Health Journalists and Three Levels of Public Information: Issue and Agenda Disparities?

This is a 2-phase study of the sources of information health journalists use and rely upon for writing health news stories. The 1st phase of the study includes both depth interviews and an online survey with 188 health journalists. Phase 2 of the study extends the findings from Phase 1, with particular attention paid to the roles of public health information officers at 3 government levels: local, state, and federal. Results from this study suggest that a monolithic, “1-size-fits-all” media relations model for public information officers is not adequate in the current health news environment. Findings explore differences in perceptions of the value of public information sources at 3 levels and suggest that some bureaucratic inefficiencies may interfere with more effective source/subsidy–provider relationships.     

Anticipating or Precipitating Crisis? Health Agencies May Not be Heeding Best Practice Advice in Avian Flu Press Releases

Precrisis information disseminated by public health information officers (PIOs) will play a critical role in preparing and safeguarding publics amidst a possible avian flu pandemic. This article analyzes avian flu press releases issued by leading health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization, to reveal their purposes and the nature of organizational response constructed therein. Results of this analysis indicate important considerations for practitioners may not manifest in the press releases they issued: The threat was not localized; outlets for publics to contact for more information were not always present, and there was inconsistency in how avian flu was referenced. There was a steady increase in the volume of releases since 2004, and PIOs generally seemed to recognize the importance of partnerships and timeliness in pandemic preparedness. Examining the possible pandemic flu situation may yield a more thorough understanding of audience psychology and behavior during health crises as well as enhance the salience of crisis communication models for public health emergencies when public safety is of utmost concern.     

Relatives as Child Care Givers: After Hours Support for Nontraditional Workers

This study uses a sample of 1,841 families from the National Child Care Survey (1990) and accompanying Low-Income Supplement (1990) to determine the amount and timing of child care services offered by relatives to working families with young children. Results indicate that relative care is primarily provided by grandparents. Compared to other parents, single parents and those working nontraditional hours are significantly more likely to use relatives for child care, and their children spend significantly longer periods of time in relative care, especially at nontraditional times of the day. The study conclusion is that relatives are facilitating parental employment by providing child care at times of the day when other market alternatives usually are not available.     

How urbanites define their neighborhoods

This paper explores the ways that residents of the Seattle metropolitan region define "neighborhood" in the abstract and their own neighborhoods in particular. On the whole, the neighborhood is regarded as a relatively limited unit, both in terms of areal size and functional relevance. Two major dimensions of neighborhood definition are evident. Individuals tend to define neighborhood primarily in terms of either human interaction or pure space, and they also differ in their views on its geographic size and institutional development. The two dimensions of definition are shown to vary with patterns of local activity, social-demographic characteristics, and the physical environment. While only a small proportion of the variation in responses is explained, the results suggest that neighborhood definitions are rational responses to the social and physical position of the respondent within urban society.     

Methodological issues underlying multiple decrement life table analysis

In this paper, the actuarial method of multiple decrement life table analysis of censored, longitudinal data is examined. The discussion is organized in terms of the first segment of usage of an intrauterine device. Weaknesses of the actuarial approach are pointed out, and an alternative approach, based on the classical model of competing risks, is proposed. Finally, the actuarial and the alternative method of analyzing censored data are compared, using data from the Taichung Medical Study on Intrauterine Devices.     

The applicability of the burgess zonal hypothesis to urban Canada

A replication for Canada of Schnore's studies of socio-economic differentiation between United States central cities and suburbs produces generally similar results, although the Canadian patterns are by no means as pronounced or conclusive. Older, larger and highly suburbanized Canadian areas are most apt to have high-status groups over-represented in the suburbs and low-status groups over-represented in the central city. Furthermore, this pattern of socio-economic differentiation is found less often in Canadian areas than in the United States areas which tend to be older and larger. A study of change over time also suggests a movement toward socio-economic differentiation between city and suburb. These results are consistent with the Burgess zonal hypothesis which argues that lower-status groups increasingly inhabit the central section and upperstatus groups the outskirts as cities grow.     

Patterns of family location

Theoretical propositions from human ecology are used to develop a model that explains the centralization or decentralization of various types of families, such as married couples with children, in the Cleveland, Ohio, Metropolitan Area. The model shows how proximity to the Central Business District affects neighborhoods in terms of three characteristics: Age or period of development, both internal and external housing Space, and Site features such as industrial and recreational activity. These structural characteristics are seen, in turn, as the causes of the location of families in relationship to the center of Cleveland. Of the three characteristics, Space generally plays the most important and Site the least important role in determining the location of types of families. However, the location of most types of families is affected by a variety of interrelation-ships among neighborhood characteristics.     

Social structure and U.S. inter-state fertility differentials in 1900

This paper investigates the importance of agricultural land shortages versus modernization of the society in influencing inter-state differentials in fertility in 1900, when the United States was in midtransition. Urbanization and manufacturing characteristics of states were the strongest correlates of variations in the index of total fertility because urban-industrialism depressed both the probability of marriage and marital fertility. Other modern characteristics of American states were also important in understanding variations in marital fertility. Low labor force employment of children and farm mechanization, integrally related characteristics, seemed to depress levels of marital fertility in many parts of the United States, independent of the urban-industrial system. Agricultural land opportunity had little overall effect on marital fertility; however, it was quite important in understanding variations in patterns of marriage.     

Patterns of suburban population growth, 1970–75

Population redistribution within U.S. suburban rings between 1970 and 1975 was characterized by frequent population declines for individual suburbs. On the whole, recent spatial patterns of suburban population decline are similar in nature, if not overall levels, to those found in the 1950s and 1960s. Population decline is greatest in the inner suburbs, and is also evident, to some extent, in the most peripheral suburbs. Patterns for all metropolitan areas mask clear variation among metropolitan areas. This variation is related to metropolitan age or historical period of development.     

Social support, disability and independent living of elderly persons in the United States

This article examines the effects of the availability of kin and disability on the ability of elderly persons to live alone in the United States. The first part of the article uses a sample of women aged 65 and over from the 1980 census to study the factors associated with both living in group housing and living alone. Disability and absence of a spouse or children are strongly associated with living in group housing, whereas lack of disability and lack of children are associated with living alone. In the second part, data from the Supplement on Aging to the 1984 National Health Interview Survey are used to investigate the source and amount of help received among those with difficulties in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Those living alone or with nonrelatives are most likely to rely on paid help and this is more likely if they have few living children.