Family influences on adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior

Studies of adolescent pregnancy risk are relevant to understanding responsible adolescent sexual behavior because most investigators have focused on the key proximal determinants of pregnancy--sexual intercourse and contraceptive use--rather than analyzing pregnancy status per se. Lesser pregnancy risk is associated with teens remaining sexually abstinent, postponing onset of intercourse, and having intercourse less often or with fewer partners, as well as by using contraception at first or most recent intercourse and by using contraception consistently over time. Living with a single parent, in a lower SES family, having older sexually active siblings or pregnant/parenting teenage sisters, being a victim of sexual abuse, and residing in disorganized/dangerous neighborhoods all place teens at elevated risk of adolescent pregnancy. Parent-child closeness or connectedness, and parental supervision or regulation of children, in combination with parents values against teen intercourse (or unprotected intercourse), decrease the risk of adolescent pregnancy. Studies about parent-child sexual communication and adolescent pregnancy risk are less conclusive, largely because of methodological complexities.     

Aspects of guilt and self-reported substance use in adolescence

The use of addictive substances is undergoing moralization in American society-behaviors once viewed as personal preferences now carry moral significance. Research has shown that sociomoral emotions like guilt, thought to be reflective of one's internalized standards and societal mores, can be an important influence on behavior. The present study explored the relationship between college students' self-reports of adolescent substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) and scores on indices tapping different aspects of guilt (Standards, Situational, and Chronic Guilt). Participants were 230 undergraduate students (mean age = 19; 55 percent female; 69 percent White). Substance users had lower scores on Standards and Situational Guilt than non-users, but no difference was observed in Chronic Guilt. The present results suggest that a stronger internalization of societal standards, as reflected by higher scores on Standards and Situational Guilt, may prove a useful tool in the prevention of substance use.     

Guns and gun threats at college

A random sample of more than 10,000 undergraduate students, selected from 119 4-year colleges, answered a mailed questionnaire about gun possession and gun threats. Approximately 4.3% of the students reported that they had a working firearm at college, and 1.6% of them have been threatened with a gun while at school. Students are more likely to have a firearm at college and to be threatened with a gun while at college if they are male, live off campus, binge drink, engage in risky and aggressive behavior after drinking, and attend institutions in regions of the United States where household firearm prevalence is high. Having a firearm for protection is also strongly associated with being threatened with a gun while at college. Students who reported having firearms at college disproportionately reported that they engaged in behaviors that put themselves and others at risk for injury.     

The effects of early maternal employment on child cognitive development

We investigated the effects of early maternal employment on children's cognitive outcomes, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth on 1,872 children who can be followed from birth to age 7 or 8. We found some persistent adverse effects of first-year maternal employment and some positive effects of second- and third-year maternal employment on cognitive outcomes for non-Hispanic white children, but not for African American or Hispanic children. These effects are present even after we controlled for a range of individual and family characteristics that affect child development, including those that are likely to be correlated with maternal employment, such as breast-feeding and the use of nonmaternal child care. Controlling for family fixed effects reduces the effects of early maternal employment on some cognitive outcomes but not on others.     

The influence of caregiving stressors, social support, and caregiving appraisal on marital functioning among African American wife caregivers

Using a stress and coping framework, we examined the influence of caregiving stressors, social support, and caregiving appraisal on the marital functioning of 100 African American wife caregivers. Results of separate multivariate analyses revealed received church support, caregiving burden, and caregiving satisfaction significantly predicted wives' marital functioning, when caregivers' background characteristics (age and education), length of caregiving, whether first marriage, and urban versus rural location were controlled. Receiving church support was associated with increased marital functioning. Lower levels of caregiving burden were associated with increased marital functioning. Higher levels of caregiving satisfaction were associated with increased marital functioning. Findings illuminate wives' caregiving and marital experiences, and have implications for family therapy and future research.     

PRN medication use in inpatient psychiatry

1. Administration of p.r.n. medications occurs frequently for staff nurses in inpatient psychiatry. 2. The appropriate use of p.r.n. medications is not well addressed in nursing textbooks or hospital policies and procedures. 3. Thorough assessment of patients is an essential step in the safe administration of p.r.n. medications. 4. Concise, accurate clinical evaluations may be the most successful way to determine the best dose of medication for each patient.     

Does the road to muscle rejuvenation go through Notch?

The capacity of skeletal muscles to repair and regenerate declines during aging in humans, and this decline may lead to muscle loss and frailty. Conboy et al. show that injured muscles of aging mice are defective in Notch signaling, because up-regulation of the Notch ligand, Delta-1, is impaired. Delta-1 promotes proliferation of the satellite cells that repair damaged muscles, and Conboy et al. show that experimental activation of Notch signaling is sufficient to reverse the age-related decline in muscle regenerative capacity. Extension of these important findings to humans could lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches to maintain muscle function during aging.     

Outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis associated with Norwalk-like viruses in campus settings

Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) are transmitted by fecally contaminated food, water, fomites, and person-to-person contact. They are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis epidemics in industrialized countries. NLV outbreaks are characterized by a 12- to 48-hour incubation period; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea for 24 to 72 hours; and high secondary attack rates. NLV infections spread rapidly on college and university campuses because of close living quarters, shared bathrooms and common rooms, many food handlers, popular self-service salad bars in dining halls, and person-to-person contact through sports and recreational activities. The illness is generally mild and self-limited but an outbreak can strain the resources of campus health services and cause high absenteeism among both students and staff. Treatment is primarily through antiemetic medication and oral rehydration. Prevention and control of NLV outbreaks rests on promoting hand washing; enforcement of strict hygiene in all food preparation areas; and prompt, rigorous cleaning of potentially contaminated areas where someone has been ill.     

Functional testing: Approaches and injury management integration

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) have become the standard for identifying an individual's physical abilities and/or limitations following injury or illness. While philosophies and approaches differ, the focus of most FCE systems is to identify the individual's maximum capabilities. This article will discuss the usefulness of the FCE information and how FCEs are impacted by multiple factors including APTA guidelines, machine based testing, therapist expertise, medical legal credibility and court testimony, IMEs and FCE, and return to work/return to function.     

Technology and managing people:

conclusion The Information Age has revolutionized the workplace. While it is possible to purchase or copy machines and technology, their very interchangeability means they fail to cre-ate a sustained competitive advantage for an organization (Barney, 1991). The research directions this paper offers are intended to develop firm knowledge that allows creation of inimitable human resources. Importantly, in the rush to embrace new information technologies, organizations must remember the fundamental principle that workers will invest in firm goals in the presence of shared values and a commitment by the firm to make their well-being a priority. We urge continued attention to fulfillment of the psy-chological contract, and to the "people issues" that frequently seem less critical than issues of hardware or technology.