Knowledge,attitudes and experiences of Macao's casino workers with regard to second-hand smoke exposure at work

This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of casino workers in Macao with regard to exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in the workplace through structured face-to-face interviews with 377 workers. The results indicate that the majority of casino workers dislike SHS exposure at work, recognise that such exposure is harmful to their health, support the establishment of separate smoking and non-smoking areas for customers and would like greater restrictions than those that exist at present. The survey also found that there are statistically significant differences in knowledge, attitudes and experiences among workers of different smoking status. The findings of this study support the need for more comprehensive smoke-free legislation in casinos in Macao. The results also add to the existing evidence for smoke-free legislation across casinos worldwide.     

A statistical method for synthesizing mediation analyses using the product of coefficient approach across multiple trials

Mediation analysis often requires larger sample sizes than main effect analysis to achieve the same statistical power. Combining results across similar trials may be the only practical option for increasing statistical power for mediation analysis in some situations. In this paper, we propose a method to estimate: (1) marginal means for mediation path a, the relation of the independent variable to the mediator; (2) marginal means for path b, the relation of the mediator to the outcome, across multiple trials; and (3) the between-trial level variance–covariance matrix based on a bivariate normal distribution. We present the statistical theory and an R computer program to combine regression coefficients from multiple trials to estimate a combined mediated effect and confidence interval under a random effects model. Values of coefficients a and b, along with their standard errors from each trial are the input for the method. This marginal likelihood based approach with Monte Carlo confidence intervals provides more accurate inference than the standard meta-analytic approach. We discuss computational issues, apply the method to two real-data examples and make recommendations for the use of the method in different settings.     

HOW AMERICANS UNDERSTAND RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES: A Test of Parallel Items from a National Survey

How can we better conceptualize attitudes about difference in an increasingly diverse, multicultural United States? This article uses data from a recent, nationally representative telephone survey with oversamples of African Americans and Hispanics to analyze attitudes about two prominent sources of distinction in the United States. Race and religion were selected because they tend to be understood in very different ways—race as a social problem, religion as an individual choice and collective good. To assess the utility of these contrasting emphases built into common survey measures, we constructed a battery of questions that included parallel items for both. Our findings indicate that, with some notable exceptions, Americans' attitudes tend to be more similar than different, such that respondents see comparable (rather than contrasting) positive and negative aspects of race and religion in the United States. Based upon these results, we argue for a more multifaceted approach to the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of race and religion, with implications for how we generally approach difference, diversity, and multiculturalism.     

The One-Box Challenge: Providing a Federated Search That Benefits the Research Process

The one-box federated search of databases brings as many challenges as promises to database searching, especially in terms of adapting these systems to user needs and the effects this new mode of searching will have on users' research behaviors. This issue of “The Balance Point” presents several librarians with strong interests in reference and instruction, who tell the story of adapting a federated search system for their libraries and reflect upon how federated searching can change the way students do research and on the implications federated searching has on information literacy skills and the quality of results found.     

Women and Weight: A Treatment Programme for Both Normal and Overweight Women Preoccupied by Eating and Related Issues

In this paper a guide to group therapy for women with chronic concerns about overweight, body image and eating behaviour is described. The first level of therapy constitutes a ten-week course designed to help women break obsessional preoccupation with eating, weight and body image. A dilemma is posed so that women see themselves struggling paradoxically for social conformity for thinness on the one hand and to provide nurture and food on the other. The contributions of social environment, early learning and family tradition, present family structure and inappropriate treatment modalities are examined. The second level of treatment is designed for severely obese women who have succeeded in breaking the obsessional concern with eating behaviour. This level focuses on family of origin restraints as well as on current family and particularly marital restraints to weight loss. The preliminary outcome studies have been encouraging but long-term results are not yet available.     

Dual relationships: Client perceptions of the effect of client-counselor relationship on the therapeutic process

Sixty-seven former clients of a large metropolitan counseling center were surveyed as to the frequency with which they experienced 21 specific forms of client-counselor contact during therapy. Thirteen behaviors surveyed described forms of social contact and eight behaviors described forms of physical contact. Respondents also evaluated the 21 behaviors as to their presumed effect on the therapy by rating each behavior on a scale ranging from –2, very detrimental, to +2, very beneficial. Four client-counselor behaviors were rated by a majority of respondents as beneficial to therapy, and eight client-counselor behaviors were rated by a majority of respondents as detrimental to therapy.