Beyond Orphanhood: Parental Nonresidence and Child Well‐being in Tanzania

This article used data from the Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Tanzania to examine the influence of parental nonresidence on child survival and school entry. Using survival analysis methods, the article tested variations by parent and by cause, examining parental death, nonresidence because of parental relationship status, and migration. In general, maternal nonresidence was more consequential for child survival, whereas paternal nonresidence influences school entry. This is consistent with gendered parenting patterns in the setting. There was important variation by cause and by outcome, particularly for paternal nonresidence. Paternal nonresidence because of nonmarital birth was associated with increased risk of child death, whereas paternal migration was associated with improved survival. Paternal death and migration were associated with lower odds of school entry. This article moves beyond orphanhood to consider multiple causes of parental nonresidence simultaneously, demonstrating that parental nonresidence is not uniformly deleterious for children.     

Immigration,national identity and political trust in European democracies

This article argues that discrepancies between individual-level conceptualisations of national identity and official government approaches to national identity, as reflected in policies towards migrants, contribute to reduced levels of political trust in Europe. Public opinion data matched with contextual data measuring immigrant incorporation policies are used to investigate this proposition. The findings indicate that individuals who take a more exclusive approach to national identity but live in political systems that are comparatively more welcoming of immigrant incorporation into the national political system tend to be the least trusting of their political systems, and this is closely followed by those individuals who adopt a more inclusive form of identity but live in countries that are relatively less welcoming in their treatment of immigrants. Where individual identity and immigrant incorporation are both inclusive, trust tends to be relatively high.     

School-Based Groups to Support Multiethnic Sexual Minority Youth Resiliency: Preliminary Effectiveness

Sexual minority youth (SMY) face multiple challenges as a result of their marginalized sexual and/or gender identities, yet evidence informed programs for the population are absent from the literature. This study describes the pilot research efforts of affirmative supportive safe and empowering talk (ASSET), the first LGBTQ affirmative school-based group counseling intervention created specifically to promote resiliency. In a pilot uncontrolled trial, multiethnic SMY (n = 263) completed measures of self-esteem, social connectedness, and proactive coping at baseline and following completion of the ASSET intervention. Post-intervention analysis using general linear modeling suggests that self-esteem and proactive coping increased significantly across all subgroups, while social connectedness remained constant. ASSET holds promise to enhance the resiliency of SMY in school-based practice settings. Further research should address the effect of ASSET participation on measures of risk and resiliency, and compare outcomes across multiple group interventions.     

Building an Integrated Research/Policy Planning Age-Friendly Agenda

This article describes an innovative model for integrating research into a policy and planning agenda aimed to help neighborhoods become more supportive of older adults. Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) established Age-Friendly Philadelphia (AFP) to catalyze efforts to improve the physical and social environments for seniors. The Research Program at PCA became an important part of this effort by providing multiple types of supports to PCA staff and other stakeholders. Most notably, the research program worked with planners to adopt the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Initiative model for Philadelphia. That model focuses on (1) staying active, connected, and engaged; (2) development and housing; (3) transportation and mobility; and (4) staying healthy. Examples of practice efforts actualized using this research are also presented. By developing a new approach to the way research can support practice initiatives, AFP has been able to increase its effectiveness, and researchers have found better ways to work collaboratively with professionals in policy, planning, and practice. The PCA model should be considered as a framework for similar efforts aimed at creating age-friendly communities.     

Toward Transgender Affirmative Social Work Education

Social work has professional and academic standards consistent with transgender affirmative education and practice. Nevertheless, a growing body of research suggests that transgender issues are largely absent from social work education, resulting in practitioners who are uninformed or biased against transgender issues. The present study expands the literature through a mixed methods study exploring perceptions of transgender issues in social work education from the perspectives of transgender social work students (n = 97). Quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal barriers to transgender affirmative social work education including (1) transphobic microaggressions within classroom and field settings, (2) the absence of transgender specific education and expertise, and (3) the general lack of visibility of transgender issues. Recommendations for transgender affirmative social work education are provided.     

Evaluating the implementation of health policy: pre-hospital care in Pennsylvania.

A statewide study of ambulance services was conducted to inform executive and legislative decision making regarding Emergency Medical Services in Pennsylvania. The study focused on the training status of ambulance personnel, turnover, and coordination between state and local levels. The study found indications that adequate numbers of trained personnel were often not making ambulance trips. A variety of issues that might cause and solve this problem are discussed, as are the dissemination and utilization of the study's results.     

Risk Factors for Problem Gambling in California: Demographics,Comorbidities and Gambling Participation

While population surveys have been carried out in numerous jurisdictions internationally, little has been done to assess the relative strength of different risk factors that may contribute to the development of problem gambling. This is an important preparatory step for future research on the etiology of problem gambling. Using data from the 2006 California Problem Gambling Prevalence Survey, a telephone survey of adult California residents that used the NODS to assess respondents for gambling problems, binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and gambling participation variables that statistically predicted the odds of being a problem or pathological gambler. In a separate approach, linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of changes in these variables on the severity of the disorder. In both of the final models, the greatest statistical predictor of problem gambling status was past year Internet gambling. Furthermore, the unique finding of a significant interaction between physical or mental disability, Internet gambling, and problem gambling highlights the importance of exploring the interactions between different forms of gambling, the experience of mental and physical health issues, and the development of problem gambling using a longitudinal lens.     

TIMING IS MONEY: DOES LUMP‐SUM PAYMENT OF THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT AFFECT SAVINGS AND DEBT?

Earned income tax credit (EITC) benefit income is paid out in a lump‐sum around tax time. We investigate whether savings and debt among EITC‐eligible families reflect the timing of payments. Using nationally representative, individual‐level data on self‐reported debt and savings outcomes, we search for differences in monthly behavior between EITC‐eligible and ‐ineligible households. We find evidence that credit card and unsecured debt holding among EITC‐eligible families reflects the timing of the EITC, with low debt levels at tax time relative to other months. Debt holding among ineligible families with children does not exhibit a similar pattern. We find limited evidence of intrayear patterns in savings behavior among EITC‐eligible families. (JEL D14, I38, H23)     

Activity Engagement in Residential Care Settings: Findings from the National Survey of Residential Care Facilities

Assisted living and similar residential care is an important source of care for elders, including those with dementia. Meaningful activities may help residents maintain function, improve self-esteem, and enhance quality of life. Using data from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities, this study identifies the extent of resident engagement in different types of activities; examines the extent to which cognitive status, other resident characteristics, and residential care community characteristics relate to activity engagement; and, among cognitively impaired residents, assesses whether being in dementia-specific settings is associated with activity engagement. Compared with persons without cognitive impairment, those with severe cognitive impairment are less likely to go on outings (79% versus 36%) and talk with family and friends (85% versus 72%). Residents with mild to severe cognitive impairment have higher participation in leisure activities than other residents if they live in dementia-specific settings (73% higher) than those who do not.