Background: Just under half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. And unintended births are particularly high among married and cohabiting adult women. Though family planning behaviors occur in a dyadic context with potentially joint influences of men and women on contraceptive use and pregnancy, most research on pregnancy and contraceptive use is based on reports from only women. Methods: I examined the pregnancy beliefs and contraceptive values of both members of cohabiting and married adult couples to determine how these individual-level characteristics come together at the dyad-level to shape pregnancy outcomes for the couple. I performed multinomial logit structural equation modeling analyses using longitudinal data from the National Couples Survey. I included demographic covariates that have been implicated in prior research as influential for contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy. Results: The male partner's pregnancy beliefs and contraceptive values significantly predicted dyadic risk of unintended pregnancy even after accounting for female partner's responses on these variables. Non-Hispanic Black race and low socioeconomic status emerged as risk factors. Discussion: This study indicates that dyadic analyses are needed to account for male partner influences to appropriately model risk for unintended pregnancy in research. The findings of this research also highlight demographic groups that may benefit from targeted dyadic intervention. / Ph. D. / Background: Just under half of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned at conception. Unintended births are particularly high among married and cohabiting adult women. Though family planning behaviors occur in a couple context, and men and women likely both influence contraceptive use and pregnancy, most research on pregnancy and contraceptive use is based on reports from only women. Methods: I examined beliefs about positive outcomes of pregnancy and values for contraception to be effective of men and women in cohabiting and married adult couples to determine how these individual-level attitudes come together to shape pregnancy outcomes for the couple. I used existing longitudinal data from the National Couples Survey, the theory of triadic influence, and structural equation modeling to test whether my hypothesized relationships between attitudes and behaviors were supported. I also accounted for demographic factors that prior research has flagged as influential for contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy. Results: The male partner’s pregnancy beliefs and contraceptive values significantly predicted whether the couple became unintentionally pregnant (or was at high risk of becoming so) even after accounting for their female partner’s responses on these variables. Non-Hispanic Black race and low socioeconomic status emerged as risk factors. Discussion: The results of this study highlight the importance of including both men and women in research to reach a more nuanced understanding of the factors that shape unintended pregnancy. The findings of this research also suggest that couples in specific demographic groups may benefit from targeted intervention to help them attain their reproductive goals.

This paper investigates whether national and entrepreneurial framework conditions positively affect economic growth via its effects on entrepreneurial activity more significantly than via its effects on technological innovation intensity1 . The revised GEM conceptual model is tested for a sample of Nordic countries (Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland), between the years 2005-2014, using path analysis. The variables representing national and entrepreneurial framework conditions, entrepreneurial activity, technological innovation intensity and economic growth are Global Competitiveness Index (which includes also number of procedures to start a business and number of days to start a business, venture capital availability etc.), selfemployed workers (expressed as % of total employed), RD expenditures (expressed as % of GDP) and GDP per capita. In each of the models, the author finds out a positive effect of national and entrepreneurial framework conditions. The hypotheses stating the positive indirect influence of national and entrepreneurial framework conditions on economic growth via entrepreneurial activity (H1) and the positive indirect influence of national and entrepreneurial framework conditions via technological innovation intensity (H2) have been accepted. The calculated total effect on economic growth indicates that the path via entrepreneurship (H1) is more significant (H3).

Many researchers have examined the effect of various work-related factors on transfer of learning. However, there has been little or no focus on the effect of key workplace factors such as job stress and job satisfaction on transfer of learning. The current study examines the relationship among job stress, job satisfaction, motivation to transfer and transfer of learning based on the perceptions of selected Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outreach trainers who underwent training conducted by the Texas Engineering Extension, Texas. A 24-item questionnaire was utilized to collect data. The questionnaire was sent electronically to all outreach trainers who underwent the OSHA General Industry Course 501 during 2005, and the first six months of 2006. The sample included 418 respondents representing a population of 1234 outreach trainers. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha estimates for reliability, factor analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, path analysis, and Sobel tests were the analysis methods used in the study. The results from the analysis suggest that job stress and its related dimensions, time stress, and anxiety had an indirect correlation with transfer of learning through job satisfaction and motivation to transfer. Further, it was found that job stress, time stress, and anxiety predicted job satisfaction; time stress predicted anxiety; job satisfaction predicted motivation to transfer; and motivation to transfer predicted transfer of learning. Finally, path analysis results and mediation tests showed that: (1) the relationship between job stress and transfer was mediated by job satisfaction and motivation to transfer, (2) the relationship between time stress and transfer was mediated by job satisfaction and motivation to transfer, (3) the relationship between anxiety and transfer was mediated by job satisfaction and motivation to transfer, and finally (4) the relationship between time stress and transfer was mediated by anxiety, job satisfaction, and motivation to transfer.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Research suggests that a multidimensional approach to obesity that addresses physiological, psychological, social, and environmental factors is optimal. Stress and self-esteem, as well as eating and exercise behaviors have been named as important factors in obesity. Curiously, although pets have been shown to reduce stress and are associated with higher self-esteem and cardiovascular health, the relationship between pet ownership and weight status has not been explored. A path analysis of the direct and indirect effects of pet ownership on stress, self-esteem, physical activity, eating behavior, and Body Mass Index failed to reveal a clear path linking pet ownership to weight status.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-103). Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2008. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 81).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, March, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (162-166)