots, transported to leaves and deposited as phytoliths, amorphous silica (SiO2) bodies, which are a key component of anti-herbivore defense in grasses. Silicon transporters have been identified in many plant species, but the mechanisms underpinning Si transport remain poorly understood. Specifically, the extent to which Si uptake is a passive process, driven primarily by transpiration, or has both passive and active components remains disputed. Increases in foliar Si concentration following herbivory suggest plants may exercise some control over Si uptake and distribution. In order to investigate passive and active controls on Si accumulation, we examined both genetic and environmental influences on Si accumulation in the forage grass Festuca arundinacea. We studied three F. arundinacea varieties that differ in the levels of Si they accumulate. Varieties not only differed in Si concentration, but also in increases in Si accumulation in response to leaf damage. The varietal differences in Si concentration generally reflected differences in stomatal density and stomatal conductance, suggesting passive, transpiration-mediated mechanisms underpin these differences. Bagging plants after damage was employed to minimize differences in stomatal conductance between varieties and in response to damage. This treatment eliminated constitutive differences in leaf Si levels, but did not impair the damage-induced increases in Si uptake: damaged, bagged plants still had more leaf Si than undamaged, bagged plants in all three varieties. Preliminary differential gene expression analysis revealed that the active Si transporter Lsi2 was highly expressed in damaged unbagged plants compared with undamaged unbagged plants, suggesting damage-induced Si defenses are regulated at gene level. Our findings suggest that although differences in transpiration may be partially responsible for varietal differences in Si uptake, they cannot explain damage-induced increases in Si uptake and deposition, suggesting that wounding causes changes in Si uptake, distribution and deposition that likely involve active processes and changes in gene expression. Introductio