Using the G8 countries’ (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) samples from the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study aimed to explore the phenomenon of double jeopardy in mathematics achievement for socially disadvantaged students. Double jeopardy is a situation of dual penalties where coming from low socioeconomic status (SES) families and attending low SES schools results in concurrent penalties at both the student level and school level in mathematics achievement. This study examined the phenomenon of double jeopardy in the G8 countries across four school locations: rural regions, towns, cities, and metropolitan areas. This study also examined four separate definitions of socioeconomic status in order to determine the effectiveness of each definition. The four definitions corresponded to four SES measures utilized in this study: father’s SES, mother’s SES, family occupation SES, and combined family SES. Multilevel analysis with students nested within schools indicated that significant double jeopardy effects varied according to SES measure, school location, and country. However, the majority of the double jeopardy effects across all the variables were large in magnitude. Furthermore, the combined family SES and the metropolitan school location were often the most sensitive SES measure and school location, respectively, to double jeopardy in the G8 countries.

This study will examine how domestic violence manifests differently across socioeconomic status, and how these manifestations affect a victim’s self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control. Participants in this study will be female victims of domestic violence over the age of 18 who reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, and who are also members of domestic violence support groups. Participants will complete a survey that includes questions about self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control, in addition to a domestic violence assessment that includes questions about financial and emotional abuse, and barriers that they may face in receiving the support they need. Results will highlight the different ways that domestic violence manifests across SES, and indicate that affluent women have lower levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and a more external locus of control than their low-income counterparts. This is mainly due to the perception that domestic violence doesn’t occur in affluent communities, and thus the distribution of resources is skewed, leading to increased shame and isolation. This information will hopefully provide a foundation for developing programs that seek to provide support for affluent victims of domestic violence.

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a popular screening and research instrument for measuring severity of depression. The instrument was translated to Portuguese for use in Brazil in 1979; however, it was not until recently that its psychometric properties have been tested empirically for the Brazilian population. The purpose of the present study was to explore the BDI's psychometric properties in a northern region of Brazil and to test for possible relationships between certain demographic variables and BDI outcomes. Samples used in this study were from an urban area in Roraima, the northernmost state of Brazil. The BDI showed adequate levels of internal consistency in nonclinical and clinical samples. Female respondents had significantly higher scores than male respondents. Those who had lower levels of education, income, or occupational status had significantly higher scores than those with higher levels of these variables. Adolescents had significantly higher scores than adults from all age groups except those from age 19 to 22. No significant difference was found between those who identified themselves as “indigenous” and those who identified themselves as “non-indigenous.” Regression analysis results showed that the combination of gender, education, and age best accounted for the variance in BDI scores. An ANCOVA revealed that clinically depressed adults had significantly higher BDI scores than nonclinically depressed adults. Factor analysis results showed that there were two main factors in the item structure for both female respondents and male and female respondents combined: one factor of mainly cognitive-affective items and the other factor of mainly somatic items. The results were discussed in terms of the future use of the BDI in Brazil.

The purpose of the project was to examine the relationship between the social development of preschool children and parenting styles. Preschool social development was accessed by the use of sociometry. Parenting styles of mothers and fathers were determined by a questionnaire. The parenting styles and the sociometric status of the children were analyzed to determine a relationship using the chi-square analysis. The analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between parenting styles and the sociometric status of preschool children. It is recommended that more research be done in the fields of parenting styles and sociometry.

Background Most environmental epidemiological studies are conducted in high income settings. The association between ambient temperature and mortality has been studied worldwide, especially in developed countries. However, more research on the topic is necessary, particularly in India, given the limited evidence on the relationship between temperature and health in this country. The average global temperature is increasing, and it is estimated that it will go up further. The factors affecting vulnerability to heat-related mortality are not well studied. Therefore, identifying high-risk population subgroups is of particular importance given the rising temperature in India. Objectives This research aimed to investigate the association of daily mean temperature and rainfall with daily deaths (Paper I), examine the relationship of hot and cold days with total and cause-specific mortality (Paper II), assess the effects of heat and cold on daily mortality among different socio-demographic groups (Paper III) and estimate the effect of maximum temperature on years of life lost (Paper IV). Methods The Vadu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) monitors daily deaths, births, in-out migration and other demographic trends in 22 villages from two administrative blocks in the rural Pune district of Maharashtra state, in western India. Daily deaths from Vadu HDSS and daily weather data (temperature and rainfall) from the Indian Meteorological Department were collected from 2003 through 2013. Verbal autopsy data were used to define causes of death and classified into four groups: non-infectious diseases, infectious diseases, external causes and unspecified causes of death. Socio-demographic groups were based on education, occupation, house type and land ownership. In all papers, time series regression models were applied as the basic approach; additionally, in Paper III, a case-crossover design and, in Paper IV, a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) were used. Results There was a significant association between daily temperature and mortality. Younger age groups (0-4 years) reported higher risk of mortality due to high and low temperature and heavy rainfall. In the working age group (20-59 years), mortality was significantly associated only with high temperature. Mortality due to non-infectious diseases was higher on hot days (>39°C), while mortality from infectious diseases and from external causes were not associated with hot or cold days. A higher heat-related total mortality was observed among men than in women. Mortality among residents with low education and those whose occupation was farming was associated with high temperature. We found a significant impact of high temperature on years of life lost, which confirms our results from the previous research (Papers I-III). Conclusion The study findings broadened our knowledge of the health impacts of environmental exposure by providing evidence on the risks related to ambient temperature in a rural population in India. More specifically, the study identified vulnerable population groups (working age groups, those of low education and farmers) in relation to high temperature. The adverse effect of heat on population is preventable if local human and technical capacities for risk communication and promoting adaptive behavior are built. Furthermore, it is necessary to increase residents’ awareness and prevention measures to tackle this public health challenge in rural populations.

This study examined a segment of the homeless population who participated in a jobs training program. The research investigated the effect of socioeconomic status, self-esteem, and locus of control on the clients in getting and keeping jobs. The training was a comprehensive 36-day treatment dealing with three major areas: (a) how to get a job, (b) how to keep a job, and (c) how to develop life-coping skills. A quasi-experimental research design was used for testing by t-tests, two-by-two repeated-measured anova, chi-square tests, and regression analysis. The findings showed that high socioeconomic status clients demonstrated higher self-esteem and internal locus of control than low socioeconomic status clients at the start of the treatment. The treatment had a significant effect on both groups with an increase in self-esteem and internal locus of control and a decrease in both external locus of control dimensions of powerful others and chance. The treatment had a greater effect on the low socioeconomic status clients than on the high socioeconomic status clients on increases in self-esteem and locus of control—internal. Both groups were successful in finding jobs, with 79% for high socioeconomic status clients and 74% for low socioeconomic status clients having jobs at the end of the treatment. Both high self-esteem and high socioeconomic status had a positive effect on the length of time over a sixmonth period following treatment that clients were able to maintain employment (job retention). This study must be considered largely as exploratory in its findings. Restrictions in the selection process prevented the results from being generalized. It does, however, provide a very important profile of a segment of the homeless population that can be useful in the research for new and improved methods of dealing with the problems of the homeless unemployed.

In the United States and many other countries, obesity is viewed as a public health crisis that must be handled. Many social and individual solutions to the problem are proposed in research and policy. On an individual level, many Americans try to get rid of their fat with a multitude of weight loss practices as part of a healthy lifestyle. Obesity rates, feelings towards fatness, and weight control behaviors are significantly affected by a number of sociocultural factors. In this project I explore the relationship between the desire to lose weight and weight control practices with income. Using data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010 (N=4,341), I explore how income is associated with body satisfaction and weight control behaviors. I then examine if specific weight loss strategies differ by SES among those who have tried to lose weight (N=1,512). Results indicate that income impacts the desire to lose weight, weight loss attempts (OR=.778, CI=.663-.913), and some weight control strategies such as exercise (OR=1.392, CI=1.055-1.836), switching to lower calorie foods (OR=1.364, CI=1.027-1.813), and eating less fat to lose weight (OR=1.449, CI=1.094-1.919). However, other sociodemographic characteristics, such as education, gender, and race, played very important roles in predicting these behaviors. Overall, these findings suggest that an individual’s socioeconomic status influences feelings about one’s weight and what one does to change it, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. This study has several implications; most notably that one-size-fits-all obesity solution policy platform cannot be created if real changes are expected. Tailoring interventions to specific groups based on education and income are important to creating lasting change.

Background: The current adherence to colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) guidelines is suboptimal. How neighborhood characteristics, e.g., racial residential segregation (RRS), area-level socioeconomic status (SES) and physician composition, affect CRCS adherence are not fully understood. We assessed associations between facility proximity to RRS areas, area-level SES, physician composition, and CRCS adherence. Methods: Data sources included 2013 Minnesota Community Measurement, 2009-2013 American Community Survey, 2012 U.S. and 2012-2013 Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, and 2013-2014 Area Health Resource File. Logistic regressions and weighted multilevel logistic regressions were used to assess the association between facility proximity to RRS areas and CRCS adherence, and association between area-level SES, physician composition and CRCS adherence, respectively. Results: Facility proximity to RRS areas was positively associated with low CRCS performance, e.g., facilities located < 2 miles away from Hispanic-segregated areas were 3 times more likely to have low CRCS performance than those at ≥5 miles away (odds ratio (OR): 2.83, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29, 6.24). Most area-level SES measures showed negative bivariate associations between deprivation and colonoscopy/overall adherence, and measures such as education had relatively strong associations, although few of fully-adjusted associations remained statistically significant. Further, a one-unit increase in the percentage of gastroenterologists among physicians was associated with 3% increase in the odds of colonoscopy (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04) and overall adherence (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04) in the rural-metropolitan areas. Conclusions: Developing culturally tailored CRCS programs, increasing percentage of gastroenterologists, and targeting deprived communities may improve CRCS adherence.

Title: Socio-economic aspects of physical activities for seniors in Prague Objectives: The aim of study was to find out what are the socioeconomic aspects of walking and other physical activities Prague's population of seniors. Specifically find answers to questions, whether regular walk in this population affect the quality of life in old age, if those people bring motion standard from earlier stages of life, what are their motives for periodic walking, if they operate other physical activities than walking and whether is there a coherent categories of pedestrians. Methods: In this thesis were used quantitative and qualitative research methods. The source of quantitative analysis was the questionnaire WHOQOL OLD with a complementary inquiry on walking. The sample consisted of 156 respondents and was divided equally between pedestrians and non-pedestrians. There were used methods of descriptive statistics and statistical hypothesis testing. For qualitative analysis was with a part-respondents (pedestrians) made an interview, investigating their socioeconomic status, the motives for carrying out walking and other activities, and also was made their segmentation. Results: Statistically significantly higher quality of life (at 95% confidence level) in the domains of Independence, Filling, Nearby...

This correlational study investigates traditional gender roles, self-efficacy for career and parenting, and socioeconomic status (SES), as they relate to university undergraduates’ planning for career and family and anticipation of work-family conflict regarding their future families. Unmarried, undergraduate women and men of varying socioeconomic status will complete an online survey consisting of several scales. Proposed results predict that women must often choose between career goals and family care, whereas men usually do not. Expectedly, women will show higher self-efficacy for parenting and increased anticipation of work-family conflict and planning for career and family compared to men. It is proposed that men will exhibit greater self-efficacy for career. Women of lower SES and women who aspire to obtain leadership positions at work will likely report higher anticipated work-family conflict. Those of lower SES will likely hold more traditional gender beliefs than the middle and upper SES groups, and men whose fathers helped in the home will likely have higher self-efficacy for their own parenting. The anticipated results indicate a discrepancy between men’s and women’s and those of differing SES’s planning for work and family. Women will tend to undertake an increased burden; however, a switch to more family-friendly workplace policies for men and women would likely help couples become more egalitarian in their division of family and career labor and planning.