Background: Breast and Gynecological cancers are a major public health problem. Smoking is associated with several chronic diseases including cancer. Other lifestyles of public health predispose many people to dyslipidemia, hypertension and obesity; risk factors for metabolic syndrome, and are associated with cancer. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to find if those who smoke, and have the metabolic syndrome, are more likely to have breast or gynecological cancers, and to find the distribution by education, having health insurance, race/ethnicity and socio-economic status. Methods: A case-control study of females aged 20 years and above who participated in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2010. Results: Females who have smoked more than hundred cigarettes in life and still smoke; a) have a 42 percent less chance of having a breast cancer diagnosis (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.36 – 0.93, p-value 0.025), and b) are 2.67 times as likely to report a cervical cancer diagnosis as females who have smoked less than hundred cigarettes in life (OR 2.67; 95% CI 1.72 – 4.13, p-value Conclusion: Smoking and metabolic syndrome are very important indicators of reproductive health and needs further study. Smoking cessation interventions should be an integral part of cervical cancer prevention programs especially targeted at younger females and females who live below the federal poverty level.

The mining industry is acknowledge to be a very stressful and demanding profession, driven by performance and intense working environments, hazardous working conditions and socially undesirable working hours. These factors could impact on the interaction between work and nonwork roles of employees. The objectives of this research were to investigate the prevalence of the different work-nonwork conflict scales and to determine the demographic differences of work-nonwork conflict in a sample of mining employees. A random sample of 245 mining employees was taken from a platinum mine in the Rustenburg area. A newly developed Work-nonwork Interference Scale of Koekemoer (2009), measuring the interference between work and other nonwork roles, was used as measuring instrument. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, Paired-sample t-tests, Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVAS) were used to analyse the data. Work-nonwork conflict was more prevalent than nonwork-work conflict. The results also indicated that work-family conflict is more prevalent than work-domestic conflict and work-religion conflict. However, work-domestic conflict was more prevalent than work-religion conflict. Statistically significant differences exist between demographic groups based on marital status and language regarding work-nonwork conflict. The results obtained indicated that African-speaking participants experienced higher levels of private-work conflict compared to Afrikaans and English-speaking participants. The results also revealed that participants who are not married experienced higher levels of private-work conflict than those who are married. Some recommendations made in this study included that the mining industry should focus on providing support in terms of available resources and effectively managed work-nonwork role conflicts. Recommendations for future research include larger sample sizes, administration of questionnaires to various occupational groups, investigation of positive interaction between work and other life roles as well as longitudinal and research designs. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Economists have studied the relationship between population growth and economic growth for a very long time and not found any clear relationships. Recently they have begun to focus on the factors of population growth such as fertility and mortality rates. From this line of study came the age-structure hypothesis. The age-structure hypothesis was founded on the evidence from Asia’s very successful demographic transition and many economists are now wondering whether Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will be able to repeat this feat. Hence, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the dependency ratio (a ratio between the dependents (ages 0-14 and 65+) and the number of workers (aged 15-64) in a population (Eastwood and Lipton, 2012)) and economic growth in SSA and search for evidence of a demographic dividend. Not many previous studies have been done focusing completely on SSA and this study therefore aims to shed some light on the subject. The investigation was done by a cross-sectional regression analysis using a sample of 26 sub-Saharan countries and secondary data from mostly the World Bank. The results show a significant relationship between both versions of the dependency ratio and economic growth but do not show evidence of a demographic dividend. Out of the two versions of the age-structure hypothesis, most support was found for the strong version. Furthermore, support was found for the conditional convergence theory and both savings per capita and the initial level of education were found significant. However, the results had problems with severe multicollinearity and it was concluded that the results were not entirely reliable and should not be depended upon.

Tiden människan spenderar på sin arbetsplats är en stor del av ens liv, därför är det fundamentalt för välbefinnandet att undersöka vilka faktorer som är avgörande för att du ska trivas där. Denna studie ämnade undersöka demografiska skillnader, exempelvis stora och mindre åldersskillnader mellan anställd och närmsta chef, detta ställde vi i relation till anställdas attityd till ledarskap och andra trivselfaktorer. Datainsamlingen bygger på en enkätundersökning konturerad utifrån utvalda frågor från två tidigare, redan väl beprövade mätinstrument. Resultaten indikerar att det fanns ett signifikant samband mellan Tiden anställd och chef har arbetat tillsammans och attityd till ledarskap. Det fanns även signifikanta skillnader mellan personer som jobbade inom den privata kontra offentliga sektorn i relation till upplevt socialt stöd. / The amount of time people spend on their workplace is a big part of their life. Therefore, it should be essential for further increasing of the wellbeing, to investigate and determine which factors indicates jobsatisfaction. The aim of this study was to investigate demographic differences, for example big and minor age differences between the employee and their closest manager. This was put in relation to the employee’s attitude towards the experienced leadership and other factors determining jobsatisfaction. The collection of data is extracted through a survey, constructed with selected questions from two already validated measuring instruments. The result from this study indicates a significant relation between the amount of time the employee and closest manager have worked together and attitudes the employee has towards leadership. Furthermore, it yielded significant result in regard to differences between people that worked in the private or public sector, when put in relation to the experienced social support.

Widespread species that occupy continents and oceanic islands provide an excellent opportunity to study evolutionary forces responsible for population divergence. Here, I use multilocus coalescent based population genetic and phylogenetic methods to infer the evolutionary history of the common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), a widespread Palearctic passerine species. My results showed strong population structure between Atlantic islands. However, the two European subspecies can be considered one panmictic population based on gene flow estimates. My investigation of effects of sampling on concatenated and Bayesian estimation of species tree (BEST) methods demonstrated that concatenation is more sensitive to sampling than BEST. Furthermore, concatenation can provide incorrect evolutionary relationships with high confidence when sample size is small. In conclusion, my results suggest European ancestry for the common chaffinch and Atlantic islands appear to have been colonized sequentially from north to south via Azores.

Widespread species that occupy continents and oceanic islands provide an excellent opportunity to study evolutionary forces responsible for population divergence. Here, I use multilocus coalescent based population genetic and phylogenetic methods to infer the evolutionary history of the common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), a widespread Palearctic passerine species. My results showed strong population structure between Atlantic islands. However, the two European subspecies can be considered one panmictic population based on gene flow estimates. My investigation of effects of sampling on concatenated and Bayesian estimation of species tree (BEST) methods demonstrated that concatenation is more sensitive to sampling than BEST. Furthermore, concatenation can provide incorrect evolutionary relationships with high confidence when sample size is small. In conclusion, my results suggest European ancestry for the common chaffinch and Atlantic islands appear to have been colonized sequentially from north to south via Azores.

The major problems that this study adressed were, the identification of which predictor variables account for a significant proportion of the variance in the criterion variable sexual satisfaction, as well as the group differences on the sexual satisfaction, marital satisfaction, locus of control, and self-esteem. In the current study, a sample which was composed of 200 married persons was investigated. Results revealed that, gender, education level, and interaction of these variables differentiated the groups on both the sexual satisfaction and marital satisfaction. However, only the main effect of education level differentiated the groups on the locus of control. Additionally, gender and education level differentiated the groups on the self-esteem. Marital satisfaction, locus of control, self-esteem, length of marriage, intercourse frequency and orgasm frequency significantly predicted the sexual satisfaction. Findings of the present study were discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

The purpose of the present study is twofold: First, to assess to what extent gender, age, body mass index, weight satisfaction, body satisfaction and coping styles predict disordered eating attitudes of Turkish university students. Second, to examine whether there is a significant difference between female and male university students&rsquo / expert preference in case of a weight problem and importance of significant other&rsquo / s opinion regarding their weight. Three instruments- Eating Attitudes Test, Coping Styles Inventory, and a Demographic Data Form were administered to 525 students from four (3 state, 1 private) universities of Ankara. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate how well emotion focused coping, problem focused coping, gender, age, body mass index, weight satisfaction and body satisfaction predicted the disordered eating attitudes of Turkish university students. A two way contingency table analysis was conducted to evaluate whether there was a significant difference between female and male university students regarding their expert preference in case of a weight problem, and whether there was a significant difference between female and male university students with respect to the importance of significant other&rsquo / s opinion regarding their weight. The variables found to be most predictive of disordered eating attitudes and entered the regression equation were weight satisfaction, gender, emotion focused coping, age, and body mass index. Of the five variables, weight satisfaction was strongly negatively related to disordered eating attitudes. Results indicated that proportions of female students preferring dietitian and fitness expert in case of a weight problem were nearly same, whereas male students prefered fitness expert, medical doctor and dietitian, respectively. Regarding the importance of significant other&rsquo / s opinion in relation to weight, there were no significant differences between two groups. Opposite sex friend&rsquo / s opinion in relation to weight was found to be the most important source for both female and male students.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1982. / Bibliography: leaves [267]-301. / Microfiche. / xxii, 301 leaves, bound ill. (some col.), maps 29 cm

Complementary and alternative medication (CAM) use during menopause is a growing public and women's health issue. The use of CAMs is increasing and evidence of CAM use in the general population suggests that women in the menopausal age range are more likely to use CAMs. In the context of menopause, preliminary research has indicated that women are using a number of CAMs to address symptoms. In a study of American women aged 45 to 65 years, 22% of women used CAMs during menopause, specifically herbal or naturopathic remedies (13%), relaxation techniques (9%) and dietary soy supplements (7%). Fourteen percent (14%) of women strongly agreed with the proposition that approaches such as nutrition and vitamins were better than hormones (Newton et al., 2002). The term 'menopause' is a concept of varying perceptions and perspectives. From the biological perspective, menopause is constant, however from the individual perspective, menopause is a unique experience shaped by cultural, emotional, psychological and physical characteristics. Symptoms commonly cited during menopause include hot flushes, night sweats palpitations, irregular menses and muscle and bone pain. The use of CAMs during menopause has the potential to address current symptoms and promote long term health and wellness. The reviewed literature indicated that while a preliminary understanding of CAM use during menopause is evident, further research is needed to clarify and contextualise current prevalence rates and types used. In addition, an understanding of the reasons and factors that influence women to use CAMs during this transition is crucial to understanding women's menopausal experience. This project aimed to explore the prevalence of CAM use during menopause and to identify the reasons that influence women to use these therapies during the transition. To address this question, a two phase study was designed to incorporate both quantitative and qualitative research methods. For Phase 1, a secondary data analysis was undertaken on a dataset that explored women's menopausal experiences and therapies used to address symptoms and for phase 2, focus groups were used to explore women's personal experiences and perceptions of CAM use during menopause. The secondary data analysis was undertaken on a population based sample of 886 women aged 47-67 years. Women were randomly selected from the electoral roll on the basis of gender, age and postcode, which were selected to ensure representation of urban and rural and varying socioeconomic status. From this analysis, the findings indicated that 80% of women used at least one type of CAM with therapeutic techniques (activities such as walking and swimming) the most commonly used (83.0%), followed by nutrition (66.8%), phytoestrogens (55.8%), herbal therapies (41.3%) and CAM medications (25.1%). Women who used CAMs were more likely to experience anxiety and vasomotor (hot flushes and night sweats) symptoms, have higher education levels, be low to middle income earners, be aged under 55 years, be previous users of hormone therapy (HT) and have participated in self breast examinations. CAM users were 40 to 90% less likely to be currently using HT or to smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day. The results of the secondary data analysis indicated the prevalence and factors associated with CAM use, however the factors that influence women to use CAMs during the menopause were unclear. A series of three focus groups and two telephone interviews were undertaken with a group of 15 women, who were current users of CAMs, aged 47-67 years and fluent in English. Women were recruited through an advertisement placed in a newsletter distributed by a large metropolitan hospital; a flyer displayed on noticeboards of libraries and shopping centres; and a media release through the local community newspaper and on a state wide radio station. Analysis of the transcripts indicated that a number of factors interact to influence a woman's decision to use CAMs. Influences included relationships with family, friends and health practitioners, effects of symptoms, information on CAMs and menopause, current menopause research, personal perceptions of health, wellness and effectiveness of CAM therapies to alleviate symptoms. Taken together, the results of the Phase 1 and 2 combined with the literature indicated that women were using multiple forms of CAMs. A post hoc analysis was undertaken and the CAM questions analysed in Phase 1 were critiqued within this new knowledge of CAM use. As a consequence, CAMs were redefined into four groups to enhance current understandings. After reclassification, the use of at least one CAM was 71.6%, with the most commonly used dietary phytoestrogens (60.0%), followed by dietary supplements (47.0%), herbal therapies (35.9%) and phytoestrogen supplements (33.0%). Sociodemographic, health and symptom characteristics were further profiled against the redefined categories of dietary phytoestrogens, dietary supplements, herbal therapies, phytoestrogen supplements and users of multiple CAMs. The consistency of associations varied according to the CAM category with no significant association present across all four CAM categories. This post hoc analysis clarified CAM categorisation and highlighted the high prevalence of women who were using multiple forms of CAMs. Additionally, multivariable analysis validated and confirmed the results of Phase 1 as similar profiles of a CAM user were found. This research has identified the prevalence of CAM use during menopause in Queensland women and has begun to elucidate the reasons that influence women to use these therapies during this transition. The utilisation of both quantitative and qualitative methods has provided a comprehensive and holistic depiction of women's use of CAMs during menopause. The results and conclusions drawn from this research have highlighted areas that need addressing within the research and health service domain. For future research, development of a comprehensive CAM survey instrument is required and clarification of the definition of CAMs is also needed. Multiple definitions are currently used to describe CAM use, creating confusion in classifying types of CAMs and comparing prevalence rates between studies. With regard to health service recommendations, there is a need for increased access to information on menopause and alternative therapies for women. Open, active and participatory relationships between health practitioners and menopausal women are essential and health practitioners need to be aware women are using a variety of CAMs during the menopause and are likely to continue to do so even if health practitioner support is not apparent.