Is birthweight associated with total and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer risks? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesised that intrauterine exposures are important for subsequent prostate cancer risk. Prior epidemiological studies have used birthweight as a proxy of cumulative intrauterine exposures to test this hypothesis, but results have been inconsistent partly because of limited statistical power. METHODS: We investigated birthweight in relation to prostate cancer in the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) using Cox proportional hazards models. We then conducted a meta-analysis of birthweight in relation to total and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer risks, combining results from the NSHD analysis with 13 additional studies on this relationship identified from a systematic search in four major scientific literature databases through January 2015. RESULTS: Random-effects models found that per kg increase in birthweight was positively associated with total (OR=1.02, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.00, 1.05; I(2)=13%) and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer (OR=1.08, 95% CI=0.99, 1.19; I(2)=40%). Sensitivity analyses restricted to studies with birthweight extracted from medical records demonstrated stronger positive associations with total (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03, 1.19; I(2)=0%) and aggressive/lethal (OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.09, 1.74; I(2)=0%) prostate cancer. These studies heavily overlapped with those based in Nordic countries. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that heavier birthweight may be associated with modest increased risks of total and aggressive/lethal prostate cancer, which supports the hypothesis that intrauterine exposures may be related to subsequent prostate cancer risks

Counseling in China: Implications for Counselor Education Preparation and Distance Learning Instruction

Counselor educators are preparing an increased number of international students to become counselors via online and distance education programs. There are also increasing mental health needs within schools and communities and limited counseling programs in the People’s Republic of China. The focus on educating and training Chinese and international students in Western counseling theories and practices is potentially limiting and fails to address the cultural differences among Chinese individuals. We discuss the implications for counselor education preparation through distance education and offer counselor educators culturally appropriate strategies and suggestions to best prepare students

Overcrowding and Frequent Moves Undermine Children's Health

Children need stability in their lives -- whether it is in their daily routines, the adults that care for them, or their housing. Recent economic conditions are putting families at risk, not just of outright homelessness but of being housing insecure (frequent moves, overcrowding, or doubling up with another family for economic reasons)

Taking Informed Action in Challenging Times: Helping Community Foundations during Economic Downturn

Following up on CF Insights' November 2008 report "Making Informed Decisions in Uncertain Times", this report is aimed at helping community foundations take informed action in relation to their operating models and community activities in reaction to the economic slump. The findings are based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted with 95 community foundations during the spring of 2009. The research findings overall underscore that the field has been able to "make lemonade" from the crisis. In light of tepid expectations for assets and gifts for the rest of 2009, community foundations are being creative and thoughtful in how they allocate precious resources andstep up their community leadership.

Funding Shortfall for Housing Vouchers Could Have Serious Health Consequences for Children

In the fourth brief in its Policy Action series, Children's HealthWatch finds that unaffordable housing endangers the health and development of young children. Due to a federal funding shortfall, state and local housing agencies will be forced to reduce or eliminate rental assitance to thousands of families starting this month. Voucher cuts will push more families into the ranks of the "hidden homeless" -- families that move frequently, crowd into apartments that are too small, or live doubled up with other households when they cannot find affordable housing. Children in hidden homeless families are at increased risk for poor health, nutrition, and growth, as well as developmental delays. Timely Congressional action to protect the Housing Choice Voucher Program will ensure that families have stable, affordable housing essential to children's health

Household food insecurity positively associated with increased hospital charges for infants

Objective: To test whether household food insecurity (HFI) was associated with total annual hospitalization charges, annual days hospitalized, and charges per day, among low-income infants (months) with any non-neonatal hospital stays. Methods: Administrative inpatient hospital charge data were matched to survey data from infants\u27 caregivers interviewed 1998-2005 in emergency departments in Boston and Little Rock. All study infants had been hospitalized at least once since birth; infants whose diagnoses were not plausibly related to nutrition were excluded from both groups. Log-transformed hospitalization charges were analyzed, controlling for site fixed effects. Results: 24% of infants from food-insecure households and 16% from food-secure households were hospitalized \u3e2 times (P=0.02). Mean annual inpatient hospital charges ($6,707 vs$5,735; P Conclusion: HFI was positively associated with annual inpatient charges among hospitalized low income infants. Average annual inpatient charges were almost $2,000 higher (inflation adjusted) for infants living in food-insecure households. Reducing or eliminating food insecurity could reduce health services utilization and expenditures for infants in low-income families, most of whom are covered by public health insurance

Harvest of the Month Kits for Early Care and Education Settings

Research tells us that a young child’s food preferences develop within the first few years of life as an infant transitions from eating one food to a multitude of foods with varying flavor profiles.1 With the understanding of a young child’s influential years, early care facilities have the ability to target these young years and help influence dietary preferences in a healthy, engaging, and positive way. For my capstone project, four Harvest of the Month (HOTM) Kits will be created to be used in Early Care and Education settings with three-to-five-year-olds. These HOTM Kits will be correlated with Georgia’s Department of Education’s kindergarten through twelfth grade Harvest of the Month resources. Each kit will combine a locally grown Georgia fruit or vegetable, recipe to prepare the seasonal produce, nutritional activity to tie in learning, children’s literature connection, handout to send home, and a local procurement handout. The goal of these kits are to provide a hands-on learning experience to enhance children’s knowledge of fruits and vegetables through activities and literature connections, allow them an opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables through taste testing, and empower them in the kitchen through recipe creations

Actitudes del profesorado hacia la diversidad cultural

Onzenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 2005-2006)Las actitudes que el profesorado transmite son de suma importancia a la hora de formar a una ciudadanía democrática, tolerante y solidaria. El problema surge como un tema novedoso para la sociedad, que ha visto como en los últimos años se ha ido incrementando el número de alumnado inmigrante escolarizado en los centros educativos. Con esta investigación se pretende conocer si el sexo, formación en educación intercultural, titulación y etapa donde imparte la docencia influye en las actitudes del profesorado hacia la diversidad cultural. Para ello se recoge información de 262 docentes de colegios e institutos de la provincia de Castellón. Los resultados parecen demostrar que estas variables no tienen una clara influencia en las actitudes que presentan los docentes de Infantil, Primaria y Secundaria de la provincia de Castellón.When teaching tolerant, democratic and solidarity citizens teacher´s attitudes are most important. The problem arises as a current topic for society since in the last few years the population has seen an increasing number of immigrant students becoming part of the educational centers. This research aims to study whether sex, training in intercultural education, educational Degree Course Certificates and the teaching stage has an influence over teacher´s attitudes towards cultural minorities. To achieve this aim, 262 teachers from schools and high schools have been used as a sample to get the needed information. Results seem to show no clear influence between the different variables and the teacher´s attitudes from Kindergarden, Primary and Secondary schools in Castellón