Factor Analysis of the Italian Version of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire in a Community Sample

Despite difficulties measuring parenting styles, many studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between disruptive children and certain parenting practices. One of the most frequently used scales to measure parenting styles is the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ). This scale was originally defined based on theoretical dimensions and using samples from the USA. Therefore, both factor analysis studies and its adaptation to other countries have been proposed to improve and widen its use. The aim of this study was to adapt the APQ to the Italian population. A community sample of 258 mothers and children (94 %) and 192 fathers (70 %) from 274 families with children from 10- to 14-years-old who agreed to participate and met the inclusion criteria completed the APQ. Principal components and exploratory factor analyses resulted in a unique 19-item version of the APQ for mothers, fathers, and children. This unified version has resulted in two factor categories: positive (12 items) and negative parenting (7 items). The internal consistency and goodness of fit of the model were satisfactory. Moderate and significant convergent validity were found for mothers and fathers but not for children. In fact, we found differences in validity rates among the participants. Children perceived less positive and more negative parenting than did fathers and mothers, and mothers believed that they provided more positive parenting than did other parents. In conclusion, the APQ Italian version of the parents and children global report forms are considered a suitable measure for positive and negative parenting styles with acceptable validity and reliability indices.     

MIDWIFERY AS A MODEL FOR ECOLOGICAL ETHICS: EXPANDING ARTHUR PEACOCKE'S MODELS OF “MAN‐IN‐CREATION”

In Creation and the World of Science (1979) scientist‐theologian Arthur Peacocke asks what the role of humanity might be in relation to creation if conceived within the scientific perspective that favors the theological paradigm of the panentheistic God‐world relationship. Deeming roles such as dominion and steward as liable to distortion toward a hierarchical understanding of humanity's relation to the rest of creation, Peacocke proposes seven other roles to express the proper relationship of humanity to the cosmos in panentheistic relation to its Creator. Although each of these models has merit within a panentheistic paradigm, Peacocke and the paradigm itself suggest that the panentheistic model of God in relation to an evolving cosmos may be most effectively imaged through a model of female procreativity. In keeping with this proposal, I develop the understanding of humanity's ecologically ethical role in relation to the evolving cosmos in terms of the midwife to the process of procreation. I evaluate the efficacy of the midwife as a paradigm for ecological ethics by means of several criteria, including the propositions of the Earth Charter, “a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century” (Earth Initiative 2000).     

Effects of Participation in Decision Making on Performance and Employee Attitudes: A Quality Circles Meta-analysis

This study explores the effects of a participative technique, quality circles (QCs), on several employee attitudes and performance. The sample included 36 studies with 42 independent samples. Mean effect sizes were small for employee attitudes and moderate for job performance suggesting QCs affected job performance to a greater degree than employee attitudes. For organizations involved in quality management these results seem to suggest that quality interventions have a stronger impact on job performance than on employee attitudes. The study conclusions provide a positive outlook on the effects of total quality management interventions on productivity.     

The role of women's self‐injury support‐groups: a grounded theory

Research evidence suggests that services are struggling to adequately address the increasing incidence of self‐injury and the needs of women who self‐injure, while national self‐injury support‐groups across the UK appear to be growing in number. Despite their reported value, evidence regarding the role of self‐injury support‐groups in women's management of their self‐injury is lacking although government policy and official guidelines are advocating the incorporation of support‐groups into self‐injury services. Seven semi‐structured interviews were conducted and analysed using Grounded Theory to investigate the role of three UK self‐injury support‐groups in women's management of self‐injury and associated difficulties. Empowerment‐as‐process emerged as the core theme of self‐injury support‐groups, mediated through experiences of belonging, sharing, autonomy, positive feeling and change. Findings are discussed in relation to relevant theory and research, followed by critical evaluation and implications of the study. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Translating policy principles into practice to improve health care access for adults with intellectual disabilities: a research review of the past decade

This article extracts principles from two Surgeon General reports, Closing the Gap: A National Blueprint to Improve the Health of Persons with Mental Retardation (2002) and Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities (2005), and combines them with the Objectives from Chapter 6 of Healthy People 2010 to create a policy framework. This framework is used to review literature from the past decade on access to health care and health promotion for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Review of the literature indicates an emerging evidence base for health promotion programs for persons with IDD. Research in health care and health promotion access requires improvements in surveillance and measurement of quality of life, as well as increased participation of persons with IDD and their families in its implementation. While international guidelines for primary health care have been developed for people with IDD, US guidelines are specialty focused and address specific conditions. Despite its recognized importance, there is surprisingly little information on training programs for health care providers to improve care of persons with IDD. Financing of health care continues to threaten access to comprehensive care for persons with IDD, particularly regarding coordination of care and availability of providers who accept Medicaid patients. Community-based sources of health care have been slow to emerge, and there is clear need for assumption of responsibility for providing care to persons with IDD. Future US policy should include consideration of environmental factors in health care access.     

WOMEN'S HOSTILITY TOWARD WOMEN

Three studies investigating the self-report correlates of women's hostility toward other women were conducted among a total of 477 college women. In Study 1, hostility toward women was negatively associated with both personal and collective self-esteem and positively associated with hostility toward men, controlling for state anger. In Study 2, hostility toward women was negatively associated with self-efficacy and age and positively associated with emotional dependence on men, but not with self-identification as a feminist or support of the feminist movement. In Study 3, women's hostility toward women was negatively associated with measures of intimacy and life satisfaction and positively associated with acceptance of interpersonal violence. We suggest that women's hostility toward other women not only is an important aspect of women's personal satisfaction, happiness, intimacy, and self-esteem, but also may serve as a barrier to women's progress as a group.