Student and Institutional Characteristics as Determinants of the Prompt and Subsequent Four-Year College Graduation of Race and Sex Groups*

Recent national data were used to examine the impact of individual and institutional level variables on the ability of race and sex groups to complete a four-year college promptly (i.e., within three to four consecutive years) versus six to seven years after having entered college in 1972 or 1973. The results showed that black students were less successful than whites in prompt and in subsequent four-year college completion. In addition, males were far less successful than females in completing college on schedule. Initial race and sex differences favoring whites and females remained when examining subsequent college graduation rates. The magnitude of the race and sex disparities was reduced, however, when taking these rates into consideration. In addition, the proportion of blacks and males completing their B.A. degree increased substantially when college re-entry rates were examined. This finding indicates the importance of including college re-entry rates when describing the educational attainment of students. College grade performance was a major determinant of prompt and subsequent college completion for all race and sex groups. In addition, high school rank was an important determinant of prompt graduation for white males and prompt and subsequent graduation for black females. Attending a private college had a significant positive effect on prompt college graduation for white and black males but no significant effect for females; however, attending a selective college did not have a significant effect on prompt or subsequent graduation for any of the four race/sex groups examined.     

The multitype branching random walk,I

The limiting behaviour of the multitype branching random walk is studied. A limit theorem is proven for the supercritical process. Steady-state distributions are shown to exist for the subcritical process with immigration, and for the critical transient process beginning with Poisson random fields. An analogue of the exponential limit law is proven for the critical process whose migration process is Brownian motion in two dimensions.     

The Physical Self-Perceptions of Rural Lesbians and Heterosexual Women

Lesbians are underrepresented in women's health research. Research exploring lesbians in rural environments is virtually nonexistent. The current study adds to the knowledge base of lesbian health and explores the perceptions of body image, fitness, and health for both lesbians and heterosexual women in rural communities. Findings from exploratory analyses indicated that both groups of women are significantly overweight. However, lesbians exercised more times per week than heterosexual women. Results demonstrated that lesbians with college educations had more positive body image and fitness self-perceptions, whereas heterosexual women with college educations had less positive body image and fitness self-perceptions. Findings have implications for direct practice with lesbians in physical and mental health service settings.     

Folate/folic acid knowledge,intake, and self-efficacy of college-aged women: impact of text messaging and availability of a folic acid–containing supplement

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the impact of educational text messages (TMs) on folate/folic acid knowledge and consumption among college-aged women, and to evaluate the impact of providing folic acid supplements on folate/folic acid intake among college-aged women. Participants: A total of 162 women (18–24 years) recruited from a university. Methods: The protocol included 3 study visits and a 6-week intervention for 4 groups: control; TM only; supplement only; and TM+supplement. Supplement groups received folic acid–containing supplements. TM groups received 18 folate-related TMs. Participants completed knowledge quizzes, supplement intake questions, a self-efficacy scale, and dietary recalls. Results: Despite receiving the same folic acid education, intake of folic acid and total folate was greater in the supplement groups compared with the non-supplement groups at mid- and post-study. TMs had no impact on any study measure. Conclusion: Provision of a folic acid–containing supplement enhanced short-term folic acid intake, supporting the provision of supplements to this population group.     

The Changing Influence of Societal Culture on Job Satisfaction across Europe

This paper contributes to the growing multidisciplinary body of literature on subjective well‐being by investigating the longitudinal stability and impact of societal cultural values (SCVs) – as opposed to the more common organizational values – on job satisfaction. It is assumed that SCVs evolve slowly; hence, their impact on job satisfaction is likely to remain stable over time. False adherence to this assumption could cause misalignment between organizational policies/practices and expectations formed by societal culture, decreasing job satisfaction and adversely affecting productivity, competiveness and prosperity. Four waves of the European Values Study are used to examine whether SCVs have evolved and their impacts on job satisfaction over a relatively short time: 1981–2008. SCVs are parameterized through reference to traditional vs secular‐rational, and survival vs self‐expression value continuums. Results indicate that the strength of many SCVs has declined, the impacts of traditional societal values on job satisfaction have remained fairly constant, and the impacts of survival societal values on job satisfaction have declined substantially over this sample period. These reductions in SCVs amplify the importance of accounting for such changes when designing new or adjusting existing policies/practices to enhance job satisfaction and stimulate improvements in productivity, competitiveness and prosperity.     

We didnt come here to be poor: The pre- and post-migration experiences of young immigrants

The ongoing debate about U.S. immigration policies and the often uninformed public opinion regarding immigrants and refugees underscore the need for additional research in this area. Much of the existing research and literature focuses on adult immigrants and refugees, indicating a gap regarding the pre- and post-migration experiences of immigrant and refugee children. The goal of this study is to provide insight into this issue. Qualitative evidence was culled from interviews with two teenagers from impoverished backgrounds in Laos and Honduras who immigrated to the U.S. during childhood. Six questions were addressed: 1) What prompted these individuals to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances did they immigrate? 2) What were their pre-migration expectations about the U.S. ?; 3) What were their initial impressions of the U.S.?; 4) How did their socioeconomic status (SES) in their native countries differ from their SES in the U.S.?; 5) How did they adjust to the American public school system?; and 6) What are their future plans? Both teenagers had expected America to solve all of their problems, but they found that their familial conflicts and financial struggles continued after their arrival. Both found that although they no longer lived in abject poverty, their SES in America was not what they had envisioned. Moreover, each had some difficulty adjusting to American culture and the public school system. Since academic success increases the likelihood of financial independence later in life, their stories may contain preliminary insights for educators, social workers and policymakers.