bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Approach to the Measurement of Prestige Loss among the Aged
Authors: Cutler Stephen J.
Published: May 2005

While it is often assumed that the aged are accorded low prestige status in the stratification systems of urban-industrial societies, direct empirical research demonstrating the existence and extent of prestige loss and delineating sources of variation has not been undertaken. Using a format similar to the NORC occupational prestige studies, an exploratory approach to this problem is made by asking a sample of older persons to evaluate the prestige of a series (“E”) of 9 general occupational titles and a matched series (“R”) of 9 occupational titles prefaced by the age-status designation “retired” (e.g., plumbers/retired plumbers). The hypothesis of low perceived prestige is supported as the summary prestige score for the R-series is significantly lower than the score for the E-series. Further analysis suggests the existence of an “order of presentation” effect: a greater difference between the summary prestige scores is found for those evaluating the R-series early in the interview and the E-series later in the interview than vice-versa. The methodological implications of this finding are considered as is the potential utility of the general method for more heterogeneous samples. Also considered is the use of the method to determine variation in perceptions of prestige loss among the aged along such dimensions as social integration, life satisfaction, age, socioeconomic status, and others.
The Georgia Centenarian Study: Comments from Friends
Authors: Siegler Ilene C. , Longino Charles F. , Johnson Colleen
Published: May 2005

This paper discusses five issues related to the Georgia Centenarian Study: recruitment of centenarians, birth cohort effects, the changing age structure of the population, religion, and cognition and survival.
An Examination of the Therapeutic Benefits of Focus Groups on Elderly Worriers
Authors: Powers Charles B. , Wisocki Patricia A.
Published: May 2005

This study examines the effects on elderly worriers, of a focus group discussion about the topic of worry. All subjects ( N = 21) were self-designated worriers, and at least seventy years of age. Pretest and Posttest measures included questionnaires on worry, life satisfaction, and psychological symptom domains unrelated to the focus group topic. The percentage of the day spent worrying variable, which was the criterion variable for admittance into the groups, showed a significant reduction from pre to post. The focus group participants also evaluated the focus group experience as positive and beneficial. The value of focus groups for therapeutic effectiveness and data collection with the elderly are discussed.
Reasons for Living and Coping Abilities among Older Adults
Authors: Range Lillian M. , Stringer Traci A.
Published: May 2005

Older adults have successfully resisted inclinations to commit suicide; however, little research has focused on their ability to cope or their reasons for living. In the present study, seventy-nine (fifty-five women, twenty-two men, two unknown) older adults ( M = 60.6 years) recruited from churches, retirement groups ( n = 22), and relatives of college psychology students ( n = 57), completed the Reasons for Living and the Cope inventories. Overall coping was significantly positively correlated with total reasons for living, r(78) = .19, p < .05, although the low correlation suggests that the constructs are moderately unique. Further, coping was positively correlated with two RFL subscales, Survival and Coping Beliefs, r(78) = .27, p < .01, and Child-Related Concerns, r(78) = .28, p < .01. Women were higher than men in total reasons for living, t(75) = 2.16, p < .05, but not significantly different in coping abilities. Older women may underrate their ability to cope. An implication is that suicide prevention strategies should target men and bolster their cognitive deterrents to suicide.
Drugs in American Society—A Graduate Course
Authors: Serrone David M. , Major Dorothy M.
Published: May 2005

The School of Nursing at the State University of New York at Albany has offered, as a service to the university community, a course, not just a series of lectures, but a semester course in which students could explore the many factors associated with the use and abuse of drugs in America today. The course was designed to cover in depth the vast problems of drug abuse from the “street drugs” to the medicine cabinet. The student was expected to read and discuss current concepts of pharmacology, psychology, and sociology as they apply to drug abuse.
Experiential Learning Effects on Retention: Results from a Required MBA Course
Authors: Prussia Gregory E. , Weis William L.
Published: May 2005

This longitudinal study explored the degree to which a required MBA course emphasizing experiential learning positively influenced student retention. Results from subgroup comparisons across multiple time periods suggest that this type of teaching methodology leads to enhanced retention effects. The improved retention is attributed to the experiential emphasis on social integration and corresponds to one of Tinto's (1993) three principles associated with effective college retention.
Hypothermia and Energy Conservation: A Tradeoff for Elderly Persons?
Authors: Macey Susan M.
Published: May 2005

For many elderly people, residential energy conservation options are often limited to little or no cost measures such as reducing their winter nighttime thermostat setting. As a result, conflicts can arise between the need to preserve health and the necessity to conserve energy. Under these circumstances, accidental hypothermia is an important and growing concern. This study examines the association between concern for health and the adoption by elderly persons of a lowered winter nighttime thermostat setting. Evidence from two surveys of elderly respondents who maintain separate owner-occupied residences shows that health and thermal comfort concerns are the major reasons for nonadoption of this energy conservation measure. Methods are presented for increasing energy conservation while maintaining a healthful home environment.
Reasons for Discontinuing Hashish Use in a Group of Central European Athletes
Authors: Duncan David F.
Published: May 2005

Self-reported reasons for discontinuing marijuana use were examined in a sample of sixty-one former marijuana users identified in a survey of a group of 237 students at a Central European sports training facility. The most common reasons given for discontinuing marijuana use were dislike for the effects (14.75%), athletic training regimen (13.11%), health reasons (11.48%) and mental/emotional problems (11.48%). Persons who had been regular users most often discontinued due to their training regimen. Experimental/occasional users most often stopped because they disliked the effects. Research on this topic is potentially important to drug educators but premature generalizations should be avoided.
Loneliness and Depression among Elderly Nursing Home Patients
Authors: Fessman Nicole , Lester David
Published: May 2005

A study of residents of a nursing facility showed that social relationships formed with other residents was a much stronger predictor of depression and loneliness than social relationships with friends and relatives from outside the institution.
Cognition of Fundamental Concepts in Geometry
Authors: Yusuf Mian Muhammad
Published: May 2005

The purposes of this study were: 1) to investigate the effects of Logo Based Instruction (LBI) for the cognition of the four fundamental concepts in geometry, and 2) to explore the possibility of integrating the Logo programming language in the geometry curriculum. The regular classroom teacher taught both the experimental and control groups following the treatment plan designed by the researcher. Interviews of sixteen seventh and eighth graders from each group were audio taped. The results showed that the students in the experimental group had a deeper conceptualization of fundamental concepts in geometry. An ANCOVA test applied to the scores of Interview Sheets, and the t-test applied to the gain in van Hiele levels, were significant in favor of the experimental group. These results are encouraging and support the integration of Logo in the geometry curriculum.
Sociocultural Correlates of Substance Use among Medical Students
Authors: Forney Paul David , Forney Mary Ann , Fischer Paul , Richards John W. , Scherger Joseph , Rixey Sallie , Smith Stephen R.
Published: May 2005

Medical students at four regional medical schools were administered a questionnaire regarding drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and involvement in sensation-seeking sports and activities. Results of the study indicated that tobacco use was minimal, drug use was moderately low, and alcohol use was extensive. Increased alcohol use was strongly correlated with heavy drinking patterns in parents and male students while decreased drinking was strongly correlated with frequent religious attendance patterns. Students actively using drugs were more likely to have heavy drinking parents and to attend church infrequently. Protestant students and black students were least likely to be involved in drug use. Drug, alcohol, and tobacco use were significantly correlated. Those who use drugs tend to be heavy drinkers and smokers. Preventive education programs can utilize the results in medical school to inform students of potential problem areas based on sociodemographic influences.
Life-Span Determinants of Work in Retirement Years
Authors: Morrow-Howell Nancy , Leon Joel
Published: May 2005

This article presents the results of a path analysis to clarify the life-span determinants of work effort in postretirement years. It was found that personal and structural characteristics are different between a group of retirees who did not work in the three years after retirement and those that worked more than 300 hours annually. Those that participated in the labor force after retirement experienced more successful employment histories before retirement. On the other hand, people with more marginal work histories were less likely to sustain work efforts after retirement, despite lower income.
Classroom Instruction Differences by Level of Technology Use in Middle School Mathematics
Authors: Waxman Hersholt C. , Huang Shwu-Yong L.
Published: May 2005

This study examined whether 1) classroom interaction, 2) selection of activities, 3) instructional activities, 4) organizational setting of the classroom, and 4) student on-task and off-task behaviors in the classroom significantly differs according to the degree of implementation of technology in mathematics classrooms. The subjects in the present study were 2,189 middle school students who were randomly chosen from a multi-ethnic school district located within a major metropolitan city in the south central region of the United States. The results indicate that there are significant differences in classroom instruction by the amount of technology used. Instruction in classroom settings where technology was not often used tended to be whole-class approaches where students generally listened or watched the teacher. Instruction in classroom settings where technology was moderately used had much less whole-class instruction and much more independent work. These findings are quite similar to previous research that supports the notion that technology use may change teaching from the traditional teacher-centered model to a more student-centered instructional approach. Another important finding from the present study is that students in classrooms where technology was moderately used were also found to be on task significantly more than students from the other two groups.
Reminiscence: A Nonformal Technique for Improving Cognitive Functioning in the Aged
Authors: Hughston George A. , Merriam Sharan B.
Published: May 2005

This study investigated the effect of a structured reminiscent intervention program upon cognitive functioning of the elderly. The sample consisted of 105 volunteers residing in a public housing complex in central Pennsylvania. Using an experimental design, the volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. One group was given learning tasks to be performed using material from their past personal lives. A second group was asked to perform operations on new material and a control group was pre and posttested but given no treatment. It was found that females in the reminiscent group significantly improved scores of cognitive functioning as measured by the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices. Secondly, compared with the control group, both the reminiscent and new material groups improved performance as a result of the planned learning activities. Both findings suggest that attempts to stimulate cognitive functioning in older people are worth undertaking, and that memories can provide the material for such activities.
Instrumentation for the Measurement of Inmates' Drug Use, Knowledge, and Attitudes
Authors: Miller Richard E. , Cappiello Lawrence A. , Golaszewski Thomas J.
Published: May 2005

A methodology was devised for the construction of instruments to measure inmates' drug use, knowledge, and attitudes. A drug use inventory and a drug attitude scale were examined for construct validity, whereas a drug knowledge test was examined for content validity. In regard to reliability, each measurement tool was subjected to item analysis for internal consistency. Investigators obtained necessary data from 150 inmates at two county correctional institutions. Factors considered during instrumentation were subjects' reading and comprehension levels, drug experiences, and willingness to participate in data collection. Implications and suggestions are discussed concerning the use of such instruments in inmate drug education.
One Psychiatrist's View of Drug Education
Authors: Rifkin Arthur
Published: May 2005

Formal education about drug abuse occurs in seminars and lectures for teachers, and in classrooms for students. Both groups may suffer from inadequate or distorted information because many crucial questions have not been answered and the demand for justification of social and medical reactions to the problem has put pressure on for premature intellectual closure. The author recommends a panel discussion of experts who disagree on some issues for the teacher's seminar, and a more dispassionate, less directive approach in the classroom than presently exists.
Sociodemographic Correlates of Health Beliefs among Black and White Community Dwelling Elderly Individuals
Authors: Galanos Anthony N. , Strauss Ronald P. , Pieper Carl F.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the hypothesis that sociodemographic characteristics such as age, education, race, and gender would be predictive of Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Subscale scores in a population-based sample of 342 community dwelling elderly individuals. Bivariate analysis revealed associations between black race, lower socioeconomic status, and lower education on the Chance and Powerful Others Subscales. While the multivariate analysis revealed no predictors for the Internal Subscale, a higher socioeconomic status, white race, and a higher level of education continued to predict low scores on the Chance Subscale when controlling for all other variables. Scores on the Powerful Others Subscale appeared to be a function of socioeconomic status and gender. Of note, the higher the education level for both men and women, the lower the scores on the Chance and Powerful Others Subscales. This sex by education interaction term reached statistical significance for the Chance Subscale. The results demonstrate the measurable influence of sociodemographic variables on the health beliefs of community dwelling elderly individuals.
Political Implications of the ‘New Ageism’
Authors: Kearl Michael C. , Moore Krista , Osberg J. Scott
Published: May 2005

The research tradition of old age stereotypes has typically been limited to a social psychological perspective of their dysfunctional consequences. This exploratory study examines the possible functions served by such stereotypes from a socio-cultural frame of reference, in particular, testing the hypothesis of Richard Kalish and Carroll Estes that problem-oriented conceptions of older persons are part of an emerging political ideology. Using the responses of the Louis-Harris-NOCA “The Myth and Reality of Aging in America” survey, the relation between aging stereotypes and attitudes toward federal support of the aged are reported.
Job Satisfaction among Military Prevention Specialists
Authors: Whorley Larry W.
Published: May 2005

The relationships between role perceptions and job satisfaction were studied. Such perceptions included perceived importance of the military prevention specialist role vis-a-vis substance abuse prevention, organizational efficiency, and supervisory interest [1–3]. Perceived importance of the prevention duty for substance abuse prevention and organizational efficiency were primarily related to job satisfaction. Perception of the supervisor's emphasis upon the prevention duty was significant but secondary.
Opinions of Seventh to Twelfth Graders regarding the Effectiveness of Pro- and Anti-Smoking Messages
Authors: Monismith Samuel W. , Shute Robert E. , St. Pierre Richard W. , Alles Wesley F.
Published: May 2005

This study examined the opinions of 3,100 seventh to twelfth grade students regarding the perceived effectiveness of various components of both pro-smoking and anti-smoking messages. The volunteer subjects were enrolled in twenty-eight junior and senior high schools throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Survey results indicated that most teenagers were exposed to anti-smoking information and materials in schools. The materials were preceived to be of good quality, and most students understood the information which was presented. Anti-smoking messages were supportive in helping non-smokers maintain their abstinence, but only one-third of smokers reported that anti-smoking messages influenced their choice to smoke or not to smoke. Statistically significant differences existed between smokers and non-smokers in their receptivity to anti-smoking messages. Non-smokers found anti-smoking messages to be interesting and they wanted to know more about smoking, while smokers often found anti-smoking messages to be boring and useless.

Students claimed that promotional smoking advertisements did not seem to exert a direct influence on the adoption of smoking during adolescence. However, promotional advertisements were very effective in depicting smoking as enjoyable or pleasant, and reinforced the teenage smokers' desire to smoke.

Both teenage smokers and non-smokers found anti-smoking messages on television to be very effective in making people aware of the dangers of smoking, and over half of all respondents indicated that these messages make people want to stop smoking.
Peer Cluster Theory and Adolescent Drug Use: A Reanalysis
Authors: Hays Ron D. , Revetto Joseph P.
Published: May 2005

Peer cluster theory hypothesizes that peer drug association has a direct effect on adolescent drug use. In turn, peer drug associations are influenced by familial factors (sanctions and strength) and individual variables (religious identification, school adjustment). Oetting and Beauvais evaluated peer cluster theory in a cross-sectional survey of 415 high school students [1]. We hypothesized, evaluated, and found support for an alternative model in which poorer school adjustment was specified as a consequence of drug use, peer drug associations, lack of family sanctions against drug use, low religious identification, and absence of family strength. This reanalysis illustrates that interpretations of structural equation modeling results from cross-sectional data are especially problematic.
A Model for Client/Program Evaluation in a Comprehensive out-Patient Drug Abuse Treatment Program
Authors: Mann Marc J.
Published: May 2005

Drug programs have been experiencing a rapid maturation process during the past three years. Increasingly higher professional standards and accountability are being demanded by funding sources, administrators, and local community supporters.

This paper presents a working client/overall-program evaluation that has been used by a comprehensive out-patient drug abuse program to meet accountability requirements as well as therapeutic needs and demands. Six central criteria based on program goals are put into a rating instrument to measure client progress and program effectiveness. The criteria are: Program Involvement, Drug Abuse Status, Arrest/Conviction Recidivism Status, Education and Training Status, Job Stability and Job Performance.
Client and Environmental Correlates of Patient Attrition from an Inpatient Alcoholism Treatment Center
Authors: Hahn Jeffery , King Kathleen Piker
Published: May 2005

Most alcoholism researchers have been interested in factors associated with posttreatment success, while directing little attention to the variables related to premature termination from alcoholism treatment programs. This research explores the effects of sociodemographic, drinking history, and environmental support factors on premature termination.

Overall, the environmental support factors were more useful in explaining those who dropout or complete treatment. In contrast to past research, the primary group did not provide a positive force in continuation. On the contrary, those patients who lacked such support were more likely to complete treatment. The research findings illustrate the importance of including diverse sets of variables in future research examining premature termination of treatment.
The Acceptance and Validity of the Substance Use and Abuse Survey (SUAS)
Authors: Kupetz Karen , Klagsbrun Micheline , Wisoff Deborah , La Rosa Judith , Davis Donald I.
Published: May 2005

A self-assessment survey instrument was developed for the purposes of detecting abuse of both alcohol and other drugs in patients using a large urban medical center. Both widely-used quantity-frequency criteria and social consequences criteria were incorporated. This paper describes the use of the SUAS in a diverse sample of more than 5,000 patients. A high degree of patient acceptance is documented. This finding was contrary to the expectations of many of the physicians who gave permission for their patients to be interviewed. Utility of the instrument as an adjunct to the usual medical history is proposed.
Rating Disabilities of Older Patients by Nurses and Social Workers on Geriatric Health Care Teams: A Research Note with Implications for Further Study
Authors: Watson Wilbur H.
Published: May 2005

This article reports the results of an analysis of interprofessional agreements between nurses and social workers when rating older patients on their physical self-maintenance abilities, mental statuses, and dispositions to social interaction with other residents of a home for the aged. The findings showed statistically significant intercorrelations of ratings of physical self-maintenance abilities and mental statuses, but no agreement on disposition to interaction. These findings are interpreted for their implications for research and practices of nurses and social-workers on geriatric health care teams.
Marihuana, Alcohol and Tobacco: Reassessment of a Presumed Relationship
Authors: Dull R. Thomas , Williams Franklin P.
Published: May 2005

Current marihuana literature posits a strong relationship between alcohol, tobacco, and marihuana. The evidence for this relationship, however, is drawn largely from studies which have used youthful samples. Using a random survey of the general Texas population (age seventeen and over), the present study found little relationship between the three substances. Multiple regression analysis supported this finding by indicating that less than 8 per cent of explained variation in marihuana use was due to both alcohol and tobacco. In a further effort to explain this contradictory finding an age variable was introduced. Results indicated that youthful samples tend to overestimate the relationships between the three substances and cannot be generalized to other populations. A likely explanation of association found in youthful samples would focus on simultaneous experimentation rather than causal interrelationships among the substances themselves.
Cross-Sectional Assessment of Laboratory Variables in a Healthy Male Population
Authors: Burney Spencer W. , Bonus Louis
Published: May 2005

The statistical analysis of 29 laboratory variables with five decade age groups shows statistical differences between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers in serum alpha-2 and gamma globulin in fractions over multiple age groups, and hemoglobin, hematocrit, phosphorus, urine reaction, total bilirubin, and WBC in random age groups. Cholesterol level, although having a slightly lower mean and falling off at a later age in nonsmokers, is not statistically different from the smokers. It would appear that cigarette smoking has little effect on most laboratory tests in a large group of healthy males.
The Effects of Perceived Parental Behaviors, Attitudes, and Substance-Use on Adolescent Attitudes toward and Intent to Use Psychoactive Substances
Authors: Teichman Meir , Kefir Ester
Published: May 2005

The effects of parental behaviors, attitudes, and drug-use as perceived by adolescents on the latter's attitudes toward and intent to use psychoactive substances were studied. Perceived parental rejection, acceptance, and attitudes significantly differentiated between adolescents who reported favorable attitudes toward and high intent to use substances and those who expressed less favorable attitudes. On most parameters, the father's influence was significant, whereas the effect of the mother did not reach significance. Positive and significant relationships were also found between perceived parental rejection, acceptance, and attitudes and adolescent attitudes and intent to use psychoactive substances. No relationships were found between controlling parental behavior and adolescent attitudes and intent to use psychoactive substances. The role of the parents, as well as implications of the findings for prevention are discussed.
Patterns and Economic Effects of Drug Overdose Mortality in Texas: 1980–1986
Authors: Harlow Kirk C. , Swint J. Michael
Published: May 2005

Drug overdose mortality and its economic consequences are explored for ten different drug categories in this article. Data on drug overdose mortality in Texas for the years 1980–1986 are examined and a cost of mortality analysis is presented using the human capital methodology. In addition, mortality rates per 100,000 population are presented for each drug category. The results indicate that the cost of drug overdose mortality has more than doubled over the six-year period. The greatest growth in mortality cost has been for narcotics and cocaine, with commonly prescribed psychoactive drugs remaining fairly constant. The results suggest that men are at far greater risk of drug overdose than women with respect to illicit drugs. Women, however, appear to be at greater risk for overdose from commonly prescribed drugs.
Primary Group Interaction of Residents in a Retirement Hotel
Authors: Hampe Gary D. , Blevins Audie L.
Published: May 2005

The interaction patterns of sixty-three residents age 55 and over living in a retirement hotel for three types of primary groups-kin, friends, and neighbors-were studied. Almost all residents voiced high housing satisfaction and were involved to various degrees in their primary group network. The relative with whom visited the most, usually the adult child, influences the primary group interaction the most, but at the same time may contribute to feelings of uselessness on the part of the retired residents of the apartment complex.
Formal and Informal Network Factors as Sources of Morale in a Senior Center Population
Authors: Litwin Howard
Published: May 2005

This study examined the relative effects of senior center factors and social network attributes on the morale of a sample of senior center participants in Israel ( N = 85), controlling for respondents' background characteristics. The multivariate model accounted for 56 percent of the variance in morale scores. Respondents' health was the primary explanatory factor, followed by selected attributes of participants' informal social networks. The formal network factors had a minor and partly negative effect. The findings suggest that participants' morale was shaped more by the configuration of their interpersonal social networks than by factors related to the senior center environment.
Apprehensions of Coping Incompetence and Responses to Fear in Old Age
Authors: Gubrium Jaber F.
Published: May 2005

Fear is defined as a state of mind characterized by desperation and anxiousness stemming from personal incompetence in coping with events of everyday life. Expressions of fear in old age are described with data from a sample of 210 persons, aged 60 to 94, interviewed in Detroit. Self-defined sources of fear as well as active responses to it are discussed. Strategies for reducing fear in old age are suggested.
A Framework for Developing Drug Abuse Prevention Strategies for Young People in Ghetto Areas
Authors: Dembo Richard , Burgos William
Published: May 2005

The present paper considers critical factors in the experience of young people that need to be taken into account in order to understand them and to develop prevention programs. Drawing upon research and the literature on socialization, social psychology and drug abuse, an ethnographically informed, social context model of the actor is developed and its implications for prevention activities among ghetto youths examined.
Expectations and Psychological Needs of Elderly Dialysis Patients
Authors: Kutner Nancy G. , Brogan Donna
Published: May 2005

Half of the patients currently beginning chronic kidney dialysis therapy each year in the United States are sixty years of age or older. This is expensive therapy, and patients must cope with limitations stemming from physical debilitation, disruption of normal living routines, and dialysis dependency. It is important, therefore, to investigate patients' views of the quality of their lives. As limitations associated with receipt of chronic dialysis are lessened, patients' overall psychological outlook tends to be increasingly positive. Adjustment problems may persist, however, for those who were especially active before their kidney failure and for those who are coping not only with their own physical adjustment to dialysis but also with family relationship problems. The social context of dialysis treatment can potentially compensate for several losses that often accompany aging, especially if dialysis staff have sufficient time and patience to address issues impacting the psychological well-being of their elderly patients.
Personality Traits as Determinants of Burden and Health Complaints in Caregiving
Authors: Reis Myrna Feldman , Gold Dolores Pushkar , Andres David , Markiewicz Dorothy , Gauthier Serge
Published: May 2005

This study tested predictions specifying the influence of caregiver personality traits on negative outcomes of caregiving, health complaints and burden. Two-hundred and thirteen caregivers, who were caring for family members with dementia, were interviewed and their relatives were assessed on cognitive status and aggression. At follow-up conducted twenty-four months later, forty-five caregivers were still continuing to provide home care for their dependents. Caregivers who scored higher on a measure of neuroticism experienced higher levels of burden and health complaints both at initial and follow-up assessment. Caregiver extraversion-introversion did not influence the experience of caregiving. At both initial and final assessment, the ability to enjoy some aspects of caregiving, recreational activities, and satisfaction with social support from family and friends mitigated negative outcomes of caregiving, while appraising the dependent as more troublesome increased negative outcomes. Caring for more cognitively impaired and more aggressive dependents and being female increased negative outcomes initially. Personality traits and most other study variables demonstrated significant continuity across time for caregivers continuing home care.
Drug-Related Behavior, Knowledge and Misconceptions among a Selected Group of Senior Citizens
Authors: Gebhardt Mary W. , Governali Joseph F. , Hart Edward J.
Published: May 2005

A sample of non-institutionalized senior citizens in the City of Cortland, New York, were interviewed as to their drug-related practices and opinions about selected drug issues. The data revealed that the elderly tended to ascribe to a number of potentially damaging beliefs about drug risks and tended to minimize the hazards of drug interactions. There appeared to be positive opinions toward o-t-c drugs and a general belief that symptomatic treatment was acceptable behavior. The frequency of drug usage was high among senior citizens in the group yet they tended to report that their age group used less drugs than young adults, even though the literature does not support such a claim.
Considerations in the Formulation of School Drug Policy
Authors: Greenberg Jerrold
Published: May 2005

This article delineates four areas of school drug policies which need consideration: confidentiality, pupil personnel records, school relationship with police, and rights of students. Although answers are not offered, questions are raised to which schoolmen responsible for formulating school drug policies should address themselves.

In addition, the need for and the security associated with written school drug policy are cited and defended. Evidence is offered relative to the lack of written policy pertaining to drug abuse and the lack of knowledge of existent policy on the part of teachers.
Raising Expectations for Grandparents: A Three Generational Study
Authors: Strom Robert , Strom Shirley
Published: May 2005

Previous research resulted in the nation's first curriculum for grandparents. To determine the program benefits, 210 experimental subjects received instruction. Each of these persons chose one son or daughter and one grandchild to help evaluate changes in grandparent attitudes and behavior. All three generations completed separate versions of the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory prior to the classes, at the end of intervention, and three months later. Posttesting of grandparents revealed significant improvement. These gains were corroborated by parents and grandchildren. Multivariate analyses identified the impact of eleven independent variables on grandparent performance. A control group of 185 subjects made no improvement.
The Functions of Progressionals in Gerontology in Policy Making: A Case History from Massachusetts
Authors: Lowy Louis
Published: May 2005

This paper describes and assesses the functions which a Professional Task Force Committee has performed as an advisory body to the State Unit on Aging in Massachusetts, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and how this committee has aided in its development in the past 2 years. As such it illustrates the kind of contributions which professionals in gerontology can make in policy-making for the elderly. This experience in Massachusetts has demonstrated that a body of professionals linked together through an appropriate structure, can shape and effect policies that a State Unit on Aging eventually promulgates. The expert can and should make his expertise available in policy analysis, policy development, and in policy implementation. But, at the same time, the expert must recognize that, like everybody else, he needs a corrective; otherwise expert power will be guiding too much the direction of a State Unit on Aging (or any other government department) and this may not always be in the interest of those who are going to receive services and to be the beneficiaries of social programs.
Educational Implications of the Values Held by Australian Aboriginal Students
Authors: White Colin , Fogarty Gerard J.
Published: May 2005

Fogarty and White (1994) found that Australian Aboriginal university students tend to be more collectively minded than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Using the Values Survey developed by Schwartz (1992), the present study set out to replicate this finding and to determine whether observed value differences can help to explain the low achievement levels of Aboriginal students in a university setting. The differences noted by Fogarty and White (1994) were replicated in the present study where data gathered from a sample of Aboriginal students ( N = 202) over a six-year period indicated that they score more highly on the collectivist scales of Conformity, Tradition, and Security than a non-Aboriginal student cohort ( N = 194). Across the combined samples, however, scores on values were not strong predictors of academic success, with only Tradition ( r = −.28, p < .01) and Conformity ( r = −.28, p < .01) showing appreciable relations with a measure of academic performance. When Race was partialled out of these correlations, Achievement ( r = .16, p < .01) and Conformity ( r = −.15, p < .01) were the only variables to demonstrate any relationship with performance. These findings suggest that there are factors other than value systems that have a much greater impact on the problems experienced by Australian Aborigines in higher educational settings.
Drug Abuse in the Military: An Adolescent Misbehavior Problem
Authors: Beary John F. , Mazzuchi John F. , Richie Sharon I.
Published: May 2005

The best descriptor of the drug abuse problem in the military is adolescent misbehavior. Data from a survey of military personnel reveal that single, enlisted males under twenty-five are the population most at risk. Although the use of heroin was widely publicized a decade ago, alcohol and cannabis are now the most common substances of abuse. While some work impairment and dependence are reported, these are not characteristic of the drug abuse problem in the military. Programs to decrease the prevalence of drug abuse in the Defense Department are described.
Cocaine Abuse—The Evolution from COCA Leaves to Freebase
Authors: Forno Joseph J. , Young Richard T. , Levitt Cynthia
Published: May 2005

This article describes historical and sociological patterns of cocaine use. Cocaine is described as an example of drug abuse trends toward a search for new ways of using old drugs in ways that produce enhanced euphoria. The use of cocaine freebase is described, as is emergency treatment of cocaine toxicity.
Home Care for the Urban Chronically Ill Elderly in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Davis Anne J. , Martinson Ida , Gan Lan-Chun , Jin Qiao , Liang Yi-Hua , Davis Deborah Bone , Lin Ju-Ying
Published: May 2005

This study examines the home care situation of seventy-five urban chronically ill men and women and their caregivers in three cities in the People's Republic of China. It documents the type of home care provided, the severity of illness, and the dependency in activities of daily living in order to appreciate the complexity of these care situations. The findings reveal that women serve as the caregivers in the majority of the cases and often they are elderly spouses with health problems of their own. The physical, social, psychological, and financial problems experienced by these patients create an enormous burden for the caregivers whether spouses or younger family members coming home from work to a second shift. If alternatives to home care, such as nursing homes, were available, 54 percent of these caregivers would be willing to institutionalize their elderly relative. All caregivers express the need for more assistance in providing home care. This study raises questions regarding the role of the family, the state, and specifically the health care system in caring for the elderly chronically ill in light of their increasing numbers in the population.
The Perils of Adding Up: A Cautionary Tale about Modeling and Regression Analysis
Authors: Musgrove Philip
Published: May 2005

To turn incomplete or imperfectly reliable information into estimates useful for policy, some modeling is often necessary or helpful. It does not follow that every statistical relation constitutes a model. There has to be an underlying theory, and the numerical estimates must respect any definitional or accounting identities that constrain the results. Ad hoc relations that do not meet these criteria can lead to uninterpretable or meaningless values, especially when different partial values, separately estimated, are added together. The imputed values of “responsiveness” in the WHO World Health Report 2000 illustrate this danger.
The Structural Adjustment Programme and the Elderly in Nigeria
Authors: Ekpenyong Stephen
Published: May 2005

The article analyzes the impact of recent economic changes accompanying the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and ongoing cultural styles on the aged in Nigeria. It argues that during the one decade preceding the introduction of SAP in 1986, Nigeria experienced significant social and economic transformations made possible by the rise in oil prices in the 1970s. The introduction of SAP has also been accompanied by significant social, cultural, and economic changes. Here the effects of these changes on the situation of the elderly in Nigeria are examined using data pooled from observations and surveys in both the pre- and post-SAP years. Findings reveal that compared to the younger generations, the relative position of the elderly has not changed significantly, although the latter's position has deteriorated on dimensions such as access to economic and health resources. Regional and individual differentials in the situation of old people are significant during both the pre- and post-SAP era.
The White House Conference on Aging: Two Years Later
Authors: Lowy Louis
Published: May 2005

The volume entitled Post-White House Conference on Aging Reports 1973, “Towards a New Attitude on Aging,” lists the White House Conference of 1971 recommendations, the Administration's response, and the response to the Administration by a Post-Conference Study Panel. It gives an accounting as to the progress made since that time. The voluminous report of 860 pages attempts to analyze to what extent the promises of the White House Conference have been fulfilled. It can be concluded that any implementation of the recommendations has been guided more by the principle of expediency rather than by a real desire to integrate the aging into the mainstream of American life. An analysis of the recommendations regarding income and actual efforts to meet these recommendations illustrates the shortcomings of the White House Conference promises, as do the responses to the recommendations with regard to social services and housing. These serve merely as illustrations. Most glaring, however, is the lack of coordination of policies on the federal and state levels which is exemplified with regard to training and administration of programs.
Gender Differences in Patterns of Searching the Web
Authors: Roy Marguerite , Chi Michelene T. H.
Published: May 2005

There has been a national call for increased use of computers and technology in schools. Currently, however, little is known about how students use and learn from these technologies. This study explores how eighth-grade students use the Web to search for, browse, and find information in response to a specific prompt (how mosquitoes find their prey). A previous analysis (Roy, Taylor & Chi, 2003) found that boys performed significantly better on gaining target-specific (information directly related to the prompt) and target-related (information related to mosquitoes in general) knowledge than girls. The current article explores this difference further by examining how students searched the Web for information. Each student's search behavior was diagramed out and a series of six different “search moves” were derived. Statistical analysis of these search variables revealed that boys tended to employ a different search pattern from girls and that this variation in search behavior was related to the pattern of performance outcomes.
Patterns of Intergenerational Exchange: A Developmental Approach
Authors: Turner Joseph G.
Published: May 2005

A review of the current theoretical literature continues to refute the earlier held viewpoint that the American family is an isolated unit with little or no contact with the extended family. Nine theoretical models are presented supporting the existence of rather definitive patterns of intergenerational exchange. Additionally, explanation is given as to how these patterns of exchange operate between generations and why they change over time. Suggestions are presented why the middle family unit of the three generational system eventually emerges today as the center of power or most influential unit.
The Elderly Offender: Relative Frequency and Pattern of Offenses
Authors: Wilbanks William
Published: May 2005

There is considerable literature on the elderly victim but almost none on the elderly offender. This study presents data on the relative frequency of felonies and misdemeanors by age and patterns of offenses for one jurisdiction, Dade County (Miami), Florida in 1980 and 1982. The pattern of offenses by the elderly was found to be varied with no concentration in the expected areas (shoplifting and child molesting). Age was found to be a better predictor of offense rates than sex or race. Persons aged eighteen to twenty-four were 138 times as likely to be charged with a felony as persons aged sixty-five and over. The highest offense rate for any age/sex/race subgroup (non-white male, eighteen to twenty-four) was 3,089 times the rate for the subgroup (white females, sixty-five and over) with the lowest felony rate.
The Relationship between Mastery and Depression among Japanese Family Caregivers
Authors: Schreiner Andrea S. , Morimoto Tomoko
Published: May 2005

The present study examined the relationship between caregiver mastery and depressive symptoms among family stroke caregivers in western Japan ( N = 100). Family caregivers were identified from a sample of rehabilitation hospitals; participation rate was 100 percent for all eligible caregivers. Caregivers with high mastery were found to have significantly fewer depressive symptoms than low mastery caregivers and were significantly more likely to use a respite caregiver. They also reported significantly less burden, yet paradoxically were significantly more likely to rate their care-recipients as more functionally dependent on them. Caregiver age, health status, and caregiving duration did not relate to mastery. However, men had a significantly higher sense of mastery. In general, findings parallel those for Western family caregivers, although mean mastery scores for Japanese caregivers were lower than those reported for American family caregivers.
An Overview of Occupational Alcoholism Issues for the 80's
Authors: McClellan Keith
Published: May 2005

The past decade has been a period of learning and experimentation in occupational alcoholism and employee assistance programming (EAPs). Assumptions regarding the essential ingredients for such program's sponsorship and principal targets, changed during this period.

The professionalization of the U.S. work force is thought to require further modification of EAP casefinding. Future EAPs are expected to place less emphasis on supervisory confrontation than on broader types of casefinding. Early identification, prior to a decline in job performance, is anticipated. Employee involvement, attention to poly-drug addiction, family disruption, employee education, and the need for drug-free lifestyles are essential for future programs to succeed and labor law needs to be considered when employee organizations attempt to operate EAPs.

EAP consortia are seen as a method of reaching the bulk of the work force. Start-up capital and uniform insurance coverage are unsolved problems for consortia.