The current research uses mail survey methodology to measure Indiana residents’ perceived optimism that emergent science and technologies will be beneficial to them and their families. A structured questionnaire was developed specifically for use in this study. After field-testing, the questionnaire was mailed to 4,500 Indiana households through a stratified random sampling design. Up to three contacts were made with subjects, resulting in receipt of usable responses from 1,003 households, or a 26% response rate.

The aim of this study was to explore school learners’ perceptions of the factors that influence methamphetamine use in Manenberg. To meet this aim, three objectives were proposed namely, to explore school learners’ knowledge and understandings of methamphetamine use / to explore school learners’ perceptions of methamphetamine and its uses and / to explore school learners’ perceptions of the factors that influence methamphetamine use. Methamphetamine use amongst adolescents has become an increasing concern internationally and globally, with Cape Town’s level of methamphetamine users being substantially higher compared to other parts of South Africa. The study was thus important as it firstly, permitted the understanding of adolescents’ knowledge of methamphetamine and its uses in a lower socioeconomic status community, secondly, permitted the understanding of adolescents perceptions of the contributing factors of meth use, and thirdly, by knowing and understanding their viewpoints, key focus areas were recommended for intervention and prevention programs in an attempt to decrease the high drug rate in South Africa.

<p>Since the early 1980&rsquo / s when the first case of HIV was diagnosed, AIDS remains a serious and threatening health crisis in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic having 67 % of the 33 million people infected with HIV globally in 2007. Young people aged 15-24&nbsp / account for an estimated 45% of all new HIV infections worldwide. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes on HIV/AIDS and sexual&nbsp / behavior among 15-19 year olds in Kenya. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 96 students randomly selected from five public&nbsp / schools in Ngong sub-district. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was conducted using Epi Info 3.3 and SPSS. The main findings indicate that a third&nbsp / (31/96) of respondents were sexually experienced. Knowledge level was however found to be inadequate (below 60 %) indicating a poorly informed sample on knowledge about HIV transmission and prevention. The study showed poor attitudes towards the risk to HIV as only 40 % of both males and females supported the use of condoms even when the sexual partners know each other well. Inaddition, risky sexual behaviors were reported by sexually&nbsp / &nbsp / experienced respondents where condom use in last sexual intercourse was (57 %) among males and (20 %) among females.</p>

The aim of this study was to explore school learners’ perceptions of the factors that influence methamphetamine use in Manenberg. To meet this aim, three objectives were proposed namely, to explore school learners’ knowledge and understandings of methamphetamine use / to explore school learners’ perceptions of methamphetamine and its uses and / to explore school learners’ perceptions of the factors that influence methamphetamine use. Methamphetamine use amongst adolescents has become an increasing concern internationally and globally, with Cape Town’s level of methamphetamine users being substantially higher compared to other parts of South Africa. The study was thus important as it firstly, permitted the understanding of adolescents’ knowledge of methamphetamine and its uses in a lower socioeconomic status community, secondly, permitted the understanding of adolescents perceptions of the contributing factors of meth use, and thirdly, by knowing and understanding their viewpoints, key focus areas were recommended for intervention and prevention programs in an attempt to decrease the high drug rate in South Africa.

<p>Since the early 1980&rsquo / s when the first case of HIV was diagnosed, AIDS remains a serious and threatening health crisis in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic having 67 % of the 33 million people infected with HIV globally in 2007. Young people aged 15-24&nbsp / account for an estimated 45% of all new HIV infections worldwide. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes on HIV/AIDS and sexual&nbsp / behavior among 15-19 year olds in Kenya. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 96 students randomly selected from five public&nbsp / schools in Ngong sub-district. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was conducted using Epi Info 3.3 and SPSS. The main findings indicate that a third&nbsp / (31/96) of respondents were sexually experienced. Knowledge level was however found to be inadequate (below 60 %) indicating a poorly informed sample on knowledge about HIV transmission and prevention. The study showed poor attitudes towards the risk to HIV as only 40 % of both males and females supported the use of condoms even when the sexual partners know each other well. Inaddition, risky sexual behaviors were reported by sexually&nbsp / &nbsp / experienced respondents where condom use in last sexual intercourse was (57 %) among males and (20 %) among females.</p>

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2008. / Title from screen (viewed on July 7, 2008). School of Social Work, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Carolyn J. Black, Margaret E. Adamek, Khadija Khaja, Phyllis N. Stern. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-205).

Introduction and Background: Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) are infectious diseases, primarily of childhood, which cause significant mortality and morbidity globally. These infections are, however, vaccine preventable and there is potential for them to be eradicated worldwide through the strategic use of organised population immunisation programmes. Following the introduction of the MMR vaccination in the UK in 1988, uptake was initially good and a high level of population vaccination coverage was achieved. This was sustained until 1998 when a study by Dr Wakefield and colleagues was published in the Lancet suggesting the theoretical possibility of an association between MMR and Autism/bowel disease. Intense media coverage followed, uptake of MMR vaccine fell to less than 80% in Somerset, and community outbreaks of measles, which had almost been eliminated in the UK, began to reappear. The Wakefield study was subsequently discredited and was eventually retracted by the Lancet in 2010. In August 2008 the Chief Medical Officer announced a national MMR catch-up campaign, targeting all children between the age of 13 months and 18 years who had either not been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, or had only partial immunisation. These children were invited again for vaccination and the campaign was completed in January 2009. This study was undertaken to explore, in depth, the quantitative data available in respect of the uptake of MMR at the time of the 2009 campaign, and also to provide new qualitative data in relation to the attitudes, beliefs and experience of MMR and immunisation services of parents who continued to decline MMR for their children after the 2009 campaign, in order to identify factors which affected parental decision-making, add to the wider knowledge base, and to use this knowledge to improve the future development of immunisation services in Somerset. Methods: The overall objective of the study was to investigate a number of social, demographic and geographic characteristics of parents and children associated with MMR uptake, to compare these characteristics within and between defined sub-sets of the Somerset population, and to explore the basis on which parents in Somerset make decisions in relation to MMR immunisation. The study design adopted was a ‘mixed methods’ approach comprising of a cross-sectional design with three sequential phases - an exploration of baseline epidemiological data; a survey conducted with parents of children who remained unimmunised after 2009; and finally, semi-structured interviews with a sub-set of these parents. Results: The key findings from the study are: Parents who decline MMR for their children are not a homogenous group, but consist of a number of sub-groups each of which have different motives, decision pathways and predicted outcomes in relation to potential to change their mind and accept MMR There are differences in geographic distribution between the two age groups investigated Whilst the ‘Wakefield’ study did, and still does have, an impact, it is not the only or most important factor in their continuing decision-making. There is evidence that health professionals have a key role in addressing parental concerns in respect of immunisation. GP practice was the most significant factor associated with uptake in the Phase 1 study, and this was further confirmed in interviews with parents. Parents make decisions through engagement, through communicating and relating to others and this offers a potential mechanism for health professionals to influence decisions through open engagement with parents. Discussion and Conclusions: Three parent sub-groups were identified (Single Vaccines; Medical Comorbidities and Natural Health). These sub-groups were further investigated and factors associated with the decision-making pathways of each group were identified. This resulted in the development of the ‘MMR Parent Engagement Framework’ as a tool for use by professionals in planning their interactions with parents to improve and encourage more open dialogue in order to positively influence parental decision-making in relation to accepting MMR or other vaccinations. From a commissioning perspective, embedding frameworks such as this in service specifications offers a more cost-effective approach to improving immunisation uptake than funding large, poorly targeted catch-up campaigns. It is therefore recommended that further research is undertaken to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the approach in practice, and to inform future commissioning decisions. Additional recommendations to improve the effectiveness and delivery of immunisation services are also made in respect of GP Practice specific factors, independent schools, ethnic minority communities, vaccine overload, media, and data validation. The study has already directly influenced changes in current practice at both a local and a national level.

Depuis longtemps, le sentiment d’insécurité suscite l’intérêt des chercheurs en sciences sociales. En milieu carcéral, ce phénomène est encore peu étudié. Les différentes études arrivent à des résultats incohérents par rapport aux facteurs reliés au sentiment d’insécurité des détenus. Les différentes façons de conceptualiser et de mesurer ce phénomène apparaissent souvent comme une des causes de l’incohérence des résultats obtenus. La présente étude a comme objectif général d’approfondir les connaissances sur le sentiment d’insécurité des incarcérés et présente les objectifs spécifiques suivants: (1) dresser un portrait quantitatif du sentiment d'insécurité en tenant compte de ses dimensions affective, cognitive et comportementale; (2) estimer le taux de victimisation dans les pénitenciers canadiens du Québec; (3) analyser les facteurs reliés aux différentes dimensions du sentiment d'insécurité; (4) analyser l’interrelation entre les différentes dimensions du sentiment d’insécurité. Afin d’atteindre ces objectifs, les données recueillies auprès de 293 détenus de dix pénitenciers québécois ont été analysées. Des analyses descriptives ont été utilisées pour documenter le sentiment d’insécurité des détenus en tenant compte de différentes dimensions. Des analyses bi variées et multi variées ont permis d'identifier les facteurs individuels et contextuels en relation significative avec les différentes dimensions du sentiment d’insécurité. Des modèles de régression hiérarchisée ont permis d’analyser l’interrelation entre les différentes dimensions du sentiment d’insécurité, en tenant compte de l’influence de facteurs individuels et contextuels. Les résultats ont révélé un niveau d’insécurité peu élevé et variable parmi la population carcérale et aussi que les différentes dimensions du sentiment d’insécurité étaient affectées par différents facteurs et qu'elles étaient partiellement inter reliées. / For a long time, the feeling of safety has been a subject matter of interest to social scientists. Applied in prisons, this phenomenon is not much studied. Different studies have come to inconsistent results with respect to factors related to insecurity. The different ways of conceptualizing and measuring this phenomenon often appear as a cause of the inconsistency of the results. The present study aims to deepen general knowledge about the insecurity sentiment and present the following specific objectives: (1) provide a quantitative picture of the feeling of safety, taking into account its emotional, cognitive and behavioral dimensions; (2) estimate the victimization rate in Canadian penitentiaries in Quebec; (3) analyse the different factors that are related to the different dimensions of feeling of safety; (4) analyse the interrelation between the different dimensions of the feeling of safety. To achieve these objectives, data from 293 inmates held in ten Quebec prisons were analyzed. Descriptive analyses were used to document the insecurity of prisoners taking into account various dimensions. Bivariate and multivariate analyses have permitted to identify the individual and contextual factors that are significantly associated with the different dimensions of insecurity. Hierarchical regression models were used to verify the interrelation between the different dimensions of feeling of safety, taking into account the influence of other factors. The results showed a level of insecurity that is low and variable among the prison population, and also that the different dimensions of insecurity were affected by various factors and were partially interconnected.