Further evidence on adolescent employment and substance use: differences by race and ethnicity

In an on-going debate over the consequences of adolescent employment, there is growing agreement that work intensity (i.e., longer hours) fosters underage drinking and other substance use. The current study furthers our understanding of the relationship between hours of employment and substance use in adolescence by testing whether it is evident across racial/ethnic groups. Based on data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the study finds that the effects of work intensity on substance use is mostly limited to whites. Work intensity is not consistently related to alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use among minority adolescents.     

Contraceptive self-efficacy: does it influence adolescents' contraceptive use?

This research investigates the relationship between contraceptive self-efficacy and contraceptive use, measured one year later, among adolescent boys and girls. Data are obtained from the two waves of the restricted use sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 3,577). Employing multiple regression and logistic regression strategies, we examine whether demographic and background characteristics influence contraceptive self-efficacy, and whether contraceptive self-efficacy increases the likelihood of contraceptive use. We find that adolescents who are female, older, live with step-parents, and whose mothers approve of contraceptive use report higher contraceptive self-efficacy, while adolescents whose mothers did not complete high school report lower contraceptive self-efficacy. Results partially support the expectation that adolescents with higher contraceptive self-efficacy act accordingly by using contraceptives.     

A women's support group for Asian international students

International students underuse counseling services, which are grounded in Western cultural values. The authors describe a support group for Asian international students that they launched at a large midwestern university to help students feel at ease with American university life, address homesickness, language problems, and academic and social stressors. Co-leaders created a safe and culturally sensitive atmosphere where the women could network, socialize, and address their issues. Group treatment offers many advantages over individual counseling and can enhance the health of international students.     

Immigration and income security policies in Canada: Implications for elderly immigrant women

Reflecting past and present immigration policies, nearly one in three of Canada's elderly are foreign born. Yet, under the regulations associated with income security programs targeted at the elderly, part of the foreign born population may be ineligible for benefits or may receive reduced benefits. Following a discussion of immigration and income security policies, the paper focuses on the economic status of elderly immigrant women living in CMAs and on the social policy issues which result.     

Genetic and environmental effects on sexual excitation and sexual inhibition in men

The Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) measure the propensity for sexual inhibition and excitation in men. According to the theoretical model underlying the SIS/SES, sexual response and associated behavior depend on dual control mechanisms in the brain involving the balance of excitatory and inhibitory systems which impinge on sexual response. Previous research with the SIS/SES has indicated one higher-order excitatory factor and two higher-order inhibitory factors affecting sexual response. The present study analyzed the item structure and the psychometric properties of the instrument in a population based sample of Finnish male twins (N = 1,289), and, including 37 out of 45 items of the original scales, estimated the heritability of and the environmental influences on the excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms. The twin correlations and the structural equation modeling suggested modest heritability for both inhibitory mechanisms. Sexual excitation, in contrast, was not influenced by genetic effects and similarities between twins for this mechanism seemed to be caused by the common environment of the twins.     

Choosing a school: parental decision-making when special schools are an option

Parental rights to choose a school are widely acknowledged. School choices for parents of children with disability have been discussed in the academic literature; however, the decision-making process itself is largely hidden. It is vital to understand parental decision-making around school choice more deeply, given the high regard with which this is viewed. Six focus groups were held in Queensland, Australia in 2013 to explore parental decision-making. Data were collected from 30 parents with children of different ages, some of whom were eligible for special school enrolment. Most parents felt constrained in choosing a school yet eager to make decisions themselves. Most described the process as rational. Findings suggest that when special school was an option, decision-making felt more restricted and complex. Factors such as difficulty accessing reliable information and pressure from professionals added to the complexity. It was concluded that final school selection did not reliably reflect parental preferences.     

Disability and social protection in Latin American countries

This article aims to compare and analyse the different models used to define and understand disability in the legislation on disability and social protection in five Latin American countries. Five countries with different structure and historical development of social protection systems were selected (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico) and a thematic analysis of 75 legal documents was conducted. The results demonstrate a contradiction between definitions and perspectives used to understand and establish strategies to include disabled people. Indeed, the five countries have used an International Classification of Functionings, Health and Disability perspective in their legislation on disability, but an individual perspective for the social protection legislation. The article offers insight into the inherent tensions presented in such models given the legislative and policy framework around them and reflects on the impact this has for implementation.     

Habitat patch size and tree species richness shape the bird community in urban green spaces of rapidly urbanizing Himalayan foothill region of India

Urban Ecosystems - Rapid urbanization is emerging as one of the leading threats to the biodiversity globally. But is especially a cause of concern for tropical countries which are urbanizing much...     

RELATIVE RISK AVERSION IS CONSTANT: EVIDENCE FROM PANEL DATA

Most classical tests of constant relative risk aversion (CRRA) based on individual portfolio composition use cross‐sectional data. Such tests must assume that the distributions of wealth and preferences are independent. We use panel data to analyze how individuals’ portfolio allocation between risky and riskless assets varies in response to changes in total financial wealth. We find the elasticity of the risky asset share to wealth to be small and statistically insignificant, supporting the CRRA assumption; this finding is robust when the sample is restricted to households experiencing large income variations. In addition, we find a small but significant negative correlation between wealth and risk aversion. Various extensions are discussed.     

Positive and negative intergroup contact in school and out-of-school contexts: A longitudinal approach to spillover effects

This study aims to tackle positive and negative intergroup contact in school and out-of-school contexts to test whether a spillover effect (i.e., the extent to which experiences that individuals have in one context spill over into another) applies to intergroup contact. Participants were 984 adolescents (M_age = 14.66; 62.7% female; 24.8% ethnic minority). Results indicated that positive contact in school was related over time to higher positive contact in out-of-school contexts and vice versa (i.e., valence consistent spillover effect). Positive contact in school was linked over time to lower negative contact in out-of-school contexts (i.e., valence inconsistent spillover effect). Overall, this study provides novel insights into the transmission of adolescents' intergroup contact across socialization contexts by emphasizing the leading role of positive contact in schools.