OBJETIVOS: Avaliar associações prospectivas dos transtornos de humor e da religiosidade com o risco de suicídio em adultos jovens provenientes da população geral. MÉTODO: Coorte prospectiva de base populacional. Adultos jovens (18-24 anos) foram recrutados e acompanhados em média cinco anos depois. Risco de suicídio, transtornos de humor e de ansiedade foram avaliados usando o Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Transtornos por uso de substâncias foram avaliados utilizando o Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. A religiosidade foi avaliada na linha de base e agrupada de acordo com a afiliação religiosa e de acordo com a freqüência de participação. RESULTADOS: A amostra incluiu 1560 adultos jovens na linha de base, com 1244 reavaliados no seguimento (80,6%). Os episódios depressivos, tanto atuais como prévios, tiveram um impacto significativo no risco de suicídio. Os episódios maníacos prévios, no entanto, foram associados com uma menor consistência a um risco de suicídio. Nenhuma associação da religiosidade com o risco de suicídio foi encontrada nas duas etapas da pesquisa. Este resultado permaneceu na análise em todas as afiliações religiosas, mesmo quando subdivididas de acordo com a freqüência de participação. CONCLUSÕES: Os episódios depressivos têm um robusto efeito prospectivo, independente, sobre o risco de suicídio. O efeito dos episódios maníacos, por outro lado, foi dependente da análise e merece uma melhor investigação. Embora existam evidências prévias sugerindo um papel protetor da religiosidade sobre o risco de suicídio, essas não foram confirmadas nessa amostra específica de adultos jovens. / OBJECTIVES: To assess the prospective associations of mood disorders, religiosity and suicidality in a community sample of young adults. METHODS: Prospective population-based cohort study. Young adults (18-24 years old) were recruited and followed-up five years later. Suicidality, mood and anxiety disorders were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Substance use disorders were assessed using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. Religiosity were assessed at baseline and grouped according to religious affiliation and according to attendance frequency. RESULTS: The sample included 1560 young adults at baseline, with 1244 reassessed at follow-up (80.6%). Depressive episodes, both current and past had a significant impact on suicidality. Previous manic episodes, however, were less consistently associated with suicidality. No association of religiosity with suicidality was found in the two waves of the research. This effect is maintained in all religious affiliations, even when subdivided the analysis according to the frequency of attendance in religious service. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive episodes have an independent and robust effect on prospective suicidality. The effect of manic episodes, on the other hand, was dependent on the analysis and deserves further exploration. Although there is prior general evidence suggesting a protective role of religiosity on suicidality, these were not confirmed in this specific sample of young adults.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-05-22T13:16:31Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Disssertação - Daniel Fernandes de Oliveira - 2011.pdf: 3990956 bytes, checksum: 286d3c24e4b095d3d7675a8a15af09f8 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-05-22T13:42:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Disssertação - Daniel Fernandes de Oliveira - 2011.pdf: 3990956 bytes, checksum: 286d3c24e4b095d3d7675a8a15af09f8 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-22T13:42:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Disssertação - Daniel Fernandes de Oliveira - 2011.pdf: 3990956 bytes, checksum: 286d3c24e4b095d3d7675a8a15af09f8 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-18 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in several countries, being more prevalent in women younger than 25 years of age. The prevalence of HPV genotypes in women with and without cervical abnormalities may vary according to the population or region studied. HPV 16 is the most commonly type, both in women with cytological abnormalities and women with normal cytological outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between HPV infection and the detection of cytological abnormalities in young female university students. Two hundred female university students aged 17 – 25 years from Goiânia and other cities were included. Cervical specimens were screened for cytological abnormalities by conventional cytology and tested for 37 HPV genotypes by PGMY09/11 PCR, followed by reverse hybridization in a strip with type-specific probes. HPV infection was detected in 47% (94/200) of cases. Infections with high-risk HPV types were more prevalent (77.7%; 73/94) than low-risk HPV types (22.3%; 21/94). HPV prevalence was 70.6% (12/17) among students with abnormal cytology and 45.1% (80/179) in students whit normal cervical cytology. Both in cases of normal and abnormal cytology, HPV 16 was the most common type. Analysis showed there was statistical significantly association between infection with any HPV type and the detection of cytological abnormalities (OR = 3.0; 95% CI 1.0–8.8). Therefore, there was no significantly association between positivity for high-risk HPV types and an abnormal cytological result (OR = 2.1; 95% IC 0.8–5.8). These data suggest that, in the population study, the risk of cervical abnormalities is higher in HPV positive cases. / A infecção do trato genital pelo papilomavírus humano (HPV) é considerada a infecção sexualmente transmissível (IST) mais comum em diversos países, sendo mais prevalente em mulheres com idade inferior a 25 anos. A prevalência dos genótipos do HPV em mulheres com ou sem anormalidades citológicas pode variar de acordo com a população e a região estudada. O HPV 16 é o tipo mais comumente detectado tanto em mulheres com anormalidades citológicas, como em mulheres com resultado citológico normal. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a associação entre a infecção pelo HPV e a detecção de anormalidades citológicas em jovens estudantes universitárias. Foram incluídas 200 estudantes universitárias de 17 – 25 anos de Goiânia e outros municípios do Estado de Goiás. As amostras foram analisadas quanto à presença de anormalidades citológicas pelo método convencional e testadas para 37 genótipos de HPV por reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) com os iniciadores PGMY09/11, seguida de hibridização reversa em tiras contendo sondas tipo-específicas. A infecção pelo HPV foi detectada em 47% (94/200) dos casos. Infecções por tipos de HPV de alto risco foram mais freqüentes (77,7%; 73/94) do que por HPV de baixo risco (22,3%; 21/94). A prevalência de infecções pelo HPV foi de 70,6% (12/17) em mulheres com anormalidades citológicas e de 45,1% (80/179) em estudantes com citologia normal. Considerando os casos com e sem anormalidades citológicas, o HPV 16 foi o tipo mais prevalente. A análise mostrou associação estatisticamente significativa entre a infecção por qualquer tipo de HPV e a detecção de anormalidades citológicas (OR = 3,0; 95% CI 1,0–8,8). Entretanto, não houve associação significativa entre infecções por tipos de HPV de alto risco e o resultado citológico anormal (OR = 2,1; 95% IC 0,8–5,8). Estes dados sugerem que, na população analisada, o risco de desenvolvimento de anormalidades citológicas é maior nos casos positivos para infecção pelo HPV.

Objetivos: Este trabalhado teve como objetivo avaliar a relação entre características de personalidade e adesão ao tratamento antirretroviral em pacientes jovens adultos (18 a 32 anos) portadores do HIV. Metodologia: A adesão ao tratamento foi avaliada pelo \"Cuestionario para la Evaluación de la Adhesión al Tratamiento Antirretrovial (CEAT) e as características de personalidade foram avaliadas pela Bateria Fatorial de Personalidade (BFP). Resultados: A amostra foi composta por 51 pacientes e a análise dos dados sugere que o fator de personalidade associado a adesão ao tratamento é Realização. Este fator também surge como preditor independente para adesão ao tratamento. Discussão: Tais resultados reforçam a necessidade de inclusão destes aspectos na avaliação integral realizada pela equipe de saúde ao paciente jovem portador do vírus HIV. Os dados também reforçam a importância do profissional da área de psicologia como parte da equipe visto que, com o acompanhamento psicológico, é possível ajustar e modificar tais características, desenvolvendo estratégias de atendimento mais eficazes / Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the relation between personality characteristics and adherence to treatment in HIV-positive young adult patients (18 to 32 years old). Methods: The adherence to treatment was evaluated by the \"Cuestionario para la Evaluación de la Adhesión al Tratamiento Antirretrovial\" (CEAT) and the personality characteristics were evaluated by \"Factorial Battery of Personality\" (FBP). Results: The sample consisted of 51 patients and the analysis of data suggests that the personality factor associated with adherence is Conscientiousness. This factor was found to be independently associated with good adherence to treatment. Discussion: These results reinforce the need to include these aspects in the general evaluation by the health team. The data also reinforces the importance of a psychologist as part of the team. It is possible to adjust and modify personality characteristics through counseling, delivering a more effective care by improving adherence to treatment

Youth unemployment is an increasing burden on societies around the world. This prospective, register-based cohort study examined the relationship between unemployment and sickness absence, disability pension, death and future unemployment among youth in Sweden. A comparison was also made between immigrants and native Swedes. Another aim was to see if Active Labour Market Programs (ALMPs) and attained education moderated the outcomes. The baseline year was 1992, a year of severe economic downturn. The follow-up period was from 1993 to 2007, divided into three 5-year periods. The study group of 199,623 individuals comprised all immigrants born between 1968 and 1972 who immigrated before 1990 (25,607) and a random sample of native Swedes in the same age range (174,016). Individuals with unemployment benefit in 1990-1991, disability pension in 1990-1992 or severe disorders leading to hospitalization in 1990-1992 were excluded in order to minimize selection bias. Those who were unemployed in 1992 had elevated risk, measured as odds ratios, of ≥60 days of sickness absence, disability pension, ≥100 days of unemployment and all, except native Swedish women, had elevated risk of death during follow-up. The risk of future unemployment declined until the last follow-up period, while the elevated risk of future sickness absence was about the same in all three follow-up periods. Higher level of education at baseline decreased the risk of future unemployment. Individuals participating in ALMPs had an increased risk of future unemployment, and immigrant women had an increased risk of sickness absence, compared to non-participating individuals. Attained education between 1993 and 1997 decreased the risk of future unemployment and decreased the risk of sickness absence among immigrants. The risk of both future unemployment and future sickness absence increased with the length of unemployment in 1992. Immigrants had higher risk of unemployment both at baseline and follow-up compared with native Swedes, but followed the pattern of native Swedes when unemployed. The conclusion are that exposure to unemployment are associated with elevated risk of future unemployment, sickness absence, disability pension and death fifteen years after exposure. To a society this will mean substantial costs in the form of increased welfare payments and loss of productivity and tax income. Selection to unemployment by individuals already sick, may explain part of the association between unemployment and the studied outcomes.

There is limited knowledge on the sexual health behaviors of young adults with physical disabilities, as people with disabilities have traditionally been treated homogenously without acknowledgement of the potential differences between disability types. The objective of this study was twofold. The first goal was to take a novel approach by guidance of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework to compare how young adults with physical disabilities compare against those without physical disabilities in: 1) vaginal sexual activity, 2) condom usage, and 3) the effect of SDOH factors as potential mediators in predicting unprotected vaginal sex. Relatedly, the second goal was to investigate whether there was a difference in condom usage based on disability type criteria, specifically examining membership into the following impairment groups: physical disability, chronic health conditions, vision impairments, hearing impairments, and stuttering/stammering problems. This study employed secondary data analysis based on data from the National Longitudinal Adolescent to Adult Health Survey (ADD Health) – Wave III, in-home interview, public-use dataset. The variables used for the SDOH proxies were job status, student status, housing type, level of education, mentor status, cohabitation status, and health insurance status. Additionally, other social and demographic factors were also accounted in the model: age, race/ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Results from bivariate regression suggest that only those young adults with visual impairments and those with stuttering/stammering issues are less likely to engage in sexual activity when compared to their healthy counterparts. Regarding condom usage among sexually active individuals, those with physical disabilities, chronic health conditions, and hearing impairments may be less likely to use protection than their counterparts. However, further investigation revealed that the associations between condom usage and those disability type groups are mediated by 1 of the 7 measures of SDOH (cohabitation status) and three demographic factors – gender, race, and age. Hence, it is not the disability type that reduces safe sex practices compliance, but rather that those disability groups are associated to social and demographic factors that are, in turn, linked to unsafe sex practices. Furthermore, it appears that irrespective of disability membership, gender, age, race, and cohabitation status are all associated with condom use compliance. Findings advocate for a supplementary investigation of the relative contributions of the particular social factors that mediate the effect between disability status and condom usage.

In the prison society of Circadia, the Jury doesn’t need chains or locks to keep citizens tame, only routine—but Valerie and Brennan break the routine. Valerie allows a hospital patient who hurt her in the past to die from cardiac arrest. Her twelve-year term will be reset if anyone finds out she didn’t try to save him; she’ll start over in the dangerous Twelfth Circle. With 455 days left in Circadia, she must lie not only to the authorities but also to her family. And she’s a terrible liar. Most conversations halt near Brennan, the Warden’s son, but even he catches the whispers after a police officer attempts to escape from Circadia. When Brennan learns that his mother and a Juror are rigging the officer’s public trial, they give him a choice: side with the Circadians and lose his safety, or side with the Jury and lose his self-respect. Structured in chapters that alternate between Valerie and Brennan, this novel—influenced by George Orwell, Suzanne Collins, and Michel Foucault—suggests that the best prison makes you comfortable. It makes you want to stay.

Postmodernism affects views and lifestyles, which in turn determine how an individual fulfils his roles, meets his needs, and grows and adjusts in his different systems. The nature of this impact on the social functioning of young adults from an ecological systems perspective is relevant for the social work profession and to social work practitioners working with young adults. Discovering more about this impact therefore formed the rationale for this study. In this study, the mixed methods research approach was utilised seeing that it comprises both a qualitative and a quantitative component which, when mixed, provided a comprehensive analysis of the research problem. Young adults’ experiences and views of postmodern society could be considered as phenomena in the ‘real world’ which necessitated a qualitative approach to this study. In order to claim scientific accuracy, the impact had to be quantified. This implied measurement within a quantitative approach in order to produce precise and generalisable statistical findings. The researcher started the empirical study with the qualitative approach. In this manner, rich data could be obtained to assist in the compilation of suitable questions to construct a questionnaire. Sequential timing, within the exploratory mixed methods design, with the qualitative data collected and analysed first, followed by the quantitative data, therefore allowed for the one dataset to build upon the other. Mixing the datasets by means of an exploratory mixed methods research design provided a better understanding of the problem than if either dataset had been used alone. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the data and promote the measurement of the impact of postmodernism. From the conclusions it is apparent that global issues observed in the macrosystem affect all the ecological systems and impact the social functioning of the young adult. The reciprocal impact of people and environmental systems on the social functioning of young adults within a postmodern paradigm was evident in this research. Personal experiences were highly valued, as well as a tendency towards ‘own authority’. Postmodernism affects views and lifestyles, which in turn affects the young adult’s performance of roles and his interactions within all his different social systems. A strong attachment to family and home, as well as the importance of roles as sons/daughters were found. It was found that young adults focus on ‘the self’ and on own needs and satisfactions, with contrasting views on the significance of formal structures, image and consumerism, (electronic) communication and interaction, diversity and personal future. Views regarding an uncertain future and personal roles evolve and change constantly, depending on social and economic factors. An increase in a need for spirituality in postmodern times was found. The contemporary young adult between the ages of 18 and 25 years explores and experiments in terms of identity and lifestyle. Thinking, questioning, feeling and a strong focus on ‘self’ characterise this young adult. Views and values seem to be person-specific and based on emotions and experiences. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / hb2013 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The main objective of this study was aimed at determining whether young urban consumers' choice of interior soft furnishings is based on extrinsic characteristics with the intention of gaining social acceptance and conveying positive attributes to others. It is argued that, when consumers buy products, they in fact purchase the total product that includes everything that adds value to a seller's offering. As such, consumers may use extrinsic and\or intrinsic variables to conclude the most suitable purchase decision in terms of the outlet and brand of product. Intrinsics refer to the tangible, core characteristics of the product, such as the raw materials it consists of and are usually easy to imitate. Extrinsics on the other hand, are used and even manipulated to make products more appealing to a specific target group in a crowded market place and include differentiating features such as packaging. Since the research was focused on describing and understanding, qualitative methods were used for data collection. Focus group discussions, projective techniques and product comparison tests were included for the purpose of triangulation. Participants were allowed to respond spontaneously to various tasks and intrinsic features were accommodated to objectively reflect on the collective influence of both intrinsic as well as extrinsic variables and whether extrinsic characteristics dominate choice or not. Intrinsic characteristics were found to seldom form the basis of differentiation and extrinsic characteristics seem to playa determining role in young urban consumers' choice and use of soft furnishings such as towels and sheets. The evidence suggests that several retailers have succeeded in not only value engineering their product offerings to satisfy buyers' and users' minimum requirements for expected extrinsic attributes, but that they have also succeeded in augmenting their offerings through the addition of further extrinsic benefits. The findings strongly suggest the use of potential extrinsic attributes such as brand names, especially retail brands, to differentiate products. The evidence however also suggests that the outcome of past purchase decisions can alter perspectives of these attributes and that the acquisition of consumption related knowledge is a lifelong learning process. A conclusion drawn from the data collected, is that retailers have succeeded in creating store images that reflect the relationship between consumers and reference groups to which they (want to) belong. These findings underpin the importance of social acceptance and the relevance of the social dimension of brands. The relevance of the mental dimension of brands is supported by evidence that suggests that a relationship between the young urban consumer's self-image and the image of a specific outlet of soft furnishings is likely to occur. The findings coincide with the symbolic interactionist perspective that human society demands and depends on symbolic life. It appears as if interior products are purchased from certain outlets to serve as symbols to define/ represent realities, initiate responses, provide cues and organize behaviour in terms of what is considered appropriate. The study shed some light on young urban consumer's approach to the choice of interior soft furnishings, which could be extended to other product categories and consumer groups for use by the marketing sector in terms of consumer facilitation as well as the evaluation and development of marketing strategies. / Dissertation (MSc (Interior Merchandise Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the treatment and portrayal of children in science fiction utopian literature and determine whether this effectively indicated the writers’ feminist visions for social change. A feminist theoretical perspective and critical interpretation of several of the genre’s canon, Sheri Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country, Suzy McKee Chamas’s Motherlines, Sally Miller Gearhart’s The Wanderground, Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed and Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis series, were used as research methodologies. The findings revealed that children communicate feminist prescriptions for change in three ways: children as the literal, biological future, the link between two opposing societies, or the explanation for the difficult philosophies and structural elements of the societies. As this subject has been an unexplored area of criticism, it is recommended that critics begin to examine this treatment of children to more easily understand the writers’ social visions and effect their blueprints for change.

Bariatric, or weight loss, surgery (WLS) is known as the most effective treatment for severe obesity, and the number of bariatric surgeries performed in the United States has more than tripled over the past two decades. Despite the potential health benefits of WLS (i.e., reversal of type 2 diabetes), research has revealed problematic alcohol use among WLS patients, in part associated with the following risk factors: the prevalence of a lifetime alcohol use disorder (AUD), the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) procedure, younger age, and an increased post-surgical sensitivity to alcohol. There is reason to believe both (a) young adult and (b) racial/ethnic minority bariatric surgery patients could be particularly prone to problematic drinking post-surgery, as both demographic groups represent an elevated risk of problematic alcohol use in the general population. Despite this, to date, there has been no in-depth assessment of alcohol use among young adult WLS patients. This dissertation utilized a sequential exploratory mixed methods design to examine alcohol use among young adult, racially/ethnically diverse WLS patients. Descriptive and inferential analyses examined alcohol use patterns and predictors of problematic alcohol use for 69 young adults who had WLS. Nearly one quarter of the sample (24.6%, n=17) reported an increase in alcohol use after WLS. Age, time since surgery, the RYGB procedure, and having a pre-operative alcohol use disorder (AUD) when entered into the model together, were not a predictive model of frequency of alcohol use or problematic alcohol use after WLS (F [4, 64] = 2.3, p=.067). However, the diagnosis of a pre-operative AUD was associated with an increased frequency of alcohol use post WLS, holding all other predictors constant (p