Since housing choice and strategy are the result of both an individual’s financial capability in a particular life stage, as well as overall political-economic circumstances, the study of housing behavior has been used to emphasize processes of urban development and social change. However, housing behavior in the Chinese context has not attracted much research attention. Although many studies have been done on various topics surrounding China’s housing reform, only several quantitative studies have touched upon the topic of individual housing behavior. All of the existing literature is based on statistics before 1998 when work-unit housing distribution was officially repealed. This thesis offers an update of qualitative information on how young white-collar workers approach homeownership after 1998. Ten young homeowners from Beijing, together with some practitioners in the housing market and two governmental officials were interviewed. Based on the information offered by the interviewees, this thesis examines how state policies, market situations, family structure, and special characteristics of Beijing as a capital city impact the housing choices and strategies of young homeowners.

An effective population health approach to cancer prevention for young adults requires an informed understanding of cancer-relevant factors for this distinct population. Such factors include the social context, modifiable health behaviours and intrapersonal factors which influence those behaviours. It is also necessary to understand how this population seeks out and uses health information. This descriptive study was carried out through an online questionnaire delivered to a sample of 484 university students in Nova Scotia aged 17 to 29. The study revealed that most students reported good health behaviours, students new to Nova Scotia reported better health behaviours, and while health was a priority, cancer was not. Students also described how intrapersonal factors and their broader social context influenced health behaviours. The results will advance a contemporary depiction of young adult health essential for developing tailored cancer prevention and health promotion strategies.

The classroom is a space in which students can participate in both academic and social experiences. Perceptions of school held by students with learning disabilities (LD) may be different than those held by their peers. Researchers suggest that students with LD may experience a sense of being different and isolated from their peers because of their learning differences (Alexander-Passe, 2008; Lackaye & Margalit, 2006). Defining LD is a complex and contested process. However, the lack of a universal definition can contribute to misconceptions about LD. Moreover, this lack of a universal definition makes it challenging for teachers, both new and experienced, to fully understand how to work with students who have LD. Students who have been identified as having a learning disability are sometimes removed from their regular classroom for designated periods of time every day and are placed in a special education setting such as a resource room where they receive explicit instruction to help develop their reading and decoding abilities (Nugent, 2008). Thus, this location difference adds to the differences in educational experiences students with LD can encounter. This qualitative research describes the perceptions of three young adults (aged 18–21) with learning disabilities (YALD) about their educational experiences in elementary and secondary school. Data were collected through two face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of the data was conducted. The findings are reported both individually to allow unique stories to emerge and collectively to highlight similar themes discussed by all three participants. Furthermore, the analysis identified academic, social, and interconnection of academic and social experiences from the participants’ discussions. The participants did not think that they were disabled in learning; rather they understood it as they simply learned differently than their non-LD peers. The lack of understanding about LD from teachers and peers, especially in elementary school, was a predominant theme that emerged. The participants suggested that teachers should get to know the individual rather than identifying characteristics of exceptionalities in order to help teachers better understand and work with students with LD. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-08-14 14:42:37.904

Like adolescents, young adults are at risk of initiating tobacco use and escalating to daily use and tobacco dependence. However, not every young adult who uses cigarettes intermittently becomes tobacco dependent, and the time-course of those who transition to daily use varies widely. Individual differences likely contribute to the variability observed in patterns of tobacco use. This dissertation uses a multi-modal research approach to examine dimensions of impulsivity and alcohol use that are associated with vulnerability for escalation of cigarette smoking, and whether alcohol’s effects on behavioral disinhibition impact cigarette consumption. Study 1 investigated the associations between dimensions of trait impulsivity, alcohol use, and smoking behavior in a cross-sectional sample of young adults who varied in frequency of cigarette smoking. Study 2 expanded on the results of Study 1 by examining the separate and combined effects of impulsivity and alcohol use on escalation of tobacco use in a longitudinal study of young adults in their first three years of college to determine whether alcohol use and dimensions of impulsivity influenced trajectories of smoking behavior, and whether alcohol use and behavioral impulsivity changed across time as a function of tobacco use trajectories. Study 3 utilized a randomized, within-subject, placebo controlled design to examine whether alcohol-induced impairments in behavioral inhibition mediated the relationship between acute alcohol administration and ad-libitum cigarette consumption. Results from studies 1 and 2 indicated that alcohol use was associated with smoking frequency, and that dimensions of impulsivity (i.e. sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, and urgency) differentiated smoking groups. Study 3 found that acute alcohol increased smoking behavior, but alcohol impairment of inhibitory control did not mediate the relationship between alcohol and smoking consumption. Taken together, the results of these studies demonstrate that alcohol use and impulsivity play a significant role in tobacco use escalation, though more research is needed to determine the mechanism(s) that drive alcohol-induced increases in cigarette consumption.

Young adults in Sweden have grown up with dental care free of charge until the age of twenty. Their self-perceived oral health has been reported as being good, but rapid changes in society have led to a weaker economic situation for many young adults, which may influence their dental attendance and priorities concerning oral health and oral health care. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the views of young adults on dental care, oral health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). The thesis is based on four scientific papers which all apply a qualitative approach. In Paper I, the views of young adults on dental care were explored. Paper II investigated the views of young adults on their oral health and OHRQoL. In Paper III, measures of OHRQoL were described and analysed from a public health perspective, and in Paper IV, the views of young adults on the relevance of three measures of OHRQoL were explored. In Paper I, II, and IV, data collection was performed through qualitative interviews. The selection of informants was strategic with reference to age (21-29 years), sex and education. For Paper III, a literature search for OHRQoL measures was made in the PubMed database. The data in Paper I was analysed in accordance with the constant comparative method (inspired by Grounded Theory), and in Papers II, III and IV, qualitative content analysis was used. The results showed that young adults were satisfied with the dental care that they had received but reported specific views and demands on dental care (Paper I). They perceived their oral health as good, but an array of oral health problems was described (Paper II). The young adults’ perceived control of their OHRQoL depended on their future prospects of oral health, in relation to their perceptions of their past and present oral health. In Paper III, the search for measures of OHRQoL in the PubMed database generated 22 measures. The measures were analysed with regard to their theoretical framework and in relation to four principles of health promotion. Some elements of public health principles were found in all the measures, but most of them originated in disease-oriented theories. The occurrence of oral problems was reflected in young adults’ views on the measures of OHRQoL (Paper IV). The analysed measures were deemed to have both advantages and disadvantages but to be fairly equal. The conclusions are that young adults’ OHRQoL was dependent on their earlier experiences of dental care and their former and present oral health, as well as their future prospects regarding oral health. Elements of public health principles were present to a varying degree in all the measures of OHRQoL. Young adults regarded the frequently used measures of OHRQoL as being equal. The measures were mainly disease-oriented and no specific measures had been developed for young adults. / Unga vuxna i Sverige har vuxit upp med fri tandvård till och med det år de fyller 19 år och de upplever ofta en god munhälsa. Snabba samhällsförändringar har bl a medfört sämre ekonomi för många unga och detta kan ha påverkat deras tandvårdsbesök och deras prioriteringar vad gäller tandvård. Det övergripande syftet med avhandlingen var att utforska unga vuxnas syn på tandvården, deras munhälsa och munhälsorelaterade livskvalitet (OHRQoL). Avhandlingen baseras på fyra studier. I Studie I undersöktes unga vuxnas syn på tandvården. Studie II undersökte och beskrev unga vuxnas syn på sin munhälsa och OHRQoL. I Studie III beskrevs och analyserades mätinstrument för OHRQoL ur ett folkhälsoperspektiv och i Studie IV beskrevs hur unga vuxna ser på tre mätinstrument för OHRQoL. I Studie I, Studie II och Studie IV samlades data in genom kvalitativa intervjuer. Urvalet var strategiskt i förhållande till ålder (21-29 år), kön (hälften kvinnor) och utbildning (gymnasienivå/mer). De flesta deltagarna i studierna besökte tandvården regelbundet. I Studie III gjordes sökningar i databasen PubMed för att finna mätinstrument för OHRQoL.  Data i Studie I analyserades genom komparativ metod som är inspirerad av ”Grounded Theory”. I Studie II, Studie III och Studie IV genomfördes dataanalysen med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultaten visade att unga vuxna var nöjda med den tandvård de erhållit men att de hade speciella önskemål och krav på denna (Studie I). Unga vuxna beskrev sin munhälsa som god men angav trots det en mängd olika munhälsoproblem. Deras upplevda kontroll över sin OHRQoL var relaterad till deras syn på sin framtida munhälsa i relation till tidigare erfarenheter av tandvården och synen på sin egen munhälsa (Studie II). I Studie III genererade datasökningen 22 mätinstrument för OHRQoL. Mätinstrumenten analyserades utifrån deras teoretiska utgångspunkter och i relation till fyra principer för folkhälsoarbete (empowerment, medinflytande, holism, rättvisa). Aspekter av de fyra principerna återfanns i varierande grad hos alla mätinstrumenten varav de flesta hade sin utgångspunkt i sjukdomsinriktade teorier. I Studie IV framkom att de unga vuxnas upplevelse av sin egen munhälsa hade betydelse för deras syn på de tre undersökta mätinstrumenten för OHRQoL. Alla mätinstrumenten ansågs ha för- och nackdelar men bedömdes som ungefär likvärdiga. Konklusionen är att unga vuxnas OHRQoL är beroende av deras tidigare erfarenheter från tandvården och deras tidigare och nuvarande munhälsa samt i deras syn på sin framtida munhälsa. Principer för folkhälsoarbete uppfylldes i varierande grad i analyserade mätinstrument för OHRQoL och unga vuxna ansåg att mätinstrumenten var ungefär likvärdiga. Mätinstrumenten var i huvudsak sjukdomsinriktade. Det saknas ett speciellt instrument för att mäta unga vuxnas munhälsorelaterade livskvalitet. / <p>Odontologie doktorsexamen i ämnet odontologisk vetenskap</p>

Political public relations is far from a science and candidates employ teams of public relations practitioners in an effort to gain as much support as possible from their constituency. This is most evident during an election, where a candidate attempts to garner enough support to either remain in office or be elected for the first time to the position. A way must be determined to attract individuals to vote on Election Day. The average American voter is not the individual that are being interviewed on television about the candidate they support, they are the people that spend less time thinking about the upcoming election and more time concerned with the aspects of their lives that deserve immediate attention. The individuals a person sees on television supporting a candidate at a rally or giving an interview about whom they support. The majority of voters are the ones with drastically less developed notions about the candidates seeking office and are labeled by many political analysts as swing voters. The purpose of this study is to discover if the uncertainty reduction theory can be applied to the political communication process. With voter turnout being as incredibly low and entire voting demographics feeling disenfranchised with their political representative something needs to be done. This study is poised to address both of them and propose potential remedies. It is important for a candidate to reduce a voter’s uncertainty about them and by appealing to their true beliefs, values, and attitudes a vital connection can be made. This study is important because its results will provide political candidates with a framework of how to campaign can effectively appeal to different demographics of the population, which in the end will prove more successful at building a positive public opinion than any political advertisement can. / Department of Journalism

This study examines recommendations regarding what children need from their fathers at various ages and what men can do to help their children with those needs. Data collected in this study do not support recommendations as they appear in the conceptual ethic of Generative Fathering (Dollahite & Hawkins, 1998). However, trends in the data suggest that, across the lifespan, children have a primary need for overt displays of love and nurturing. There is evidence that young children need their fathers to be physically present. Young children also seem to need support and acceptance from their fathers, though how exactly fathers demonstrate that support and acceptance might change as the child develops. The data suggest that as the child transitions out of childhood and into adolescence and adulthood, the need for physical presence diminishes and the needs for support and acceptance, and advice and guidance emerge as more primary. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

In this study it is argued that quality of health is predominantly influenced by health behaviour and health-risk behaviour. Self-regulation as an important factor in health and health-risk behaviour was operationalised by three phases, namely goal establishment, goal execution and self-reflection and adjustment. In addition, mindfulness is an important metacognitive skill applied throughout the process of self-regulation. The lack of research on self-regulation and health behaviour, especially with reference to South African youth and young adolescents is surprising. Health programmes seem to pay insufficient attention to the enhancement of self-regulatory skills in preventing health risk behaviour. Another limitation is the lack of qualitative data regarding self-regulation research. 'This study aims to explore the self-regulation of health-related goals in a group of young adults. Insight to this process could contribute to the development of more appropriate health promoting programmes. A qualitative research design with content analysis as data analysis technique was applied. An availability sample of 92 participants, aged between 18 and 30, completed self-compiled questionnaires on health-risk behaviour and self-regulation. Results indicate a high prevalence of health risk behaviour, supporting other South African findings. Various differences were found between participants engaging in high risk behaviour and those with low risk behaviour with reference to the phases and processes of self-regulation. The high risk group's goal setting seems to be problematic as it does not address identified high risk behaviours. This may be as a result of insufficient mindfulness in that they are ignorant of their health risk behaviour and its implication or alternatively, that they attempt to avoid the risk of failure. In addition, the high risk group is more dependent on external motivation regarding health-related goals and is, therefore, more influenced by controlled regulation. In contrast, the low risk group more often relies on individual personal resources as a source of motivation for their health related goals. Furthermore, the high risk group experiences regulatory non-fit as 'their actions were more often inappropriate. No major differences were found between the groups concerning stumbling blocks and self-observation. Participants in the high risk group evaluate their performance less favourably and are more likely to experience negative emotions in the face of failure compared to participants in the low risk group. When taking the whole self-regulation process into account, it can thus be concluded that participants of the high risk group have poor self-regulation in relation to participants in the low risk group. In general, the findings of this study support the findings of other researchers, confirming the importance of self-regulation in health and health-risk behaviour. The main implication is that there should be a much stronger emphasis on self-regulatory skills in health promotion and illness prevention programmes. Certain limitations of this study were also taken into account. Future studies should consider the role of individuals' risk perceptions with regard to the goal establishment phases as well as the manner in which individuals deal with stumbling blocks in the action phase. Finally, the way in which self-regulation as a dynamic process should be accurately assessed is still not clear. As this study is one of the first to explore self-regulation from a qualitative perspective, future studies could shed more light on the usefulness of other qualitative and even mixed method designs. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Background Within the last century, Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become one of the major health concerns both in the US and globally. Overall prevalence and incidence of the disease within younger populations including adolescents and young adults has sharply increased since 1990 and is estimated to increase further if no actions are taken. It is estimated that 5.7 million people have a form of diabetes. Of the total estimated prevalence of T2DM, 25% of persons with diabetes are unaware they have the disease. This study aims to identify populations most at risk as well as to label important risk factors associated with the rise of T2DM within the young adult population. Objectives This study aimed to measure the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed T2DM among different populations based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and weight classification among a representative sample of young adults within the United States. This study also aims to identify and quantify associated risk factors of T2DM among young adults, and address current preventative and treatment measures. Methods Six two-year samples of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) containing a total of 62,160 individuals were compiled into one dataset. Of these, 11,874 young adults aged 20-40 were selected into the study. Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed T2DM was calculated for specific populations. The study also aimed to identify important risk factors through univariate and multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis. Results Among young adults aged 20-40, overall prevalence of T2DM was found to be 1.4% (CI: 1.2-1.6%). Of observed diabetes cases, an alarming 20.1% (N = 68) were categorized as undiagnosed. Significant increases in risk were observed within older age groups, overweight and obese weight categories, individuals living below poverty and within minority racial/ethnic groups. Weight, measured by both BMI (OR: 10.7; CI:5.88-19.44) and waist circumference (OR: 5.29; CI: 3.18-8.79), was identified as the most influential risk factor, and should be a main area of focus in development of interventions. Increases in activity levels, both at work and during leisure-time, were found to decrease one’s risk of having T2DM. Discussion Type 2 diabetes has become a major health concern within the past decades, and will continue to be an area of focus in the future. If current trends of diabetes among the young continue, significant burden will be placed on both health facilities as well as on the economy. Based on the findings from this study, further research should be place on prevention methods aimed at altering life-style behaviors such as diet and exercise early in one’s life. Based on the alarming prevalence of undiagnosed cases, continued research and support should also be place on access to care for minorities, especially persons of Latin American decent.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy has often been associated with numerous adverse outcomes for the offspring. However, its long-term effects are not well established. Given the high prevalence of maternal smoking during pregnancy, an understanding of these effects is essential. Therefore, the aim of the present dissertation was to shed light on the long-term neurophysiological effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on three different executive functioning processes by assessing participants in young adulthood, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants imaged were members of the Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study, a longitudinal study that collected a unique body of information on participants from infancy to young adulthood, which allowed for the measurement of an unprecedented number of potentially confounding drug exposure variables. The dissertation consists of three separate original manuscripts. In manuscript 1, participants completed a response inhibition task, in manuscript 2 participants completed a verbal working memory task and in manuscript 3 participants completed a visuospatial working memory task. Taken together, results from all three manuscripts showed that prenatal nicotine exposure leads to altered neural functioning during executive functioning processing that continues into young adulthood. These significant results highlight the need for education about the repercussions of women smoking during pregnancy.