Reliability of Budner's intolerance of ambiguity scale in medical students.

Intolerance of ambiguity is the perception of ambiguous situations as threatening. It has often been measured using Budner's 1962 intolerance of ambiguity scale in studies of medical students and physicians. To examine the test-retest reliability of the scale among that population, we administered it to all 171 entering medical students at one medical school immediately prior to beginning classes and readministered it to them six to nine weeks later with an 81% follow-up rate. The Pearson correlation between the first and second administrations was .64, showing moderate reliability during this stressful period in medical socialization. The internal reliability of the scale remained constant; the alpha was .64 at the first administration and .63 at follow-up. These data indicate moderate reliability of Budner's intolerance of ambiguity scale when respondents are medical students.     

Eating Together at the Firehouse: How Workplace Commensality Relates to the Performance of Firefighters

Cooperative activities among coworkers can provide valuable group-level benefits; however, previous research has often focused on artificial activities that require extraordinary efforts away from the worksite. We investigate organizational benefits that firms might obtain through various supports for coworkers to engage in commensality (i.e., eating together). We conducted field research within firehouses in a large city to explore the role that interacting over food might have for work-group performance. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, our field research shows a significant positive association between commensality and work-group performance. Our findings establish a basis for research and practice that focuses on ways that firms can enhance team performance by leveraging the mundane and powerful activity of eating.     

Health concerns of young adolescents

Assessment of health concerns independent of health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors is important for understanding health among adolescents, who are being socialized into adult health roles yet have their own particular concerns. The health concerns of 278 young adolescents were examined with respect to 30 topics in a survey of all seventh- and eighth-grade students attending an urban school. Their highest levels of concerns pertained to dental health, friendships, nutrition, and sex; their lowest levels pertained to smoking, birth control, pregnancy, and homosexuality. Younger, female, and less healthy students expressed greater health concerns. Most desired class health presentations (particularly about sex), while relatively few requested private counseling on specific health topics. Health concerns need to be emphasized as a component of theoretical models, and also applied in the development of health education and school health programs.     

Weighing Weight: Trends in Body Weight Evaluation Among Young Adults, 1990 and 2005

Given the rising prevalence of overweight and sociocultural portrayal of increasingly thin female body ideals and muscular/lean male body ideals, we examined trends in body weight evaluation using two cross-sectional surveys of US undergraduates in 1990 (n?=?794) and 2005 (n?=?794). Trends in body weight evaluation variables were examined and compared to respondents’ current body mass index. Results suggest men are increasingly evaluating their weight in a manner reflective of heavier, more muscular societal body ideals. Women are becoming increasingly accurate in evaluating their weight and perception of being overweight is declining. However, the high, stable prevalence of potentially inappropriate weight management behavior among both genders suggests the influence of societal body ideals on behavior remains strong.     

Relation of perceived health with psychosocial variables in elderly osteoarthritis patients

Self-perceived health is related to physical health status and frequently assessed in research on elderly persons. The association of perceived health with sociodemographic, psychological, social functioning, and physical functioning variables was examined in 86 elderly osteoarthritis patients. Psychological well-being (especially depression and anxiety), size of household, physical activity, and education were the most important predictors of self-perceived health (R = .70). Poor perceived health may suggest problems in elderly patients in several psychosocial areas, but good perceived health does not rule out psychosocial problems.     

Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature

A review of 144 published studies of the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity reveals a strong inverse relationship among women in developed societies. The relationship is inconsistent for men and children in developed societies. In developing societies, however, a strong direct relationship exists between SES and obesity among men, women, and children. A review of social attitudes toward obesity and thinness reveals values congruent with the distribution of obesity by SES in different societies. Several variables may mediate the influence of attitudes toward obesity and thinness among women in developed societies that result in the inverse relationship between SES and obesity. They include dietary restraint, physical activity, social mobility, and inheritance.     

Religion and Body Weight Among African-American Adults Attempting to Lose Weight: An Exploratory Study

Religion and body weight was explored at two time points among overweight and obese African-American adults. Baseline and follow-up data were collected from 26 adults participating in a weight loss intervention and analyzed using multiple regression analyses of religious measures, body weight, and other variables. Frequent church attendance was significantly associated with greater weight lost from baseline to 16-week follow-up. In this exploratory study, religious interactions and experiences may be involved in shaping body weight among African-Americans attempting to lose weight.