Planning minority health programs to eliminate health status disparity

The purpose of this research is to determine program characteristics that are essential to address the problem of health status disparity between minority and nonminority populations. The respondent group consisted of a sample of 50 minority health organizations currently listed as participants in the Minority Health Resource Network in the United States Public Health Service Office of Minority Health. A three-round Delphi technique was used to reach consensus by collecting data and assessing agreement and disagreement on the issue of health status disparity from a widespread national group. Findings indicate that there is strong consensus among respondents that cultural awareness is the top priority area to address in order to eliminate health status disparities.     

The race gap in support group participation by breast cancer survivors: real or artifact?

Addressing methodological weaknesses of previous research, this study assesses whether African American women are, in fact, less likely to participate in breast cancer support groups than are White women. Of the breast cancer survivors, 958 (26% African Americans, 73% Caucasian) completed interviews concerning demographic characteristics, other support networks, effects of illness on home and spiritual life, and support group participation. Contrary to previous research, no race difference was found in support group participation. This research suggests more effort needs to be paid to sampling techniques and other methodological factors to adequately reflect the experiences and needs of breast cancer survivors, specifically African American women.     

Fitting Time Series Models by Minimizing Multistep-ahead Errors: a Frequency Domain Approach

This paper brings together two topics in the estimation of time series forecasting models: the use of the multistep-ahead error sum of squares as a criterion to be minimized and frequency domain methods for carrying out this minimization. The methods are developed for the wide class of time series models having a spectrum which is linear in unknown coefficients. This includes the IMA(1, 1) model for which the common exponentially weigh-ted moving average predictor is optimal, besides more general structural models for series exhibiting trends and seasonality. The method is extended to include the Box–Jenkins `air line' model. The value of the multistep criterion is that it provides protection against using an incorrectly specified model. The value of frequency domain estimation is that the iteratively reweighted least squares scheme for fitting generalized linear models is readily extended to construct the parameter estimates and their standard errors. It also yields insight into the loss of efficiency when the model is correct and the robustness of the criterion against an incorrect model. A simple example is used to illustrate the method, and a real example demonstrates the extension to seasonal models. The discussion considers a diagnostic test statistic for indicating an incorrect model.     

"Ask a Policeman": Community Consultation in Practice

This article examines the development of police-community consultation arrangements in one large county in southern England: arrangements made under Section 106 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. It analyses the various responses of the main parties in the process: the police, the police authority, and the local committees themselves; and considers the extent to which the practice of consultation relates to wider claims for the enhancement of police accountability. The main conclusions are that, at least in the force area concerned, the predominant conflict was not, as might have been expected, between police representatives and the local community, but rather between the police authority and the local committees, for which they were formally responsible. In so far as such tensions can occur, the article argues for a more cautious approach to the question of the democratic accountability of the police to the extent that the police authority is to be entrusted with a central role in the reform of the current system of police accountability.     

The relationship between exposure to community violence and psychological distress among adolescents: a meta-analysis

This article is concerned with the "size of the relationship" between exposure to chronic community violence and psychological symptoms among adolescents. It analyzes all relevant empirical studies in the published literature during the last 20 years; uses quantitative methods to summarize findings; and estimates the effect size using meta-analysis. The 37 independent samples (n = 17,322) were coded on 19 categories, including size and characteristics of sample, and characteristics of the independent and dependent variables. Findings indicate that there is a positive correlation between exposure to community violence and psychological distress; and that the effect size (r = .25) of this relationship is low-medium. The estimated effect size of the relationship points to new issues such as the characteristics of the psychosocial dynamics of resilience in the face of exposure to community violence and how exposure to community violence interacts with other potentially traumatic experiences in the producing of psychological distress.     

Work Histories and Voluntary Association Memberships

We explore the impact of work histories on voluntary association memberships. Stable work histories are associated with more membership months over a 15-year period, in contrast to a disorderly sequence of jobs, which results in fewer membership months. Men's work histories affect only their job-related memberships; women's work histories affect a wider range. These results suggest that current trends in the restructuring of work toward more contingent employment will decrease rates of civic participation.     

A comparison of chi-squared statistics for testing homogeneity of survey data:High School and Beyond survey

The performance of several test statistics for comparing vectors of propor tions from certain survey data was compared. The statistics were used to analyze a subsample of data from the 'High School and Beyond' survey. These tests include the Wald test statistic X2w and the modified Wald test statistic FW, the chi-squared test statistic X2rSB and its modification FRSB, a test X2dmb based on a probability model, and a method of moments approach, X2H. Data were also simulated based on two-stage cluster sampling design and the type I error level, and the power of these tests was obtained for selected combinations of parameter values. The statistics X2DMB XRSB, FRSB and X2H performed well both for a small number of clusters or a small number of units within clusters. The power performance of these tests is quite stable. Approximate intervals were constructed for design effect constants. Methods of estimating these constants based on a normality assumption worked best.     

HUMAN SERVICE ORGANISATIONS REVISITED: STILL A USEFUL CONCEPT IN THE 1990S?

Recent changes in the circumstances and operations of human service operations demand a reappraisal of the use of the term ‘human service organisation’. The definitional statements offered a decade ago are re-examined here; and revisions are proposed for all of them to reflect changes in the purposes, value base, resources, accountability, methodology and consumer relations of human service organisations. An additional definitional statement is proposed to refer to the vulnerability of their situation in the present environment. As an alternative to separate categories of organisations, it is suggested that each can be assessed in relation to two criteria, related to their auspices and resources, and the purpose of their operations. On this basis some organisations can still be designated human service organisations, with important implications for their management and governance.     

The Trouble with Lawyers

The Australian legal system and lawyers as a professional group are critically examined in three main areas: excessively high legal costs in certain areas; failure to provide legal services within the reach of the poorer sections of the community; and failure to become involved and to press for reform on important sociological and socio-legal matters.