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The purpose of this study is a descriptive one concerning some facets of the family setting with emphasis directed to several general questions. What is the basic family structure, i.e., what family characteristics (type of family or subfamily and the relationship to the head of the family or subfamily) characterize the aged? What is the level of family income of the aged? Finally, how do answers to these questions vary with respect to the three basic social traits of race, age, and sex?

Student Number : 9904331V - MA research report - School of Social Sciences - Faculty of Humanities / The sexual behavioural choices made by adolescents is a salient issue in South Africa. The practice of risky sexual behaviour puts one at risk of unwanted pregnancy, STI and HIV infection. These behaviours affect one not only physically but mentally as well. Adolescence is a “turbulent” time in ones life and risky sexual behaviour makes this period all the more difficult and could result in disastrous consequences. This is due to the fact that sexual health and sexual practices of adolescents has implications for morbidity and mortality rates in South Africa. In order to address the issue of risky sexual behavioural choices made by adolescents, this study has examined the effect of family characteristics on adolescent sexual behavioural choices. The 1998 South African Demographic and Health Survey data was used. The data set was a nationally representative data set with a probability sample of 12000 women aged 15-49 taking part in it. Analysis for this study was based on 2373 female adolescent respondents aged 15-19. The association between individual and family background characteristics and risky sexual behavioural choices was examined. Crucial variables were extracted and fitted to logistic regression models. The study found that 47% of the female adolescents were sexually active. Of these, only 15% used a condom at the last sexual encounter despite the fact that 78% had a high degree of knowledge concerning HIV and condom use. South African adolescents are thus engaging in risky sexual behaviour. The family household structures in which adolescents reside was found to be associated with risky sexual behavioural choices. Sexual activity is strongly associated with socioeconomic status of the family. Condom use and HIV & contraceptive (condom) knowledge was found to be less strongly associated with the socio-economic (financial) status of the family but rather the social processes and relationships within the family are speculated to have a greater effect. The need for a more in-depth analysis with reference to family processes and relationships is recommended in order to properly understand the familial effect on sexual behavioural choices. The findings from this study have implications for reproductive health and reproductive rights policies. Appropriate national strategies are needed to reduce risky sexual practices and thus ensure lower morbidity and mortality among South African youth.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1990. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-87).

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate, using a longitudinal design, the possible long-term effects of adolescent family background, school performance and substance use on educational performance, psychiatric disorders and substance use related problems during adulthood. A large, prospectively collected general population birth cohort (n = 11017), the Northern Finland 1966 Birth cohort, was used as study population. The database provided information on features of the primary family. The information on the cohort members' school performance, smoking, alcohol use and other substance use was obtained from a questionnaire mailed to the cohort members in 1980. Also information on school performance in various school subjects was obtained at the end of compulsory schooling at the age of 16. The level of education by the age of 31 was gathered from the national Registry of Educational Statistics in Finland. The relevant data for drunk driving offences were collected from the Ministry of Justice files. The Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was used to identify all hospital-treated psychiatric patients. Parental divorce increased the risk of adult educational underachievement. Other family background factors such as unwanted pregnancy, low maternal education and large family size were also associated with low adult educational performance. A history of drunk driving offences was associated both with impaired school performance in adolescence and with educational underachievement in early adulthood. Adolescent regular alcohol use, smoking and other substance use increased the risk for drunk driving offences and hospital-treated substance use disorders in adulthood. The smoking rate among psychiatric patients was about 1.5 times higher than among control subjects without psychiatric hospital treatment. The proportion of smokers was about 50% among subjects with schizophrenia. The initiation age of regular smoking was closely related to the age of onset of schizophrenia, but not to other mental disorders. Among schizophrenia patients the increased likelihood of smoking was associated with paternal smoking in the family environment, but not with any other background factors. Low overall mean scores and low combined mathematical and natural science scores at the end of compulsory school were associated with adult regular smoking among schizophrenia patients. This study gives new information on risk factors that affect educational attainment, substance use related problems and psychiatric morbidity within the developmental pathway from adolescence to adulthood.

<p><p><p>Breastfeeding has several advantages for both mother and child. A woman’s attitude to breastfeeding is a good predictor for infant feeding method and her confidence in breastfeeding has an impact on her breastfeeding duration. <strong>Aim</strong>:The aim of the study was to assess the attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding among Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City. The aim was also to investigate if the type of family, nuclear and extended, influences the Vietnamese women’s attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding. <strong>Method:</strong> A descriptive and comparative cross-section study with quantitative method was used. The Self-Care Theory and The Cultural Care Diversity and Universality Theory were used as theoretical framework of this study. A questionnaire which consisted of demographic information, attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding, was distributed to 110 voluntarily participating women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. <strong>Results</strong>: The results showed that the women had an attitude in favour of breastfeeding and rated their confidence between "sometimes confident" and "often confident". No significant differences of total score, between nuclear and extended family, in attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding were shown. <strong>Conclusion</strong>: The attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding among the women in Ho Chi Minh City were rather good but improvements can be made. When healthcare professionals counsel Vietnamese women, in Sweden and Vietnam, about breastfeeding, this result can be used as guidance, in order to give relevant and cultural congruent advice.</p></p></p>

Breastfeeding has several advantages for both mother and child. A woman’s attitude to breastfeeding is a good predictor for infant feeding method and her confidence in breastfeeding has an impact on her breastfeeding duration. Aim:The aim of the study was to assess the attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding among Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City. The aim was also to investigate if the type of family, nuclear and extended, influences the Vietnamese women’s attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding. Method: A descriptive and comparative cross-section study with quantitative method was used. The Self-Care Theory and The Cultural Care Diversity and Universality Theory were used as theoretical framework of this study. A questionnaire which consisted of demographic information, attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding, was distributed to 110 voluntarily participating women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Results: The results showed that the women had an attitude in favour of breastfeeding and rated their confidence between "sometimes confident" and "often confident". No significant differences of total score, between nuclear and extended family, in attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding were shown. Conclusion: The attitude to and confidence in breastfeeding among the women in Ho Chi Minh City were rather good but improvements can be made. When healthcare professionals counsel Vietnamese women, in Sweden and Vietnam, about breastfeeding, this result can be used as guidance, in order to give relevant and cultural congruent advice.

To study the differences in levels of alexithymia, depresion, anxiety and socioeconomic status between a sample of adolescents diagnosed with ICD-10 Persistent Somatoform Pain Disorder N=120 and healthy adolescents controls N=240, and further to survey the method of family conflicts resolution in the somatizing adolescents.Using the Toronto alexithymia scale and Hospital anxiety and Depresion scale and questionary to the subjects and their parents to assess each family's SES and method of conflict resolution. The rate of alexithymia in somatizing adolescents was 69,2percent, which was significantly higher than inhealthy controls(22,9percent, p<o.001). Similarly the rate of anxiety was significantly higher in the somatizers(61,6percent) versus controls(23,3percent, p<0.0010.The method of conflict resolution in the families of somatizing adolescents was more often by quarreling or fighting(6,7percent), silence or not solving the problem at all(44,1percent), and rarely by discussion(17,6percent).

Over 12% of households were food insecure in Canada in 2011. Despite recognition of this problem, there remains no targeted public policy to address it. To inform interventions, examined in this thesis were how changes in financial resources related to changes in severity of food insecurity, the needs of food insecure households, and the effectiveness of current interventions. Studies 1, 2, 4, and 5 utilized data from a sample of 485 low income families living in high poverty neighbourhoods in Toronto, and Study 3 used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2009-2011. In Study 1, the sensitivity of severity of food insecurity to changes in employment and income was observed. In Study 2, it was found that severity of food insecurity was associated with increasing probability of experiencing hardships in other domains such as delayed bill payments and giving up household services. The relationship between food insecurity and obesity among women was examined in Study 3, and it was shown that diagnoses of mood disorder partially explained the association. Patterns of association also varied by family status and severity of experiences. In Studies 4 and 5, use and non-use of current interventions focused on alleviating hunger (i.e. food banks) and improving healthy food access in communities (i.e. community gardens, Good Food Box) were examined among food insecure families. There was a low prevalence of use of all types of programs. Programs were not used because programs were not accessible or were not viewed as appropriate supports to meet needs. Taken together, findings suggest that interventions focused on potential manifestations and consequences of food insecurity are misplaced, and reinforce the urgent need for interventions to alleviate the financial insufficiency and insecurity that underpins food insecurity.

Thesis--University of Oklahoma. / Includes bibliographical references.