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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the chronic conditions, behavioral-mental health and service utilization of Latino American women in the first epidemiologic survey in the United States. Methods: Using a national sample ( n=1427) from the National Latino and Asian American Study, we assessed and compared the prevalence of overall health and service use in three major subgroups, Cuban, Mexican, and Puerto Rican, and in other Latino American women. Service use included general medical, mental health, and subspecialists. Results: In physical health, Puerto Rican American women reported the highest rate of asthma, whereas Mexican American women reported the highest rate of diabetes. Cuban American women reported the highest rate of hypertension and heart diseases. Body mass index (BMI) indicated that overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2) were prevalent in all three subgroups: two thirds of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, respectively, and >50% of Cuban Americans. Of the sample, 11.6% rated their mental health status as fair or poor, and 10.8% reported at least one major depressive disorder (MDD) in the past 12 months. Puerto Rican American women had the highest rates on depression, substance abuse, and seeking mental health service, and Cuban American women saw specialists most frequently. Conclusions: Patterns of overall health issues varied among Latino American subgroup women, yet they have low rates of healthcare use. It is critical to further examine factors associated with the sex-specific health issues and with their health services underuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research compares prejudice toward female politicians Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin through the lens of role congruity theory. We measured participants' evaluations of stereotypicality, competence, warmth, and voting likelihood. Consistent with hypotheses, Clinton was evaluated as less stereotypically feminine and less warm than Palin, whereas Palin was evaluated as less competent than Clinton. Furthermore, participant gender, benevolent sexism, hostile sexism, and political orientation predicted differential voting likelihood for Clinton and Palin. Implications for role congruity, ambivalent sexism, and female politicians are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of parent involvement, schools often have difficulty getting parents involved on campus. The purpose of this project was to implement a school gardening program and measure parent involvement before and after the program in elementary schools. Third through fifth grade students in Texas participated in the Junior Master Gardener program during the school year. At the end of the school year, parents of those students who participated were asked to respond to a survey regarding their involvement with their child's school. A sample of 290 parents completed a retrospective pre-test/post-test instrument. Statistically significant increases from retrospective pre-test to post-test scores were found in total parent involvement scores, attitude scores, and behavior scores. The mean scores of the participants were higher on the post-test indicating a more positive attitude toward the school and greater parent involvement after implementation of a school gardening program. Scores were generally higher, both on the pre- and posttest for African Americans and Caucasians, participants with higher income levels, and participants with higher educational levels. However, the findings suggested that school gardening may be an effective tool for involving Caucasian and Hispanic parents and those of the lower income levels since those groups exhibited the greatest change in scores from the pre-test to the post-test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Use of antifungal agents and predictors of total antifungal use among adult inpatients at U.S. academic health centers was characterized. Methods. Claims data obtained from a geographically representative sample of U.S. nonprofit academic health centers were analyzed to characterize use of systemic antifungals during the period 2004-08. Aggregate data were analyzed to identify trends in use of three antifungal classes (azoles, polyenes, echinocandins), as well as individual antifungal agents. Multivariate regression analysis was employed to investigate predictors of total antifungal use and interhospital variability in antifungal use. Results. Aggregate antifungal use at health centers included in the data analysis increased from (mean ± S.D.) 82 ± 36 days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days in 2004 to 88 ± 39 DOT per 1000 patient-days in 2007 and then declined to 77 ± 36 DOT per 1000 patient-days in 2008. Use of voriconazole increased significantly during the study period (p < 0.0001), while use of caspofungin decreased significantly (p < 0.0001). Higher use of third- or fourth generation cephalosporins was a significant predictor of higher total antifungal use (p = 0.0005); performance of more stem cell or bone marrow transplants was also significantly associated with greater antifungal use. Conclusion. Total antifungal use at a sample of U.S. academic health centers increased from 2004 to 2007 but decreased to below baseline in 2008. Azoles were the most commonly used agents. In 2008, total antifungal use at the centers ranged from 29 to 334 DOT per 1000 patient-days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on nonpharmacological effects of alcohol shows that exposure to alcohol-related cues (i.e., alcohol priming) can increase behaviors associated with actual alcohol consumption. Attributions of responsibility to female victims in sexual assault scenarios are affected by whether or not alcohol was consumed by a victim and/or perpetrator. Victims often receive higher levels of blame if they consume alcohol prior to the assault. This work extends the research on nonpharmacological effects of alcohol into a novel domain of blame attribution toward rape victims. In two studies, participants in lab settings (Study 1; N = 184) and online (Study 2; N = 421) were primed with alcohol or neutral beverage advertisements as part of a purportedly separate ad-rating task and then were presented with a vignette depicting an acquaintance rape where the characters consumed beer or soda. Participants subsequently completed a questionnaire assessing victim blame and perpetrator blame. Across both studies, participants blamed the victim most when they were exposed to both contextual (story) and noncontextual (ads) alcohol cues; this effect was especially prominent in males in Study 1. Findings for perpetrator blame were inconsistent across studies. Implications of nonpharmacological effects of alcohol on blame attribution toward rape victims are discussed in the context of courtroom situations and bystander intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Asian American women's health has been understudied while the Asian American population is increasing. The purpose of this study was to examine the physical, behavioral, and mental health of Asian American women. Methods: Using a nationally representative sample ( n=1097) from the National Latino Asian American Study (NLAAS), the first comprehensive epidemiologic survey in the United States, we examined the annual rates of behavioral, physical, and mental healthcare service use, including general medical, specialty mental health, and any medical services, in three major subgroups of Asian American women. Results: Health problems varied with three major subgroups of Asian American women. In physical health, Chinese American women reported the highest rates of headache, other pain, hypertension, heart diseases, heart attacks, chronic lung diseases, and asthma. Vietnamese American women reported the highest rates of ulcer, stroke, and diabetes. Filipino American women had the highest rates of cancers and epilepsy. In behavioral health, Filipino women ranked highest on all types of drug use and cigarette smoking, compared with their counterparts. In mental health, Filipino American women reported significantly better mental health self-rating compared with their Chinese and Vietnamese American counterparts. Asian American women from each ethnic group sought health services at distinct rates. However, the help-seeking patterns of health services are similar. Conclusions: Asian American women encountered various physical, behavioral, and mental health problems, yet they had low rates of seeking healthcare services. Hence, it is critical to further examine factors associated with the underestimation of physical and mental health problems and underuse of health services by Asian American women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Workplace safety and health is a major public health concern, but largely absent from the school health curriculum. Little is known about teachers' perceptions of teaching workplace safety and health topics. METHODS: We administered a 41‐item questionnaire reflecting the theory of planned behavior, modified to measure knowledge, to 242 middle and high school teachers in career and technical education and academic subjects. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess the measures' psychometric properties and factorial ANOVAs to compare differences among participants' knowledge, attitude toward, self‐efficacy, and intention (to teach) workplace safety and health by sex, prior work injury, and main subject taught. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the measures reflected the theory. Factorial ANOVAs suggested female teachers had statistically significantly lower mean self‐efficacy scores than did male teachers to teach workplace safety and health. Male occupational career and technical education teachers demonstrated higher mean knowledge scores than male teachers in other subjects. Participants not injured at work had higher knowledge scores than those who had been injured. CONCLUSION: Self‐efficacy (influenced by sex) and knowledge (influenced by subject taught and previous workplace injury) revealed factors that may affect teachers' provision of workplace safety and health education, a critical yet overlooked component of school health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Modes for collecting dietary data vary across studies and include in-person/interviewer-administered surveys, mail, and telephone surveys. Few studies use mixed modes to assess dietary intakes. Using data from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey, we compared fruit and vegetable intake of adults measured through dual modes (mail and random-digit dial [RDD] telephone), and discussed potential factors that could account for mode differences. The Health Information National Trends Survey data were collected through mailed (n=3,582), and RDD (n=4,092) surveys from December 2007 to May 2008. Data were weighted and analyzed in SUDAAN. Unadjusted mean fruit and vegetable intake was 0.48 servings higher (P<0.001) among mail (mean 5.40) vs RDD (mean 4.09) participants. In a multivariate model that controlled for other predictors, the odds of consuming ≥5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day was 83% higher among mail respondents compared to RDD (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.62 to 2.07). Other predictors of fruit and vegetable intake were sex, education, participation in physical activity, self-rated health, and knowledge of the fruit and vegetable recommendation. Methodologic issues may account for modal differences in fruit and vegetable intake. Different measures (cups, servings) were used to assess fruit and vegetable intake in both modes, details about portion sizes were provided on the mail mode vs RDD, and closed-ended responses were provided on the mail vs open-ended responses for RDD. We cannot recommend one mode over the other nor attribute mode differences to real differences in reported fruit and vegetable intake between participants from both modes. Future research that uses dual modes needs to use identical methods of dietary assessment to minimize these potential sources of error. Further research is needed to validate the use of dual modes to assess dietary intake and inform research practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]