Masturbation in Urban China

This study examined the prevalence and sources of masturbatory practice in a nationally representative sample from China completed in the year 2000, with analysis of sources focused on 2,828 urban respondents aged 20–59. In this subpopulation, 13% (95% CI, 10–18) of women and 35% (CI, 26–44) of men reported any masturbation in the preceding year. Prevalence for people in their 20s was higher, and closer to US and European levels, especially for men. Particularly for women, masturbation not only compensated for absent partners but also complemented the high sexual interests of a subset of participants. For both women and men, practicing masturbation appeared to be a two-step process. In the first step, events such as sexual contact in childhood, early puberty, and early sex were related to sexualization and the “gateway event” of adolescent masturbation. In the second step, other factors, such as liberal sexual values and sexual knowledge, further increased the current probability of masturbation. Overall, the results suggest that masturbation is readily adopted even at more modest levels of economic and social development, that masturbation is often more than simply compensatory behavior for regular partnered sex, that masturbatory patterns are heavily influenced by early sexualization, and that a complex model is needed to comprehend masturbatory practice, particularly for women.     

Effects of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone on sexual arousal in normal men

Six normal adult male subjects were administered either luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH, 500 µg, intramuscularly injected) or a saline placebo 10 min before a 40-min laboratory session in which they were exposed to erotic stimuli; subjects attended four such sessions, twice receiving LRH and twice the placebo in a balanced, double-blind, crossover design. Sexual arousal was inferred from degree of tumescence, with penile circumference measured by a mercury-in-rubber strain gauge. Heart rate was monitored continuously, and blood samples were taken periodically and assayed for serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone (T). Rapidity of onset of erection, maximum degree of erection obtained, and overall levels of tumescence were consistently greater following LRH administration than following saline placebo; however, the differences were not statistically significant. The anticipated LH and FSH response to LRH was noted as well as a small increment in LH levels following erotic stimulation. No significant alteration in serum testosterone was observed within the time sampled. There were no significant correlations between hormonal data and any measurement of penile tumescence. In view of the results, further investigation of the behavioral effects of LRH appears justified.     

Patterns of sexual arousal of accused child molesters involved in custody disputes

Penile plethysmography was used to examine sexual preferences of individuals accused of child molestation in the course of custody conflicts. Information regarding the alleged offenders, victims, and sex offense was gathered. In comparison to accused offenders who are not engaged in custody disputes, the subjects were more often accused of sexually abusing a younger child who was a biological relative. The source of accusations was usually the mother. Additionally, the custody-dispute subjects were less likely to have a prior criminal history. Penile tumescence data suggested that the subjects involved in custody disputes were less sexually aroused by children than those subjects who were not involved in custody conflicts. However, the results revealed that in both groups a substantial number of subjects responded equally or more to the child stimuli. In sum, the alleged offenders involved in custody disputes appeared less deviant on several measures.     

Masturbation prohibition in sex offenders: A crossover study

Some self-help groups for individuals with aberrant sexual interests (e.g., Sexaholics Anonymous and Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous) maintain that a period of “sexual sobriety” is necessary for treatment. The hypothesis was tested that sexual urges during a 30-day period of voluntary abstinence from masturbation would be less frequent and intense than during a period when masturbation was not avoided. Outpatient pedophiles were randomly assigned to either refrain from masturbating or make no attempt to alter their masturbation frequency for a period of 30 days. All participants were crossed over to the other treatment condition at the start of the 2nd month. Sexual urges and behavior were measured using weekly self-reports. A repeated measures ANOVA failed to show a difference in reported intensity of sexual urges,F(7, 91)=1.15,p=0.34; masturbation urges,F(7, 91)=1.73,p-0.11; adult sex urges,F(7, 91)=1.82,p=0.09; or child sex urges,F(7, 91) =1.58,p=0.15, in Masturbation Allowed vs. Masturbation Not Allowed conditions. Of 17 participants, 3 (18%) were able to retain completely from masturbating for 1 month, 4 participants (25%) thought it was helpful not to masturbate; 1 participant (7%) thought therapists should recommend avoidance of masturbation. This study suggests that sexual sobriety from masturbation does not aid in the control of pedophilic fantasies. This may be because the technique is ineffective, or because so few participants are willing to engage in it.     

Genetic and environmental influences on problematic masturbatory behavior in children: a study of same-sex twins

Child sexual behavior problems, such as excessive or public masturbation, are often judged to result from environmental stress or trauma. We studied the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors for problematic masturbatory behavior among nonreferred prepubertal children. All twins born in Sweden in 1985–86 were identified from the Swedish Twin Registry. Parents, mainly mothers, completed Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) ratings (Achenbach, 1991) for 401 monozygotic (MZ) and 248 dizygotic (DZ) same-sex twin pairs (male–male or female–female) at age 7–9 years. Scores of two CBCL items concerning specific sexual behavior problems (Plays with own sex parts in public and Plays with own sex parts too much) were summed and the influence of genetic and environmental factors on variability assessed. The prevalence of problematic child masturbatory behavior was low and associated with other emotional and behavioral problems. The degree of problematic child masturbatory behavior resemblance was higher within MZ twin pairs as compared to DZ same-sex twin pairs. Model fitting indicated that genetic factors substantially influenced the studied behaviors (77%, 95% CI = 9–96%), although family environment also played a role. Our results suggest that hereditary factors should be considered together with stressful experiences such as sexual victimization in the evaluation of elementary school children presenting with problematic masturbatory behaviors. When interpreting the findings, the very brief measure of sexual problem behavior and low statistical power, precluding the analysis of possible coinheritance with other symptoms or disorders, should be borne in mind.     

The Effects of False Physiological Feedback on Tumescence and Cognitive Domains in Sexually Functional and Dysfunctional Men

A false feedback paradigm was used to produce a discrepancy between expected and “actual” tumescence among 57 sexually dysfunctional and 58 sexually functional men randomly assigned to one of four false tumescence feedback conditions: negative (NEG), neutral (NEU), positive (POS), or no (NO) feedback. Participants predicted an erection score before viewing an erotic film and then received false tumescence feedback based on this score. Tumescence and cognitive ratings were obtained before and after the feedback. It was predicted that discrepancies would differ between dysfunctional and functional participants such that functional participants would have the ability to overcome discrepancies, whereas dysfunctional participants would not. As expected, POS decreased tumescence for dysfunctional participants and NO did not influence tumescence for either group. Unexpectedly, NEU decreased tumescence for dysfunctional participants and NEG decreased tumescence for functional participants. Despite tumescence changes, cognitive ratings generally followed the feedback that was given. These results only partially support current models of sexual dysfunction and behavioral regulation. Anxiety, self-focused attention, cognitive interference, and unexpectedness of the feedback could not account for the partial support. However, most feedback that was outside of the realm of the status quo for both functional and dysfunctional participants did decrease tumescence, despite outcome expectancies. These results suggest that both functional and dysfunctional men may be at risk for erectile failure should feedback about their performance be discrepant from what they expect. Prevention and treatment should focus on preparing men for occasional erectile failure and on helping them overcome discrepant feedback.     

Prevalence of Indoor Allergen Exposures among New Orleans Children with Asthma

Studies of inner-city asthmatic children have shown significant regional variation in dust allergen exposures. The home environment of asthmatic children in the Gulf South region of the USA has not been characterized. This study describes indoor dust allergen levels in the homes of 86 asthmatic children in New Orleans and explores regional variability in dust allergen exposure. Data were used from baseline home visits of children in the New Orleans Healthy Homes Initiative. Interview, visual observation, and environmental dust sampling data of 86 children between 4 and 17 years of age were analyzed. Seventy-seven percent of households had moderate (>2.0–9.9 μg/g) or high (≥10.0 μg/g) levels of either Der p 1 or Der f 1 dust mite allergen and 56.6% had moderate (>2.0–8.0 U/g) or high (>8.0 U/g) levels of cockroach allergen (Bla g 1). The prevalence of high (>10 μg/g) levels of dog (Can f 1) allergen was 26.5%, and few households (6.0%) had high cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels (>8.0 μg/g). Households with average humidity levels >50% were three times more likely to have elevated dust mite levels (odds ratio = 3.2; 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 9.3; p = 0.03). Home ownership and education level were inversely associated with cockroach and dust mite allergen levels, respectively. Our findings reinforce the evidence of regional variability in dust allergen exposure levels. Asthmatic children living in the Gulf South are exposed to multiple indoor allergen exposures and live in a highly allergenic environment. Rabito, Iqbal, Holt, and Islam are with the Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Grimsley is with the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Scott is with the Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.     

The use of penile tumescence measures with incarcerated rapists: Further validity issues

The use of penile tumescence to categorize and assess the treatment of sex offenders has gained increasing popularity. Recent publications have expanded the use of tumescence measures for the classification of rapists. The majority of studies in the past using mainly subjects seeking treatment or admitting to difficulties in controlling rape urges have shown the technology to be a valuable asset in classification. The present investigation, however, points out the limitations of using this technology in certain populations. The responses of incarcerated rapists and incarcerated nonrape offenders were compared. Analysis of the data indicated that there were no significant differences between the responses of rapists and nonrapists and that the rape index proposed by Abel et al.(1978) did not reliably classify incarcerated rapists. This paper points out the limitations of penile tumescence assessment with certain populations and discusses possible reasons for the failure to discriminate in this investigation.     

Heterosexual interest in homosexual males

Androphilic, ephebophilic, and homosexual pedophilic males were compared on heterosexual interest and arousal potential. The former was measured by the subjects' retrospective reports and the latter by penile responses to pictures of females. The penile responses of the ephebophilic and homosexual pedophilic groups to pictures of physically mature females were not different from those of androphilic males. In the present study as well as in an earlier one, the ephebophilic males responded significantly more to physically mature males than to physically mature females. Homosexual pedophilic males showed little difference in responses to physically mature males and females. In retrospective reports of heterosexual interest and experience and of development of homosexual interest and activities, there were only two differences among the groups: as opposed to androphilic males, a relatively greater number of ephebophilic and homosexual pedophilic males indicated that up to age 15 or later they had felt attracted exclusively to females and that they had been seduced in childhood or early adolescence by a male. These results will have to be replicated before being accepted as reliable. As in some earlier studies, there was a weak but significant correlation of degree of feminine gender identity with age at onset of homosexual interest and with heterosexual interest or experience. A higher degree of feminine gender identity went together with less heterosexual interest and experience and with an earlier onset of homosexual interest and experience.This study was supported by Ontario Mental Health Foundation Grant No. 403 and was carried out at the Alex G. Brown Memorial Clinic of the Ontario Ministry of Corrections, at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Canada, and at Atascadero State Hospital, Atascadero, California.     

Preschool Enrollment is Associated with Lower Odds of Childhood Obesity Among WIC Participants in LA County

The prevalence of obesity among children in the United States has increased rapidly during the past few decades. Research into social and behavioral determinants of obesity could lead to innovative strategies for prevention. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between childhood obesity and preschool enrollment and number of hours in child care among low-income preschool-aged children who were participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). We conducted a case–control study including 556 3- to 4-year-old children who were either obese (BMI > 95th percentile of reference standard) or normal-weight (BMI 25–75th percentile). The population was largely (96%) Hispanic, an ethnic group that has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in adults and children in the US. In multiple logistic regression analysis, controlling for a variety of psychosocial and cognitive home environment variables, key demographics and maternal variables, the odds ratio of being obese was 0.61 for children who attended preschool more than 4 days a week (95% CI: 0.41–0.90). Watching television or videos for an hour or more on a typical day (odds ratio 1.71 (95% CI 1.07–2.75)), and higher maternal BMI (odds ratio 1.08 (95% CI 1.05–1.11)) were independently related to odds of obesity. The impact of preschool attendance and TV viewing are potentially instructive in terms of preventive interventions for children at this age.     

Reliability and validity of childhood asthma control test in a population of Chinese asthmatic children

Background No quick and easy assessment tool is presently available to measure asthma control and outcome in Chinese children. Methods We translated an established seven-item questionnaire into the Chinese Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-CACT) to measure asthma symptoms and their effect on daily function in 247 children aged 4–11 years enrolled from specialty clinics around Tainan. Subjects were classed as having either intermittent or persistent asthma and were evaluated at two outpatient visits 4–8 weeks apart (baseline and follow-up). Results C-CACT at baseline correlated significantly with physician evaluation scores (PES) except in predicted peak expiratory flow rate. There were significant differences for mean C-CACT score and mean PES between the intermittent group and persistent group. Internal consistency reliability of the survey was 0.741 at baseline and 0.759 at the follow-up visit. Test–retest reliability among 209 patients with the same specialist rating of asthma control at baseline and follow-up was r = 0.546 (P < 0.001). C-CACT scores of patients whose therapy needed to be stepped up was significantly lower than in those with unchanged or stepped-down therapy (F = 39.61, P < 0.001). Conclusions C-CACT provides a reliable, valid, and responsive measure of asthma control in Chinese children. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Increasing Valid Profiles in Phallometric Assessment of Sex Offenders with Child Victims: Combining the Strengths of Audio Stimuli and Synthetic Characters

Penile plethysmography (PPG) is a measure of sexual interests that relies heavily on the stimuli it uses to generate valid results. Ethical considerations surrounding the use of real images in PPG have further limited the content admissible for these stimuli. To palliate this limitation, the current study aimed to combine audio and visual stimuli by incorporating computer-generated characters to create new stimuli capable of accurately classifying sex offenders with child victims, while also increasing the number of valid profiles. Three modalities (audio, visual, and audiovisual) were compared using two groups (15 sex offenders with child victims and 15 non-offenders). Both the new visual and audiovisual stimuli resulted in a 13% increase in the number of valid profiles at 2.5 mm, when compared to the standard audio stimuli. Furthermore, the new audiovisual stimuli generated a 34% increase in penile responses. All three modalities were able to discriminate between the two groups by their responses to the adult and child stimuli. Lastly, sexual interest indices for all three modalities could accurately classify participants in their appropriate groups, as demonstrated by ROC curve analysis (i.e., audio AUC = .81, 95% CI [.60, 1.00]; visual AUC = .84, 95% CI [.66, 1.00], and audiovisual AUC = .83, 95% CI [.63, 1.00]). Results suggest that computer-generated characters allow accurate discrimination of sex offenders with child victims and can be added to already validated stimuli to increase the number of valid profiles. The implications of audiovisual stimuli using computer-generated characters and their possible use in PPG evaluations are also discussed.     

A review of the controlled trials of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of bulimia nervosa

The treatment literature on bulimia nervosa includes several double-blind placebo controlled studies, the majority of which examine the use of antidepressants in bulimia nervosa. The psychotherapy literature has focused heavily on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of this eating disorder. Some studies have compared CBT to other types of therapy or waiting list controls. The following review will examine the methodology and outcome of the pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatment studies of bulimia nervosa. The authors conclude that while the studies indicate treatment is somewhat effective, there remains uncertainty regarding the long-term effectiveness of most of the reported treatments. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The Use of Focus Groups in the Development of the KIDSCREEN HRQL Questionnaire

There is increasing interest in the public health sector in the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of healthy children. However, most HRQL instruments are developed for children with a chronic illness. In addition, existing questionnaires are mostly based on expert opinion about what constitutes HRQL and the opinions and views of healthy children are seldom included. In the European project KIDSCREEN, a generic questionnaire was developed for children between the ages of 8 and 18 on the basis of children’s opinions about what constitutes HRQL. Focus group discussions were organised in six European countries to explore the HRQL as perceived by children. There were six groups in each country, stratified by gender and age. The age groups were 8–9 years, 12–13 years, and 16–17 years, with 4–8 children in each group. Experienced moderators guided the discussions. The full discussions were audiotaped, transcribed and content-analysed. The discussions went smoothly, with much lively debate. For the youngest group, the most important aspect of their HRQL was family functioning. For both younger and older adolescents, social functioning, including the relationship with peers, was most important. Children in all groups considered physical and cognitive functioning to be less important than social functioning. These key findings were taken into account when designing the KIDSCREEN HRQL questionnaire for healthy children and adolescents, with more emphasis being placed on drawing up valid scales for family and social functioning. In addition, items were constructed using the language and lay-out preferred by the youngsters themselves. We conclude that focus groups are a useful way of exploring children’s views of HRQL, showing that an emphasis should be placed on constructing valid social and family scales.     

Behavioral Health Problems as Barriers to Work: Results from a 6-year Panel Study of Welfare Recipients

Over the course of welfare reform, behavioral health problems have emerged as significant issues. Welfare time limits have added urgency to recipients’ efforts to obtain economic self-sufficiency and have raised new concerns about mental health and substance abuse problems as barriers to work. However, there is limited research on how behavioral health problems operate to impede the employability of welfare recipients. This analysis draws on data from a 6-year panel study of welfare recipients (n = 341) to examine how a broad spectrum of mental health and substance abuse problems impact efforts to obtain work while on aid and subsequent transitions from welfare to work. Recipients who reported symptoms of depression at baseline were less likely to actively search for work while on aid compared to others. However, they were no less likely to leave welfare for work within a 2-year time frame. In contrast, other problems – including hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism, and heavy drug use – had significant effects on work exits from welfare but little association with job search activities. Overall, these results suggest that behavioral health problems do not operate in the same manner to inhibit transitions from welfare to work. Welfare-to-work programs should direct interventions towards the unique constellations of problems that recipients face. This study was made possible by grants from the U.S. National Institutes on Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to the Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, including: Center Grant (AA-05595), R01 Project Grant (AA-10015), and R21 Grant for Secondary Analysis of Existing Health Services Data (AA-12159). A previous version of this paper was presented at the National Institutes of Health, “Complexities of Co-Occurring Conditions,” Washington DC, June 23–25, 2004.     

Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized,Double-Blind,and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

A previous animal study demonstrated that the administration of Omija extract and soybean mixture (OSM) improved glycemic control in the type 2 diabetes model. In this study, we conducted a 12-week, randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine the effects of OSM in humans with hyperglycemia. Participants with fasting plasma concentrations of 100–140 mg/dL were enrolled (n = 80) and administered either OSM or placebo products for 12 weeks. The outcomes included measurements of efficacy (fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial glucose (PPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), postprandial insulin (PPI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-peptide, fructosamine, and lipid parameters) and safety at baseline and at 12 weeks. After the intervention, the OSM group showed significantly decreased levels of FPG, PPG (30, 60 min), PPI (60 min), insulin area under the curve (AUC), fructosamine, and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared to the placebo group. No clinically significant changes in any safety parameter were observed. Therefore, it is hypothesized that OSM supplementation is an effective and safe functional food supplement for humans with hyperglycemia.     

Use of deceptive tactics in physician practices: are there differences between international and US medical graduates?

Concerns have been raised about the medical practices of international medical graduates (IMGs) in the United States. This study examined the differences between IMGs and US-trained medical graduates (USMGs) in their attitude toward and utilization of deception in medical practices. A random sample of physicians practicing in the US was surveyed by mail in 1998. The dependent variables of interest included 11 attitudinal and behavioral indicators of deceptive tactics in medical practice. IMGs and USMGs displayed limited difference in their attitudes but some differences in their self-reported use of deceptive tactics in medical practice. IMGs were less likely than USMGs to change the patient's official diagnosis (OR, 0.557; 95% CI, 0.344-0.902) or to withhold a useful service because of utilization rules (OR, 0.612; 95% CI, 0.382-0.979). The hypothesis that IMGs have less appropriate professional standards than USMGs is not supported by this study. Alternative hypotheses, such as IMG familiarity with US health care and legal systems, warrant investigation.     

Understanding Men’s Self-Reported Sexual Interest in Children

A few studies have found that even in the general population, a minority of adults—men as well as women—report some sexual interest in a young age group. The purpose of the present study was to identify factors associated with self-reported sexual interest in children among a community-based sample of men. Using an online survey methodology, we examined the extent to which different types of childhood adversities (witnessing parental violence, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse), atypical childhood sexual experiences, and participants’ self-reported likelihood of engaging in a variety of sexual behaviors (heightened sexual interest) were related to sexual interest in children (SIC) reported by a non-forensic/non-clinical sample of 173 men. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. After controlling for physical and emotional abuse and witnessing parental violence, self-reported experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) significantly increased the amount of variance explained in SIC scores. However, only early masturbation and current heightened sexual interests contributed significantly to the final model. Total variance explained by the model as a whole was 24% (adjusted R² = 20%). Early masturbation and heightened sexual interests significantly mediated the relationship between CSA and SIC scores. Findings add to the small but growing body of literature examining the etiology of pedophilic sexual interests in non-clinical samples.     

Dietary supplementation with different vitamin C doses: no effect on oxidative DNA damage in healthy people

Summary Background Antioxidants are believed to prevent many types of disease. Some previous studies suggest that dietary supplementation with vitamin C results in a decrease in the level of one of the markers of oxidative damage—8-oxoguanine in the DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Aim of trial To investigate the effect of different dose levels of dietary supplementation with vitamin C on oxidative DNA damage. Methods A randomised double–blind placebo–controlled trial was carried out using three different levels (80, 200 and 400 mg) of dietary vitamin C supplementation in a healthy population of 160 volunteers; supplementation was for a period of 15 weeks followed by a 10 week washout period. Peripheral blood samples were obtained every 5 weeks from baseline to 25 weeks. Results An increase in PBMC vitamin C levels was not observed following supplementation in healthy volunteers. There was no effect found on 8–oxoguanine measured using HPLC with electrochemical detection for any of the three supplemented groups compared to placebo. 8–oxoadenine levels were below the limit of detection of the HPLC system used here. Conclusions Supplementation with vitamin C had little effect on cellular levels in this group of healthy individuals, suggesting their diets were replete in vitamin C. The dose range of vitamin C used did not affect oxidative damage in PBMC DNA.