Among the health disparities affecting the U.S. Hispanic population today are those relating to risky behaviors such as substance abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV/AIDS. However, few studies have examined how these conditions may impact this population. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the experiences that Hispanic women in South Florida have with regard to substance abuse, IPV and risks for HIV/AIDS, to describe how these conditions may be related, and to develop a model that can be used to guide research and interventions targeting this population. This dissertation uses data collected in Project DYVA (Drogas y Violencia en las Americas- Drugs and Violence in the Americas), a pilot research study that utilized both qualitative (Phase I) and quantitative (Phase II) research methods to describe the experiences of Hispanic women in South Florida between the ages of 18 and 60 with regard to substance abuse, violence and risky sexual behaviors. Three studies were conducted as part of this dissertation. The first study utilizes data collected during the qualitative phase of Project DYVA. During this phase eight focus groups were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis (N = 81). The second and third studies utilize data collected during the second phase of Project DYVA. In this phase cross-sectional questionnaires collecting information regarding demographics, acculturation, self-esteem, depression, substance abuse, IPV and risks for HIV, were administered to 82 Hispanic women. Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to explore the relationships between substance abuse, IPV and risk for HIV (study 2) and between resource availability, IPV and depression (study 3). The findings from this dissertation suggest that substance abuse, IPV and risk for HIV are closely related intersecting health issues. IPV, the condition that emerged as the most salient of the three, also appears to be closely associated with resource availability (i.e., self-esteem and income) and depression. Additional individual, cultural, relationship and socio-environmental factors that may play a significant role in shaping the experiences that Hispanic women have with regards to these intersecting conditions were also identified and organized into a model.

<p>A cross- sectional descriptive study using a self-administered close-ended questionnaire was conducted with pupils in standards four to seven (aged 10 &ndash / 17 years) in ten government primary schools in Meru District. The sample of 400 school pupils was obtained by a simple random sampling technique. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS (version 15) computer software and the results were presented in frequencies using simple percentages, tables and graphs. The Chi-square test was used to assess the significance where a p-value of &lt / 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In conclusion, Primary school pupils in Meru district engage in several risky sexual behaviors including substance use, sexual coercion, early sexual debut and engaging in various sexual practices. This calls for a more comprehensive approach in the fight against HIV among primary school children in Tanzania, which could include life skill training at an early age, behaviour change communication interventions, advocacy activities to influence policy formulation, condom promotion and incorporating key stakeholders in the rollout of school based HIV programmes such as parents, community leaders and faith-based organizations leaders.</p>

<p>The aim of the study was to explore the socio-cultural influences in decision making involving sexual behaviour among adolescents in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Cultural beliefs associated with adolescents&rsquo / decision to become sexually active were explored, as well as the social norms influences involved in adolescents&rsquo / sexual behaviour. The theoretical framework used for the study was Bronfenbrenner&rsquo / s ecological systems theory of development. The results indicated that adolescent pregnancy was perceived as unacceptable behaviour although found widespread in communities. Social influences such as peer influence, low socioeconomic status, alcohol use and lack of parental supervision were found to play a role in adolescents&rsquo / risky sexual behaviour. Cultural beliefs, cultural myths and social norms were identified as socio-cultural influences that endorsed issues such as gender disparities, which made adolescent mothers vulnerable. Findings from this study suggest that female adolescents are faced with sexual behaviour complexities.</p>

Drug abuse as well as risky sexual behaviours has been identified, globally as well as in South Africa, as social problems with dire consequences. Research suggests that crystal methamphetamine use leads to risky sexual behaviours such having unprotected sex, which can lead to unplanned pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections (STI's) including HIV infection. Adolescents as well as females have been identified as risk populations for both sexual risk behaviours and drug abuse. Furthermore, the Western Cape showed high rates of crystal methamphetamine addiction, especially in the under 20 age category, and the highest increase in the incidence of HIV infections in South Africa. This may be indicative of the magnitude of the problem of risky sexual behaviours in the context of crystal methamphetamine use in the Western Cape.

Actor-observer bias är tendensen där människan som aktörer tillskriver sitt beteende till yttre omständigheter medan observatörer tenderar till att tillskriva aktörens beteende till personliga faktorer. Syftet med denna studie var att få en klarare bild av hur människor i sin roll som aktör eller observatör attribuerar ett riskabelt bilkörningsbeteende. Deltagarna bestod av 101 svenska studenter från en högskola i Mellansverige varav 77 stycken var kvinnor och 24 stycken var män. Deltagarna fick svara på en enkät angående actor-observer bias och riskfullt bilkörningsbeteende. Resultaten visade att andras beteende förklaras mer av personliga egenskaper än då personen själv kör riskfullt medan yttre omständigheter inte gav skillnad för vare sig andra eller en själv. Betydelsen av detta och implikationer för framtida forskning diskuterades.

College students and emerging adults have been found to be at risk for smoking cigarettes, drinking to excess, using illicit drugs, driving dangerously, and engaging in risky sexual and delinquent behaviour. Psychosocial correlates (Sensation Seeking, peer behaviour, parent behaviour, and peer and parent anti-substance use messages) from three domains of influence (personality, parent, and peer) were examined together to provide a greater context for the occurrence of such health-risk behaviours. The strongest predictor(s) of each behaviour were identified to better inform intervention practices. Three groups were compared— 1) those who never tried substances, 2) those who tried substances in the past, and 3) those who continue to use substances at present, in a population of emerging adults. Self-report data was gathered from 203 Collèges d'Enseignement Général Et Professionnel (CEGEP) students in the Montreal region. Measures included: Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire, Reckless Driving Measure, Health Behaviour Survey, Sensation Seeking Scale—Form V, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Results revealed that peer behaviour was the most significant predictor of substance use in emerging adults, whereas parent behaviour was only a significant predictor of reckless driving. Sensation Seeking, specifically Disinhibition, was found to predict more global reckless behaviours, including illegal activities, such as stealing or using marijuana (p < .01). Neither peer nor parent anti-substance messages were significantly related to any of the health-risk behaviours measured in this study. It would appear that health-risk behaviours tend to be related to the same underlying factors but to varying degrees. Intervention implications are discussed.

College students and emerging adults have been found to be at risk for smoking cigarettes, drinking to excess, using illicit drugs, driving dangerously, and engaging in risky sexual and delinquent behaviour. Psychosocial correlates (Sensation Seeking, peer behaviour, parent behaviour, and peer and parent anti-substance use messages) from three domains of influence (personality, parent, and peer) were examined together to provide a greater context for the occurrence of such health-risk behaviours. The strongest predictor(s) of each behaviour were identified to better inform intervention practices. Three groups were compared— 1) those who never tried substances, 2) those who tried substances in the past, and 3) those who continue to use substances at present, in a population of emerging adults. Self-report data was gathered from 203 Collèges d'Enseignement Général Et Professionnel (CEGEP) students in the Montreal region. Measures included: Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire, Reckless Driving Measure, Health Behaviour Survey, Sensation Seeking Scale—Form V, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Results revealed that peer behaviour was the most significant predictor of substance use in emerging adults, whereas parent behaviour was only a significant predictor of reckless driving. Sensation Seeking, specifically Disinhibition, was found to predict more global reckless behaviours, including illegal activities, such as stealing or using marijuana (p < .01). Neither peer nor parent anti-substance messages were significantly related to any of the health-risk behaviours measured in this study. It would appear that health-risk behaviours tend to be related to the same underlying factors but to varying degrees. Intervention implications are discussed.

This research paper focuses on whether Taiwan's 13 financial holding companies (excluding Waterland Financial Holdings) belongs to the bank's capital management efficiency, using a narrow definition of capital. First, do a preliminary analysis of the capital of the banks first, second, and three types of capital. Secondly, the use of supplementary items in the balance sheet, profit and loss account and balance-sheet and some of the information into the banking book assets and liabilities of the banking book and trading book assets, trading book liabilities, risk assets and market value-added and other programs in order to do all kinds of bank trend analysis of assets and liabilities and capital management. Finally, I would investigate whether the high capital adequacy ratio that their performance is better? The provisions of the Basel ¢º want to improve the bank's risk management capability, however, and set out the statutory capital requirements of the Bank help to keep the emphasis on risk management?

Traditional college students are members of an age bracket noted for high levels of risky behavior, and research has shown that certain risky behaviors, such as disordered eating and problematic alcohol use, are particularly common among undergraduates. It is well established that certain events in the learning history predispose vulnerable persons to engage in maladaptive risky behaviors. What is less clear is why some persons facing these events go on to develop maladaptive behavior while others do not, or why people facing similar events develop different varieties of maladaptive behaviors. Current research has focused extensively on risk factors that are common across dysregulated behaviors (e.g., affect dysregulation, impulsivity, etc.); however, few studies have yet explored which risk factors differentiate risk for different maladaptive behaviors. Likely, certain mediating factors, such as beliefs about one's capability to tolerate the aversive aspects of a specific behavior, may differentiate groups at-risk for engaging in different maladaptive behaviors. Being able to determine specific risk factors for maladaptive behaviors would have obvious predictive value for targeted prevention and intervention efforts. Nevertheless, current research in the fields of risky behavior has relatively neglected the exploration of these specific risk factors, leading to theoretical, measurement, and application gaps in the literatures surrounding these problematic areas. This study aspires to address some of those gaps, by extending the construct of acquired capability (i.e., the role of exposure and habituation to certain events in the learning history that predict the development of the ability to engage in risky behaviors despite emotional or physical discomfort) from the field of self-harm to other risky behaviors. Acquired capability as a differentially-specific risk factor has been widely validated in the field of self-harm, but has been relatively unexplored in the fields of disordered eating and problematic alcohol. As such, this study aims to develop a measure of acquired capability for disordered eating and problematic alcohol use, then validate this measure by exploring associations between acquired capability-enhancing events in the learning history, acquired capability-related beliefs, and actual risk behaviors, over and above the contributions of other common risk factors (e.g., affect dysregulation, sensation seeking) in a sample of female college undergraduates.

Young adults' risk-taking attitudes, risk perception, and knowledge of road laws and signs influence their driving behaviors. The adoption of risky driving behaviors increases young adults' risk of motor vehicle crashes. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of the factors that lead to increased risks of MVC-related mortality and morbidity for young adults in Belize, to provide support for the development of evidence-based programs, and, more importantly, to investigate the relationships involving young adults' risk-taking attitudes, risk perception, and knowledge of road laws and signs and their relation to driving behaviors. The Precaution Adoption Process Model provided the theoretical foundation for this study and was used as the framework to investigate the variables of interest. This study used a nonexperimental, cross-sectional research design to examine the relationships between the latent variables. A convenience sample of 532 students enrolled at the University of Belize participated in this study. Data were collected through the completion of the Driving Behavior Survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the strength and direction of relationships among these latent variables and provide a better understanding of the relationships among these latent variables. The study found that the majority of students were in the final stages of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and were exhibiting the safest behaviors. However, the risk-taking attitudes significantly contributed to the manifestation of risky driving behavior and to a lesser extent so did risk perception. The study's findings suggest that interventions should focus on lowering young adults' risk-taking attitudes and raising risk perception to reduce risky driving behaviors.