Rubella Susceptibility and Immunization in a University Population: Experience,Strategy, and Policy

Abstract

Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, rubella continues to occur in the United States. In recent years 70% of all cases have occurred in college aged individuals. Since 1978 the University of Rochester has required all entering students to have either rubella immunization or rubella serology. Compliance with this requirement has been excellent and has resulted in an increase in the rubella immunization rate from 52% to 71 %. Of those obtaining serology, the overall susceptibility rate (HI titer < 1:16) was 18%. Less than half of susceptible women accepted immunization, and few susceptible men sought immunization. College entry is a logical time to define an individual's rubella status.     

A Preliminary Evaluation of a Massage Program for Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused and their Nonabusing Mothers

The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot evaluation of the Mosac Massage Program, a novel program that uses massage to address some of the difficulties faced by children who have been sexually abused and their nonabusing parents. Interviews were conducted with four participating mothers immediately before and after the program. Benefits included improved bonding and communication between mother and child and a relaxing and enjoyable therapy for both mother and child. The program appeared to be a useful complement to talking therapies. Further evaluations are needed to confirm the potential benefits.     

Non-parental childcare,time pressure and the gendered division of paid work,domestic work and parental childcare

What impact does out-sourcing childcare have on the time parents spend on paid work, domestic work and childcare, and how they share these tasks between themselves? Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Time Use Survey (TUS) 2006 we investigate the effects of formal and informal non-parental childcare on the time use of couples with children aged 0–4 years (N=348). We examine associations between non-parental care and (1) couples' combined time in paid work, domestic work and childcare, (2) parents' time separately by gender in paid work, domestic work and childcare (subdivided by activity type) and (3) parents' self-reported time pressure. Total workloads (the sum of paid work, domestic work and childcare) are neither higher nor lower when non-parental care is used, either for households combined or for each gender separately. The way time is spent, and how activities are divided by gender does differ, however. For mothers the use of any non-parental care and more hours in formal care is associated with more paid work hours, less childcare time and higher self-reported time pressure. Fathers' time is more constant, but they report higher subjective time pressure with increasing hours of formal non-parental care.     

The Single Assessment Process in Primary Care: Older People's Accounts of the Process

Recent government policies have been active in addressing socialinclusion and active participation of older people in many aspectsof societal life. Independence and well-being animate thesedevelopments and are evident in the emphasis on person-centredservices within the single assessment process for older people(Department of Health, 2002b). Drawing on a feasibility study of the Single Assessment Processas a ‘case-finding’ approach, this paper presentsfindings drawn from older people’s accounts of this experience.These accounts indicate the potential of the process for identifying‘low-level’ need, whilst raising issues of accessto formal services and resource constraint; also they underlinethe importance of understanding how older people seek ways ofmanaging their own health and well-being, whilst continuingto contribute to the social cohesion of society by providingsupport to their peers and to younger generations. Interdependence, it is suggested, rather than dependence shouldunderlie any approach to assessing older people’s needs,if we are to appreciate and build upon the complexity of olderpeople’s strategies for actively managing their lives.     

ESTIMATING INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE TAX RESPONSIVENESS

Influential literatures have exploited tax policy changes to estimate the effects of income taxes on either intensive or extensive margin decisions. We extend this quasi-experimental approach to jointly estimate intensive and extensive margin tax elasticities to address selection issues that have hindered consistent estimation of labor supply effects. The extensive margin equation provides a way to control for selection in the intensive margin equation while consistent estimation of the intensive margin provides estimates of after-tax returns to working for nonworkers, a necessary input to study extensive behavioral responses. We apply this approach to study the tax responsiveness of older workers. (JEL C33, H24, J20, J26)     

Performativity and helping professions: social theory, power and practice

Drawing on Judith Butler's conception of 'performativity', we would argue that the notion has important implications for contemporary debates in international social welfare over agency, subjection and 'resistance'. Professional social workers embedded in discursive institutions function according to particular expectations around performativity. In addition, this organisational context is complex with multiple demands. In light of technologies of surveillance and control in contemporary social work, performativity offers a response to the pressing need to expand notions of worker opposition beyond traditional forms of organised dissent towards the production of subjective space.     

‘Value talk’ in social work research: reflection,rhetoric and reality

This paper begins with an exploration of values in relation to current approaches within social work research thereby revealing tensions between what might broadly be conceived as scientific rigour and relevance to practice. It goes on to examine the purpose of social work research emphasising the notion of the researcher as engaged in a critically reflective dialogic process. Four core values conceived as guiding principles in undertaking research are identified as the basis for further ‘value talk’ in the context of developing culturally sensitive approaches without relinquishing a common sense of purpose in developing knowledge of and for social work practice.     

Bonding and bridging among first generation Asian migrants in Australian protestant churches

Around a third of Asian migrants to Australia self-identify as Christians, and many join churches where they meet fellow migrants and other Australians. Churches might thus be places that can foster the integration of Asian migrants into Australian society. This paper uses social network and social capital theory to examine the prevalence of bonding and bridging among 61,386 churchgoers from 2135 Protestant churches who completed the Australian National Church Life Survey in 2011. We compared levels of bonding and bridging social ties of first-generation Asian migrants (FGAM) with Australians born of Australian-born parents (ABOAP). FGAM joining congregations had fewer social ties than ABOAP, and developed bridging (but not bonding) more slowly. FGAM had lower bonding but higher bridging in MonoAnglo congregations compared with Multicultural or MonoAsian congregations. The results suggest that FGAM who are in MonoAnglo churches may be less tightly bound to their congregation, but more likely to bridge beyond it, than are FGAM in multicultural or largely Asian congregations.