Are there gender differences in perceived sexual self-efficacy among African-American adolescents?

Background: African American adolescents accounted for more than half of all HIV/AIDS cases in 2009. Behavioral Strategies are needed to help lessen the incidence of HIV/AIDS among this population. Purpose: The aim of his study was to examine sexual self-efficacy practices and beliefs among African American adolescents. We also examined gender differences between African American adolescents to better understand their perceptions of sexual self-efficacy, condom use intention, and other safer sex practices and beliefs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 214 African American adolescents using survey instruments to examine their beliefs, perception and intentions on the use of condoms, sexual self-efficacy and safe sex practices. Participants were recruited though a mass media campaign and local youth serving organizations within Sedgwick County, KS. Results: Our findings indicate significant differences exist between genders in perception of sexual self-efficacy among African American adolescents. Females were found to have higher perceived sexual self-efficacy compared to males. Having high negotiation skills and a sexual partner who approved of condom use were significant predictors for high perceived sexual self-efficacy. Conclusions: African American adolescent females were more likely to have higher perceived sexual self-efficacy then African American male adolescents. Because of the dynamics that exist in male and female relationships and the mediating role sexual self-efficacy might play in engaging in safe sex practices, it is important to design gender specific interventions in order to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDS/STI’s

Participation in Youth Running Events: The Role of Parental Involvement and Satisfaction

An increasing number of running events are being targeted to youth and are adding to the growing road racing industry. Offering running events for children along with a lineup of races ranging from 5K runs to marathons for adults is a way for race organizers to expand their businesses, increase economic impact in their communities and meet the needs of the entire family. In addition to economic benefits, there are other benefits associated with running events for youth. Community running events provide one potential intervention to counter rising childhood obesity rates by increasing the levels of physical activity for youth. Parents are seen as important agents in the socialization processes that shape and influence youth physical activity decisions. Most sport participation decisions for youth are ultimately made by parents and because parents play a crucial role in the consumer decisions and activity choices of their children, this study focused on an investigation of parental factors influencing participation of children in youth running events. The purpose of this study was to examine parental involvement, satisfaction and behavioral intentions associated with a youth running event. Specifically, this study sought to determine if the level of parental involvement and satisfaction with a youth running event predicted behavioral intentions for their child’s future participation in running events. Additionally, the effects of parent gender and parent running status were explored. A sample of 366 parents of children who participated in a prominent children’s community running event was used to investigate the influence of parental involvement and satisfaction on behavioral intentions for their child to participate in future running events. The measurement scale for involvement included both an affective and a cognitive subscale. Using multiple linear regression to analyze the data, the overall model was found to be significant (F(3, 326) = 41.733, p \u3c .001), explaining 28% of the variance in behavioral intentions. Results indicated positive relationships between all independent variables (i.e., affective involvement, cognitive involvement and satisfaction) and the dependent variable of behavioral intentions. When comparing the model by gender, parental involvement and satisfaction were significant for female respondents whereas only satisfaction was significant for male respondents. When comparing the model by runner status, parental involvement and satisfaction were significant for parents who were runners; however, satisfaction was the only variable significant for parents who were non-runners. In all of the models, satisfaction was the strongest predictor of behavioral intentions. Based on these results, it is recommended that road race organizers market youth events to parents, particularly mothers. Marketing efforts should focus on ensuring parental satisfaction and include elements to make the event seem relevant and exciting to increase parental involvement and subsequent participation of children in future running events

How Has the Gender Earnings Gap in Ireland Changed in Thirty Years?

Since 1987, the wages of women in Ireland have been growing faster than those of men. This, coupled with a decrease in the average hours worked by men, has resulted in a reduction in the gender earnings gap in Ireland, most notably at the bottom of the earnings distribution. This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the growth of male and female wages, weekly earnings, and differences in working patterns across the wage and earnings distribution in Ireland over the last three decades, using detailed microdata covering the period 1987-2019. Using a Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition approach, based on unconditional quantile regressions for each time period, we also show how the explained and unexplained components of the gender wage gap have changed across the wage distribution. We find that the mean and median gender gap in earnings fell by one-sixth and one-quarter, respectively, between 1987 and 2019. This change is attributable to the faster growth of women’s wages compared to men’s and some convergence in the average hours worked by men and women. However, there has been relatively stable structural inequality at the top of the wage and earnings distribution over the past three decades, which points towards a persistent glass ceiling in Ireland

A Geo-Stratified Analysis of Associations Between Socio-Economic Factors and Diabetes Risk

Introduction. In 2019, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. The association between diabetes risk and socio-economic factors in the United States has been examined primarily at the national level; little is known about this association at the regional level. This study examines and compares the association between diabetes risk and previously established socio-economic factors across four geographic regions (South, Midwest, West, and Northwest). Methods. We analyzed the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data stratified by four geographic regions of the United States. The risk estimates of diabetes associated with previously established socio-economic factors as well as diabetes prevalence were compared across four geographic regions. Results. There was marked variation in association between diabetes risk and previously established risk factors across the four geographic regions. In the South, rural residency was associated with increased diabetes risk, whereas in the other geographic regions rural residency had a protective effect. In the South, the diabetes risk for males was 22% higher compared to females in the South, whereas the risk for males was 41% higher than females in the Northeast. Independently, age had the strongest discriminative ability to distinguish between a person with diabetes and a person without diabetes, whereas ethnicity, race and sex had the weakest discriminative abilities. Conclusions. Our findings suggest a higher prevalence of diabetes by race/ethnicity (Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic) and income across all four regions. While rural residency is highest in the South, but protective in other regions. Overall, we found age and income provide the highest predictive ability for diabetes risk.  This study highlights differences in diabetes prevalence in association between previously established socio-economic variables and diabetes risk across four geographic regions. These findings could help public health professionals and policy makers in understanding the dynamic relationship between diabetes and risk factors at the regional level

Low-Power and Programmable Analog Circuitry for Wireless Sensors

Embedding networks of secure, wirelessly-connected sensors and actuators will help us to conscientiously manage our local and extended environments. One major challenge for this vision is to create networks of wireless sensor devices that provide maximal knowledge of their environment while using only the energy that is available within that environment. In this work, it is argued that the energy constraints in wireless sensor design are best addressed by incorporating analog signal processors. The low power-consumption of an analog signal processor allows persistent monitoring of multiple sensors while the device\u27s analog-to-digital converter, microcontroller, and transceiver are all in sleep mode. This dissertation describes the development of analog signal processing integrated circuits for wireless sensor networks. Specific technology problems that are addressed include reconfigurable processing architectures for low-power sensing applications, as well as the development of reprogrammable biasing for analog circuits

Defining Birth Equity in Kansas

Background: While some health outcomes improve in the United States, racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes persist. In the United States and Kansas, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related complication than white women. Description: The Kansas Birth Equity Network (KBEN), is an initiative developed to address racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes. We used a community-centered approach to collect stakeholder perceptions of birth equity and develop a case definition of birth equity. Methods: An open-ended online survey was designed to collect stakeholders’ definition of birth equity, their organization’s birth equity missions, and future aspirations of birth equity in Kansas. The survey was administered via REDCap and 35 members of KBEN were invited to participate. Common themes were identified, and a case definition was developed. Results: Guided by the health equity framework, three major themes were identified: elimination of birth disparities, reimagining systems of power, and assurance of optimal outcomes. A case definition of birth equity as “the assurance of equitable care through creating a system that eliminates health inequities and values parents and community stakeholders” was created and adopted. Conclusion: Guided by stakeholder perceptions of birth equity and the health equity framework, we achieved consensus that birth equity requires a focus on reimagining systems of power and centering the experiences of Black parents and families

eDECIDE: A Web-Based Problem-Solving Interventions for Diabetes Self-Management: Protocol for a Pilot Clinical Trial

Background: In the US, diabetes affects 13.2% of African Americans, compared to 7.6% of Caucasians. Behavioral factors, such as poor diet, low physical activity, and general lack of good self-management skills and self-care knowledge are associated with poor glucose control among African Americans. African Americans are 77% more likely to develop diabetes and its associated health complications compared to non-Hispanic whites. A higher disease burden and lower adherence to self-management among this populations calls for innovative approaches to self-management training. Problem solving is a reliable tool for the behavior change necessary to improve self-management. The American Association of Diabetes Educators identifies problem-solving as one of seven core diabetes self-management behaviors. Methods: We are using a randomized control trial design. Participants are randomized to either traditional DECIDE or eDECIDE intervention. Both interventions run bi-weekly over 18 weeks. Participant recruitment will take place through community health clinics, University health system registry, and through private clinics. The eDECIDE is an 18-week intervention designed to deliver problem-solving skills, goal setting, and education on the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: This study will provide feasibility and acceptability of the eDECIDE intervention in community populations. This pilot trial will help inform a powered full-scale study using the eDECIDE design

Birthing While Black: The Maternal Health Experiences in Kansas

The state of maternal health and infant mortality in the United States is far worse than 33 developed countries (CDCP NCHS, 2018). Black mothers and infants die at twice the rate in comparison to mothers and infants of other races (CDC, 2020). Infant mortality is the death of a child before the age of one. The Sisters and Brothers for Healthy Infants Initiative focuses on education, community engagement, elevating the voices of Black mothers and fathers, and a community birthday party to celebrate Black infants first birthday. This signature event is known as Celebrate Day 366, a day to share information Black infant mortality, co-parenting, and fatherhood, conduct a community conversation on birth equity, and celebrate Black babies first birthday. This paper reflects the results from a panel discussion of community members and stakeholders in Kansas sharing their experiences with maternal and infant mortality. The Health Equity Framework four main components (systems of power, relationships and networks, individual factors, physiological pathways, that are integral to the inequities in maternal health and infant mortality was used to guide our research analysis (Peterson, et. al 2020). As a part of the qualitative content analysis, five themes emerged: 1) stress during pregnancy; 2) advocacy; 3) innovation of technology not equating to health equity; 4) realization of inferior care; and 5) racism and stereotypes. The themes reflected similar lived experiences amongst Black mothers, fathers, and physicians surrounding maternal health and infant mortality inequities. The results of the CD366 panel discussion highlight the importance of exploring how, if at all, Black mothers and fathers, are benefiting from the birthing experience

Miniaturization optimized weapon killing power during the social stress of late pre-contact North America (AD 600-1600)

Before Europeans arrived to Eastern North America, prehistoric, indigenous peoples experienced a number of changes that culminated in the development of sedentary, maize agricultural lifeways of varying complexity. Inherent to these lifeways were several triggers of social stress including population nucleation and increase, intergroup conflict (warfare), and increased territoriality. Here, we examine whether this period of social stress co-varied with deadlier weaponry, specifically, the design of the most commonly found prehistoric archery component in late pre-contact North America: triangular stone arrow tips (TSAT). The examination of modern metal or carbon projectiles, arrows, and arrowheads has demonstrated that smaller arrow tips penetrate deeper into a target than do larger ones. We first experimentally confirm that this relationship applies to arrow tips made from stone hafted onto shafts made from wood. We then statistically assess a large sample (n = 742) of late pre-contact TSAT and show that these specimens are extraordinarily small. Thus, by miniaturizing their arrow tips, prehistoric people in Eastern North America optimized their projectile weaponry for maximum penetration and killing power in warfare and hunting. Finally, we verify that these functional advantages were selected across environmental and cultural boundaries. Thus, while we cannot and should not rule out stochastic, production economizing, or non-adaptive cultural processes as an explanation for TSAT, overall our results are consistent with the hypothesis that broad, socially stressful demographic changes in late pre-contact Eastern North America resulted in the miniaturization–and augmented lethality–of stone tools across the region

Ethnic and gender differences in help seeking for substance disorders among Black Americans

This paper uses the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) to examine within group differences regarding help-seeking for substance disorders among a US sample of African American and Caribbean Black men and women. We examined ethnic and gender differences in the type of providers sought for substance disorder treatment, as well as reasons for avoiding treatment. Results indicate that overall, few ethnic differences exist; however, African Americans are more likely than Caribbean Blacks to seek help from human service professionals (including a religious or spiritual advisor) and from informal sources of treatment such as self-help groups. Black men with a substance disorder were more likely to see a psychiatrist than Black women. Findings regarding reasons for avoiding treatment suggest that there may be a need to provide better education about the utility of substance disorder treatment, even before problems reach a high level of severity.The National Institute on Drug Abuse training grant #T32DA007267The National Institute of Mental Health training grant #T32 MH16806-25.The NSAL is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant U01-MH57716) with supplemental support from the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Michigan.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/164713/1/Redmond2017_Article_EthnicAndGenderDifferencesInHe.pdfDescription of Redmond2017_Article_EthnicAndGenderDifferencesInHe.pdf : Main articl