The connection between working hours and body mass index in the U.S.: a time use analysis

Over recent decades, Americans have transitioned from working in active jobs to working in sedentary jobs, and there have been dramatic increases in hours worked for certain demographic groups. While a body of research documents that time spent working is associated with increased body mass index (BMI), this paper explores possible mechanisms for that relationship using time use data. This paper finds that, for workers in non-strenuous jobs, 10 additional hours spent working are associated with an increase in BMI of 0.424 for women and 0.197 for men, representing an increase of 2.5 and 1.4 pounds, respectively. The paper does not find a relationship between working time and BMI for workers in strenuous jobs. For workers in non-strenuous jobs, the effect of time spent working on BMI becomes smaller after accounting for time spent sleeping for both men and women and time spent in exercise and food preparation for women only; the effect becomes larger after accounting for screen time for both men and women and time spent in secondary eating and commuting for women only. Screen time is the single time use channel associated with the largest differences in the estimated effect of time spent working on BMI for both women and men employed in non-strenuous jobs. After controlling for all time use channels, the effect of hours worked on BMI decreases for women, but increases for men. These findings suggest plausible mechanisms for the association between time spent working and obesity.     

Preparation for Contact: An Aid to Effective Social Work Intervention

This article proposes that a pre‐contact phase of work which helps prepare the worker/social work student for face‐to‐face intervention is a prerequisite for effective practice. It builds on the original work by Douglas and McColgan in which preparation for contact was placed in the context of the Diploma in Social Work Competence requirements. In this revised article links are made to the new degree in social work while retaining the framework which provides for examination of essential knowledge, skills and values which underpin effective preparation for a social work encounter. The article discusses the Preparation for Contact exercise and explores its value as a learning tool for social work students, its usefulness as an assessment tool for university tutors and agency practice teachers in relation to testing the student's ‘readiness’ for contact and its place in providing practice learning evidence in relation to requirements of the degree in social work.     

SPIRITUAL CAPITAL AND THE “GOOD LIFE”

Recent research indicates that reward level is a better predictor of marital adjustment for urban than for rural women, while some specific reward areas are better predictors for urban men. Based upon questionnaire responses from 209 young, married subjects, the present study continues this line of inquiry by examining the impact of a variety of variables, in addition to reward levels, on adjustment. Findings indicate that more factors are significantly related to adjustment for urban than for rural subjects and that they are better predictors for the urban group. Rural/urban differences exist in the relative importance of the variables in predicting adjustment, with fairness issues being more important for rural respondents. The model explains 31.8% more of the variance in adjustment for urban than for rural subjects (75.1% vs. 43.3%). Results suggest that different social psychological process may be operating in the two groups. Implications for family scholars are discussed.     

Using population-based data on alcohol consumption and related harms to estimate the relative need for alcohol services in Victoria, Australia

The relative need for alcohol services across different geographic areas of Victoria was examined through an analysis of population-based datasets on alcohol consumption and related harms, and socio-demographic variables available in Victoria. A Factor Analysis was undertaken using the Local Government Area (LGA) as the unit of analysis, which revealed three factors that explained 76% of the variance in the dataset. One factor identified in the analysis was taken as an indicator of variation in the need for alcohol services as all of the alcohol-related variables loaded strongly on this factor. The distribution of ranks for factor scores (determined through regression) obtained for this ‘alcoholness’ factor across LGAs in the state showed that scores were highest in non-metropolitan areas as well as inner-suburban Melbourne. The results are discussed in terms of their practical implications for resource allocation and program funding procedures and the potential for the indicator as a tool for monitoring alcohol-related harm in the community.     

Variation in Perspective: The Employment Success of Ethnic Minority Males in the Netherlands, 1988–2002

This article investigates the job chances of ethnic minority males in the Dutch labour market. Using information from the Social Position and Use of Facilities by Immigrants (SPVA) surveys for the years 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, and 2002, we trace the employment pattern of various ethnic minority groups and Dutch natives, and study some determining factors for the job chances in the Netherlands during this period. The analysis reveals a clear variation in the employment patterns for different ethnic minority groups. Individual characteristics, such as marital status and especially educational level, turn out to be important factors in explaining the job chances for all groups. Moreover, support is found for the effect of the regional demand for labour on the employment chances for most of the analysed ethnic groups, which implies that no support is found for the queuing theory.     

One male offspring preference: evidence from Vietnam using a split-population model

This paper examines sex preferences for children in Vietnam using the mother birth cohort from 1972 to 1993. We specify the full set for sex–birth order composition of existing children using a split-population model. The model relaxes the assumption in conventional hazard models that all mothers would eventually have another child. Our results indicate a preference in these families for one male offspring. In addition, we observe a mixed sex preference at the fourth birth order. We also establish that a one-square-meter increase in household living area, as a proxy for the increment in household wealth, is associated with a 0.997 times lower preference for a son for the second childbirth, but a 1.015 and 1.014 times higher preference for a son for the third and fourth childbirths, respectively. As long as two-child families dominate the population structure, these results suggest that the importance placed on economic reasons for a son preference will gradually weaken as economic development proceeds in Vietnam.     

Design of ISD-1: an instrument for social diagnosis in care homes for older persons*

This article describes the design process and main features of an instrument developed for use in the specialist area of intervention in care homes for older persons. The essential aim of ISD-1 (instrument for social diagnosis) is to permit the correct formulation of social diagnoses and to standardise and define the professional language used by social workers. Its content has been organised into 4 dimensions of social diagnosis, divided into 15 sub-dimensions containing 83 diagnostic categories. This work was performed in Spain, in the 24 care homes of the Madrid Social Care Agency of the Community of Madrid, involving the participation of the 40 social workers practising in these centres. ISD-1 is an easily understood and used tool, of potential use for social workers practising in care homes for older persons and capable of being adapted for use in other institutional environments, as well as being capable of adaptation and translation for its application in other countries.     

The crisis of local authority funding and its implications for independent living for disabled people in the United Kingdom

The recent financial collapse of Northamptonshire County Council sets a worrying precedent for local authorities in the United Kingdom, and in particular for disabled people who depend on services provided by local authorities, such as Direct Payments for personal assistance, for their daily living needs. While the Northamptonshire situation has been blamed on financial incompetence, we argue that it has deeper roots in austerity policies implemented by Conservative-led governments since 2010 on a national level. We also argue that the placement of responsibility for funding personal assistance services in the hands of local authorities creates a deeply unjust ‘postcode lottery’ for disabled people, and we call for a national right to all services necessary for independent living, regardless of cost.     

The Comparative Contributions of Congruence and Social Support in Career Outcomes

The authors assessed the relative contributions of social support and interest‐occupation congruence in job satisfaction and tenure. Congruence predicted 13% of the variance in job satisfaction for men, but it was not a significant predictor of job satisfaction for women. Social support accounted for 10% of the variance in job satisfaction for women but was not a significant predictor for men. Neither congruence nor social support predicted tenure. Implications for vocational counseling are discussed.     

Men's self-reports of unwanted sexual activity

We investigated men's experience with unwanted sexual activity-including unwanted kissing, petting, or intercourse-engaged in because of physical or psychological pressure or from societal expectations about male sexuality. We developed a questionnaire asking if respondents had ever engaged in unwanted sexual activity for any of 51 reasons. This questionnaire was administered to 507 men and 486 women. More women (97.5%) than men (93.5%) had experienced unwanted sexual activity; more men (62.7%) than women (46.3%) had experienced unwanted intercourse. Using factor analysis, we grouped the 51 questionnaire items into 13 general reasons; we then compared percentages of men and women who had engaged in unwanted sexual activity for these 13 reasons. There were seven sex differences in reasons for unwanted sexual activity: Five were more frequent for women than men; two reasons were more frequent for men than women-peer pressure and desire for popularity. There were eight sex differences in reasons for unwanted intercourse; more men than women had engaged in unwanted intercourse for all eight. The double standard for male and female sexuality and implications for therapy are discussed.     

Formative research methods to understand patient and provider responses to heart attack symptoms

Formative research is often required for program planning, and for reducing uncertainty about generalizability of program effects. This article describes and justifies methods of formative research conducted for the REACT study (Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment), a multi-center collaborative randomized community trial aimed at reducing patient delay in seeking care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Formative research cast light on patient and community members’ decision-making process in seeking help for AMI, as well as barriers and facilitators of this process. Investigators at all five REACT Field Centers participated in the formative research. The process consisted of: (1) developing a common theoretical framework for the study intervention; (2) conducting a literature review and qualitative research to identify and address gaps in knowledge; and (3) developing a common protocol for the REACT study that accommodated the diversity of the target communities in terms of services, resources, history, and ethnicity. Analysis employed triangulation, defined as an explicit search for heterogeneous data sources to reduce uncertainty about forces at work and opportunities for intervention across settings and populations. Because the collection and interpretation of data went in stages, staff of several REACT Field Centers had independent input to the overall synthesis, then shared and revised the results. Advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed.     

The supply of housing: A bid for urban planning and development in Africa

In the past two decades, Africa has been undergoing an unprecedented upsurge in population and experiencing a phenomenal growth in its urban population. One of the critical issues in the urbanisation process in Africa has been the provision of adequate housing in both quantitative and qualitative terms for the increasing urban population. The paper emphasises the importance of housing in economic and social development and discusses the existing housing conditions in many urban centres of Africa. The criteria for assessment of the need for housing in Africa are outlined and measures for facing the housing challenge in the urbanisation process of Africa outlined. The paper concludes by emphasising the need for integrating investment in housing with investment in other sectors of the developing economy of Africa.     

Paying for Sex While Traveling As Tourists: The Experiences of Israeli Men

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 15 Israeli men who paid for sex while traveling as tourists abroad, based on in-depth, semistructured interviews with them. The findings focus on three major aspects of the participants’ experiences: the meaning of sex for them and their reasons for wanting to pay for it; the problems involved in paying for sex; and paying for sex while traveling abroad as a preferable option to paying for sex in Israel. The discussion offers sociological and psychological intersubjective explanations for the men’s preference to pay for sex as tourists overseas.     

Family support for the elderly in Korea: continuity, change, future directions, and cross-cultural concerns.

This article discusses major issues and concerns regarding family support for parents and elderly people in industrialized and urbanized Korea. It summarizes new trends in family support for elderly members, continuing influences of the traditional value of family support (filial piety), growing needs for public services for elderly people and their families, urgent calls for the state to assume greater responsibilities for providing social security and services for the elderly, needs for cross-cultural studies of family support, and certain cultural similarities and differences to be considered. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research.     

Workgroup context and the experience of abuse: An opportunity for prevention

This study examined the relationship between certain workgroup characteristics and the experience of abuse in the workplace. Data were collected from 6540 workers at sixteen work sites among six Fortune 500 companies. Workgroup cohesiveness, workgroup interdependence, supervisory concern, supervisory presence and the percent of women in the workgroup were tested for associations with perceived hostility, harassment and negativity for both women and men. Workgroup cohesiveness and supervisory concern showed the strongest protective relationships. The percent of women in the workgroup was also protective for women on all three abuse measures and for men in relation to experienced hostility and negativity. Workgroup interdependence demonstrated an unexpected positive association for experienced hostility and harassment for both men and women. Findings that identify workgroup characteristics that are protective for employees experiencing workplace abuse will be useful for prevention planning.     

An Experiment in Overseas Field Instruction

This paper reports on a study that examined the knowledge needed for practice in community mental health and the primary source for this knowledge. Differences were found in knowledge areas needed for practice in community mental health settings when contrasted with practice in more traditional mental health agencies. The most frequently indicated source of knowledge for social work roles in community mental health was on-the-job experience. Courses in social work schools were not a primary source of knowledge for the many nonclinical roles undertaken by social workers in community mental health.     

The development of preferences for specific body shapes

Research with adults has shown a preference for average-weight female figures with waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) of 0.7, and average weight male figures with waist-to-hip ratios of 0.9. This study investigated the development of preferences for WHR sizes as well as preferences for specific body weights. Five-hundred eleven children ranging in age from 6 to 17 were presented with drawings of 12 male and 12 female silhouettes varying in weight and WHR and asked to select one they thought looked the nicest or most attractive. The youngest children showed preferences for the underweight figures, changing to consistent preferences for the average weight figures in the teenage years. The developmental curves for waist-to-hip ratio preferences were linear, changing gradually over time to become more adult-like. Potential developmental models for the development of preferences for specific body shapes are considered in relation to these data.     

Reviews of Academic English Listening Tests for Non-Native Speakers

This article presents a review of 20 tests designed for assessing the academic English listening skill of second or foreign language learners. The available test information has been systematically condensed in purpose, listening construct, task characteristics, and validity evidence. It was found that most of the tests were developed for proficiency and placement purposes in academic contexts, with few of the tests serving for making workplace decisions. Also, global, local, and inferential skills constitute the construct in most listening comprehension tests. A practical approach for justifying the uses of these tests for different stakeholders is discussed. This review is a valuable resource for educators, administrators, test developers, and researchers looking for a comprehensive analysis of existing English tests that assess listening comprehension in second or foreign language learners.