Occupational conditions,self-care,and obesity among clergy in the United States

Prior research has shown that a variety of occupational conditions such as long work hours are associated with increased likelihood of obesity. In this study, we use the specific case of the clergy to explore how occupational conditions are linked to increased or decreased odds of being obese. We hypothesize that stressful conditions are associated with increased odds of obesity and that self-care practices are associated with decreased odds. Using the 2008/9 U.S. Congregational Life Survey’s national sample of clergy from multiple religious traditions, we find support for our hypotheses. Clergy who experience more stress, work more hours, or are bi-vocational have higher odds of obesity. Those who take a day off each week, have taken a sabbatical, or are involved in a support group experience lower odds. For Protestant clergy, being involved in a support group or taking a day off moderates the association between certain stressful occupational conditions and obesity.     

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR FELT NEEDS FOR INTERORGANIZATIONAL COOPERATION AND ACTUAL COOPERATIVE OUTCOMES BY THEIR HOSPITALS

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the determinants of interorganizational cooperation among hospitals. Hospital administrator felt needs for programs of interhospital cooperation and actual cooperative outcomes by their hospitals are examined. A combination of survey and archival data is used to test several research hypotheses. Results support separating the interorganizational activities of hospitals into those related to medical and those related to ancillary service areas. Felt needs to cooperate in both service areas are influenced by administrators' concerns for hospital autonomy and image in interorganizational relations. Perceived availability of cooperation partners affects felt needs to cooperate only in the area of medical services. Actual levels of cooperative activity in medical services are related to perceived manpower resource scarcity, historical levels of cooperation, and concerns for hospital image in interorganizational relations. In ancillary services, actual levels of cooperation were related to perceived financial resource scarcity, historical levels of cooperation, and perceived availability of cooperation partners. Felt needs to cooperate were not associated with actual cooperative outcomes in either service area. The results contain implications for future research into the decision processes that give rise to interorganizational relationships of cooperation.     

不同群体大学生心理健康状况的比较研究

运用中国大学生心理健康量表(CCSMHS),对某高校2012—2013年度计算机学院全体学生的心理健康状况进行了测评,进而运用效应量(Effect Size)分析了不同群体大学生的心理健康水平差异及在各个年级的分布特点。结果表明:不同年级大学生之间的心理健康水平存在显著差异,其中一年级新生的心理健康状况表现较差,四年级毕业生的表现最好;一年级与三年级女生的心理健康状况在焦虑、抑郁等几个维度上的表现明显差于男生;独生子女与非独生子女、城市与农村学生之间的心理健康水平差异并不十分明显。     

孕产妇死亡健康公平性分析

文章利用2000～2005年全国卫生统计年报中孕产妇死亡情况有关资料,计算了以孕产妇死亡率为基础的一系列健康公平性指标,分析了2000～2005年间我国孕产妇死亡的健康公平性。研究结果从人群归因危险度百分比、集中指数、集中曲线等指标反映出在我国孕产妇死亡存在分布的不均衡。2000～2005年我国孕产妇死亡在地区间及省际的差距没有明显变化,即不公平现象6年间没有得到改善。     

农民非智力素质的特征及其培育途径

建设社会主义新农村需要有文化、懂技术、会经营的新型农民.我国农民的素质状况不容乐观,尤其是他们的心理状况、价值观念、文化心态、政治态度、思想道德修养等非智力素质都存在不少问题.提高农民素质,尤其是非智力素质,是培育新型农民,推进新农村建设的关键.     

流动人口主观幸福感现状考察

为了考察厦门市流动人口的主观幸福感现状,采用分层抽样方法,选取厦门市120名流动人口进行了问卷调查,结果显示,68.1%的流动人口有较高的主观幸福感;不同性别、年龄和工作种类的流动人口主观幸福感整体差异不显著,文化程度为初中以下和初中的流动人口之间主观幸福感差异显著;流动人口存在一定的心理健康问题.     

我国公共医疗卫生政策中的政府角色分析

公共医疗卫生政策关系老百姓的切身利益,近些年来的一系列的天价医疗费事件和医疗改革的成效讨论早已就是人们关注的焦点。本文从当前的热点人手,着重从政策过程角度提出了我国政府在公共医疗卫生政策中的角色定位。     

The Risk Screening for Indoor Air Pollution Chemicals in Japan

In recent years, public health problems caused by indoor air pollution have been drawing strong public concern in Japan. After conducting extensive exposure assessment, governmental agencies have taken effective measures to solve the problem; for instance, "Guidelines for indoor air quality (IAQ)" of 13 chemicals, for example, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene, has been established. Thousands of chemicals have been identified in the indoor environment. Priority rating of those chemicals, however, was not based on the health risk level. We developed a risk-screening scheme for indoor air pollution chemicals and analyzed the current status of the risk levels of those chemicals in Japan. We researched scientific knowledge of health hazards and exposure surveys of indoor air pollution chemicals in Japan, and classified those chemicals based on the health risk level estimated from the scheme. The risk levels of 93 chemicals were characterized and six chemicals (formaldehyde, acrolein, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, benzene, tetrachloroethylene, and benzo(a)pyrene) were classified in the highest risk category.     

Regression analysis of health care charges with heteroscedasticity

We examine the effects of a prospective drug utilization review and patients' characteristics on total in-patient and out-patient health care charges. Our analysis of charges is complicated by the fact that the total health care charges are skewed. A log-transformation of these charges can normalize their distribution but may not stabilize their variance. To handle these problems, we propose a linear regression model with a non-constant variance (heteroscedasticity). Using results from a fitted linear regression model for log-transformed charges, we also discuss interpreting the regression coefficients in the original scale and estimating the total health care charges to individual patients. Employing these methods, we analyse total health care charges for drug utilization review patients with hypertension and identify patients' factors that are related to their total health care charges.     

Capitation funding in the public sector

A fundamental requirement of government at all levels—national and local—is to distribute the limited funds that it wishes to spend on particular public services between geographical areas or institutions, which are effectively competitors for such funds. Increasing use is now being made of capitation methods for such purposes, in which a standard estimate of expected expenditure is attached to a citizen with given characteristics. Statistical methods are playing an important role in determining such capitations, but they give rise to profound methodological problems. This paper examines the rationale for capitation and discusses the associated methodological issues. It illustrates the issues raised with two examples taken from the UK public sector: in personal social services and hospital care. Severe limitations of the data mean that small area data are used as the unit of observation, giving rise to considerable complexity in the model to be estimated. As a result, a range of methodologies including two-stage least squares and multilevel modelling methods are deployed. The paper concludes with a suggestion for an approach which would represent an improvement on current capitation methods, but which would require data on individuals rather than on small areas.