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The purpose of this study was to investigate the birth order differences in perception of parental child-rearing practices in one-and two-sibling families. The two-sibling families were separated into all the possible sex permutations (male-male, female-female, male-female, female-male) to assess the influence of sex of sibling in viewing the parents' child-rearing practices.

Thesis (M.Med.)--University of the Witwatersrtand, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2013.

"Through my study of population problems in Egypt I became convinced that the only thorough solution is through birth control. This paper uses some data from a study that I did in Egypt in 1947 as a requirement for the Diploma of Social Work in the Cairo School of Social Work. The title of the research was 'Birth Control as a Remedy for the Low Standard of Living in Egypt.' To obtain data, I studied 110 cases that represent three categories of the population. I divided the people into three categories with respect to their educational and cultural status rather than their economic status, because no one can deny the importance of education in understanding and accepting new principles"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1954." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work." / Advisor: Ira H. Holland, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46).

The most common method of birth control used since 3000 B.C., is the condom. It has been used continuously in the 21st century, but several other forms have been added. Due to reformers like Marie Stopes, Margret Sanger, Katharine McCormick and Gregory Pincus contraceptive usage has become popularized in today's society. New forms of contraceptive include, but are not limited to intrauterine devices (IUDs), shots, pill, patch, and vaginal rings. These devices have been developed as both hormonal and nonhormonal products. Hormonal birth control delivers hormones such as estrogen and progestin, which affect the joining of the sperm and egg. Products that are non-hormonal are a viable alternative for women who cannot tolerate hormonal regulation. Estrogen and progestin function as contraceptives by changing various areas in the vaginal tract by changes such as the thickening of cervical mucus, thinning the uterus lining, or increasing the vagina acidity. Researchers are also trying to develop other options such as a male contraceptive option to expand and reach a target population that is not currently reached. There are also government policies currently in Congress that address the issue of the uninsured; thereby reaching those who may need contraceptives the most. The Affordable Care Act also known as Obama care is trying to provide Medicaid to people who do not and would not ever be able to afford adequate health care, including contraceptives on their own. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act more women will be able to go to a medical provider to be informed and educated on the various contraceptive methods, enabling them to make an informed decision.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-108).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Catholic University of America, 1992. / Major Adviser: Che-fu Lee. Includes bibliographical references.

Demographic and sociological theories usually do not incorporate biological variable into their explanations. This dissertation addresses this void by examining the influence of age at menarche on age at first birth, the event of a first birth, and the number of children ever born (CEB). I expand on Demographic Transition theory by incorporating biology as one of the effects of modernization that has an effect on reducing fertility. Age at menarche decreases as a society modernizes. I use data from the 1995 Survey of Family Growth, Cycle V for the U.S., and the 1997 China Survey of Population and Reproductive Health. I further stratify the data into five race/ethnic groups: Chinese Han, Chinese minorities, U.S. Non-Hispanic Whites, U.S. Non-Hispanic Blacks, and U.S. Hispanics of Mexican origin. I use four different statistical methods to model my dependent variables: Ordinary Least Squares Regression, Cox Proportional Hazard Analysis, Poisson Regression, and Negative Binominal Regression. My first major finding is that the younger a woman is when reaching menarche, the younger she will be when giving birth to her first child. Second, the younger a woman is when reaching menarche, the longer the duration to a first birth and the less likely she is to experience a first birth. These two results are consistent in all the groups I analyze. Third, the younger a woman when reaching menarche, the fewer children she will produce. The U.S. Mexican-Origin women are an exception in this final outcome. It is well known that as a society modernizes, age at menarche decreases. Analyses in my dissertation indicate that as women’s ages at menarche decrease, their ages at giving birth to the first child also decrease, but their chances of having a first birth also decrease and their waiting time for having the first birth increases. Also, fertility will decline as age at menarche declines.

Asthma, a huge burden on millions of individuals worldwide, is one of the most important public health issues in many countries. As genetic and   environmental factors interact, asthma may be programmed very early in life, perhaps even in utero. The aim of this thesis was to assess the impact of gestational age, cord blood immunoglobulin E (IgE), a family history of asthma, migration, and pertussis immunization in early life on the development of asthma in child and adult populations. As a proxy for asthma disease, dispensed asthma medication was used as the main outcome variable based on data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug  Register. Data from other national registers were used to control for  confounders. Three of our studies were based on national cohorts, and one on a local birth cohort that was initiated in 1974–75. Gestational age had an inverse dose-response relationship with dispensed asthma medication in 6– to 19-year-olds. Odds ratios for dispensed asthma medication increased with degree of prematurity compared with children born in term. Furthermore, asthma medication was more likely to be dispensed among children and adolescents born early term after 37–38 weeks’ gestation than among those at the same age who were born in term. Elevated cord blood IgE and a family history of asthma in infancy were associated with a two- to threefold increased likelihood of dispensed asthma medication and self-reported allergen-induced respiratory symptoms at the age of 32–34 years, but the predictive power was poor. Age at migration had an inverse dose-response relationship with dispensed asthma medication at the age of 6–25 years in adoptees and foreign-born children with foreign-born parents. International adoptees and children born in Sweden to foreign-born parents had three- to fourfold higher rates of asthma medication compared with foreign-born children who were raised by their foreign-born birth parents. No association was found between pertussis immunization in early infancy and dispensed asthma medication in 15-year-olds. The type of vaccine or vaccine schedule did not affect the outcome. Fetal life is a vulnerable period. This thesis strengthens the evidence that every week of gestation is important for lung maturation. Cord blood IgE, however, did not predict the risk of asthma in adults. Furthermore, the study of migrating populations demonstrated that environmental changes at any age during childhood may affect the risk of asthma. Another, important public health message from this thesis is that vaccination against pertussis in early childhood can be considered safe with respect to the long-term development of asthma.

This study examines participants' perceptions of the significant messages and meanings communicated to them through the ceremony of the Blessingway (a ritual titled after the Navajo Blessingway), a contemporary women's birth ritual performed by midwives. A narrative approach was used for data gathering based on Fisher's rationale that meaning emerges through narrative. Fifteen women participated in open-ended interviews. Thirteen of the women identified themselves as midwifes. Four major themes emerged from the data: (1) interconnectivity, (2) care, (3) change, and (4) power. The results of the study show the Blessingway's role in communicating a group's care during a time of transformation, usually birth. Adoption, marriage, and entry into midwifery were also mentioned in the study as occasions for a Blessingway ritual. During a Blessingway, many levels of relationship intersect and emphasize the "web of connectedness" the women consider part of their lives. The continuous, multidimensional, and overlapping nature of interconnectivity defines the places of connection highlighted during the Blessingway ceremony. The sense of connectedness generates bonds of care--cohesion, nurturance and safety--and provides a "cocoon-like" environment. Once nurtured and protected, the women feel the support of their community. The women then resolve and transform the contradictions and ambiguities of their liminal state, acknowledge their value of self, recognize their own power, the power of their community, the power of the circle of women and the power of the archetypal woman. / Graduation date: 1997