The effect of functional circuit training on physical frailty in frail older adults: a randomized controlled trial

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a 12-wk functional circuit-training program (FCT) could alter markers of physical frailty in a group of frail community-dwelling adults. Fifty-one individuals (31 women, 20 men), mean age (± SD) 84 (± 2.9) yr, met frailty criteria and were randomly assigned into groups (FCT = 26, control group [CG] = 25). FCT underwent a 12-wk exercise program. CG met once a week for health education meetings. Measures of physical frailty, function, strength, balance, and gait speed were assessed at Weeks 0, 12, and 36. Physical-frailty measures in FCT showed significant (p < .05) improvements relative to those in CG (Barthel Index at Weeks 0 and 36: 73.41 (± 2.35) and 77.0 (± 2.38) for the FCT and 70.79 (± 2.53) and 66.73 (± 2.73) for the CG. These data indicate that an FCT program is effective in improving measures of function and reducing physical frailty among frail older adults.     

Development and implementation of online training modules on abuse,neglect, and exploitation

Online training for care managers to identify, report, and prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation was developed for a demonstration involving the dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid population. It was composed of three modules covering background, screening, and reporting abuse. Of 453 enrollees, 273 completed at least one module and 212 completed all three. Pre- and post-training surveys for each module were used to examine changes in the proportion of correct answers for each question, using the related-samples Cochran’s Q statistic. Improvements in knowledge from pre- to post-training were evident in modules covering background on abuse and reporting abuse, but not in the module about communication principles and screening for abuse. Its content may have already been familiar to the trainees, who were primarily social workers and nurses. Lessons learned are being used to adapt the training for a wider audience to increase public awareness of abuse.     

Case and Frame: Teaching Case Study Composition

Here is an explanation of the case and frame pedagogy that I use to teach case study composition. It is a “how-to” type teaching resource that describes a general outline of my work with students, and it is a “why” I think it is important to teach the case study. I use an example from my class to show how I take case material from its beginning stages and help a writer to craft her case study as a project in self-reflexivity and narrative with interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks. I discuss the intersection of the social sciences and the humanities in the case study as a way to de-silo knowledge across disciplines using the workshop model.     

Testing independence conditions in the presence of errors and splitting effects

This paper presents experimental tests of several independence conditions implied by expected utility and alternative models. We perform repeated choice experiments and fit an error model that allows us to discriminate between true violations of independence and those that can be attributed to errors. In order to investigate the role of event splitting effects, we present each choice problem not only in coalesced form (as in many previous studies) but also in split forms. It turns out previously reported violations of independence and splitting effects remain significant even when controlling for errors. However, splitting effects have a substantial influence on tests of independence conditions. When choices are presented in canonical split form, in which probabilities on corresponding probability-consequence ranked branches are equal, violations of the properties tested could be reduced to insignificance or even reversed.     

Lost in Translation: Language,Terminology, and Understanding of Penile–Anal Intercourse in an HIV Prevention Trial in South Africa,Uganda, and Zimbabwe

Despite efforts to use culturally appropriate, understandable terms for sexual behavior in HIV prevention trials, the way in which participants interpret questions is underinvestigated and not well understood. We present findings from qualitative interviews with 88 women in South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe who had previously participated in an HIV prevention trial. Findings suggested that participants may have misinterpreted questions pertaining to penile–anal intercourse (PAI) to refer to vaginal sex from behind and subsequently misreported the behavior. Three key issues emerge from these findings: first, the underreporting of socially stigmatized sexual behaviors due to social desirability bias; second, the inaccurate reporting of sexual behaviors due to miscomprehension of research terms; and third, the ambiguity in vernacular terms for sexual behavior and lack of acceptable terms for PAI in some languages. These findings highlight methodological challenges around developing clear and unambiguous definitions for sexual behaviors, with implications not only for clinical trials but also for clinical practice and sexual risk assessment. We discuss the challenges in collecting accurate and reliable data on heterosexual PAI in Africa and make recommendations for improved data collection on sensitive behaviors.     

The Grassroots Reconfiguration of U.S. Immigration Policy

Despite the increasing constriction of immigrants' rights at the federal level, local responses have been much more varied, countering, compensating for, even transforming policies originating from the national core. This article attributes this divergence in part to the multi‐layered, ambiguous, and contradictory structure of the U.S. nation‐state in the context of a transnational economy and society. It shows how three facets of state structural complexity‐its multiple levels, diverse administrative branches, and decentralized agencies‐have created openings for local actors, deploying normative arguments as to the issues at stake, to reshape the outcomes of U.S. immigration policy on the ground.     

Using practitioners' theories to document program results

A form of self-assessment, termed practitioner-centered evaluation, is proposed for human services agencies. In contrast to assessment methods that may require an outside evaluator, this qualitative technique focuses on the informal theories of behavioral change that underlie a program-as-implemented. It takes into account interacting cause-and-effect relationships and relies on the ability of staff members to document success and failure in the context of their own theories. As a vehicle for identifying program elements that are effective in achieving behavioral change and other goals, practitioner-centered evaluation can be the basis of franker, more productive conversations between funders and grantees and between staff members and their governing boards.     

A Tale of Integration? The Migrant Wealth Gap in Austria

European Journal of Population - We investigate how previous generations of migrants and their children integrated into Austrian society, as measured by their wealth ownership. Using...     

Clinical Outcomes of Enjoying Sexualization Among Lesbian Women

The Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale (ESS) was given to 150 lesbians in addition to measures of self-objectification, negative eating attitudes, and depression. The ESS was found to have acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability with a lesbian sample. Scores on the ESS were lower in this sample than in previously reported research with heterosexual women. Enjoying sexualization was found to moderate the relationship between body shame and both depressive symptomatology and negative eating attitudes. In contrast to findings from a heterosexual sample, lesbians who enjoyed sexualization had smaller relationships between these negative clinical outcomes and body shame than lesbians who did not. For lesbians, enjoying sexualization may serve a protective function against the negative effects of self-objectification. Findings are discussed in terms of body image and perceptions of ideal beauty among lesbians.