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Background: The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) validly and reliably measures symptoms and concerns of those receiving palliative care. Aim: To determine the equivalence of the paper version with an electronic version of the IPOS (eIPOS). Design: Multicentre randomised crossover trial (NCT03879668) with a within-subject comparison of the two modes (washout period 30 min). Setting/Participants: Convenience sample of specialist inpatient and palliative home care patients aged over 18 years with cancer and non-cancer conditions was recruited. Scores were compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland-Altman plots and via a mixed-effects analysis of variance. Results: Fifty patients were randomised to complete paper-electronic (n = 24) and electronic-paper (n = 26) IPOS with median age 69 years (range 24–95), 56% male, 16% non-cancer. The ICCs showed very high concordance for the total score (ICC 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–1.00), lowest ICCs being observed for symptoms 'Appetite loss' and 'Drowsiness' (ICC 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.97). Nine of seventeen items had ICCs above 0.98, as did all subscales. No statistically significant mode, order, age, and interaction effects were observed for IPOS total score and subscales, except for 'Communication' (Fmode = 5.9, p = 0.019). Fifty-eight percent preferred the electronic version. In the group 75+ years, 53% preferred the paper version. Only three entries in the free-text main problems differed between the versions. Conclusion: The very high equivalence in scores and free text between the IPOS and the eIPOS demonstrates that eIPOS is feasible and reliable in an older palliative population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fresno, California, is home to more than 30,000 Hmong. The purpose of this research was to explore the utilization of Hmong shamans 40 years after the first Hmong immigrants arrived in the United States. Hmong shamanism is examined to identify and analyze changes to shamans' practices or patients. Methods: Using grounded theory, semistructured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 20 shamans in their homes. Transcribed data were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Shamans continue to train and practice in this community; utilization by older patients persists while young adult patients have become the fastest-growing group of users. Healing rituals have changed in response to the legalities of animal sacrifice in urban areas and the time demands of work schedules. Discussion: Nurses' awareness that the availability of biomedicine does not preclude the continuing or recurring utilization of traditional healers can facilitate understanding of culturally defined health care needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the 30-day emergency department (ED) return rate between patients given a Take Home Medication pack (THM) versus a standard paper prescription (SPP) prior to discharge. Methods: This was an observational, prospective cohort study in an urban, university-affiliated, level I trauma center. Patients were identified through daily pharmacy reports. Consecutive adult patients discharged from the ED with either a THM or equivalent SPP were included. For each patient, baseline characteristics including age, gender, primary care provider (PCP), primary language, ethnicity, marital status, and insurance status were recorded from the electronic medical record (EMR). Review of the EMR was used to determine whether patients returned to the ED within 30 days and whether the return visit was for all-causes or for the same complaint targeted by the THM or SPP from the index visit. Similarly, visits to other providers in the health system within 30 days were recorded. Results: A total of 711 patients were included in the study, with 268 receiving a THM and 443 receiving a SPP. In comparison with the SPP group, the THM group was more likely to have an all-cause return (Relative Risk [RR] = 1.7, P < .01). Variables associated with increased odds of returning to the ED within 30 days included study group (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 1.7), male gender (aOR: 1.6), African American ethnicity (aOR: 3.0), public insurance (aOR: 3.3), and institutional financial assistance (aOR: 5.0). The difference between study groups for index visit complaint-specific returns was not significant. Conclusions: Patients receiving a THM demonstrated a higher all-cause return rate than patients receiving a SPP. A randomized study is needed evaluating the effect of THM on return ED visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient and reliable online assessments has become increasingly important in the digital era. We developed a 10-min online word reading assessment of global English based on the existing paper-and-pencil version of our English silent word reading test. The test includes two parts, namely, random word recognition and contextual word reading. A total of 889 participants (437 children and 392 adults; 62.7% female) took part in the study. They were from various regions including mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Poland, the United States, and the Philippines. Reliability and validity analyses on various demographics samples (by age and country/region of origin) demonstrated that the WordSword Test is highly reliable and valid (e.g., the correlation of this test with other English reading measures were above.80). Education level was positively correlated with test performance, while the correlations between age and test performance were not consistent. Ninety-seven children participants also took the paper-and-pencil version of the WordSword Test. The correlation between performances on the online and paper-and-pencil versions of the test was.879, one year apart. With more children and adults taking the WordSword Test, we ultimately hope to establish norms by area, grade level, and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vision plays an important role in walking development. Understanding gait characteristics and development in infants and children with visual disorders is crucial to identify early walking impairment and promoting optimal motor performance. We aimed to identify typical gait patterns and differences between infants and children with visual disorders and their sighted peers, and how these change over time, identifying key research gaps in this area. Methods: A search of three databases identified 1,531 papers, of which eight met inclusion criteria. Results: Children who are blind showed differences in gait compared to peers with low vision or full sight. Differences were identified across age groups with slower walking, postural, head, and trunk position alterations and uncoordinated and reduced upper limb swing motions observed in children with blindness. Discussion: We identified three macro areas of interest related to gait characteristics in children with visual disorders: (1) and (2) compensation mechanisms of limbs, and (3) probing the environment. In general, children who are blind also showed the use of a wider base of support, more external rotation of the feet, and fewer steps taken per minute. There are no studies reporting gait characteristics in the early stages of walking development, scarcity of longitudinal investigations, and studies using different variables to measure gait. The lack of such evidence prevented the establishment of gait development trajectories over time in pediatric populations with visual disorders. Implications for Practitioners: This review is the first to summarize existing knowledge of gait characteristics in children with visual disorders, advancing our understanding regarding the key differences in gait patterns that are observed in this population. Information gathered in this work can help inform future studies and practitioners in this field, enhancing decision-making processes to support walking development and promoting increasing knowledge of gait progresses in infants and children with visual disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) assesses patients' perspectives of their illnesses. Original psychometric testing occurred in limited populations. The purpose of this reliability generalization meta-analysis was to: (1) estimate internal consistency reliability of each IPQ-R subscale, and (2) test moderators of these estimates. Web of Science was searched in July 2022 for articles citing the original IPQ-R paper that reported IPQ-R reliability data. Cronbach's alphas (⍺) were pooled for each IPQ-R subscale using inverse variance weighting and DerSimonian and Laird estimation. Sixty-six studies met criteria. Overall pooled ⍺ estimates were acceptable: 0.71–0.87. Treatment control reliability was reduced among cardiac (⍺ = 0.68), diabetes/kidney disease (⍺ = 0.63), and mixed/other (⍺ = 0.66) samples; cyclical reliability was reduced in cancer (⍺ = 0.65) samples. Age, gender, and race were also significant moderators. Subscale reliability varied based on sample characteristics. Adapting IPQ-R subscales to account for sample variation could improve measurement of illness perception constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents who enjoy physical education (PE) classes are more likely to be active during out-of-school hours. Similarly, achievement goal theory suggests that task-oriented motivation is associated with higher levels of reported fun during PE classes. In contrast, ego-oriented motivation has been related to boredom in class, but some self-perceptions (e.g., self-esteem or motoric self-efficacy) may modify this relationship and are important for physical activity. Our aim in this paper was to analyze the relationships between motivational orientation and fun and boredom in PE classes by assessing the mediating effects of self-esteem and self-efficacy. We surveyed 478 teenagers between 13 and 18 years of age (M = 14.57; SD = 1.15) with the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the Motor Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES), and the Intrinsic Satisfaction in Sport Scale (SSI-EF). We used a structural equation model to evaluate relationships between these variables of interest. We found a positive relationship between ego orientation and boredom and between task orientation and fun; and we found a negative relationship between task orientation and boredom in PE classes. Importantly, we observed indirect effects from self-esteem and motoric self-efficacy in the relationships between motivational orientation and boredom and fun in PE. These results highlight the importance of students' motivational orientations in PE classes and illustrate that self-perception of self-esteem and motoric self-efficacy can mediate these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shoulder and elbow overuse injuries are the most common problems in baseball players. No scoping review has compared the findings from different types of evidence. Purpose: To map the broad evidence from 3 types of evidence (epidemiological, biomechanical, and narrative) on potential risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in baseball and identify gaps in the existing literature to guide future research. Study Design: Scoping review. Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched from inception to May 14, 2020. Any peer-reviewed papers that investigated or discussed potential risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in baseball were included. Results: A total of 302 studies (107 epidemiological studies, 85 biomechanical studies, and 110 narrative reviews) were included. Risk factors were categorized into 9 domains: sports profiles, physical characteristics/functions, pitching mechanics, performance, behavioral, psychosocial, biological and developmental, injury/sports profiles, and environmental factors. Studies were consistent in supporting limited shoulder range of motion (ROM) and player positions (pitchers or catchers) as risk factors for shoulder injuries. For elbow injuries, the majority of the included studies suggested that being pitchers or catchers and working with higher ball velocity can be risk factors. Conclusion: Findings were consistent in some risk factors, such as limited shoulder ROM and positions. However, findings were inconsistent or limited for most factors, and substantial research gaps were identified. Research assessing those factors with inconsistent or limited evidence in the current literature were recognized to be priorities for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age gap between spouses has important implications for a range of outcomes—from fertility and longevity, to gender relationships, marital quality, and stability. This paper examines the age gap between spouses in 12 countries in South and Southeast Asia. The average age difference (husband's minus wife's age) is positive in all countries and ranges from 2.7 in Myanmar to 8.4 in Bangladesh. Age homogamous marriages accounted for 5% of all marriages in Bangladesh to close to half of all marriages in Thailand. The proportion of age hypogamous marriages was uniformly low in all the countries except for Myanmar where it reaches close to 10%. Men's marriage age has a stronger effect in determining the age gap. In general, the age gap for women with lower education was larger than for those with higher education. However, much of this effect was explained by the difference in marriage timing across educational groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has witnessed a dramatic expansion of higher education, and women have emerged as noteworthy winners in the process. This paper focuses on the role of female college education on four dimensions of marriage: age at marriage, autonomy in the choice of spouse, work and financial empowerment, and quality of marital relationship. The study uses a sample of 35,561 currently married women from the 2011-2012 wave of the nationally representative India Human Development Survey (IHDS). It demonstrates that higher education, particularly college education, enables women to lead lives substantively different from their less-educated peers. College-educated women marry at later ages, enjoy greater autonomy in choosing their husbands, and have a more egalitarian relationship with their spouses. Furthermore, the study finds that educational homogamy and hypogamy afford greater autonomy to women. Even without a concomitant increase in labor force participation, college education among women appears to have a transformative effect on marriage in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to experience significant delays in diagnosis and interventions. One of the main factors contributing to this delay is a shortage of developmental-behavioral specialists. Diagnostic evaluation of ASD by primary care pediatricians (PCPs) has been shown to be reliable and to decrease the interval from first concern to diagnosis. In this paper, we present the results of a primary care ASD diagnosis program in which the PCP serves as the primary diagnostician and leverages the infrastructure of the primary care medical home to support the child and family during the pre- and post-diagnostic periods, along with data on parental satisfaction with this model. Methods: Retrospective data from a cohort of patients evaluated through this program were analyzed to determine the mean age at diagnosis and interval from referral for evaluation to diagnosis. We used survey methodology to obtain data from parents regarding their satisfaction with the process. Results: Data from 8 of 20 children evaluated from April 2021 through May 2022 showed a median age of diagnosis of 34.5 months compared to the national average of 49 months. Mean interval from referral for evaluation to diagnosis was 3.5 months. Parental survey responses indicated high satisfaction. Conclusions: This model was successful in shortening the interval from referral to diagnosis resulting in significant decrease of age at diagnosis compared with the national average. Widespread implementation could improve access to timely diagnostic services and improve outcomes for children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper describes the author's experience conducting virtual interviews with sexual assault survivors and their informal supports (e.g., family, friend, partner) during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on past and present interviewing experiences with this population, and the recent literature on best practices for virtual interviewing and survivor/trauma-informed research methods. The experience of pivoting from past projects using face-to-face interview methods to doing virtual interviews with this population is presented and critically analyzed. Potential advantages and drawbacks of various methods and adaptations for doing virtual interviews in a dyadic sample of survivors and their informal supports are described to facilitate future research using virtual methods with sexual assault survivors and their informal supporters. Issues related to access (e.g., e.g., age, gender, race, ability, poverty) to interview participation are also noted as in need of more consideration. Finally, the impact on interviewers of doing this work in virtual versus face-to-face contexts is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on using age to screen cardiovascular disease and its implications. A Monte Carlo simulation with 500,000 people aged 0-89 was used for the study. The simple assessment of detecting 86 percent of cardiovascular events with a 24 percent false-positive rate taking 55 or over was done and compared with screening everybody from age 40 at five-yearly intervals using the standard Framingham risk score.

An introduction is presented which discusses various topics within the issue which discusses various topics within the issue including use of goal setting in the rehabilitation of people, clinical rehabilitation and healthcare activity in rehabilitation of people.

Childhood gender segregation, the tendency for children to form acquaintanceships and friendships with those of the same gender (Mehta & Smith, 2019), has been proposed to be a universal phenomenon (Maccoby, 1998; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974). However, as socialization and peer culture vary cross-culturally (Munroe & Romney, 2006), gender segregation may vary according to cultural context. This paper uses a sociocontextual framework to review cross-cultural comparative research on childhood gender segregation, considering cultural similarities and variations in correlates of gender segregation, including behavioral compatibility, age, the homosocial norm, availability of playmates, familiarity with peers, and gendered societal norms and constraints. In closing, the paper reflects on what cross-cultural research tells us about gender segregation and offers recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the nationwide incidence of ear foreign body (FB) presentations to the emergency department (ED) and analyze the most common FB consumer products encountered. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was evaluated for ED visits that included "ear foreign bodies" from 2010 through 2019. The most frequent foreign bodies were identified and organized by demographics. Results: A total of 20,545 ear FB cases were found, with an estimated 608,860 ED visits nationwide. Female patients (56%) were more likely to have jewelry and first aid equipment FBs. Males between the ages of 5 and 15 years were significantly (P < 0.05) more likely to have paper products, pens/pencils, and desk supplies in their ears. Conclusion: Ear FBs represent a substantial proportion of healthcare expenditures. Although children are the most commonly affected individuals, all ages require further education and preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young women in Australia experience serious risks from intimate partner violence (IPV) as a form of family violence. However, there has been a lack of attention to the impact of this on young women and, as a result, these risks are not well understood. This article critically examines existing literature, policy and research and in doing so, specifically explores the ways in which young women aged between 10 and 20 years old are represented and positioned in contemporary family violence discourses. Framed by a review of socio-political and cultural history, the paper highlights the early colonial, patriarchal foundations of Australia, which have specific implications for the challenges that contemporary young women experience in situations of IPV. With a particular emphasis on the Australian context, this article employs both an intersectional and critical feminist lens, with a key focus on the dimensions of adolescent development and youth social geographies. Focusing specifically on these dimensions, including development, gender and age, highlights the important role that feminist social work perspectives and practices can contribute to uncovering, understanding and responding to young women's experiences of intimate partner violence through policy and advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine age-related risk factors for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with asthma. Methods: Data were obtained from a national survey of non-hospitalized civilians conducted by the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CRS diagnosis was based on the guidelines of the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020. Asthma was judged based on whether the patient had been diagnosed with asthma in the past. Of the 45,811 survey participants, 26,335 were included in the cross-sectional study. Participants included in the study were divided into the control, CRS, and CRS with asthma groups. Age-related risk factors were analyzed in patients aged < 60 or > 60 years. Univariate logistic analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between groups. Risk factors included age, sex, household income, residence, education level, occupation, and body mass index (BMI). Results: Education level (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.342, P =.0003), BMI (OR: 1.09, P =.0082), and total IgE (TIgE) levels (OR: 5.582, P =.003) were significantly different between the control and the CRS with asthma group. Education level (OR: 0.478, P =.0016) and TIgE levels (OR: 4, P =.0218) were significantly different between the CRS and CRS with asthma groups under 60 years of age. BMI (OR: 1.087, P =.0443; OR: 1.104, P =.0224) showed a significant difference between all three groups with age > 60 years. Conclusion: Progression to CRS with asthma is influenced by education level, occupation, and TIgE levels in patients under 60 years of age. BMI was the only influencing factor associated with the progression to CRS with asthma in those aged > 60 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: COVID-19 has devastated the United States (U.S.). One of the more notably impacted areas is the South. Compared to the rest of the U.S., the South is characterized by increased rurality, lowered access to healthcare, older populations, and higher religiosity, all of which might predispose its residents to more detrimental effects of COVID-19, including COVID-related fatalities. As such, this paper provides important considerations for individuals engaging in work with Southern, rural Americans dealing with COVID-related grief and loss. Methods: A review of the literature addressing the impact of Southern legislature, rurality, cross-country factors, and faith on COVID-related grief among Southerners was conducted, with applicable considerations expressed. Conclusions: Care should be taken by providers working with rural, Southern residents to attend to tangible and intangible losses experienced as a result of COVID-19. These considerations can help inform work with rural Southerners dealing with grief during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attacks perpetrated using acid are a particular form of interpersonal violence, possibly one of the most heinous manifestations of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Acid attacks are mainly motivated by extramarital cheating, marital conflicts, women's rejection of marriage proposals, and sexual advances. As these attacks are not well understood from a psychological perspective, we conducted a systematic review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, of 284 articles identified, 13 were eligible for inclusion. Three main focuses were identified: "Risk and vulnerability factors," "Consequences and implications," and "Interventions and treatments." Acid attacks seem to be more frequent in countries where social and economic development leads to greater tensions over traditional gender roles like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Identified risk factors were young age, low socioeconomic status, low educational attainment, ethnicity, unemployment status of the victim, alcohol, and drug use of the perpetrator. Among the main psychosocial consequences of acid attacks, isolation and social exclusion emerged. Additionally, the paper will discuss the role of mental health consequences and specific treatments from psychological, clinical, and medical-legal points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health challenge leading to various detrimental health outcomes. Chinese women are a vulnerable population often overlooked in IPV research. Guided by the social–ecological model, this systematic review aims to synthesize literature on the risk and protective factors for IPV among Chinese women. A comprehensive search was conducted in nine major English and Chinese databases for articles with data collected since 2006 on adult Chinese women, leading to 29 papers in the final analysis. Risk and protective factors associated with IPV identified in this review include factors at the individual level such as demographics (e.g., a younger age, unplanned pregnancy, abortion, having children, and migration), socioeconomic status (e.g., income and partners' education level), attitudinal factors (e.g., attitudes justifying IPV and traditional beliefs about gender roles), behavioral factors (e.g., alcohol use of women, partners' alcohol use and frequency, and partners' high frequency of gambling), adverse childhood experiences (e.g., witnessed violence in childhood), and other personal characteristics (e.g., chronic illness and good health status). Factors at the relationship level include conflicts, power in intimate relationships, and social capital (e.g., the size of social networks, network participation of women and their partners, and social control). Community-level factors related to geographic locations were also explored while no factors were identified at the societal level. None of the included studies examined the intersections of factors within the same level or across different levels. Recommendations for future research, practice, and policy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Nigeria, adolescents in urban slums are increasingly at risk of adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. However, little is known about how individual factors predict parent-adolescent communication on SRH issues in a resource-poor urban setting in Ibadan. Thus, this study investigated individual factors associated with parent-adolescent communication on SRH issues in urban slums of Ibadan, southwest, Nigeria. This study is part of a larger project that explores the socio-ecological factors influencing parent-adolescent communication on SRH issues in selected slums in Ibadan, Nigeria. Within this broader framework, this paper relies on the quantitative data obtained in 10 selected slums. Interviewer-administered structured questionnaire [scripted on open data kits (ODK)] was utilized to collect data from a sample of 796 parent-adolescent dyads. Six SRH topics were investigated to describe the issues discussed. Analytical techniques utilized include; frequency counts, chi-square, and multinomial logistic regression. Parent-adolescent communication regarding SRH issues is not uncommon in urban slums of Ibadan but characterized by indirect communication, threat and warning. Parents and adolescents' age, gender, marital/relationship status, educational attainments and religion played influential role in parent-adolescent communication regarding SRH issues. These factors were identified to be significantly associated with the pattern of parent-adolescent discussion of SRH issues. Age-specific SRH education should be available to adolescents and parents need to be educated on appropriate SRH information and the best way to engage their adolescents on SRH issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of marriage pairings on fertility intentions is specific and has attracted increasing scholarly attention in recent years. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study explored the impact of couples' educational pairings, age pairings, and income pairings on women's desired number of children and their preference for sons. The results showed that marital-educational pairing had a greater effect on women's fertility intentions than age and income pairing. The effect of marital pairing on women's fertility intentions is also influenced by women's age and urban–rural differences. The study helps to understand the changes in women's fertility intentions and the factors influencing them after the fertility policy transition in China and inspires scholars to pay more attention to the interaction process between couples in the study of fertility intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence in later life and related trauma have been identified as a growing yet preventable public health crises, which disproportionately impact women. Research is limited and is continuing to emerge in this area, along with implications for addressing healthcare disparities, primarily among older women. In this paper, the prevalence of sexual violence in later life will be explored, along with survivor characteristics as they relate to structural inequality and health disparities. Consequences of sexual violence in later life will be explored as well, with implications for healthcare workers, focused on pressing needs for research, practice, policy and education at individual, relational, organizational and societal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although violence among youth remains an important, global issue, little research has been conducted regarding how young people themselves define violence and what practices in relation to violence that are evident in their everyday lives. Using an intersectional gender perspective, specifically exploring the intersection of gender, age, and class, this paper therefore aims to explore how young people define violence, as well as to explore what practices in relation to violence that are evident in young people's everyday lives. By using a photovoice methodology, 11 focus groups of young boys and girls (17–19 years old) living in two municipalities in northern Sweden were interviewed and asked to take photographs representing themes that were discussed. Overall, three main themes in the young peoples' stories were identified: Violence as ubiquitous, Easy prey and dangerous predators, and The way forward. The findings demonstrated that violence is pervasive, all-encompassing and normalized in young people's everyday lives, and that this violence is moderated by intersecting power orders of gender, age, and class. Any future theoretical frameworks or prevention strategies should therefore aim to include an intersectional perspective as well as including the voices of the youths themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multimorbidity is likely to be a significant contributor to ill health and inequality in South Africa and yet has been largely overlooked. Purpose: This paper focuses on the findings of a recent large study that highlighted emerging issues - namely (i) the high levels of multimorbidity among three key groups - older adults, women, and the wealthy; (ii) discordant and concordant disease clusters among the multimorbid. Research Design: Narrative. Study Sample and Data Collection: Not applicable. Results: We discuss the implications of each emerging issue for health systems policy and practice. Conclusion: Although key policies are identified, many of these policies are not implemented and are therefore not part of routine practice, leaving much space for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although recommended for all member states of World Health Organization, there is no national human papillomavirus vaccination program in Kazakhstan. Furthermore, there are no studies in Kazakhstan that evaluate the mothers' perception of human papillomavirus vaccines. Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward human papillomavirus vaccination among mothers in Kazakhstan and the factors associated with their attitudes. Design: A cross-sectional study was performed during the period of December 2021—February 2022. The STROBE guideline for cross-sectional studies was applied. Methods: Paper-based structured questionnaires were filled out by 191 mothers, 141 of whom had daughters. The attitude score was assessed as per the Likert-type scale. The Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, with a significance value of < 0.05 were used to analyze the relationships between the characteristics of mothers and their attitude scores. Results: The following factors were significantly associated with mothers' attitudes toward human papillomavirus vaccination: a place of residence, family income, number of children, and refusal of vaccination for themselves (p < 0.005). Of all participants, only 45% of all mothers, 41% of mothers with a female, and 46% of mothers with male children had positive attitudes toward human papillomavirus vaccination. The child's gender was not a significant determinant. Overall, the level of knowledge about human papillomavirus vaccination was found to be low. The median total score is 0 out of 12 for women who have negative and neutral attitudes toward human papillomavirus vaccines. Among women who have positive attitudes toward HPV vaccines, the median score is around 3 points. Conclusion: Before the implementation of the human papillomavirus vaccination program into the Kazakhstani national vaccination calendar, comprehensive and adequate information and education campaigns are required on the national level for parents and the population in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual turnover of home care workers represents a huge loss of revenue and is a key source of inefficiency in the home health care industry. In this article, we propose a data-driven approach to monitor employee churn and to capture the evolution of employee intent to leave. Unlike most papers in the literature, we use machine learning techniques to analyze over 2 million visits in the US, Canada, and Australia between 2016 and 2019. Results show that the gap between the number of hours worked and in the contract is the most important factor to predict employee intent to leave, which means an employee should be given as many hours as requested in the contract to improve retention. Secondary results show that having diverse shift lengths and continuity in services and patients seem to be associated with less turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States occupies a unique position among OECD countries because the US provides little policy support for working parents. Despite the resulting extreme time scarcity, US fathers perform similar amounts of child care as European fathers under more family-friendly policy conditions. Using recent national time use survey data, this paper examines whether time scarcity among American working parents, coupled with limited access to affordable child care and traditional masculine identity ideas, is associated with American fathers' involvement in the daily care of their young children. Results show that fathers do one third of all care activities, contribute one third of the care time, and perform over one half of the 10 activities analyzed here daily. Multivariate analysis indicates that time scarcity, lack of alternative child care options, and traditional masculine identity affect the degree of fathers' involvement in daily care activities with their under five year olds. Implications for the development of caring masculinities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to examine the association between digital sexual violence (threat to post or nonconsensual posting of sexually explicit media) and suicidal (ideation, planning, and attempt) and non-suicidal self-harm behavior. The data for the current analysis come from an online sample of sexual minority adolescents (aged 14–17) recruited from across the United States (n = 970). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the association between digital sexual violence with suicide (ideation, planning, and attempt) and self-harm. In the sample, 9.1% of participants reported being threatened to have their sexually explicit media posted without their consent, while 6.5% reported their sexually explicit media had been posted without their consent. Threat to post sexually explicit media without consent was associated with higher odds of reporting suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.88), suicide plan (OR = 2.12), suicide attempt (OR = 3.56), and self-harm (OR = 1.96). While nonconsensual posting of sexually explicit media was associated with higher odds of reporting suicidal ideation (OR = 1.82) and suicide attempt (OR = 2.20). All models controlled for age, assigned sex at birth, sexual identity, and race and ethnicity. These findings underscore important considerations and future research directions. Given the associations between digital sexual violence and suicide risk among sexual minority adolescents, suicide prevention efforts with adolescents must be responsive to the needs of sexual minority adolescents and the changing landscape of sexual violence in digital spaces. Future research should examine the trajectories of digital sexual violence among adolescents and comparative analyses by demographic subgroups to better understand changes in these processes over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Falls are the third highest reported safety incident in Specialist Palliative Care in-patient settings and yet specific risk factors connected with falling and associated outcomes in this setting are poorly understood. Aim: To understand the key individualised risk factors leading to falls in specialist in-patient palliative care settings and understand the implications and outcomes for the patients who fall. Design: A realist synthesis of the literature, reported following the Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) standards. Data sources: An iterative literature search was conducted across three recognised health collections as well as grey literature from policy, practice and other relevant areas. Results: Falls taking place within in-patient specialist palliative care settings can cause significant harm to patients. The risk factors for these patients are multifaceted and often interlinked with underpinning complex realist mechanisms including a history of falls, the age of the person, impact of complex medications, improving functional status and the presence of delirium. Conclusion: In-patients in specialist palliative care settings are at risk of falling and this is multifactorial with complex reasoning mechanisms underpinning the identified risks. There is a significant impact of a fall in this cohort of patients with many sustaining serious harm, delayed discharge and both physical and psychological impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that people with disability have substantial inequalities in mental health compared to people without disability. However, it is not known if these inequalities have changed over time. This study compared the mental health of people with and without disability annually from 2003 to 2020 to investigate time trends in disability-related mental health inequalities. Methods: We use annual data (2003–2020) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Mental health was measured using the five-item Mental Health Inventory. For each wave, we calculated population-weighted age-standardised estimates of mean Mental Health Inventory scores for people with and without disability and calculated the mean difference in Mental Health Inventory score to determine inequalities. Analyses were stratified by age, sex and disability group (sensory or speech, physical, intellectual or learning, psychological, brain injury or stroke, other). Results: From 2003 to 2020, people with disability had worse mental health than people without disability, with average Mental Health Inventory scores 9.8 to 12.1 points lower than for people without disability. For both people with and without disability, Mental Health Inventory scores decreased, indicating worsening mental health, reaching the lowest point for both groups in 2020. For some subpopulations, including young females and people with intellectual disability, brain injury or stroke, mental health inequalities worsened. Conclusion: This paper confirms that people with disability experience worse mental health than people without disability. We add to previous findings by demonstrating that disability-related inequalities in mental health have been sustained for a long period and are worsening in some subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the post-incarceration reintegration experiences of military veterans convicted of sex offenses and identify potential interventions to ease reintegration for this population. Participants were a convenience sample of 14 veterans who were on sex offender (SO) registries and 21 community stakeholders involved in supporting persons during re-entry. Subjects were identified purposively and through snowball sampling, in Massachusetts. We employed semi-structured qualitative interviews of participants, followed by analysis including process mapping to identify barrier and facilitation points. We used both a grounded thematic approach and a priori codes, guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations. We found re-entry barriers include older age, stigma, lack of social support, inadequate information about sexual offense levels, limited housing options and access to mental health treatment to reduce sexual impulses, and re-entry information tailored to SOs. Re-entry facilitators include access to SO treatment, knowledge about services, self-efficacy, ability to self-advocate, and social support. Interventions to aid successful re-entry include pre-release counseling and classes tailored to SO needs, reentry planning including housing resources, sexual deviance treatment, and referral to legal counseling to assist with altering assigned SO level. Specific needs and resources unique to veterans should be integrated into reentry plans. Convicted SOs often lack information and assistance to prepare for life after release, putting them at increased risk of homelessness, emotional difficulties, and financial hardship. Failure to recognize the unique needs of this population, and to leverage resources, creates a public health risk as it increases the likelihood that SOs will recidivate. Veterans who are SOs have unique resources available to them through the Veterans Administration such as SO treatment and peer-support specialists. Nevertheless there are additional steps that could be beneficial, such as timely provision of information, creating more opportunities for treatment, and providing more housing options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth reference centile charts are widely used in child health to assess weight, height and other age-varying measurements. The centiles are easy to construct from reference data, using the LMS method or GAMLSS (Generalised Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape). However, there is as yet no clear guidance on how to design such studies, and in particular how many reference data to collect, and this has led to study sizes varying widely. The paper aims to provide a theoretical framework for optimally designing growth reference studies based on cross-sectional data. Centiles for weight, height, body mass index and head circumference, in 6878 boys aged 0–21 years from the Fourth Dutch Growth Study, were fitted using GAMLSS. The effect on precision of varying the sample size and the distribution of measurement ages (sample composition) was explored by fitting a series of GAMLSS models to simulated data. Sample composition was defined as uniform on the age λ scale, where λ was chosen to give constant precision across the age range. Precision was measured on the z-score scale, and was the same for all four measurements, with a standard error of 0.041 z-score units for the median and 0.066 for the 2nd and 98th centiles. Compared to a naïve calculation, the process of smoothing the centiles increased the notional sample size two- to threefold by 'borrowing strength'. The sample composition for estimating the median curve was optimal for λ =0.4, reflecting considerable over-sampling of infants compared to children. However, for the 2nd and 98th centiles, λ =0.75 was optimal, with less infant over-sampling. The conclusion is that both sample size and sample composition need to be optimised. The paper provides practical advice on design, and concludes that optimally designed studies need 7000–25,000 subjects per sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beliefs about memory play a role in older adults' concerns about aging and can influence their performance on memory tasks. Visual analog scales can capture beliefs about how aging affects memory in general (the General Beliefs About Memory Instrument [GBMI]) and one's own memory (the Personal Beliefs About Memory Instrument [PBMI]). Data were combined across four cross-sectional studies of adults who had completed the two measures, contrasting traditional paper-and-pencil versions of the questionnaires with newer computerized versions that use a computer mouse for visual analog scaling. This scaling method is easy to use and automates scoring of graphic rating scale responses. Adults of all ages produced GBMI responses reflecting their belief that memory declines with advancing age. Older adults' PBMI responses indicated that they perceived their memory ability more negatively than those of young adults and middle-aged adults. Adults of all ages were able to use the computerized questionnaires without difficulty, making these measures suitable for use in adult developmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate effects of diaper-free times, elimination communication (EC) and early toilet training, a web-based survey was conducted for caregivers. The more diaper-free times an infant experienced during day, the earlier it was toilet trained (P <.001), which was enhanced by the usage of cloth diapers. The amount of diaper-free times significantly reduced the caregiver's continuous sleep, the occurrence of rashes and balm usage (P <.001) and lead to a more regular defecation frequency. Cloth diaper usage had no effect on rashes or balm usage, but on diaper change rate (P <.001). We could show that, although not as effective as full-time EC, part-time EC is more effective if cloth diapers are used, provided they are changed frequently. Furthermore, EC causes a more regular defecation in infants between 1 and 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are essential clinical instruments used for assessing patient function, assisting in clinical decision making, and quantifying outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical management. However, PROMs are often designed using patients with preexisting pathology and typically assume that a patient without the pathology would have a perfect or near perfect score. This may result in unrealistic expectations or falsely underestimate how well a patient is doing after treatment. The influence of age on PROMs about the hip of healthy individuals has not been studied. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that in asymptomatic individuals hip-specific PROM scores will decrease in an age-dependent manor. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: In this multicenter survey study, volunteers who denied preexisting hip pathology and previous hip surgery completed 3 PROMs online or as traditional paper questionnaires. The International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT), the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), and the Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL) and HOS—Sport were completed. Analysis of variance with a Tukey post hoc test was used to analyze differences in PROMs among subgroups. An independent-samples Student t test and a χ2 test were used to analyze differences in continuous and categorical data, respectively. Results: In total 496, 571, 534, and 532 responses were collected for the iHOT, mHHS, HOS-ADL, and HOS–Sport, respectively. Respondents' PROMs were scored and arranged into 3 groups by age: <40 years, 40 to 60 years, and >60 years. The iHOT, mHHS, HOS-ADL, and HOS–Sport of these asymptomatic respondents all decreased in an age-dependent manner: iHOT (<40, 94.1; 40-60, 92.4; >60, 87.0), mHHS (<40, 94.8; 40-60, 91.3; >60, 89.1), HOS-ADL (<40, 98.4; 40-60, 95.0; >60, 90.9), and HOS–Sport (<40, 95.7; 40-60, 82.9; >60, 72.9) (analysis of variance between-group differences, P <.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the iHOT, mHHS, and HOS-ADL and HOS–Sport scores in asymptomatic people decrease in an age-dependent manner. It is important to compare a patient's outcome scores with the age-normalized scores to establish an accurate reference frame with which to interpret outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The authors of this paper have compiled a report on the prevalence of deafblindness and dual-sensory loss based on the review of existing estimates. The purpose is to inform readers of the importance of using consistent, well-researched definitions and survey questions in future prevalence studies. Methods: Articles were extracted through ProQuest and EBSCOhost, online library databases of Cambrian College and Laurentian University. Keywords search included "deafblindness," "dual-sensory impairment," "dual-sensory loss," "age-related," "congenital," "acquired," and "prevalence." Additionally, the authors conducted a search with Google for research reports and Google Scholar for other relevant peer-reviewed articles. Results: This review provides a current overview of prevalence estimates of deafblindness and age-related dual-sensory loss around the world, examining 19 articles or reports published over the last 20 years (2000–2020) in 18 countries, including the European Union (consisting of 8 countries). In line with the prevalence estimates by the World Federation for the Deafblind global report 2018, the review indicates an estimated 0.2–2% prevalence of dual-sensory impairment and underscores varying ranges of prevalence among populations, studies or countries, age groups, and types of deafblindness. The review highlights that the prevalence of deafblindness or dual-sensory loss was often not comparable across studies, but it is clear that the prevalence of dual-sensory impairment increases with age. The studies varied in methods (e.g., population surveys, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies). Implication for Practitioners: The review provides evidence of varying ranges of prevalence rates. Future prevalence studies may benefit from consistent definitions, standard data-collection tools to do better comparisons across countries, and identify factors that predict higher or lower prevalence rates among populations and age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth utilization was growing slowly and steadily, although differentially across medical specialties in the United States. The pandemic dramatically expanded physician use of telehealth, but our understanding of how much telehealth use has changed in primary care in the United States, the correlates of physician telehealth uptake, and the frequency with which primary care physicians intend to use telehealth after the pandemic are unknown. This paper is designed to assess these important questions. Methods: Using data from an original national survey of 625 primary care physicians conducted from May 14 to May 25, 2021, we investigate the frequency of physician telehealth use before and during the pandemic and intended use after the pandemic. We also assess the correlates of changes in telehealth use by physicians, comparing telehealth use before the pandemic to use during and after the pandemic. Results: The proportion of primary care physicians using telehealth often, jumped from 5.3% (95% CI 3.5, 7.0) before the pandemic to 46.2% (95% CI 42.3, 50.2) during the pandemic. More importantly, over 70% of physicians intended to use telehealth at least occasionally after the pandemic compared to just 18.7% before, with younger physicians, physicians without telehealth training in medical school, and Asian physicians most likely to increase their telehealth use long-term. Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred expansion in telehealth use by primary care physicians that will continue to shape care delivery well beyond the pandemic. Policy change could be needed to facilitate this growth of telehealth long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coal miners have been reported to have higher rates of risky/harmful alcohol misuse; however, it is not known if metalliferous mining employees whose working conditions differ in workplace practices, also have increased rates of risky/harmful alcohol misuse. This study aimed to examine alcohol consumption in a sample of Australian metalliferous mining workers and to examine the demographic and workplace factors associated with risky/harmful alcohol use. Methods: All employees from a convenience sample of four Australian mine sites were invited to complete a paper-based cross-sectional survey between June 2015 and May 2017. The survey contained questions relating to social networks, health behaviors, psychological distress, demographic characteristics, and risky/harmful drinking. Current alcohol use was measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), a validated measure of risky and/or harmful drinking. Factors associated with risky/harmful drinking were investigated using univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Findings: A total of 1,799 participants completed the survey (average site response rate 95%). Overall, 94.8% of males and 92.1% of females reported using alcohol in the preceding 12 months. The odds of risky/harmful alcohol use were significantly higher in those who were male, younger, and reported higher psychological distress. Conclusions/Application to Practice: This study identified that metalliferous mining employees engage in at-risk levels of alcohol consumption significantly higher than the national average despite workplace policies and practices that restrict alcohol use. Personal and workplace risk factors that may help target specific employee groups and inform the development of tailored, integrated multicomponent intervention strategies for the industry were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigated the contribution of five health domains to self-rated health (SRH) cross-sectionally and longitudinally and whether these contributions differ by gender or age. Methods: Employing dominance analyses, we quantified the contributions of functioning, diseases, pain, mental health, and behavior to both SRH at a point in time and for changes in SRH using data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS, 1994–2011). Results: Cross-sectionally and longitudinally, functioning was the most important health domain, followed by diseases and pain. There were no meaningful differences in the ranking by gender while functioning, diseases, and pain were more relevant in older cohorts. Discussion: Functioning, diseases, and pain systematically were the most important health domains in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. While these results held for women and men, they were more salient for older adults. This points to a gender-invariant but age-graded process, confirming previous research with European data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the epidemiology and public health response of novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the Nordic region. The data on cases and deaths due to COVID-19 were drawn from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The data on age- and sex-wise cases, deaths and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and public health interventions in the Nordic region through November 10, 2020, were obtained from respective countries' health ministries. Sweden accounted for 60.59% of cases (162 240 of 267 768 cases) and 81% of deaths (6057 of 7477 cases) in the Nordic region. The incidence rate for the Nordic region was 989.59 per 100 000, varying from 327.30 per 100 000 in Finland to 1616.51 per 100 000 in Sweden, and the mortality rate for the region was 27.63 per 100 000, ranging from 5.3 per 100 000 in Norway to 60.35 per 100 000 in Sweden. The case–fatality ratio of the Nordic region was 2.79%. Females were more susceptible to COVID-19 infection than males (52.30% vs 47.66%), while males had a greater proportion of deaths (54.7%) and ICU need (71.99%) than females. It is imperative to continue with social distancing, mandatory masks, testing, prohibition of mass gatherings, isolation of confirmed cases, and preventing the importation of cases from other countries to avoid the further resurgence of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper analyzes the double jeopardy effect of age and double benefit of leisure activities in the incidence of disability. Methods: This study uses data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey between 2002 and 2014. Disability status is measured by activities of daily living. Leisure activities include physical and social activities. A generalized linear mixed model with a time-lag design is used to analyze the trajectory of being disabled. Results: Older ages are associated with double jeopardy of disability: higher initial probability and faster pace. The double benefit of leisure activities is confirmed: lower initial probability and a slower pace of change in disability over time. The age pattern is substantially alleviated when leisure activities and other covariates are present. Discussion: Although the risk of disability rises with advancing age, the over-time trajectory can be flattened by engagement in leisure activities and other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying Andersen's health care utilization model, this paper shows the prevalence of immigrants' medical and dental tourism and associated factors. An analysis of the 2003 New Immigrant Survey data shows that about 17% of immigrants received medical care in a foreign country, whereas about one-third obtained dental care outside the United States. Latino immigrants have a higher prevalence of both types of tourism than their Asian counterparts. Race, level of education, and health insured status are commonly associated with medical and dental tourism. The findings contribute to the scarce literature on immigrants' health care utilization and medical and dental tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-range nursing theories provide a bridge between the more abstract grand nursing theories, research, and clinical practice. As such, middle-range nursing theories derived from extant nursing theories are critical for developing and advancing both nursing science and practice. This paper describes the strategy used in developing a middle-range theory of heart failure self-care. After integrating theoretical and empirical literature, a hypothetico-deductive approach was used to develop the middle-range theory of heart failure self-care from Orem's theory of self-care. Theoretical substruction was used to provide a graphic representation of the conceptual-theoretical-empirical structure demonstrating the congruence between the theoretical and operational systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people's romantic relationships can be marked with various forms of dating violence (DV). However, adolescents and emerging adults do not necessarily acknowledge this violence because of their attitudes toward dating violence. Our study aims to study dating violence and attitudes toward this phenomenon through two well-established questionnaires administered jointly in their entirety. Indeed, too many studies report results on some dimensions and items, neglecting the richness of available tools. The Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory and the Attitudes Toward Dating Violence Scale were self-administered to 1,014 participants (M age = 18.9) attending secondary schools or a regional college. They reported the frequency of their dating violence perpetration and victimization, and their attitudes toward dating violence. Results show that relational and sexual violence perpetration rates are higher for males, physical violence perpetration rate is higher for females, and relational violence victimization is higher for males. MANCOVAs not only show the same trends for scores but also underline more frequent emotional violence perpetrated by females, physical victimization for males, and sexual victimization for females. Males show higher tolerance toward every form of dating violence; younger participants are also more tolerant. Participants are more tolerant toward male-perpetrated psychological DV than female-perpetrated ones, and more tolerant toward female-perpetrated physical and sexual DV compared with male-perpetrated physical and sexual DV. There are patterns of multiperpetration, multivictimization, bidirectionality, and multi(in)tolerance. Our paper contributes to the symmetry debate, a better understanding of the link between attitudes and violent behaviors, a further step on gendered attitudes regarding who perpetrates and who sustains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the digital availability of social data helping reshape ethnographic research and thus broadening the mainstream understanding of ethnography, this research proposes a set of strategies to overcome current limitations in doing ethnography. Based on a two-year online and offline ethnographic project on social media use in later life, insights are provided into how the practices and meanings of ethnography are being reconstructed and negotiated in response to the explosion of digital social data and through team practices. This paper reviews how collaborative and interdisciplinary ethnographic reflection is sustained and extended by digital tools, creating a live source of data that can be analysed within the framework of ethnography. As a contribution to current debates on the ’Social Life of Methods’, it also reviews epistemic issues associated with digital data and team ethnography, such as the role of the ethnographer(s), the field(s) and computational data analysis. The article reaches the conclusion that digital team ethnography is a viable option for undertaking thick and descriptive studies about the use of social media, which in turn favours a collaborative, non-hierarchical and dialogue-driven knowledge production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2000, transition to adulthood behaviors changed across gender and social class. Yet it is unclear whether these changes reflect a corresponding shift in beliefs. In particular, widening inequality and changes to higher education may differentially alter the opportunities available to young adults across gender and socioeconomic status, potentially changing attitudes about entering adulthood. Using the General Social Survey's 2002 and 2012 waves, this paper explores beliefs about the importance and timing of six adult milestones, completing education, becoming financially independent, working full-time, living independently, getting married, and having children, across age, gender, and social class. We find that similarities in beliefs across gender and age groups persisted. In contrast, even though Americans from different social class backgrounds report similar beliefs about milestone importance, we continue to find social class differences in timing beliefs. Our findings highlight the continued need for institutional supports for disadvantaged youth moving towards adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to validate the Attention, Memory, and Frontal Abilities Screening Test (AMFAST), a novel, 10-minute, paper-and-pencil measure developed to identify attention, processing speed, memory, and executive functioning deficits in children and adults with various conditions characterized by frontal-subcortical dysfunction. We administered the AMFAST to 186 English-speaking healthy control participants (aged 8-88 years) without reported cognitive impairment. The AMFAST was also administered to a mixed clinical sample that included 114 English-speaking individuals (aged 8-84 years) who also received comprehensive neuropsychological testing. Results indicated that total AMFAST scores in the healthy control sample were not significantly affected by education or gender. There was, however, a significant effect of age, as the 8- to 10-year-old group scored significantly lower than other age groups. Thus, only participants 11+ years were included in further analyses. The AMFAST demonstrated high test–retest and interrater reliabilities, good construct validity, and the identified optimal cutoff score of 70 had excellent sensitivity and specificity for differentiating between cognitively intact and cognitively impaired individuals. These findings demonstrate that the AMFAST is a highly effective screening test that can be used to identify attention, memory, processing speed, and executive functioning deficits in individuals from middle childhood through older adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Binge drinking among young adults aged 18-21 years has declined over the past decade, but binge drinking rates among people 22-25 years old have remained largely the same. This steady trend in later years represents a departure from the traditional course of maturing out of risky alcohol use, perhaps because young adults are delaying the transition into adulthood. Aims: This paper explores the relationship between binge drinking and aspects of the transition into adulthood that could inform interventions targeting these two distinct groups of young adults. Methods: We use survey data on 1,081 young adults aged 18-25 living in 10 Indiana counties. Our dataset is unique because it contains both college-attending and non-college attending young adults. We ran weighted logistic regressions to determine the association between college enrollment, living situation, roles common in adulthood, and stressors common during the transition to adulthood (e.g., relationships, economic conditions, job stability) and binge drinking. Results: Our data indicate that different factors are associated with binge drinking based on whether subjects who are in the earlier (18-21 years old) or later (22-25 years old) years of young adulthood. For example, within the 18-21 years old group, college enrollment is associated with higher rates of binge drinking, but it is not associated with increased binge drinking in the older age group. The type of stress related to binge drinking also varies by age group. Conclusion: Our results emphasize the need to disaggregate "young adulthood" into two separate periods when defining target populations and settings for binge drinking interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]