Background. We examined the association between parental alcohol use disorders and patterns of alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol use disorders in their offspring in a community-based sample of young adults. Methods. Data are based on baseline and 4-year follow-up data of 2427 respondents aged 14–24 at baseline. Alcohol use and disorders in respondents were assessed using the Munich-Composite-International-Diagnostic-Interview with DSM-IV algorithms. Diagnostic information about parents was collected by family history information from the respondents, and by direct interview with one parent (cohort aged 14 to 17 years only). Results. Although the association between maternal and paternal alcohol use disorders and non-problematical drinking in offspring was minimal, there was a strong effect for the transition to hazardous use and for alcohol abuse and dependence; the effect of parental concordance for transition into hazardous use was particularly striking. Maternal history was associated with a higher probability of progression from occasional to regular use, whereas paternal history was associated with progression from regular to hazardous use. Parental alcoholism increased the risk for first onset of hazardous use and alcohol dependence between the ages of 14–17, and for an earlier onset of the alcohol outcomes in offspring. The impact of parental alcohol use disorders was comparable for male and female offspring. Conclusions. Parental alcoholism predicts escalation of alcohol use, development of alcohol use disorders and onset of alcohol outcomes in offspring.

U.S. fisheries legislation requires National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to attend to the critical social and economic issues surrounding the definition and identification of fishing communities, and to the effects that changes to the physical environment and regulatory decisions can have on such communities. To fulfil their mandate, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sponsored the research entitled "Identifying Fishing Communities in the Gulf of Mexico" to study the economic, social and cultural status of potential fishing communities along the Gulf of Mexico. NMFS contracted the research project to Impact Assessment, Inc. to study 80 plus potential fishing communities in the Florida Gulf Coast. I worked as an intern in the research and visited the communities with other team members. The task of our project was to provide NMFS with basic profiles of fishing communities for NMFS to develop a culturally appropriated intervention. Research methods include Rapid Assessment Procedures (RAP), semi-structured key informant interviews, participant observation, and archival and secondary research mainly for community histories. Apart from my internship research, I also conducted some additional interviews and observations for my thesis. My findings indicate that fishing communities along the Florida Gulf Coast encounter with challenge from increased regulation, "dumping" seafood imports and virtually uncontrolled waterfront development. By a comparison of three groups of fishing communities, i.e., "diminished communities," "residual communities," and "resilient communities," the thesis explores how communities respond to the challenges and encourages fishermen to take action to preserve their generation-long fishing tradition. In conclusion, the thesis suggests that a solution to ease the decline of fishing communities requires cooperation of all parties concerned, including the fishery regulatory agency, commercial fishermen, and the federal and local government.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: U.S. fisheries legislation requires National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to attend to the critical social and economic issues surrounding the definition and identification of fishing communities, and to the effects that changes to the physical environment and regulatory decisions can have on such communities. To fulfil their mandate, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sponsored the research entitled "Identifying Fishing Communities in the Gulf of Mexico" to study the economic, social and cultural status of potential fishing communities along the Gulf of Mexico. NMFS contracted the research project to Impact Assessment, Inc. to study 80 plus potential fishing communities in the Florida Gulf Coast. I worked as an intern in the research and visited the communities with other team members. The task of our project was to provide NMFS with basic profiles of fishing communities for NMFS to develop a culturally appropriated intervention. / ABSTRACT: Research methods include Rapid Assessment Procedures (RAP), semi-structured key informant interviews, participant observation, and archival and secondary research mainly for community histories. Apart from my internship research, I also conducted some additional interviews and observations for my thesis. My findings indicate that fishing communities along the Florida Gulf Coast encounter with challenge from increased regulation, "dumping" seafood imports and virtually uncontrolled waterfront development. By a comparison of three groups of fishing communities, i.e., "diminished communities," "residual communities," and "resilient communities," the thesis explores how communities respond to the challenges and encourages fishermen to take action to preserve their generation-long fishing tradition. / ABSTRACT: In conclusion, the thesis suggests that a solution to ease the decline of fishing communities requires cooperation of all parties concerned, including the fishery regulatory agency, commercial fishermen, and the federal and local government. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Title from screen (viewed on December 9, 2009). Department of History, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Elizabeth Brand Monroe, Marianne S. Wokeck, Erik L. Lindseth. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-167).

New towns is the form of settlement replacing camps and company towns in the resource areas of Canada. Resource companies, still requiring Skilled workers living near the site of its development, are planning and building towns which are incorporated soon after completion. This feature distinguishing new towns from company towns and camps is intended to alleviate the resource company of direct responsibility to the town and its residents. The economic mainstay of the town, though, is still the resource company's operation. Very broadiy, this thesis seeks to discover who is responsible for the development of new towns in resource areas and what programmes they are undertaking. It is important that the large social and financial investments in these new towns not be left to the vagaries of the single resource market, the economic base of the town. Specifically, this thesis examines Gold River, a forest-based new town in British Columbia. Rather than generalizing the findings of this study, this thesis is indicating a method by which such communities can be studied and compared in order to make general statements concerning the growth and development of new towns. By examining the role and relative impact of organizations on the development of the town and by examining the values of the residents through their objectives for their town, it is possible to relate societal values to the direction of development. The British Columbia government has two objectives in the development of its forest resource. One ensures the perpetual yield of the resource through strictly enforced management policies. And the second seeks the perpetuation of prosperous communities for which no policies have been made to ensure its fulfillment. Even though the town is incorporated, the Council tends to be inexperienced. Therefore, with no counterbalancing force, it is hypothesized that, the policy of the resource company will continue to actively determine the future development of the town. To test the hypothesis, the author gleaned the policies of the resource company by examining its activity in the town. Finding little to substantiate the hypothesis the author examined the role and impact of other organizations. The residents are adamant that the responsibility for the future development of the town rest on themselves. The Council, and to a lesser extent, the Chamber of Commerce, are active in promoting new activity in their town. The residents see the development of their town into a more viable and varied community, in terms of the development and growth of the region. Even though there exists a social fabric receptive to further development, the power and the control over the use of the region rests principally with the forest company and the initiative for further development of the region rests with the Provincial Government. If a general statement could be made from this study it would be that, the further development and growth of single enterprise resource-based new towns is an integral part of regional planning and resource development. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Background. We examined the association between parental alcohol use disorders and patterns of alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol use disorders in their offspring in a community-based sample of young adults. Methods. Data are based on baseline and 4-year follow-up data of 2427 respondents aged 14–24 at baseline. Alcohol use and disorders in respondents were assessed using the Munich-Composite-International-Diagnostic-Interview with DSM-IV algorithms. Diagnostic information about parents was collected by family history information from the respondents, and by direct interview with one parent (cohort aged 14 to 17 years only). Results. Although the association between maternal and paternal alcohol use disorders and non-problematical drinking in offspring was minimal, there was a strong effect for the transition to hazardous use and for alcohol abuse and dependence; the effect of parental concordance for transition into hazardous use was particularly striking. Maternal history was associated with a higher probability of progression from occasional to regular use, whereas paternal history was associated with progression from regular to hazardous use. Parental alcoholism increased the risk for first onset of hazardous use and alcohol dependence between the ages of 14–17, and for an earlier onset of the alcohol outcomes in offspring. The impact of parental alcohol use disorders was comparable for male and female offspring. Conclusions. Parental alcoholism predicts escalation of alcohol use, development of alcohol use disorders and onset of alcohol outcomes in offspring.

Discussion surrounds the question as to whether criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) should change, particularly in youth. This study examines the effects of possible criteria changes on GAD prevalence and clinical correlates. DSM-IV GAD was assessed using the M-CIDI in a community sample of adolescents and young adults. Diagnostic thresholds were modified in two age spans (9–20 and 21–34 years) using a person-by-year data file (N = 38,534 cases). Relaxing the duration or excessiveness criteria led to the most pronounced changes in GAD prevalence, while relaxing frequency, uncontrollability, or associated-symptom criteria had smaller effects. A lower duration requirement increased rates more in older than younger age spans. Opposite effects occurred for changes in associated-symptoms or clinical-significance criteria. Broader GAD definitions identified cases in both age spans that appeared mostly milder than DSM-IV cases but that still differed from non-GAD cases in various clinical factors and validators. Developmental aspects require stronger consideration in future diagnostic systems.

BACKGROUND: Oral communication impairments (OCIs) are a common childhood problem with often long-term negative outcomes for both the child and society. Despite the growing body of knowledge about the epidemiology of this problem, the shift from traditional treatment approaches to population based approaches to management has been slow. One suggested reason for this is a lack of community based population data on such problems with which to plan services more broadly. AIM: The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the population knowledge of children with OCIs by developing and trialing a data collection method at a community level. LITERATURE REVIEW: One of the major issues in understanding OCIs from a population perspective is the disparate and often incongruent nature of epidemiological data reported in the literature. Five areas of epidemiological research were reviewed in order to critically evaluate the existing evidence base and identify gaps for further research. The five areas reviewed were: Prevalence (Regardless of the methodology used to collect prevalence data, OCIs have been described as a common childhood problem), Life Course (Children with OCIs often have ongoing communication problems and are at risk for poorer life outcomes in social, educational and occupational domains), Comorbidities (OCIs rarely occur in isolation and most children will have other developmental or health issues), Risk factors (There is no one easily definable cause of OCIs, however, genetic and environmental factors appear to increase the risk of OCI in the general population), and Service use (Only around half of children with recognised OCIs will access specialist intervention services).The review concluded that local community data measuring the 'burden', or impact, of the problem, comorbidities and service use in children with and without OCIs would assist in service planning. Therefore a methodology would need to be developed which addressed these issues.A further review of the literature considered this methodology development with specific reference to the issues of study design, sampling and identification of OCIs. The review concluded that a cross-sectional survey design of a community sample could provide the necessary data. Parent and teacher report was suggested as a method for identifying OCIs in surveys, however, a tool needed to be developed and trialed to ensure this method was effective, valid and reliable. PILOT STUDY: A survey tool for parents was designed which included the Child Health Questionnaire (PF - 28), questions relating to socio-demographic features, health and development conditions, service use and specifically developed questions regarding OCIs. The survey methodology was trialed in one school and one childcare centre. The results of the study were reviewed and suggestions made for methodological changes before a community trial was carried out. The reliability and validity of the questions designed to identify OCIs was assessed in a number of ways. Test-retest reliability of parent completed questionnaires proved to be good. Interrater reliability was examined by comparing parent and teacher responses. Parents and teachers agreed on identification of OCI in over 75% of cases for each of the OCIs studied. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing parent report to speech pathologist evaluation in a clinical sample and by comparing parent and teacher report to screening assessments of communication skills in a school sample. Both parents and teachers tended to over-identify children, however, when parent and teacher reports were considered together the validity approached that of the 'gold standard'. Construct validity was assessed by comparing reported OCIs with reports of other developmental conditions known to be commonly comorbid with OCIs. Once again using both parent and teacher report proved to be the most valid method of identifying OCIs using the developed tool. COMMUNITY STUDY: A targeted community survey of 3 to 7 year old children was conducted in a regional centre in Queensland, Australia. Children were sampled through schools and childcare centres. Information letters were distributed to the parents of 898 eligible children. Completed questionnaires were received for 397 children. Teachers completed questionnaires on 375 children which was 42% of the population sampled. Parents and teachers identified OCIs in 16% of the children. However, only 3% of the population were rated by parents or teachers as having severe problems. Over 70% of parents and teachers of children with a reported OCI rated the problem as having an impact on the child's life. Ratings of impact were not related to parent/teacher ratings of severity. Children with OCIs were reported to have significantly more health, developmental and behaviour problems than their peers. Children with OCIs were rated lower by their parents on most aspects of the Child Health Questionnaire (PF-28). In particular, parents reported impacts on their own time and family activities due to the child's problems. No significant differences were found between children with and without reported OCIs on any of the socio-demographic variables studied. Children with reported OCIs used more health and educational services than their peers. Around 60% of children with reported OCIs had seen a speech pathologist, but many parents had also sought advice from a range of other health and educational professionals. Those with two or more OCI conditions were more likely to have seen a professional, however socio-demographic variables did not generally predict service use. Parents reported that the type of service they chose was most commonly influenced by advice from a doctor or teacher. The limitations of this methodology for collecting this type of data are discussed. However despite these limitations data were collected which has major implications for the provision of population based services for children with OCI. CONCLUSION: This thesis has contributed to the understanding of children with OCIs by researching the development of a methodology to study this problem in a defined community sample. The information gained from the literature review and the community study were considered within two models of service provision. The models encompass service delivery from individualised to more population based approaches to the management of OCIs in children. From these models, specific suggestions for the community involved in the study were discussed. This thesis, therefore, provided a survey methodology that is resource efficient in the collection of community data useful in suggesting improved services for children with oral communication impairments.

The objectives of the community-based Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology (EDSP) Study are described along with a detailed account of the overall design, special design features, sample characteristics and instruments used. The EDSP employed a prospective-longitudinal design to study substance use and other mental disorders in a representative population sample of 3,021 subjects aged 14–24 years (birth cohorts 1970–1981) at ‘baseline’ – the outset of the study. Two follow-up investigations were conducted after the baseline investigation covering an overall period of 3–4 years. Special design features are the linkage with a family supplement (EDSP-FS) as well as neurobiological laboratory studies of high-risk subjects.

The objectives of the community-based Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology (EDSP) Study are described along with a detailed account of the overall design, special design features, sample characteristics and instruments used. The EDSP employed a prospective-longitudinal design to study substance use and other mental disorders in a representative population sample of 3,021 subjects aged 14–24 years (birth cohorts 1970–1981) at ‘baseline’ – the outset of the study. Two follow-up investigations were conducted after the baseline investigation covering an overall period of 3–4 years. Special design features are the linkage with a family supplement (EDSP-FS) as well as neurobiological laboratory studies of high-risk subjects.