Turning sexual science into news: sex research and the media.

In this article we report on the findings of a two-part project investigating contemporary issues in sexuality researchers' interaction with journalists. The goal of the project was to explore best practices and suggest curricular and training initiatives for sexuality researchers and journalists that would enhance the accurate dissemination of sexuality research results in the media. We present the results of a survey of a convenience sample of 94 sexuality researchers about their experiences and concerns regarding media coverage and a summary of the main themes that emerged from an invitational conference of sexuality researchers and journalists. In addition, we present some preliminary recommendations for training and best practices. Topics assessed include reporting accuracy; sex researchers' comfort with various topics, media, and journalists; researchers' perceptions of the purpose and content of articles; concern about the impact of media coverage; and training for sexuality researchers.     

Effects of International Volunteering and Service: Individual and Institutional Predictors

Despite unprecedented recent expansion of international volunteering and service (IVS), there has been relatively little research on impacts. This paper proposes a conceptual model for impact research based on existing research evidence published in English. The model suggests that outcomes for host communities, volunteers, and sending communities vary depending on individual and institutional attributes and capacity. How institutions structure and leverage individual capacity influences who participates and how they serve, and shapes the impact of volunteer action. The conceptual model provides directions for future research.

Partnering with community stakeholders: engaging rural African American families in basic research and The Strong African American Families Preventive Intervention Program

The Center for Family Research has implemented the first family-community preventive intervention program designed specifically for rural African American families and youths. Basic information garnered during a decade of research in rural African American communities formed the theoretical and empirical foundations for the program, which focuses on delaying the onset of sexual activity and discouraging substance use among youths. The Center's researchers have formulated future directions for engaging rural families in basic research and preventive intervention programs.     

Listening for the patient's story. The psychosocial story of a patient with end-stage heart disease

1. The way patients make sense of their lives can be heard in the stories they tell. 2. Nurses should address the patient's experience as well as the patient's disease. 3. Listening carefully to patients gives nurses valuable tools for intervening in their lives. 4. Medical illnesses extend far beyond the biological processes.     

Using Mixture Regression to Identify Varying Effects: A Demonstration With Paternal Incarceration

The most widely used techniques for identifying the varying effects of stressors involve testing moderator effects via interaction terms in regression or multiple‐group analysis in structural equation modeling. The authors present mixture regression as an alternative approach. In contrast to more widely used approaches, mixture regression identifies varying effects without reliance on tests of moderator variables, such as using interaction terms or multiple group analyses. In many instances, the use of mixture regression also more effectively tests higher order and multiple interactions. A mixture regression example is presented using 214 families from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, half of whom had experienced paternal incarceration. Whereas typical regression and moderator analyses fail to find an effect or varying effects, mixture regression identified 4 classes uniquely influenced by the incarceration.     

Loneliness and Social Isolation in a Sample of Youth Hospitalized for Psychiatric Illness

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal - Social connections can act as a protective factor against long term consequences impacting the physical and emotional well-being of youth. This purpose...     

Anxiety and Depression: Implications for Older Adults

By the year 2030, it is projected that one in every three Americans will be 55-years-old or older. This age group is by far the fastest growing segment of the population. With the growing number of older adults, the importance of understanding aging and common disorders of later life is essential. In particular, anxiety and depression are among the most common problems in older adults. However, differentiating anxiety and depression at the mood, symptom, and syndromal levels has been a long-standing problem in psychopathology research. In addition to a growing need for research, clinicians will also need to take an active role in the development and implementation of treatment as the population of older adults increases. In particular, mental health service providers must become informed about the economic implications for older adults as the structure of health insurance continues to change.     

The balance of planting and mortality in a street tree population

Street trees have aesthetic, environmental, human health, and economic benefits in urban ecosystems. Street tree populations are constructed by cycles of planting, growth, death, removal and replacement. The goals of this study were to understand how tree mortality and planting rates affect net population growth, evaluate the shape of the mortality curve, and assess selected risk factors for survival. We monitored a street tree population in West Oakland, CA for 5 years after an initial inventory (2006). We adapted the classic demographic balancing equation to quantify annual inputs and outputs to the system, tracking pools of live and standing dead trees. There was a 17.2 % net increase in live tree counts during the study period (995 in 2006, 1166 in 2011), with population growth observed each year. Of the live trees in 2006, 822 survived to 2011, for an annual mortality rate of 3.7 %. However, population growth was constrained by high mortality of young/small trees. Annual mortality was highest for small trees, and lower for mid-size and large trees; this represents a Type III mortality curve. We used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate the relationship between 2011 survival outcomes and inventory data from 2006. In the final model, significant associations were found for size class, foliage condition, planting location, and a multiplicative interaction term for size and foliage condition. Street tree populations are complex cultivated systems whose dynamics can be understood by a combination of longitudinal data and demographic analysis. Urban forest monitoring is important to understand the impact of tree planting programs.     

The Role of Positive Alcohol Expectancies in Underage Binge Drinking Among College Students

Abstract

Objective: This study explored associations between positive alcohol expectancies, and demographics, as well as academic status and binge drinking among underage college students. Participants: A sample of 1,553 underage college students at 3 public universities and 1 college in the Southeast who completed the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey in the Spring 2013 semester. Methods: A series of bivariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to examine associations between demographic and academic status variables as well as positive alcohol expectancies with self-reported binge drinking. Positive alcohol expectancies were examined in multivariable models via 2 factors derived from principal component analyses. Results: Students who endorsed higher agreement of these 2 emergent factors (sociability, sexuality) were more likely to report an occurrence of binge drinking in the past 2 weeks. Conclusions: Study results document associations between positive alcohol expectancies and binge drinking among underage students; implications for prevention and treatment are discussed.