The impact of methodological moderators on prevalence rates of workplace bullying. A meta‐analysis

The aim of this study was to investigate how different measurement methods and sampling techniques contribute to the observed variation in prevalence rates of workplace bullying. A total of 102 prevalence estimates of bullying from 86 independent samples (N=130,973) were accumulated and compared by means of meta‐analysis. At an average, the statistically independents samples provided an estimate of 14.6%. Yet, the findings show that methodological moderators influence the estimated rates. As for measurement method, a rate of 11.3% was found for studies investigating self‐labelled victimization from bullying based on a given definition of the concept, whereas a rate of 14.8% was found for behavioural measure studies, and 18.1% for self‐labelling studies without a given definition. A difference of 8.7% points was found between randomly sampled and non‐randomly sampled studies. When controlling for geographical differences, the findings show that geographical factors also influence findings on bullying. Hence, findings from different studies on workplace bullying cannot be compared without taking moderator variables into account.     

Book reviews

A Reader on Classical Islam. F. E. Peters, 1994. Princeton, Princeton University Press. 420 pp., hb. £30.50, ISBN 0–691–03394–3; pb. £15.00, ISBN 0–691–00040–9.

The Physical Theory of Kalam: atoms, space and void in Basrian Mu'tazili cosmology. (Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Science, Vol. XIV). Alnoor Dhanani, 1994. Leiden, E. J. Brill. 209 pp., hb. n.p., ISBN 90–04–09831–3.

Empire to Commonwealth: consequences of monotheism in late antiquity. Garth Fowden, 1993. Princeton, Princeton University Press. 205 pp., hb. £12.95, ISBN 0–691–06989–1.

Religions in the UK: a multi‐faith directory. Paul Weller (Ed.), 1993. Derby, University of Derby in association with the Interfaith Network for the United Kingdom. 630 pp. plus indices, pb. £21.50, ISBN 0–901437–06–9.

Islamic Britain: religion, politics and identity among British Muslims: Bradford in the 1990s. Philip Lewis, 1994. London, I. B. Tauris. 250 pp., pb. £9.95, ISBN 1–85043–861–7.

Bosnia and Hercegovina: a tradition betrayed. Robert J. Donia and John V. A. Fine, Jr., 1994. London, Hurst and Company. 280 pp., hb. £9.50, ISBN 1–85065–211–2.

French and Algerian Identities from Colonial Times to the Present: a century of interaction. Alec G. Hargreaves and Michael J. Heffernan (Eds), 1993. Lampeter, The Edwin Mellen Press. 253 pp., hb. £39.95, ISBN 0–7734–9233‐X.

The Course of Islam in Africa. (Islamic Surveys 15). Mervyn Hiskett, 1994. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. 218 pp., hb. £35.00, ISBN 0–7486–0464–2; pb. £16.95, ISBN 0–7486–0461–8.

The Writings of Eastern Sudanic Africa to c. 1900. R. S. O'Fahey (comp.) 1994. Leiden, E. J. Brill. 434 pp., hb. n.p., ISBN 90–04–09450–4.     

Cancer Susceptibility Genetic Testing in a High-Risk Cohort of Urban Ashkenazi Jewish Individuals

Prior to 2013, genetic testing for Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) individuals primarily consisted of the three-site BRCA1/BRCA2 AJ panel, full sequencing of BRCA1/2, or the Lynch syndrome mismatch repair genes. Multigene panel testing became more widely available in 2013, but limited data are available regarding the impact of multigene panel testing for AJ individuals. Here, we report the frequency of cancer susceptibility gene mutations in a cohort of 427 AJ individuals seen in the Cancer Risk Clinic at The University of Chicago. We found that 29% of affected and 37% of unaffected individuals carried a pathogenic mutation (32% of overall cohort), primarily known familial mutations in BRCA1/2. A minority of mutations were identified in non-BRCA1/2 genes and consisted mainly of AJ founder mutations in CHEK2, APC, and the mismatch repair genes. A panel of AJ founder mutations would have identified the majority (94%) of mutations in clinically actionable genes in both affected and unaffected patients. Based on recent cost-effectiveness studies, offering all AJ individuals a founder mutation panel may be a cost-effective cancer prevention strategy.