A Qualitative Exploration of Self-Regulation Behaviors Among Older Drivers

While much of the research on aging and driving has focused on sensory and motor changes, little is known about older drivers and the actual self-regulation adjustments they employ to continue driving safely. This research looks at how older drivers have made changes to driving patterns and behaviors that have allowed them to continue to drive without compromising their perceived safety, independence, and quality of life. Nine focus groups were held with older men and women aged 58 to 89 years. Some of the major themes that emerged were the following: older adults are very aware of age-related changes to driving; they perceive that self-regulation behaviors change with age; and they view transportation alternatives as limited or nonexistent. Policy implications include developing functional transit programs for older adults and car manufacturer training workshops to educate older adults on the safety features of newly purchased automobiles.     

Walking the Tightrope: Developing a Systems Approach to Balance Safety and Mobility for an Aging Society

In an aging population, safety and mobility are often viewed as being in conflict, when in fact they are two values that must be reflected equally in transportation policy. The challenge for policy makers and for society is to emphasize and optimize both. To achieve this, a comprehensive systems approach to driver health, personal decision-making and planning, community and transportation systems construction, vehicle design, and licensing regulations is needed. Such an approach requires crafting policies based on conceptualizing the issue as a continuum of resources facilitating safety and mobility regardless of driving status. The discussion that follows reviews components of the issue and suggestions for developing a comprehensive approach.     

学龄儿童健康行为研究方法述评

学龄儿童健康行为研究越来越得到重视,在未来周期性的研究中也面临着在快速发展的背景下保持较高质量、在有限的财政资源情况下持续提高、使趋势分析与修改问卷内容相适应、满足科学受众和政策受众的不同要求等挑战,因此,完善其研究方法成为当前迫切需要。     

Mediating the individual: journalistic cultures and the mechanisms of innovation at two daily newspapers

This paper examines two daily newspapers, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Hartford (CT) Courant, and the organizational and occupational strategies the staff of each has used to maintain identity and cope with change. An underlying theme of this investigation is the significant role that the actions and choices of individuals –rather than groups or institutions – have in generating the social forces and behavioral patterns within a newsroom. Consequently, this research will explore the role of the “entrepreneur,” defined here as the goal-pursuing innovative social actor, whose choices may have shaped how process unfolds in the target newsrooms. Thus, the study will assess the interaction of the newsroom's occupational cultures, its organizational goals and its individual, entrepreneurial voices.     

What Age Is Shame?

The author ponders the various meanings of growing older in the gay male community, focusing on the phenomenon of shame and its intergenerational origins.     

Problem Gambling Among International and Domestic University Students in Australia: Who is at Risk?

Young people are a high risk group for gambling problems and university (college) students fall into that category. Given the high accessibility of gambling in Australia and its association with entertainment, students from overseas countries, particularly those where gambling is restricted or illegal, may be particularly vulnerable. This study examines problem gambling and its correlates among international and domestic university students using a sample of 836 domestic students (286 males; 546 females); and 764 international students (369 males; 396 females) at three Australian universities. Our findings indicate that although most students gamble infrequently, around 5 % of students are problem gamblers, a proportion higher than that in the general adult population. Popular gambling choices include games known to be associated with risk (cards, horse races, sports betting, casino games, and gaming machines) as well as lotto/scratch tickets. Males are more likely to be problem gamblers than females, and almost 10 % of male international students could be classified as problem gamblers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that male gender, international student status, financial stress, negative affect and frequency of gambling on sports, horses/dogs, table games, casino gaming machines, internet casino games and bingo all significantly predicted problem gambling. Results from this study could inform gambling-education programs in universities as they indicate which groups are more vulnerable and specify which games pose more risk of problem gambling.     

Teaching Note—Time for a Teach-In? Addressing Racist Incidents on College Campuses

ABSTRACT

This teaching note discusses a teach-in organized in response to a racist incident on a college campus. An examination of the history of teach-ins demonstrates that social work educators have been involved with them since the beginning of the profession, and the method is a natural fit for social work given its historic role. Social work educators have unique professional and ethical responsibilities to respond to hate crimes and other racist incidents on campus and to develop the competencies of social work students to do the same. Teach-ins are a model for doing so in ways that demonstrate the profession’s commitments to social justice advocacy, social justice education, and a robust implicit curriculum.     

An Episodic Analysis of Substance Use and Risky Sexual Behavior in a Racially Diverse Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

Many studies have examined the relations between drug use and sexual behaviors; however, few have utilized episodic data to examine the co-occurrence of both behaviors within the same episode. This study surveyed 403 racially and ethnically diverse gay, bisexual, and other young men who have sex with men (YMSM; ages 18–29) in New York City. Men were surveyed about their sexual behavior and concurrent use of illicit substances and alcohol during their most recent sexual encounter with their main and/or casual partner(s). Logistic regression models were built to analyze predictors of unprotected oral and anal intercourse with main and casual partners. Results suggest that use of inhalant nitrates and alcohol increased the odds of men engaging in unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URAI) and men who identified as middle or high socioeconomic status (SES) were at lower odds of engaging in URAI with their main partner. Use of other illicit substances was not associated with unprotected sexual intercourse. These findings indicate a need to further consider the role of licit substances used by YMSM as a means of further reducing the incidence of HIV infection in this population. In addition, the high rates of unprotected anal intercourse among men reporting a main partner has the potential to be a significant source of HIV risk, and should be further explored among YMSM.     

A big hole with the wind blowing through it: Aboriginal women's experiences of trauma and problem gambling

Although studies have shown a link between social trauma and problem gambling (PG), there is little research involving Aboriginal women in this area, despite Aboriginal women being potentially at higher risk for both social trauma and problem gambling. This article describes the results of a qualitative phenomenology study asking seven Aboriginal women living in Western Canada to describe their experiences of social trauma and gambling problems. Results suggest four main themes, describing: (1) the Aboriginal women's experiences of social trauma (‘the three tigers’); (2) their use of gambling to cope with these experiences (‘a big hole with the wind blowing through it’); (3) their experience of problem gambling (‘I'm somebody today’); and (4) their process of healing from social trauma and gambling problems (‘a letter to John’). Participants described what they felt was a clear link between social trauma and problems with gambling, and how gambling helped to change their mood and block out the past. The results raise the possibility that Aboriginal women with gambling problems may need support to heal from social trauma – including racism and colonization – and that upstream initiatives to reduce the incidence of social traumas may be an important response to problem gambling among Aboriginal women.