Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Comparison Groups (comparison + groups)
Selected AbstractsConflict resolution and bully prevention: Skills for school successCONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2006Roberta A. Heydenberk In a two-year study, 673 elementary students participated in a bully prevention program that included seven training sessions introducing affective vocabulary, social and emotional literacy, and Conflict resolution skills. Treatment groups showed statistically significant gains on the Conflict resolution subscale of the standardized instrument employed. No gains were found in the comparison groups. A decrease in bullying and an increased sense of safety were indicated from student and staff questionnaire responses. [source] Conflict resolution and moral reasoningCONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2003Warren R. Heydenberk The effects of conflict resolution training on students' moral reasoning were examined in this five-year study. Inspired by pilot studies that found increased attachment, cooperation, and prosocial skills in treatment classrooms, the study was conducted with elementary students (ten treatment groups and eight comparison groups) in a low-income Philadelphia school and in two schools in a suburban low-income district. Treatment group teachers were trained in integrated conflict resolution strategies, and they were provided ongoing support to ensure classroom implementation of conflict resolution skills. Treatment group students demonstrated significant improvement in moral reasoning. [source] Patterns of precursor behaviors in the life span of a U.S. environmental terrorist groupCRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 3 2009Brent L. Smith Research Summary This article discusses the paucity of data available for assessing the "life span" of a terrorist group. It introduces a new methodology that allows researchers to examine when terrorist groups perform their preincident activities. The findings suggest that differences exist in the temporal patterns of terrorist groups: environmental terrorist groups engage in a relatively short planning cycle compared with right-wing and international terrorists. The article concludes by examining a case study on "the Family," which is a unique environmental terrorist group that conducted activities over a relatively long period of time. This group provides an interesting contrast to other environmental terrorists. Despite significant organizational differences, their patterns of preparatory conduct were highly similar. Policy Implications The findings suggest that (1) temporal and spatial data about preincident terrorist activity can be collected from unclassified and open sources and (2) law-enforcement agencies that are investigating environmental groups have relatively little time to observe and infiltrate their individual cells (compared with right-wing and international terrorists). Finally, the data suggest that environmental terrorists,at least so far,have engaged in attacks that are less deadly than the comparison groups. [source] Interpersonal problems and emotional intelligence in compulsive hoardingDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 9 2008Jessica R. Grisham Ph.D. Abstract There is some evidence that compulsive hoarding is associated with social impairment, which may contribute to poor functional outcomes among hoarding patients. In this study, individuals with compulsive hoarding (n = 30) were compared to nonhoarding anxious or depressed patients (n = 30) and nonclinical community participants (n = 30) with respect to clinical characteristics, interpersonal difficulties, and emotional intelligence. All participants were diagnosed using a semi-structured interview and completed self-report measures. Participants with compulsive hoarding endorsed more depression and schizotypal personality disorder symptoms than participants in both comparison groups. Hoarding participants also reported more interpersonal difficulties than community volunteers, but they did not differ significantly from nonhoarding participants with an anxiety or mood disorder. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that hoarding-related beliefs were marginally related to increased interpersonal problems over and above the effect of depression and anxiety. The groups did not differ significantly with respect to emotional intelligence. Depression and Anxiety. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The effect of thiazolidinediones on adiponectin serum level: a meta-analysisDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 5 2008N. Riera-Guardia Background and aims:, Adiponectin is a hormone mainly produced by white adipose tissue. Decreased levels of adiponectin are linked with visceral obesity, insulin resistance states, and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, several studies have pointed out an increase in adiponectin serum levels in subjects undergoing treatment with thiazolidinediones (TZD). The aim of this study is to systematically review the current state of evidence of the effect of TZD on adiponectin serum level with special attention to avoid publication bias. Materials and methods:, An extensive literature search was performed. Meta Analysis Version 2.0 computer program was used to calculate statistical differences in means and 95% confidence interval (CI). Publication bias was assessed using different statistical approaches. Results:, In the meta-analysis including 19 studies the overall standardized mean difference was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.81,1.06) which means that subjects treated with TZDs on average had means of adiponectin concentration that were about 1 standard deviation higher than the comparison groups even after controlling for possible biases. Conclusions:, The results obtained agree with a moderate increase of serum adiponectin. The results clearly reveal an increase of endogenous serum adiponectin levels by intake of TZDs and may point to a potential new option to manage obesity-related diseases. [source] Examination stress in Singapore primary schoolchildren: how compliance by subjects can impact on study resultsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2003G. Parker Objective: Examinations are anecdotally viewed as extremely stressful to Singapore schoolchildren. We test this postulate by obtaining parental ratings of children's emotional stress levels longitudinally in a large representative sample of sixth (P6) and fifth (P5) class primary schoolchildren, respectively, exposed and unexposed to a streaming examination. Method: Children's stress levels were rated monthly by a parent for 10 months. Results: Analyses failed to find evidence of any differential stress impact across P6 and P5 comparison groups, apart from a subset of P6 children whose parents complied with every monthly survey. Conclusion: The streaming examination in the final year of primary school did not emerge as a general stressor to children, but achieved salience within a defined subset of children whose parents were highly study compliant. Study compliance may be a proxy variable of some import, and have wider relevance to other cohort studies and to intervention trials. [source] What is the likelihood that Thoroughbred foals treated for septic arthritis will race?EQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 5 2004L. J. SMITH Summary Reasons for performing study: Septic arthritis is a serious problem in the neonate, with a poor prognosis being reported for recovery. The impact of neonatal septic arthritis on the likelihood that Thoroughbred (TB) foals will start on a racecourse is not known. Hypothesis: The development of septic arthritis in a TB foal significantly reduces the likelihood that it will race when compared to foals from the same dam. Methods: Medical records of 69 foals treated for septic arthritis were reviewed. The dam's foaling records were reviewed and lifetime racing records were then retrieved for both the affected foals and at least one of their siblings (controls). Outcomes that were statistically evaluated included discharge from the hospital and whether the foal eventually raced. Univariate analyses of categorical variables were conducted for each outcome. The number of affected and unaffected foals that raced at least once were compared using regression analysis. Survival analysis was used to compare age at first race between the study and comparison groups. Results: Foals with septic arthritis were less likely to start on a racecourse compared to controls (odds ratio [OR] 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12-0.62, P = 0.001), while those foals that were discharged from the hospital were also less likely to start on a racecourse compared to controls (OR 0.36; CI 0.15,0.83, P = 0.008). The presence of multisystem disease was associated with a decreased likelihood of surviving to be discharged (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.02-0.90; P = 0.005), but did not affect the likelihood that they would start in at least one race if discharged successfully (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.04-2.81; P = 0.34) compared to the other foals with septic arthritis. Log-rank comparison of survival curves confirmed that foals discharged following treatment for septic arthritis took significantly longer to start in their first race compared to the sibling population (mean age of study group 1757 days, CI 1604-1909; mean age of sibling group 1273 days, CI 1197-1349; P = 0.0006). Conclusions: The development of septic arthritis in a TB foal significantly reduces the likelihood that it will start on a racecourse when compared to controls. Potential relevance: Accurate figures allowing a realistic assessment of the athletic future of a foal following treatment for septic arthritis are of significance for both owner and treating veterinarian. [source] How can we increase the involvement of primary health care in the treatment of tobacco dependence?ADDICTION, Issue 3 2004A meta-analysis ABSTRACT Aims A systematic review of studies testing the effectiveness of educational and practice base strategies to increase the involvement of primary health-care practitioners in the treatment of tobacco dependence. Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library (1966,2001). Selection criteria included studies that used randomized or controlled clinical designs, controlled before and after trials and interrupted time-series designs and that presented objective and interpretable measures of practitioners' behaviour and biochemically verified patient quit rates. Review methods A meta-analysis, using a random effects model, of 24 programmes identified in 19 trials. Effect sizes were adjusted by inverse variance weights to control for studies' sample sizes. Findings Analyses to explain the heterogeneity of effect sizes found that interventions were equally effective in changing practitioners' screening and advice-giving rates and their patients' quit rates. Absolute increases for the intervention above the comparison groups were 15% (95% CI = 7,22) for screening rates, 13% (95% CI = 9,18) for advice-giving rates and 4.7% (95% CI = 2.5,6.9) for biochemically verified patient quit rates. Practitioners in training programmes were effective in changing their patients' quit rates but not their own screening rates; educational interventions were more effective than practice-based interventions. For established practitioners, programmes were effective in changing their screening and advice-giving rates, but not their patients' quit rates; a combination of practice-based and educational interventions were more effective. Conclusions Primary health-care practitioners can be engaged in the treatment of tobacco dependence to increase equally their screening and advice-giving rates and their patients' quit rates with outcomes of considerable public health and clinical significance. The provision of educational interventions for practitioners in training in combination with systematic outreach practice-based support for established practitioners is likely to be an effective strategy to increase smoking quit rates throughout primary health care. [source] Assessing program fidelity in substance abuse health services researchADDICTION, Issue 11s3 2000Robert G. Orwin This paper addresses how treatment fidelity and related constructs (e.g. program implementation) can be assessed in alcohol, drug abuse and mental health services research. First, it introduces definitions of fidelity and related concepts, and then describes various concepts and tools from program evaluation that have proven useful for assessing fidelity. Next, several of these are illustrated in detail through a case study of a multisite fidelity assessment in substance abuse services research: the process evaluation of the NIAAA Homeless Cooperative Agreement Program. This evaluation included analysis of implementation at the program- and participant-level, the development of scales from the individual services data to estimate intervention strength, fidelity, and "leakage" (i.e. the degree to which services intended exclusively for intervention groups were inadvertently delivered to comparison groups) and the methods with which these data were used to assess whether programs were implemented as planned. [source] Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Resident Fathering Programs: Are Family Life Educators Interested in Fathers?FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 3 2010Erin K. Holmes Using meta-analysis, we reviewed the effectiveness of resident fathering education programs. Our review identified 16 studies with over 200 reported effect sizes. Results revealed a significant overall effect size of d = .26, with specific significant outcomes ranging from d = .14 to d = .61. Studies with father-only reports produced significantly larger effects than multiple-reporter studies; studies with no-treatment control groups produced larger effects than studies with minimal-treatment comparison groups. A lack of long-term follow-up evaluation limited our ability to examine the strength of these effects over time. Although there is some reason for optimism, more fathering education program research is needed. Indeed, the dearth of work in this area may be the most important finding of this meta-analysis. [source] Meeting the Need for Personal Care among the Elderly: Does Medicaid Home Care Spending Matter?HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1p2 2008Peter Kemper Objective. To determine whether Medicaid home care spending reduces the proportion of the disabled elderly population who do not get help with personal care. Data Sources. Data on Medicaid home care spending per poor elderly person in each state is merged with data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey for 1992, 1996, and 2000. The sample (n=6,067) includes elderly persons living in the community who have at least one limitation in activities of daily living (ADLs). Study Design. Using a repeated cross-section analysis, the probability of not getting help with an ADL is estimated as a function of Medicaid home care spending, individual income, interactions between income and spending, and a set of individual characteristics. Because Medicaid home care spending is targeted at the low-income population, it is not expected to affect the population with higher incomes. We exploit this difference by using higher-income groups as comparison groups to assess whether unobserved state characteristics bias the estimates. Principal Findings. Among the low-income disabled elderly, the probability of not receiving help with an ADL limitation is about 10 percentage points lower in states in the top quartile of per capita Medicaid home care spending than in other states. No such association is observed in higher-income groups. These results are robust to a set of sensitivity analyses of the methods. Conclusion. These findings should reassure state and federal policymakers considering expanding Medicaid home care programs that they do deliver services to low-income people with long-term care needs and reduce the percent of those who are not getting help. [source] Magnetoencephalographic gamma power reduction in patients with schizophrenia during resting conditionHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 10 2009Lindsay Rutter Abstract Objective: The "default network" represents a baseline condition of brain function and is of interest in schizophrenia research because its component brain regions are believed to be aberrant in the disorder. We hypothesized that magnetoencephalographic (MEG) source localization analysis would reveal abnormal resting activity within particular frequency bands in schizophrenia. Experimental Design: Eyes-closed resting state MEG signals were collected for two comparison groups. Patients with schizophrenia (N = 38) were age-gender matched with healthy control subjects (N = 38), and with a group of unmedicated unaffected siblings of patients with schizophrenia (N = 38). To localize 3D-brain regional differences, synthetic aperture magnetometry was calculated across established frequency bands as follows: delta (0.9,4 Hz), theta (4,8 Hz), alpha (8,14 Hz), beta (14,30 Hz), gamma (30,80 Hz), and super-gamma (80,150 Hz). Principle Observations: Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly reduced activation in the gamma frequency band in the posterior region of the medial parietal cortex. As a group, unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients also showed significantly reduced activation in the gamma bandwidth across similar brain regions. Moreover, using the significant region for the patients and examining the gamma band power gave an odds ratio of 6:1 for reductions of two standard deviations from the mean. This suggests that the measure might be the basis of an intermediate phenotype. Conclusions: MEG resting state analysis adds to the evidence that schizophrenic patients experience this condition very differently than healthy controls. Whether this baseline difference relates to network abnormalities remains to be seen. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Health-related quality of life of youth with inflammatory bowel disease: A comparison with published data using the PedsQL 4.0 generic core scalesINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 6 2010Jennifer Hauser Kunz PhD Abstract Background: This study compared youth and parent-proxy reports of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to published comparison group data and examined concordance between youth and parent-proxy reports of HRQoL. Methods: One hundred thirty-six youth and parent-proxy reports on the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales were compared to published data from chronically ill, acutely ill, and healthy comparison groups using independent samples t -tests. Reporter agreement was examined using paired samples t -tests and intraclass correlations (ICCs). Results: Youth with IBD reported lower psychosocial functioning than the healthy comparison group, higher physical and social functioning than the chronically ill group, and lower school functioning than all published comparison groups. Parent-proxy reports of youth HRQoL were higher than the chronically ill group, but lower than the healthy group on all scales except psychosocial functioning. Youth with active IBD reported lower physical health domain scores than youth with inactive disease. Concordance between youth and parent-proxy reports was moderate, with the lowest agreement in school and social functioning. Conclusions: Youth with IBD and their parents rate HRQoL as lower than healthy youth but do not perceive the impact of IBD to be as limiting as in other chronic conditions. Youth report suggests that IBD may be particularly detrimental to HRQoL in the school functioning domain. Moderate agreement between parent and youth reports substantiates continued use of multiple informants in studies of pediatric HRQoL. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010 [source] Lack of evidence of the effectiveness of primary brachial plexus surgery for infants (under the age of two years) diagnosed with obstetric brachial plexus palsyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 4 2006Andrea Bialocerkowski PhD M App Sc (Physio) M App Sc (Physio) Grad Dip Public Health Abstract Background, Obstetric brachial plexus palsy, which occurs in 1,3 per 1000 live births, results from traction and/or compression of the brachial plexus in utero, during descent through the birth canal or during delivery. This results in a spectrum of injuries that range in extent of damage and severity and can lead to a lifelong impairment and functional difficulties associated with the use of the affected upper limb. Most infants diagnosed with obstetric brachial plexus palsy receive treatment, such as surgery to the brachial plexus, physiotherapy or occupational therapy, within the first months of life. However, there is controversy regarding the most effective form of management. This review follows on from our previous systematic review which investigated the effectiveness of primary conservative management in infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy. This systematic review focuses on the effects of primary surgery. Objectives, The objective of this review was to systematically assess and collate all available evidence on effectiveness of primary brachial plexus surgery for infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy. Search strategy, A systematic literature search was performed using 13 databases: TRIP, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Proquest 5000, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, Expanded Academic ASAP, Meditext, Science Direct, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Proquest Digital Dissertations, Open Archives Initiative Search Engine, the Australian Digital Thesis program. Those studies that were reported in English and published between July 1992 to June 2004 were included in this review. Selection criteria, Quantitative studies that investigated the effectiveness of primary brachial plexus surgery for infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy were eligible for inclusion into this review. This excluded studies where infants were solely managed conservatively or with pharmacological agents, or underwent surgery for the management of secondary deformities. Data collection and analysis, Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each study for inclusion into the review, the study design used and its methodological quality. Where any disagreement occurred, consensus was reached by discussion. Studies were also assessed for clinical homogeneity by considering populations, interventions and outcomes. Where heterogeneity was present, synthesis was undertaken in a narrative format. Results, Twenty-one studies were included in the review. Most were ranked low on the hierarchy of evidence (no randomised controlled trials were found), and most had only fair methodological quality. Surgical intervention was variable, as were the eligibility criteria for surgery, the timing of surgery and the outcome instruments used to evaluate the effect of surgery. Therefore, it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of primary brachial plexus surgery for infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy. Conclusions, Although there is a wealth of information regarding the outcome following primary brachial plexus surgery it was not possible to determine whether this treatment is effective in increasing functional recovery in infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy. Further research is required to develop standardised surgical criteria, and standardised outcome measures should be used at specific points in time during the recovery process to facilitate comparison between studies. Moreover, comparison groups are required to determine the relative effectiveness of surgery compared with other forms of management. [source] The Revised Kingston Standardized Cognitive AssessmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2004Robert W. Hopkins Abstract The original Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment (KSCA) was designed to assess cognitive functioning in the elderly with suspected organic brain damage (i.e. dementia). It was specifically designed to be a relatively quickly administered assessment tool available to mental health professionals who were not trained in specialized cognitive assessment techniques. It was introduced over a decade ago to bridge a gap between brief, narrowly focused rating scales, and intensive, expensive, full neuropsychological assessments. Recently, a revision of the KSCA was completed. This revision includes the addition of a word-list memory task with immediate recall, delayed recall and recognition formats, as well as new norms for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The updated norms reflect the abilities of higher-functioning (community-dwelling) patients. In order to facilitate the Revised KSCAs use we have developed a new scoring and analysis form as well as a more comprehensive scoring and administration manual. These changes have resulted in better detection of earlier Alzheimer's disease and use of comparison groups that reflect the changing referral base. The structure of the revised scale and updated normative data are described. An illustrative clinical case example is also provided. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Third-Person Effects and the Environment: Social Distance, Social Desirability, and Presumed BehaviorJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2005Jakob D. Jensen Previous research has documented third-person effects (persons presuming that others will be more susceptible to media effects than they themselves are) and explored moderators such as social desirability (the effect reverses when the media effects are undesirable) and social distance (the effect increases as the social distance from the self increases). In a study of environmental news coverage, the authors observed the general third-person effect and the moderating role of social desirability; however, they also found that social distance affected presumed influence in complex ways reflecting varying perceptions of issue relevance for the comparison groups. A new variable, presumed behavior (the presumed effect of media coverage on others' behavior), was found to be independent of presumed influence and to offer improved prediction of perceivers' behavioral intentions. [source] Does integrated trauma-informed substance abuse treatment increase treatment retention?JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 7 2007Hortensia Amaro This article presents findings from a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized group design study that explored whether trauma-enhanced substance abuse treatment results in longer residential treatment stays and improved outcomes compared with treatment-as-usual. We used a subsample (N = 461) of participants in the Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study, which was sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The intervention group was 31% less likely to discontinue treatment within 4 months. Baseline mental health and trauma symptoms and alcohol and drug severity scores predicted neither overall length of time in treatment nor differences in retention between intervention and comparison groups. Substance abuse and mental health symptoms improved with increased duration of treatment, particularly for women with more severe baseline symptoms. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 35: 845,862, 2007. [source] Financial Education and Counseling,Still Holding PromiseJOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2010J. MICHAEL COLLINS This article reviews the evaluation literature on financial education and counseling for adults in order to synthesize implications for research and practice. Most evaluations report positive impacts, but the findings are often small when compared with valid comparison groups. Many evaluations use self-reported measures, measure outcomes over short time periods and cannot rule out selection bias due to nonrandomized designs, all of which may bias results. Although future research and practice in this field hold promise, more attention to theory-based evaluations and further investment in randomized field experiments may be fruitful. [source] Obesity in adults with Down syndrome: a case,control studyJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 2 2005C. A. Melville Abstract Background Obesity has a negative impact upon mortality and morbidity. Studies report that obesity is more prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome than individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) not associated with Down syndrome. However, there have been no studies using a methodology of matched comparison groups and findings from previous studies are contradictory. Methods A detailed method was used to identify all adults with ID in Leicestershire. Individuals were invited to participate in a medical examination , that included measurement of their height and weight, from which body mass index (BMI) was calculated. For each person with Down syndrome, an individual matched for gender, age and accommodation type was identified, from the Leicestershire ID database. Results The data for 247 matched pairs is reported. Women with Down syndrome had lower mean height and weight, but greater mean BMI than the matched pairs. Men with Down syndrome had a lower mean height and weight but there was no statistical difference in BMI compared to the matched pairs. Using World Health Organization categories of BMI, women with Down syndrome were more likely to be overweight or obese than their matched pairs (odds ratio = 2.17). Men with Down syndrome were more likely to be in the overweight category than their matched pairs but were less likely to be obese (odds ratio = 0.85). Conclusions This study demonstrates that, compared to a matched sample, there is a greater prevalence of obesity amongst women with Down syndrome but not men. As the impact on the health of people with Down syndrome of being overweight or obese is uncertain, this is an area that requires further study. [source] Triangulation mobility of auto-theft offendersJOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND OFFENDER PROFILING, Issue 2 2007Kelly Westerberg Abstract This research paper presents an examination of the journey to and from crime for auto-theft offenders in the UK. For 852 offences, ,wheel' distances are calculated for triangles formed by offenders' home location, theft location, and vehicle disposal location. The study demonstrates typical isosceles mobility triangles; distances travelled to and from home locations are roughly equal, whereas distances between theft and disposal points were shorter. Distances travelled by offenders under 17 years old and offences involving drug and drink were shown to be shorter than comparison groups. Prolific offenders tend to travel further, although there is significant variation in this subgroup. Explanations and implications are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An Examination of Cross-Racial Comparability of Mother-Child Interaction Among African American and Anglo American FamiliesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 3 2001Leanne Whiteside-Mansell This study examined the cross-racial comparability of maternal quality of assistance and supportive presence coded from a video protocol using data from the Infant Health and Development Program for low-birth-weight, premature 30-month-olds and their mothers. Evidence of equivalence of measures is necessary before comparisons can be made across groups. Multiple-group mean and covariance structures analysis was used to demonstrate the invariance of the measures and make comparisons for Anglo American and African American treatment and comparison groups of dyads. Comparisons across groups indicated similar variances and correlation between child and maternal behavior. Differences were found between the mean scores, with Anglo American treatment families scoring the highest. [source] Enhancing students' understanding of the concept of chemical bonding by using activities provided on an interactive websiteJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 3 2009Marcel Frailich Abstract This study investigated the effectiveness of a web-based learning environment in enhancing 10th grade high-school students' understanding of the concept of chemical bonding. Two groups participated in this study: an experimental group (N,=,161) and a comparison one (N,=,93). The teachers in the experimental group were asked to implement four activities taken from a website, all dealing with the concept of chemical bonding. Computer-based visual models are utilized in all the activities in order to demonstrate bonding and the structure of matter, and are based on student-centered learning. The study incorporated both quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative research consisted of achievement questionnaires administered to both the experimental and comparison groups. In contrast, the qualitative research included observations and interviews of students and teachers. Importantly, we found that the experimental group outperformed the comparison group significantly, in the achievement post-test, which examines students' understanding of the concept of chemical bonding. These results led us to conclude that the web-based learning activities which integrated visualization tools with active and cooperative learning strategies provided students with opportunities to construct their knowledge regarding the concept of chemical bonding. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 289,310, 2009 [source] A Seven-Year Follow-Up Comparing Attendees and Nonattendees at a Statewide, School Employee Wellness ConferenceJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 4 2001Gay James PhD Associate Professor ABSTRACT: This study involved a follow-up assessment of the status of school employee wellness programs in the same matched comparison groups examined in 1992. In spring 1999, surveys were mailed to the 98 Texas school districts that sent employees to the statewide health promotion conference at least once during 1988,1991, and to the matched comparison group of 98 nonattendees during 1988,1991. Groups were matched on geographical regions, enrollment, and expenditure per pupil. Follow-up survey response rates were 59% for the attendee group and 54% for the nonattendee group. Although the follow-up survey results indicated no significant differences between groups, attendee group respondents reported offering more active employee wellness programs. [source] Posttraumatic stress disorder in rape victims: Autonomic habituation to auditory stimuliJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 2 2001Barbara Olasov Rothbaum Abstract Impaired capacity for physiological habituation may contribute to the persistence of PTSD. Habituation ofautonomic responses to auditory tones was examined in 43 women in three groups: 14 adult female rape survivors with chronic PTSD, 11 without PTSD, and a comparison group of 18 who had not been raped. There were no significant differences among the groups in baseline cardiac or electrodermal activity. The PTSD group showed significantly slower electrodermal habituation, as measured by trials to extinction and percentage of nonhabituators, than did the comparison groups. The present study found slower habituation of electrodermal responses for PTSD rape victims to neutral stimuli than for non-PTSD victims and nonvictims. [source] Treating Substance-Abusing Parents: A Study of the Pima County Family Drug Court ApproachJUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004JOSÉ B. ASHFORD ABSTRACT A geographical comparison-group design was used to examine the effectiveness of the Pima County (Arizona) Court Assisted Treatment Services (CATS) program and its drug court intervention. The study compared the summary statistics for the volunteers to the family drug court (n=33) with a treatment-refusal group (n=42) and a treatment-as-usual group (n=45) from a matched geographical area. The findings of this study indicate that the family drug court group had higher engagement and completion rates of residential treatment than was true of the other comparison groups. In addition, the volunteers to the family drug court group had fewer parental rights severed, a higher percentage of permanency decisions reached within one year, earlier permanency decisions, and a higher percentage of children placed with their parents. The implications of this study's findings for future evaluations of the components of a family drug court intervention are discussed. [source] Medical students' perceptions of racial diversity and gender equalityMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 7 2006May Lee Objectives, To assess attitudes of medical students toward issues of racial diversity and gender equality and to ascertain changes in these attitudes during the pre-clinical curriculum. Methods, Attitudes toward multiculturalism and gender equality were assessed using a 43-item questionnaire. The survey was completed by incoming Year 1 students in 2000 and 2001, and was completed again in 2002 by the students who had entered in 2000. Mean scores were analysed at baseline by gender, ethnic group and political affiliation using analysis of variance. The paired scores of the first and follow-up surveys of the 2000 entering class were compared using paired t -tests. Results, Upon entry into medical school, women, minority group students and Democrats scored significantly higher on the cultural sensitivity scale than their comparison groups. No significant changes were seen overall in the matched data. However, minority groups showed a significant increase in scores, while Republicans and white men experienced a non-significant decline. In addition, incoming students judged cultural competency education to be important. The perceived need to increase the numbers of minority group doctors varied by gender, ethnic group and political affiliation. Conclusions, Among incoming medical students, perceptions of racial diversity and gender equality vary along ethnic, gender and political lines. Additionally, pre-clinical education was associated with increased cultural sensitivity by minority group students, but not by others. These findings demonstrate the continuing need for diversity in medical school and for medical students to recognise and address their personal and group biases. [source] Facilitating professional identity in occupational therapy studentsOCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2003Moses N. Ikiugu PhD, OTR/L Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore how a graduate course in occupational therapy theory can help prepare students to develop a professional identity. Thirty students participated in the study. The course included content on the history of occupational therapy, models of practice and the social, philosophical, political and economic factors that impact on occupational therapy. The students were divided into groups of four or five where they discussed issues assigned by the instructor. An electronic blackboard was used to share the discussion with the class. Surveys of the students' opinions were used to collect data on what the students viewed as the strengths and weaknesses of the course. The students felt that the class discussions were the strongest part of the course. They felt that the course improved their critical thinking and problem solving significantly. It was concluded from the results that the course facilitated their professional identity through the connection made between theory and practice. There is a recognized need to explore the issue of developing a professional identity in occupational therapy students through courses integrating philosophical topics and clinical practice. Specifically, it is recommended that further research be carried out in educational settings with larger samples, using comparison groups and other methodologies to evaluate the issue of facilitating professional identity in occupational therapy students. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Bupropion in pregnancy and the prevalence of congenital malformations,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 5 2007J. Alexander Cole D.Sc. Abstract Purpose Reports from the GlaxoSmithKline Bupropion Pregnancy Registry suggested an increase in cardiovascular defects following exposure to bupropion during pregnancy. We conducted a study of congenital malformations among infants born to women exposed to bupropion during their first trimester. Methods The study used data from UnitedHealthcare between January 1995 and September 2004. We calculated the prevalence of all congenital malformations and cardiovascular malformations associated with bupropion exposure in the estimated first trimester (1213 infants), compared with (1) other antidepressant exposure in the first trimester (4743 infants) and (2) bupropion exposure outside the first trimester (1049 infants). Malformation cases were confirmed through medical record abstraction. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (AORs) using the GEE form of logistic regression. Results For all congenital malformations, the prevalence associated with bupropion first trimester was 23.1 per 1000 infants. The AORs were 0.95 (95%CI 0.62,1.45) and 1.00 (95%CI 0.57,1.73) in comparison to other antidepressants (prevalence 23.2 per 1000) and bupropion outside the first trimester (prevalence 21.9 per 1000), respectively. For cardiovascular malformations, the prevalence associated with bupropion first trimester was 10.7 per 1000 infants. The AORs were 0.97 (95%CI 0.52,1.80) and 1.07 (95%CI 0.48,2.40) in comparison to other antidepressants (prevalence 10.8 per 1000) and bupropion outside the first trimester (prevalence 9.5 per 1000), respectively. Conclusions Results do not support a hypothesis of a teratogenic effect of first trimester bupropion exposure. The prevalence of malformations associated with bupropion exposure in the first trimester was not increased relative to the comparison groups. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Implicit Motives of Terrorist Groups: How the Needs for Affiliation and Power Translate into Death and DestructionPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Allison G. Smith This study explored the dynamics of terrorism through a quantitative content analysis of documents issued by terrorist groups and nonterrorist comparison groups. Thirteen terrorist groups were matched with comparison groups that shared the same ideologies, and their documents were coded for ingroup affiliation, outgroup affiliation, and power motive imagery. As hypothesized, compared with nonterrorist groups, terrorist groups were significantly higher in ingroup affiliation motive imagery and significantly lower in outgroup affiliation motive imagery in the full sample of documents and in an indicator sample that included only terrorist groups' preterrorism documents. Terrorist groups were significantly higher than comparison groups in power motive imagery in the full sample and marginally significantly higher in power motive imagery in the indicator sample. These results highlight the important role that group dynamics play in terrorist groups. [source] Cancer incidence and mortality in aircraft maintenance workers,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2008Catherine D'Este PhD Abstract Background A cancer incidence and mortality study was conducted in response to health concerns raised by workers from F-111 aircraft deseal/reseal fuel tank maintenance programs, to determine whether personnel exposed to deseal/reseal had an excess of cancers and mortality. Methods Number of deaths and cancers for individuals involved in F-111 DSRS activities were matched against two Air Force comparison groups. Analyses were weighted to adjust for differences in age, exposure period and rank. Results Eight hundred seventy-three exposed, 7,577 comparison group one, and 9,408 comparison group two individuals were matched against death and cancer data, with 431 cancers and 431 deaths. Cancer incidence was higher in the exposed group, with marginally significant increases of 40,50% (cancer incidence rate ratio range 1.45,1.62). Exposed group mortality was significantly lower than both comparison groups, likely due to survivor bias in the exposed group (mortality rate ratio range 0.33,0.44). Conclusions On the balance of probabilities, there is an increased risk of cancer associated with participation in F-111 deseal/reseal activities. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:16,23, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||