'If you could change one thing...' What community-based researchers wish they could have done differently

Community-based research (CBR) is rapidly gaining recognitionsas an important tool in addressing complex environmental, healthand social problems. CBR attempts to marry community developmentwith knowledge generation. However, little is known about theCanadian CBR context. This paper reports on the analysis ofan element within a web-based survey to investigate the statusof CBR in Canada. The survey included 25 questions. This paperfocuses on responses to one open-ended question (Q20): ‘Ifthere was one thing you could change about [your last CBR] project,what would it be?’ A content analysis approach guidedanalysis and responses were coded into main theme and subthemes.Our collective reflections offer other CBR practitioners anopportunity to more effectively plan future partnerships.     

Behavior change and the freshman 15: tracking physical activity and dietary patterns in 1st-year university women

OBJECTIVE AND PARTICIPANTS: The authors assessed the stability of diet and physical activity and their relationship to weight changes in first-year university women. METHODS: They collected anthropometric and body composition data from 101 resident women at the beginning of their first year of college and again at 12 months. The authors obtained physical activity and dietary logs 4 times throughout the year. RESULTS: Caloric intake decreased over 12 months in all participants (p = .01). There was little change in physical activity in participants who lost weight (p = .73, d = .18). Those who gained weight experienced a trend toward decreased physical activity (p = .13, d = .38). A significant Time X Group interaction on physical activity (p = .04) suggests that physical activity patterns differed substantially between individuals who gained weight and those who lost weight. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction in physical activity appears to be the defining characteristic in freshman weight gain.     

Non-estrogen-based treatments for menopausal symptoms

The British Menopause Society Council is committed to provide up-to-date authoritative reviews to aid health professionals to inform and advise women about key issues in postreproductive health. This guidance refers to non-estrogen-based treatments for menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, symptoms of urogenital atrophy and lack of sexual desire. Treatment of choice should be based on up to-date information and targeted to individual women's needs. Non-hormonal strategies may be useful for women with estrogen-dependent disease such as breast cancer.     

Accumulation of deicing salts in soils in an urban environment

Examining rates of deicing salt accumulation and leaching in urban soils is important for understanding the distribution and movement of salt in the environment. We examined autumn concentrations of deicing salts in soils in a moderately dense urban landscape in eastern New York State. The study area contrasted to the isolated, rural highways examined in previous studies. While NaCl was the most abundantly applied salt, Mg²⁺ (apparently from MgCl₂, a secondary deicing salt) was the most abundant salt cation in soils. Moderate Na⁺ levels, and equivalent concentrations at depth and in surface samples, indicate that leaching of Na⁺ is rapid in this system. Leaching may ameliorate toxicity for land plants but accelerate inputs to aquatic systems. In contrast to rural highway studies, where salt levels declined rapidly with distance to pavement, Na⁺ remained elevated at the maximum distance measured. Airborne salt dispersal and dense networks of pavement likely contribute to widespread elevated salt levels. This semi-urban setting had salt levels high enough to be toxic to terrestrial plants and soil protozoa. Even moderate levels of development can have dramatic effects on salt inputs into soils and aquatic systems.

Disadvantagement-related correlates of career optimism among college and university students with disabilities

This paper describes research regarding factors predicting career optimism for a group of postsecondary students with disabilities (N = 208) who were enrolled in seven colleges and universities in four states. Career optimism was defined as a student's self-confidence regarding his or her ability to choose, maintain, and advance in an appropriate career. The proposed model incorporated variables related to employment discrimination and disincentives such as perceived impact of disability on one's education and quality of life, racial/ethnic status, gender, and presence of disability benefits. Results indicated that two aspects of "disadvantagement," specifically severity of perceived impact of disability and racial/ethnic status, were significant predictors of career optimism. Implications of the findings were discussed in terms of informational interventions, curricula, development of self-advocacy and self-determination, and research topics.     

Frequency and types of partner violence among Mexican American college women

OBJECTIVE AND PARTICIPANTS: The authors studied the prevalence of partner violence, by type, among Mexican American college women aged 18 to 35 years (N = 149; response rate = 85%). RESULTS: Twelve percent of women who reported a dating partner in the past year were physically or sexually assaulted, 12.1% were stalked, and 9.1% scored as psychologically abused. Among those experiencing partner violence, almost half experienced stalking and 89% reported psychological abuse. Few women (25%) who experienced physical violence believed violence was a problem in their relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Partner violence was prevalent in this population, and participants experienced many forms of violence. Because few women experiencing physical violence report that violence is a problem in their relationship, interventions must address perceptions of violence and its impact on women's mental and physical health in college populations.     

High-risk sexual behavior among students of a minority-serving university in a community with a high HIV/AIDS prevalence

OBJECTIVE: The authors used a stratified cluster sampling design to inform campus sexually transmitted diseases prevention programs. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: They conducted a cross-sectional study of students (N = 1,130) at a large, urban, minority-serving university in South Florida using the 2004 National College Health Assessment Survey instrument. RESULTS: Of the 1,130 participants, 14.0% reported risky sexual behavior (having more than 1 sexual partner in 1 year and not using a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse), and 11.9% reported consistent risky sexual behavior (having more than 1 partner in 1 year and not using condoms most or all of the time during the past 30 days). In multivariable analysis, past-month alcohol use had the strongest independent association with both risky and consistent risky sexual behavior. Illicit drug use was marginally significant in both models. CONCLUSIONS: Administrators should address the use of alcohol and other drugs on campus in planning interventions to promote safe sexual behavior.     

What's in a Name? ‘Work and Family’ or ‘Work and Life’ Balance Policies in the UK since 1997 and the Implications for the Pursuit of Gender Equality

Since 1997, Labour has developed a wide range of policies on childcare services, care leaves and flexible working hours. In 2000, the term ‘work‐life balance’ was introduced and has been used by Government Departments and by the academic community with very little discussion of its meaning vis à vis the use of ‘family‐friendly’ policies, or the promotion of ‘work and family balance’. We explore the introduction of the term work‐life balance, the reasons for it, and its significance at the policy level, especially in terms of its implications for the pursuit of gender equality. We find that at the policy level, its use was more a matter of strategic framing than substantive change. Nevertheless, because of the UK Government's largely gender‐neutral approach to the whole policy field, it is important to make explicit the tensions in the continuing use of the term work‐life balance, particularly in relation to the achievement of gender equality.     

‘We Don't Have to Take This’: Zero Tolerance of Violence against Health Care Workers in a Time of Insecurity

Doctors, nurses and other health care workers in the UK are said to be increasingly aware of the ‘risks of the job’ as a result of mounting verbal abuse, threats and assaults from patients and their relatives. In the late 1990s the UK government introduced a policy of ‘zero tolerance’, which it claimed was designed to minimize the risk of such violence. Current policy refers to the need to be tough on offenders and encourage a culture of respect. In this article we review this strategy and the reasons for its introduction and consider some of the potential consequences. The article starts with an account of the policy, the definition of violence that underpins it and how it has been measured, and assesses the evidence regarding prevalence. This is then interpreted in the context of wider policies of zero tolerance to crime, and debates about risk, anxiety and insecurity.