Aging in black America: Service needs and utilization patterns

This paper profiles the findings of an analysis of the black elders in the Supplement on Aging to the 1984 National Health Interview Survey. This national survey offers insight into the prevalence rates of various health problems and limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Focusing on the 65 + sample of elders, older blacks report higher rates of chronic problems such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, and strokes than older whites, but are less likely to report cancer. Older blacks are more likely than older whites to experience three or more ADL limitations, and almost 14% had three or more IADL limitations. These findings are important in view of the trend toward determining multiple ADLs to determine eligibility for various in-home services. Since many of the problems experienced by black elders may be life-style related, an opportunity may exist for effective intervention with health promotion strategies.     

Large deviations of multiclass M/G/1 queues

Consider a multiclass M/G/1 queue where queued customers are served in their order of arrival at a rate which depends on the customer class. We model this system using a chain with states represented by a tree. Since the service time distribution depends on the customer class, the stationary distribution is not of product form so there is no simple expression for the stationary distribution. Nevertheless, we can find a harmonic function on this chain which provides information about the asymptotics of this stationary distribution. The associated h‐transformation produces a change of measure that increases the arrival rate of customers and decreases the departure rate thus making large deviations common. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 37: 327–346; 2009 © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada     

Selecting logistic populations using the sample medians

This paper is concerned primarily with subset selection procedures based on the sample mediansof logistic populations. A procedure is given which chooses a nonempty subset from among kindependent logistic populations, having a common known variance, so that the populations with thelargest location parameter is contained in the subset with a pre‐specified probability. Theconstants required to apply the median procedure with small sample sizes (≤= 19) are tabulated and can also be used to construct simultaneous confidence intervals. Asymptotic formulae are provided for application with larger sample sizes. It is shown that, under certain situations, rules based on the median are substantially more efficient than analogous procedures based either on sample means or on the sum of joint ranks.     

Model selection: some generalized distributions

Many models have been used to represent the distributions of random variables in statistics, engineering, business, and the physical and social science. This paper considers two, four-parameter generalized bea distributions that include nearly all the models actually used as special or limiting cases. Properties and the interrelationships among these distributions are considered. Expressions are reported that facilitate parameter estimation and the analysis of associated means, variances, hazard functions and other distributional characteristics.

Estimation procedures corresponding to different data types are considered. Maximum likelihood estimation is used and the value of the likelihood function provides and important criterion for model selection. The relative performance of the various models is compared for several data sets.     

Social function of persons with schizophrenia

1. The social function needs of persons with schizophrenia are similar to those of all individuals and include typical social roles, integration and contacts, and intimacy and sexual function. 2. Social function is essential to QOL, and aspects of social function are determinants of mental health and mental health outcomes. 3. Although intimacy and sexual function is found to be an important aspect of social function and QOL, health care workers neglect to discuss these issues with patients with schizophrenia. 4. Education, support, counseling, adequate transportation, safe environments, and treatment plans that include appropriate activities are important treatment interventions.     

Secular changes in the height of fijians and indo-fijians

Quantitative evidence is presented on secular changes in the height of adult Fijians and Indo-Fijians during the past century. Consideration is also given to changes in the tempo of maturation and in the sexual dimorphism of height of these two groups.     

Family Change and Continuity in Iran: Birth Control Use Before First Pregnancy

Using data from the 2002 Iran Fertility Transition Survey, we examined birth control use between marriage and first pregnancy. We focused on the post‐1990 increase in birth control use and develop two explanations. The first posits that birth control use reflects a new marriage form, the conjugal marriage, which places a heightened value on the spousal relationship while deemphasizing the centrality of parenthood. A second explanation stresses the use of a new resource, effective birth control, within an Iranian‐Islamist view of marriage. Key to this explanation is the role of the state—Iranian political/religious actors encourage early marriage and the use of birth control. Although the explanations could be complementary, evidence provides more support for the latter.     

Parenting and Perceived Maternal Warmth in European American and African American Adolescents

Traditional conceptualizations of parenting style assume certain associations between parenting practices/philosophies and parental warmth. This study examines whether those links are similar for European American and African American adolescents. Two hundred and ninety‐eight early adolescents and their mothers reported on discipline and control practices, decision‐making practices, and parenting philosophy, which were used to predict adolescents’ reports of maternal warmth. The moderating role of ethnicity was examined after controlling for gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Although some practices predicted warmth similarly across groups, several practices predicted warmth in ways consistent with parenting style theory only or more strongly among European American adolescents. The findings suggest differences in the interpretation of or context surrounding discipline‐ and autonomy‐related practices in these groups.