FORPROXIMITY: An update and expansion of the PROXTIME computer program

A new program, called PROXIMITY, was created as a tool for proximity calculation and to update and expand upon Kirste and Monge’s (1983) PROXTIME program. The purpose of PROXIMITY is to calculate the fluctuating proximity between individuals within organizations. PROXIMITY provides output for three types of relationships: (1) an overall organizational proximity, (2) pairwise proximity between individuals, and (3) individual proximity to multiple others. PROXIMITY also updates some of PROXTIME’s features such as the computer platform, the type of data the program can handle, and the form of output available.     

Behavior Problems, Academic Skill Delays and School Failure Among School-Aged Children in Foster Care: Their Relationship to Placement Characteristics

We describe the level of behavior problems, academic skill delays, and school failure among school-aged children in foster care. We also examine how behavior problems are associated with academic problems, and explore how these outcomes are related to children's placement characteristics. Foster parent and child home interviews, as well as teacher telephone interviews were conducted from a randomly selected sample of 302 children aged 6 through 12 years living in out-of-home placement. Interviews included standardized screening measures. Results showed that 27% of the children scored in the clinical range for a behavior problem, and 34% were rated as having at least one behavior problem in the classroom. Twenty-three percent of the children had severe delays in reading or math, 13% had repeated a grade, and 14% had a history of school suspension and/or expulsion. Behavior problems by foster parent report were related to child suspension and/or expulsion from school, but were not associated with severe academic delays or grade retention. Placement characteristics were only sometimes related to these outcomes. Future studies examining the mental health and educational needs of this population should take into account the child's sociodemographic and placement characteristics.     

Patterns of marijuana use and physical health indicators among Canadian youth

We examine how trajectories of marijuana use in Canadian youth (ages 15 to 28) are related to physical health indicators in adolescence and young adulthood. Youth were initially recruited in 2003 (N = 662; 48% male; ages 12 to 18) and followed for six waves. Five trajectories of marijuana use (Abstainers-29%, Occasional users-27%, Decreasers-14%, Increasers-20% and Chronic users-11%) were identified. Chronic users reported more physical symptoms, poorer physical self-concept, less physical activity, poorer eating practices, less sleep, and higher number of sexual partners during adolescence than other classes. Decreasers also reported poorer physical self-concept and poorer eating practices than abstainers. Other trajectory classes showed few significant health problems. Chronic users also reported more acute health problems (i.e. serious injuries, early sexual debut, higher number of sexual partners, greater likelihood of having a STI) in young adulthood than all other classes contributing to costs of healthcare. Youth who engage in early, frequent and continued use of marijuana from adolescence to young adulthood are at-risk of physical health problems in adolescence and young adulthood.     

The effect of neonatal temperament on caregiver behavior in the newborn nursery

The research was conducted to determine whether temperamental characteristics of neonates influence caregiver behavior as early as the second day of life. Visual attentiveness, activity, and irritability of 28 healthy newborns were rated during six 30-minute sessions. Derived scores represented the infant's behavior during the total observation time and during specified caretaking activities. Several categories of nurturant behaviors and types of comments directed toward each infant by nurse-caregivers were coded during independent sessions. Variations in caregiver behavior were shown by Pearson correlations to be related to independently assessed differences among neonates. Alert babies received the most nurturant and social contact; active infants received the least contact, but the most comments that reflected concern about their health; irritable infants were soothed most. The data clearly suggest that emerging infant temperament plays a role in shaping the caregiving environment by the second day of life.     

The Comorbidity of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidality in Vietnam Veterans

Vietnam veterans (N = 232) recruited from three sources were assessed for suicidal thinking and behaviors, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Findings support the notion that suicidal thoughts are prevalent in this group, with veterans in psychotherapy reporting a greater likelihood of such symptoms (82.6%) than veterans in the community (35.7%) or those seeking assistance through a veteran's outreach center (66.7%). Thoughts of ending one's life and a previous suicide attempt were significantly correlated with a diagnosis of PTSD (r = .53, p < .001; and r = .33, p < .001, respectively). Veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD and depression or dysthymia were also more likely to report suicidal thinking and behaviors than veterans with only one of the diagnoses.     

Smoking as subculture? Influence on Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women's attitudes toward smoking and obesity.

Cultural stereotypes might help explain why smoking is less prevalent among Hispanic than non-Hispanic White women, whereas obesity is more prevalent. Hispanic (n = 130) and non-Hispanic White (n = 114) women rated their thoughts and feelings regarding a female smoker and an overweight woman. Ethnicity did not influence evaluations, but attitudes toward smokers were more positive among more acculturated Hispanic women, F(1, 66) = 9.9, p < .01. Less acculturated women evaluated an overweight woman more positively than a smoker, F(1, 28) = 5.65, p < .05; more acculturated women did the opposite, F( 1, 36) = 5.92, p < .05. Smokers evaluated smokers more positively than overweight women, F(1, 86) = 40.8, p < .01; nonsmokers did the opposite, F(l, 138) = 7.7, p < .01. Personal body weight did not influence evaluations. Acculturation and smoking status appear to have a greater influence than ethnicity or weight status on women's attitudes toward smoking and weight.