bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Marriage Rituals as Reinforcers of Role Transitions: An Analysis of Weddings in The Netherlands
Authors: Kalmijn Matthijs
Published: July 2004

Using a nationally representative survey of married couples (N = 572) in The Netherlands, I analyze three characteristics of the contemporary western marriage ceremony: (a) whether couples give a wedding party, (b) whether couples have their marriage consecrated in church, and (c) whether couples go away on a honeymoon. Hypotheses are developed arguing that marriage ceremonies reinforce role transitions in two complementary ways: They reduce uncertainty about the new roles that people will occupy, and they provide approval for norm‐guided behavior. Multivariate analyses support the hypotheses. Elaborate marriage ceremonies are more common among couples for whom the transition to marriage is more drastic, and traditional values in the social context of the couple go hand in hand with a more elaborate marriage ceremony.
Stress Hormone Changes and Marital Conflict: Spouses’ Relative Power Makes a Difference
Authors: Loving Timothy J. , Heffner Kathi L. , Kiecolt‐Glaser Janice K. , Glaser Ronald , Malarkey William B.
Published: July 2004

We investigated the impact of relative marital power on 72 newlywed couples’ endocrinological responses to marital conflict. Marital power was determined by comparing spouses’ reports of dependent love for one another. Less powerful spouses displayed elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses to a conflict discussion. Shared power appeared to have a beneficial effect on wives’ but not husbands’ ACTH responses. Spouses’ cortisol levels declined over time, except for wives who were less powerful and for husbands who shared power with their wives. Conflict behaviors did not differ as a function of this marital power index. These data suggest that relative levels of general emotional power in relationships may play an important role in spouses’ physiological responses to marital conflict.
Before They Said “I Do”: Discriminating Among Marital Outcomes Over 13 Years
Authors: Clements Mari L. , Stanley Scott M. , Markman Howard J.
Published: July 2004

One hundred couples were followed for 13 years from the premarital period well through the primary risk period for divorce. Results of discriminant analysis indicated that couples who remain satisfied, become distressed, and divorce can be reliably classified on the basis of premarital data. Further, both previously identified demographic risk factors and couple interaction variables contributed to classification accuracy, suggesting that both types of variables play important roles in relationship outcomes. The method employed here addresses weakness in previous studies by: (a) following couples for an extended period after marriage, (b) using multiple validated self‐report and observational measures, and (c) making predictions simultaneously for divorced, distressed, and satisfied couples.
Moving Out: Transition to Nonresidence Among Resident Fathers in the United States, 1968–1997
Authors: Gupta Sanjiv , Smock Pamela J. , Manning Wendy D.
Published: July 2004

This article provides the first individual‐level estimates of the change over time in the probability of nonresidence for initially resident fathers in the United States. Drawing on the 1968–1997 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we used discrete‐time event history models to compute the probabilities of nonresidence for six 5‐year periods. Our sample consists of men (N = 1,388) who are coresident with their biological children at the time of birth. We found that the observed probability of nonresidence doubled over the three decades of the study period, but not linearly. The risk increased substantially in the 1980s and then stabilized in the 1990s. Our multivariate models show that the stabilization was due to changes over time in characteristics such as income; had these remained constant, the likelihood of nonresidence would have increased throughout the study period. Both fathers’ and mothers’ incomes reduce the likelihood of paternal nonresidence, as do mothers’ employment hours.
Understanding Racial Differences in Marital Disruption: Recent Trends and Explanations
Authors: Sweeney Megan M. , Phillips Julie A.
Published: July 2004

We use data from the Current Population Survey to investigate racial differences in recent patterns of marital disruption. Although a leveling in the trend of disruption has occurred for White women since 1980, our results suggest less stabilization in rates of disruption among Black women. We also observe significant differences by race in the effects of key compositional factors on the risk of marital disruption, including age at marriage, education, premarital childbearing, and region of residence. Differences in population composition with respect to these characteristics, however, cannot alone explain the overall racial gap in disruption.
Do Parents of Girls Have a Higher Risk of Divorce? An Eighteen‐Country Study
Authors: Diekmann Andreas , Schmidheiny Kurt
Published: July 2004

Using data from the June 1980 Current Population Survey, Morgan, Lye, and Condran (1988) reported that families with a daughter have a higher divorce risk than families with a son. They attribute this finding to the higher involvement of fathers in raising a son, which in turn promotes marital stability. We investigate the relation between gender composition of children and parents’ divorce risk with cross‐national data from the Fertility and Family Survey. These data, which cover 16 European countries, Canada, and the United States, do not support a general hypothesis that sons contribute more to marital stability than daughters.
Postsecondary Education and Economic Well‐Being of Single Mothers and Single Fathers
Authors: Zhan Min , Pandey Shanta
Published: July 2004

We investigate the effects of postsecondary education on the economic well‐being of single parents. The data for this study are from the 1993 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, with a sample of 930 single mothers and 168 single fathers. The results indicate that postsecondary education, particularly a 4‐year college degree, improves the economic status of both single mothers and single fathers. Controlling for the effects of education and other factors, single fathers fare better than single mothers, and White single parents fare better than their African American counterparts. To benefit single parents, social policies must devote more resources toward human capital development and reduction of gender‐ and race‐based discrimination in the labor market.
Children and the Stability of Cohabiting Couples
Authors: Manning Wendy D.
Published: July 2004

Theory and empirical evidence generally credit children with creating stability in their parents’ marriages, but whether children have a similar effect on cohabiting unions has not been previously investigated in the United States. This article uses the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 2,716) to evaluate the effects of children on the stability of couples who cohabit. The article distinguishes between conceptions and births because the two have different implications for union stability. The results indicate that children conceived during cohabitation are associated with greater stability of their parents’ relationship, particularly for Whites and Latinos, whereas children conceived and born during cohabitation are not. In addition, the effect of children on couple stability depends on whether the couple is cohabiting or has transitioned into marriage.
Dimensions of Family Functioning: Perspectives of Low‐Income African American Single‐Parent Families
Authors: McCreary Linda L. , Dancy Barbara L.
Published: July 2004

Family functioning is influenced by socioeconomic status, culture, family structure, and developmental stage, and is assessed primarily using instruments developed for middle‐income European American two‐parent families. These instruments may not validly assess low‐income African American single‐parent families. This qualitative study was conducted to provide rich descriptions of families and family functioning in order to inform research on this underrepresented group. Interviews were conducted with 20 low‐income African American single mothers and 20 adult family members recruited from a large midwestern city. Content analysis revealed the essential dimensions of family functioning: Effective families provide emotional nurturing, communicate, do things together, help each other, and parent children appropriately.
Cumulative Environmental Risk and Youth Problem Behavior
Authors: Gerard Jean M. , Buehler Cheryl
Published: July 2004

Using data from Wave 1 (n = 5,070) and Wave 2 (n = 4,404) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examined the relationship between cumulative risk exposure and youth problem behavior. Cross‐sectional analyses revealed a positive, linear association between cumulative risk and problem behaviors. The association between cumulative risk and externalizing problems was stronger for White youth than for Black youth. The association between cumulative risk and internalizing problems was stronger for girls than for boys, and stronger for White youth than for Black and Hispanic youth. Cumulative risk predicted change over time in internalizing problems. Findings support the theoretical notion that adolescents experience diminished psychological comfort when risk factors are present across several social domains.
Do Residential Conditions Explain the Relationship Between Living Arrangements and Adolescent Behavior?
Authors: Crowder Kyle , Teachman Jay
Published: July 2004

Persistent effects of childhood living arrangements and family change on adolescent outcomes have often been attributed to differences in socialization and intrafamily processes. We use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to assess an alternative explanation: that neighborhood context and residential mobility represent a central set of mechanisms through which family structure affects adolescent risk behavior. Our results indicate that the effects of childhood living arrangements and family change on the risk of dropping out of school (n = 8,267) and of experiencing a premarital teen pregnancy (n = 6,063) are largely attenuated when differences in the level of neighborhood disadvantage and the number of residential moves experienced by adolescents is taken into account.
The Time Squeeze: Parental Statuses and Feelings About Time With Children
Authors: Milkie Melissa A. , Mattingly Marybeth J. , Nomaguchi Kei M. , Bianchi Suzanne M. , Robinson John P.
Published: July 2004

Policy makers, parents, and the public are concerned with perceived declines in parents’ time with children. Data from two national surveys (N = 1,159 and N = 821) used in this study show that nearly half of parents report feeling too little time with children. Work hours are strongly related to these feelings, even controlling for time spent with children, and explain why fathers more than mothers feel time strain. For fathers, those whose youngest child is an adolescent feel more strain than similarly situated mothers. Controlling for work hours, single parents are not more likely than married parents to feel that they spend insufficient time with children.
Unique Influence of Mothers and Fathers on Their Children's Antisocial Behavior
Authors: Kosterman Rick , Haggerty Kevin P. , Spoth Richard , Redmond Cleve
Published: July 2004

The social development model (Catalano & Hawkins, 1996) was adapted to examine the unique influence of mothers and fathers on their children's antisocial behavior. Analyses examined 325 families with sixth‐grade children. Structural equation modeling was used to assess unique influences of constructs specific to mothers or fathers. Multiple‐group comparisons were conducted to identify differences in the relationships between constructs for daughters versus sons. Results suggested that, although the relationships were often similar for both parents and for both daughters and sons, mothers and fathers uniquely influenced their child's antisocial behavior depending on the child's gender. Overall, cross‐gender influence appeared to be particularly important for fathers’ control of their daughters’ antisocial behavior. Implications for the prevention of antisocial behavior are discussed.
Japanese Fathers of Preschoolers and Their Involvement in Child Care
Authors: Ishii‐Kuntz Masako , Makino Katsuko , Kato Kuniko , Tsuchiya Michiko
Published: July 2004

We examine how relative resources, time availability, gender ideology, living arrangement, child‐care demand, and job satisfaction are associated with the levels of younger Japanese fathers’ involvement in child care for preschoolers. A theoretical model that includes these factors is tested using 1994 data collected from Japanese fathers and mothers with preschool children (N = 442 couples). We find that practical considerations such as fathers’ shorter work hours, mothers’ full‐time employment, fewer adults and more children in households, and younger ages of children are associated with higher levels of paternal involvement. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of attention to ways to encourage Japanese men's sharing of child‐care responsibilities with their wives.
The Best of Ties, the Worst of Ties: Close, Problematic, and Ambivalent Social Relationships
Authors: Fingerman Karen L. , Hay Elizabeth L. , Birditt Kira S.
Published: July 2004

This study builds on research addressing intergenerational ambivalence by considering emotional ambivalence toward the wider social network. Men and women ages 13 to 99 (N = 187) completed diagrams of their close and problematic social relationships. Social ties were classified as solely close, solely problematic, or ambivalent, based on network placement (n = 3,392 social contacts). Multilevel models revealed that individuals viewed certain close familial ties (e.g., spouse, son or daughter, parent, sibling) with greater ambivalence than they viewed more distal family ties, friendships, or acquaintances. Participants classified more acquaintances than other relationships as solely problematic. Feeling closer to a social partner was associated with increased ambivalence. Older adults were more likely to classify their relationships as solely close than as ambivalent, in comparison with younger adults. Discussion focuses on tension and closeness in familial and nonfamilial relationships.
Cross‐Ethnic Equivalence of Socialization Measures in European American and African American Youth
Authors: Krishnakumar Ambika , Buehler Cheryl , Barber Brian K.
Published: July 2004

We examined the cross‐ethnic equivalency of socialization measures developed primarily with European American families. Four aspects of measurement equivalence were assessed: conceptual, operational, scalar, and functional. Evidence of between—and within—group measurement equivalency of socialization measures was derived from youth reports of 500 European American and 134 African American individuals ages 10 to 18, using confirmatory factor analyses and item response theory analyses. Findings indicate that most individual indicators of socialization, with the exception of paternal psychological control and parent‐youth conflict, demonstrated cross‐ethnic equivalence. The findings also suggest that lax control is better represented as a multidimensional construct (leniency and laxness).
Exploring Nonnormative Coresidence in Urban China: Living With Wives’ Parents
Authors: Efron Pimentel Ellen , Liu Jinyun
Published: July 2004

We model histories between two cohorts of urban Chinese couples (N = 1,191) of a rarely studied living arrangement—coresidence with the wife's parents—using a dynamic life history analysis in contrast to previous cross‐sectional studies of coresidence. We examine patterns of entry into and exit from coresidence with the wife's parents, comparing the predictive power of modernization theory to the effect of demographic change and the resources and needs of each generation. Given China's well‐known patrilineal family system, we find a surprisingly high number of couples ever residing nonnormatively, and significant differences between cohorts in what determines the pattern of coresidence. Resources and needs that reflect conscious choices to coreside most strongly influence nonnormative coresidence. Its importance may increase as the children of the One‐Child Family Policy grow up and marry.
From Data to Theory: the Over‐Representation of Linguistic Knowledge in SLA
Authors: Myles Florence
Published: July 2004

This article deals with the over‐representation of syntactic knowledge in L2 learner data. In early L2 grammars, multimorphemic sequences which go well beyond learners’ grammatical competence are very common. Influential theories of the L2 initial state have failed to take proper account of this phenomenon, claiming the apparent presence of, e.g., finite verb forms, wh questions and clitics, as evidence for functional projections from the start of L2 acquisition. However, data from early learners show that these properties are not present outside chunks initially, and that early grammars consist of lexical projections and formulaic sequences, showing no evidence of functional categories.
Negation in French–Chinese, German–Chinese and English–Chinese Interlanguages
Authors: Yuan Boping
Published: July 2004

This article reports on an empirical study of L2 acquisition of Chinese negation by French‐, German‐ and English‐speaking learners. With regard to the syntactic structure of clausal negation, French and German are different from Chinese while English and Chinese are similar. It was hypothesised that it would be easier for English‐speaking learners than for French‐ and German‐speaking learners to acquire the syntactic structure of Chinese negation. However, this hypothesis is disconfirmed by the results of the study; little variation is found between the L2 groups in the acquisition of Chinese negation and their behaviours are all native‐like. These results present a challenge to some influential L2‐acquisition hypotheses. The findings suggest that L2 grammars can have fully and appropriately specified features of functional categories from the initial stage of L2 acquisition even though these features may have different values in learners’ L1s.
Representation, Processing and Working Memory in a Second Language
Authors: Juffs Alan
Published: July 2004

Current theories of morphosyntax propose that features play a key role in determining some aspects of word order and in the argument structure of verbs. Thus, knowledge of language consists of features and mechanisms that ensure that elements in a clause are assembled correctly for interpretation and phonological processing. Therefore, the nature of the grammar of an L2 can be explored by assessing whether features and the mechanisms through which they are assembled and checked is ‘impaired’ or not. This article assumes that processing performance can provide a window onto this grammatical competence. Evidence is presented from online processing of English by thirty Chinese‐speaking, twenty‐eight Japanese‐speaking, and forty‐six Spanish‐speaking participants which shows that the basic mechanisms of grammar remain intact for L2 learners in spite of inferior performance on judgements of those same sentences. Data suggest that working memory, as measured by the reading‐span test (Daneman and Carpenter 1980), is not a source of individual variation in online L2 performance, whereas word span might be.
Segmentation: Learning How to ‘Hear Words’ in the L2 Speech Stream
Authors: Carroll Susanne E.
Published: July 2004

We ‘hear words’ when we can segment prosodic units from the speech stream and activate associated lexical entries. Segmentation is sometimes regarded in SLA as a perceptual problem, not a grammatical one. I argue here that this view is wrong: segmenting formatives results when we construct prosodic units on the basis of phonetic cues to their edges. The learner's first task is to acquire the relevant cues to these edges. The problem of segmentation is discussed within the framework provided by the Autonomous Induction Theory.
In Two Minds about Grammar: on the Interaction of Linguistic and Metalinguistic Knowledge in Performance
Authors: Sharwood Smith Mike
Published: July 2004

The investigation and discussion of metalinguistic ability requires a firm theoretical foundation if it is to contribute to a proper account of its role in L1 and L2 performance. A framework for elaborating more rigorous accounts of this and other major issues of language acquisition and performance will be presented here as a prerequisite to discussing the role of metalinguistic knowledge. In this framework, language performance is seen as involving two parallel language systems, one subserved by systems largely controlled by the principles of Universal Grammar (UG), the other, a metagrammar, existing outside the UG‐controlled zone. To all intents and purposes they are quite divorced from one another but somehow have to act in concert to serve the various aims of the speaker.
Toxic Torts, Politics, and Environmental Justice: The Case for Crimtorts*
Authors: KOENIG THOMAS H. , RUSTAD MICHAEL L.
Published: July 2004

The borderline between criminal and tort law has been increasingly blurred over the past quarter century by the emergence of new “crimtort” remedies which have evolved to deter and punish corporate polluters. Punitive damages, multiple damages, and other “crimtort” remedies are under unrelenting assault by neo‐conservatives principally because, under this paradigm, the punishment for wrongdoing can be calibrated to the wealth of the polluter. If wealth‐based punishment is eliminated by the “tort reformers,” plaintiffs’ victories in crimtort actions such as those portrayed in the movies Silkwood, A Class Action, and Erin Brockovich will become an endangered species.
Equity in Toxic Tort Litigation: Unjust Enrichment and the Poor*
Authors: KANNER ALLAN
Published: July 2004

This paper proposes to explore the current and prospective role of equitable theories and remedies in toxic tort litigation. The argument is for an unjust enrichment remedy in certain property pollution cases. The idea is to remove the monetary incentive for polluting economically depressed areas. Two specific areas of investigation come immediately to mind. First, courts have already embraced equitable remedies to address pollution damages. Under Ayers and its progeny, many states have allowed the equitable remedy medical monitoring. What is important to understand is how legal relief for increased risk claims would have been inadequate and also the propriety of finding an equitable approach. Second, moving from personal injury to real property damage claims, we see a similar opportunity for use of equitable relief under an unjust enrichment theory. Currently, there is much debate about the propriety of restoration damages as opposed to fair market value (FMV) damages for the landowners whose property is damaged by the pollution of another. Each approach has various strengths and weaknesses. A better approach might be to use unjust enrichment on a law and economics basis as a remedy to force polluters to internalize the cost of pollution. For instance, take a polluter who pollutes the neighboring environs in lieu of paying one million dollars in disposal and storage costs. Assume the neighboring properties are only worth three hundred thousand dollars on a FMV approach. Assume further that restoration costs are ten million dollars, but that the relevant government agency would accept a natural attenuation clean‐up approach. How should the remedy be set, and should one consider allowing a de facto pollution easement?
Daubert and the Exclusionary Ethos: The Convergence of Corporate and Judicial Attitudes towards the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Tort Litigation*
Authors: EDMOND GARY , MERCER DAVID
Published: July 2004

The article traces the way admissibility jurisprudence following Daubert has come to emphasize the importance of strict judicial gatekeeping; making it more difficult for plaintiffs to succeed in tort and product liability litigation. This exclusionary ethos appears to have been shaped by a range of values and interests which appear closely aligned to the perspectives promoted by corporate‐sponsored proponents of tort and evidence reform. The effects of the exclusionary ethos are explored through an example of judicial gatekeeping in recent mobile telephone litigation and a review of judicial surveys of post‐Daubert attitudes toward expert evidence. The role of corporate‐sponsored amicus briefs in the influential Supreme Court Kumho Tire Co. Ltd. v Carmichael appeal, extra‐legal mobilization by conservative think tanks in litigation around electric and magnetic fields (EMF), and a qualitative citation analysis of federal court judgments, are then used in a preliminary attempt to trace the influence of corporate lobbying and social problem rhetorics on judicial attitudes and practice.
Toxic Torts, Public Interest Law, and Environmental Justice: Evidence from Louisiana*
Authors: TOFFOLON‐WEISS MELISSA , ROBERTS J. TIMMONS
Published: July 2004

Poor and minority communities facing environmental hazards have increasingly turned to legal strategies to seek redress but a divide has emerged in these cases and their outcomes. Some aggrieved communities turn to private injury lawyers, while others secure representation by public interest groups, such as Earthjustice, the Southern Environmental Law Center, or university law clinics. Is justice being equally served in these cases? We analyze the impact of toxic tort versus legal aid approaches in determining the outcome of environmental justice struggles using four landmark cases from Louisiana in the context of other factors that appeared important in determining how these cases resolved.
Technological Disasters, Litigation Stress, and the Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms*
Authors: MARSHALL BRENT K. , PICOU J. STEVEN , SCHLICHTMANN JAN R.
Published: July 2004

The legal system in the United States is uniquely conflict‐oriented, expensive, and legalistic. From the perspective of victims, we contend that adversarial litigation is particularly ineffective as a means of resolving conflicts that typically ensue in the aftermath of technological disasters. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we discuss why the psychosocial impact of litigation on litigants following a technological disaster is particularly damaging. Second, examining longitudinal data collected following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, we demonstrate that the litigation process itself functions as a source of secondary trauma for litigants. Third, we provide suggestions for bypassing the litigation process altogether, via alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Although it may be that we have exchanged swords and cudgels for subpoenas and depositions, an aura of combat continues to hover about the judicial process, and combat produces casualties.
Strasburger (1999: 203)
The Financial Accountability of Irish Credit Unions: An Initial Empirical Study
Authors: Hyndman Noel , McKillop Donal , Ferguson Charles , Wall Tony
Published: July 2004

Credit unions are member‐owned, voluntary, self‐help, democratic, not‐for‐profit institutions that provide financial services to their members. They have both economic and social goals. Over this last decade they have achieved remarkable growth levels and currently there are 600 such organisations in Ireland, with approximately 50 per cent of the adult population of Ireland belonging to a credit union. Accounting for credit unions is a much‐neglected area and relatively little is known about the sector's accountability. This paper presents the results of an initial empirical study of the financial accountability of Irish credit unions. A series of interviews and a basic content analysis of 178 recent financial statements were used to identify the views of key stakeholders with respect to the discharge of financial accountability by credit unions and the current quality of financial reporting. Overall, the research points to a sector where financial accountability through the medium of the annual report is weak and possible adverse consequences of this are explored. On the basis of the interviews it is suggested that if changes in financial accountability are to be achieved then some more proactive engagement of parties external to the management of individual credit unions is needed.
A Theory of the Published Accounts of Local Authorities
Authors: Jones Rowan , Pendlebury Maurice
Published: July 2004

Extant theory and practice suggest that there are no external users of a local authority's published accounts. Over the past thirty years, the major theme for such financial reporting has been increasingly to associate with company financial reporting. We rehearse the similarities but also the crucial differences between company and local authority financial reporting. Previous studies of the published accounts of local authorities, for 1977/78 and 1987/88, demonstrated that there was significant non‐compliance with promulgated accounting policies. We report on how this conclusion has not changed for 1997/98 (despite changes in policy‐making and in policies) and how the non‐compliance has been accompanied by clean audit opinions. We then offer a theory, based on Ijiri's (1975) theory of accounting measurement, that the published audited accounts of local authorities are the means by which the preparers provide implicit assurance of the underlying accounting: they legitimate the internal accounting.
Politicians in Search of Performance Information?‐ Survey Research on Dutch Aldermen's Use of Performance Information
Authors: Ter Bogt Henk J.
Published: July 2004

Based on survey research, a picture is given of the sources which were used by 262 aldermen of Dutch municipalities to obtain information about developments in and performances of their organizations and aldermen's opinions on the available performance information in output‐oriented planning and control documents. The aldermen, who were elected politicians, made much use of information which they obtained during verbal consultations with professional managers. Performance information in planning and control documents was not greatly used by aldermen. Their opinions on available performance information in planning and control documents and its use slightly differed, depending on the policy fields for which they are responsible. This might be related to differences between policy fields with respect to uncertainty, measurability of outputs, and knowledge of transformation processes, although this relationship is not unambiguous.
How to Profit From Defence: A Study in the Misapplication of Business Accounting to the Public Sector in Australia
Authors: Barton Allan D.
Published: July 2004

The financial statements of the Australian Department of Defence portray it as a highly profitable business which sells defence services to the Government, earns a large profit, pays a substantial dividend and is largely self‐funding. It is argued that the statements seriously misrepresent the financial performance and position of the Department. It is funded from a budget appropriation to provide defence services to the nation, but it is required to report as if it were a commercial business under New Public Management reforms adopted by the Government. But Government accounting systems must be adapted to their unique operating environments if their financial statements are to faithfully represent their financial results.
Is the Annual Report an Accountability Medium? An Empirical Investigation into Italian Local Governments
Authors: Steccolini Ileana
Published: July 2004

What is the actual role of the local government annual report as an accountability medium in the context of Italian public sector reforms? The empirical analysis, conducted on a sample of Italian local governments, shows that annual reports do not seem to play the role of ‘general purpose’ reports. They are rather prepared to comply with very detailed legal requirements and mainly delivered to internal stakeholders, whereas voluntary disclosure is scant. Moreover, most local governments do not use alternative tools to communicate their results. This raises questions as to if and how Italian local governments give account for their performance to their stakeholders.
Evaluating the Needs of Children With Asthma in Home Care: The Vital Role of Nurses as Caregivers and Educators
Authors: Navaie‐Waliser Maryam , Misener Mark , Mersman Cynthia , Lincoln Priscilla
Published: July 2004

Abstract  To date, few evaluations have examined issues specific to children's asthma management in their homes. This study examined the characteristics, risk factors, and needs of children with asthma, and the impact of home health nurses on improving parents'/family caregivers' knowledge about asthma triggers and management. The medical records of children, ≤19 years, residing in New York City, who were admitted to home care with asthma in 1999 (n = 1,007) were reviewed retrospectively to collect a wide range of data. The majority of children with asthma in home care were ≤5 years, male, racial/ethnic minorities, and hospital referred. Approximately one in four children with asthma suffered from additional comorbidities. Home environmental triggers included dust/dust mites, animal dander, mold, perfumes/detergents, and cigarette smoke. Notable psychosocial triggers were family tensions, physical activity, anxiety/stress, and friends/peer pressure. Most parents/family caregivers had inadequate knowledge about recognition of asthma attacks and its triggers and management. Discharge assessments suggested that home health nurses can help improve caregivers' knowledge about asthma management. Children with asthma in home care have diverse needs, receive few nurse home visits, and have parents/family caregivers in need of more intensive education on asthma symptom recognition and management.
An Evaluation of a Volunteer‐Support Program for Families At Risk
Authors: Kelleher Larni , Johnson Maree
Published: July 2004

Abstract  A descriptive comparative design was used to evaluate the Cottage Community Care Pilot Project, a family support/child protection initiative linking trained volunteers with “vulnerable” first‐time parents. Fifty‐eight eligible and consenting families enrolled in the program and formed the intervention group. A further 35 eligible families consented to participate in the evaluation and received assessments only and formed the comparison group. No differences were evident between the intervention and comparison groups on parenting readiness. For the intervention group (n = 25), improvements occurred in seven aspects of family functioning (items on the Scale of Family Functioning) when contrasted to the comparison group (n = 24). Two areas of family functioning were found to be statistically significant: access to social support (p = 0.02) and age appropriate expectations of infants (p < 0.001). Participants reported satisfaction with the program, and the study emphasized the need to include all families, not just those at risk. This evaluation supports the continued development of volunteer‐support programs and the active role that public health nurses play in the growth and development of children in our communities.
School‐Based Youth Health Nurses: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges, and Rewards
Authors: Barnes Margaret , Courtney Mary D. , Pratt Jan , Walsh Anne M.
Published: July 2004

Abstract  A case study and focus‐group discussions were conducted with 10 youth health nurses (nurses) employed in the recently introduced School‐Based Youth Health Nurse Program (SBYHNP) to identify their roles, responsibilities, and professional development needs. Major roles are support, referral, health promotion, and marketing. Clients include high school students, teachers, and parents; the majority of whom are female and aged 13–16 years. Health issues addressed during individual consultations are predominantly psychosocial but also include medical, sexual health and sexuality issues, health surveillance, and risk‐taking behaviors. Nurses also provide clients with health information and promote enhanced personal skill development during these consultations. Health promotion strategies undertaken by nurses were predominantly health education and health information displays. Nurses reported marketing their role and function within the school to be an essential and often difficult aspect of their role. Professional development through the SBYHNP was excellent; however, there was concern relating to the availability of future educational opportunities. The SBYHNP provides nurses with a new, challenging, autonomous role within the school environment and the opportunity to expand their role to incorporate all aspects of the health‐promoting schools' framework.
Collaboration Between Nurses and Agricultural Teachers to Prevent Adolescent Agricultural Injuries: The Agricultural Disability Awareness and Risk Education Model*
Authors: Reed Deborah B. , Kidd Pamela S.
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Nearly 2 million children live or work on America's farms and ranches. Despite the increasing mechanization of production agriculture in the United States, children still constitute a considerable portion of the work force on farms and ranches. When adjusted for actual work exposure time, adolescent injury rates on agricultural establishments surpass those of adults (Castillo, D. N., Landen, D. D., & Layne, L. A. (1994). American Journal of Public Health, 84, 646–649). This project, headed by two public health nurses, developed and tested an agricultural safety curriculum [Agricultural Disability Awareness and Risk Education (AgDARE)] for use in high school agriculture classes. Students who participated in AgDARE scored significantly higher in farm safety attitude and intent to change work behavior than the control group. School and public health nurses, working together with agriculture teachers, may make an effective team in reducing injuries among teen agricultural workers.
The Baby Think It Over™ Experience to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: A Postintervention Evaluation
Authors: Didion Judy , Gatzke Helen
Published: July 2004

Abstract  An evaluation was conducted to describe the personal impact of the “In Your Care” pregnancy prevention intervention program using Baby Think It Over™ infant simulator. Data was collected regarding the attitudes, actual and intended sexual practices, feelings, and opinions of participants 2 or 3 years after the intervention. Student recommendations for program continuation and improvement were also solicited. Male and female 11th grade students in rural and suburban Midwestern communities, who had experienced the program 2 or 3 years earlier, completed surveys and were interviewed in focus groups. Participants vividly recalled and described the simulated experience in statements that reflected insight and feelings about parental responsibility and the consequences of teen pregnancy. The teens also made several recommendations for enhancing the program. The findings suggest that simulated experiences can be a powerful strategy for effective learning about complex decisions regarding the risks of sexual activity and the realities of parenting.
Personal Narratives of Adolescent Mothers‐to‐Be: Contraception, Decision Making, and Future Expectations
Authors: Spear Hila J.
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Results not discussed in a previously published qualitative study (Spear, 2001) are presented in this article. Analysis of the personal narratives of eight pregnant adolescents who attended an alternative school for pregnant teens yielded the following categories: decision making, contraceptive behavior and sexual attitudes, and future expectations. The findings revealed that decisions regarding pregnancy were made with little deliberation and some participants implied that pregnancy was planned. Although knowledgeable about how to prevent pregnancy, participants did not consistently practice contraception and their sexual experiences were marked by indifference and lacked intimacy. Future expectations consistently included support from the fathers of their unborn children. Implications for nursing practice and further research are discussed.
Family Matters: How Mothers of Adolescent Parents Experience Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting
Authors: Dallas Constance
Published: July 2004

Abstract  Family support has been demonstrated to be essential for successful long‐term outcomes of low‐income, African American adolescent mothers and their children [Apfel, N., & Seitz, V. (1996). Urban girls: Resisting stereotypes, creating identities. NY: New York University Press]. Family support may also be essential for the continued paternal involvement of unmarried, low‐income, African American adolescent fathers. Twenty mothers of unmarried, low‐income, African American adolescent parents were individually interviewed for this qualitative study to describe the experiences of paternal grandmothers (mothers of adolescent fathers) and maternal grandmothers (mothers of adolescent mothers) during transition to fatherhood for unmarried, low‐income, African American adolescent fathers. Findings are presented according to the six factors of transition conditions from the nursing model of transitions [Schumacher, K., & Meleis, A. I. (1994). Image, 26, 119–127]: meanings, expectations, level of knowledge and skill, the environment, level of planning, and emotional and physical well‐being. Findings indicate that transition to parenthood and grandparenthood is often abrupt and complicated for unmarried, low‐income, African American adolescent parents and their families. Paternal and maternal grandmothers continue to act as primary parents for their adolescents while compensating for the lack of skills and attributes for the adolescents' children. Findings from this study can be used to design developmentally and culturally appropriate health care interventions that can support these families during this complex process.
Development of a Student Nurses' Clinic for Homeless Men
Authors: Wilde Mary H. , Albanese Ellen P. , Rennells Rachel , Bullock Quonitra
Published: July 2004

Abstract  A nursing clinic for homeless men was developed by a faculty member and her senior community health nursing students in a city mission over a 2.5‐year period. The development of this clinic and a conceptualization of their nursing roles are described. Nursing care focused on promoting access to primary care through screening and referral and through nursing interventions of education, counseling, advocacy, and collaboration. Because the Student Nurses' Clinic was instrumental in clarifying and conceptualizing what nurses can do to promote primary care, mission administrators and staff gained insights about nursing and are better prepared to plan programs for the health care needs of the homeless men—the “guests” at the mission.
Comparisons of Motivation, Health Behaviors, and Functional Status Among Elders in Residential Homes in Korea
Authors: Song Rhayun , June Kyung Ja , Kim Chun Gill , Jeon Mi Yang
Published: July 2004

Abstract  This study compared the changes in health behaviors, motivation, and functional status between motivation enhancement exercise‐program participants and program dropouts over 6 months. A total of 73 older adults living in residential homes participated in the study. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted at pretest and then at 10 weeks and 6 months in the program. The participants exercised using traditional Korean dance movements for 50 min, 4 times per week, for 6 months. The subjects were classified as participants or dropouts by using a cutoff attendance rate of 80%. Repeated ANOVA revealed the following results over 6 months:

The motivation to perform health behaviors, especially for perceived benefits, improved significantly for the participants than for the dropouts.

Significant differences in the performance of overall health behaviors and exercise‐related behaviors were found between the participants and the dropouts.

The sickness impact profile (SIP) of the participants improved significantly, compared with the dropouts. Significant group differences were found for total SIP, physical dimensions, and enjoyment of recreation and pastimes.

In conclusion, the study found that the 6‐month motivation enhancement program was effective in motivating older adults to perform health behaviors and to improve their functional status.
The Black–White Perception Gap and Health Disparities Research
Authors: Carlson Elizabeth D. , Chamberlain Robert M.
Published: July 2004

Abstract Reducing and eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities has become a national research priority. This research agenda requires new research frameworks that encompass the social determinants of health and the translation pathways of these social contexts into physiological morbidity. Within these sociobiological research frameworks, identity and emotions are seen as crucial links in the causal pathways from stressors to biological responses. In this country, the lived social reality of African American individuals is experienced through the color of their skin. Their identity is bound with the racial inequities of our society. It has been suggested that the emotions of anger and frustration resulting from this institutionalized racial discrimination are an emotional causative pathway to the pathophysiology contributing to the health disparities experienced by African Americans. However, as much as we espouse the concept of cultural competency in health care, until recently, there has been very little honest dialogue about how race and racism influences health. This article will explore the Black–White cultural perception gap and attempt to provide insight on the relationship to African American health and implications for health disparities research.
From Miasma to Fractals: The Epidemiology Revolution and Public Health Nursing
Authors: MacDonald Marjorie A.
Published: July 2004

Abstract If public health nursing is truly a synthesis of public health science and nursing science, then nurses must keep track of current developments in public health science. Unfortunately, the public health nursing literature has not kept pace with revolutionary developments in epidemiology, one of the sciences that informs population‐focused nursing practice. Most epidemiology chapters in community health nursing texts do not reflect the intellectual development that has taken place in epidemiology over the past two decades. The purpose of this article therefore is to facilitate an updated synthesis by (a) reviewing the development of epidemiology and the focus of public health nursing practice through three historical eras, (b) discussing current controversies and tensions within epidemiology, (c) introducing an emerging paradigm in epidemiology based on an ecosocial perspective, and (d) discussing the congruence of this perspective with the evolving theory and practice of public health nursing.