I am smart, therefore I can: examining the relationship between IQ and self-efficacy across cultures

The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between intelligence (IQ) and self-efficacy in children and adolescents living in the United States and Nicaragua. The sample consisted of 90 (46 male, 44 female) students (mean age = 11.57 years, SD = 3.0 years) referred by school administrators and faculty. United States (US) participants (n = 27) resided in rural counties in the Northwest. The other group consisted of 63 students from Central America. A comparison between groups revealed that in the US, sample higher grades and IQ scores are typically associated with higher levels of self-efficacy. However in the Nicaraguan sample, both IQ scores and grades were not associated with self-efficacy, although age was correlated with self-efficacy. Results suggest that the construct of self-efficacy might change depending on whether one belongs to an individualistic or collectivistic society. Additionally, the effects of socioeconomic factors might influence perceived ability even more than intellectual abilities.     

I think therefore I am: perceived ideal weight as a determinant of health

Objectives. We examined whether stress related to negative body image perception and the desire to lose weight explained some of the body mass index–health gradient.Methods. We used 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine the impact of desired body weight, independent of actual body mass index, on the amount of physically and mentally unhealthy days by race, ethnicity, and gender.Results. The difference between actual and desired body weight was a stronger predictor than was body mass index (BMI) of mental and physical health. When we controlled for BMI and age, men who wished to lose 1%, 10%, and 20% of their body weight respectively suffered a net increase of 0.1, 0.9, and 2.7 unhealthy days per month relative to those who were happy with their weight. For women, the corresponding numbers were 0.1, 1.6, and 4.3 unhealthy days per month. The desire to lose weight was more predictive of unhealthy days among women than among men and among Whites than among Blacks or Hispanics.Conclusions. Our results raise the possibility that some of the health effects of the obesity epidemic are related to the way we see our bodies.Obesity is one of the greatest public health threats. Over 7 million quality-adjusted life years are lost annually as a result of excess body weight in the United States alone.1 Projections suggest that the rapid rise in obesity will eventually lead to a decline in life expectancy in the United States.2To address this problem, scientists and policymakers need a clear understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that link overweight and obesity to poor health. Much needs to be learned. It is assumed that body fat itself causes the higher rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome seen among obese persons.3 However, there is little evidence that this assumption is correct, leading some scientists to challenge the adiposity (body fat) hypothesis.4 Even those linkages between adiposity and the metabolic syndrome—one of the most studied pathways—are imperfectly understood.5One plausible explanation is that the stigma overweight persons face6^,7 produces stress, a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.8 There is evidence that discrimination against heavy people is pervasive, occurring in social settings, the workplace, and the home.7^,9 It is also severe; in one study, 89% of formerly obese participants reported that they would choose blindness over a return to being obese.10 These stigma are likely internalized, leading to a negative body image that also may serve as a source of chronic stress.There are several reasons to suspect that obesity-related stress affects physical health. First, the conditions associated with the stress response—hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia—are the very conditions associated with overweight and obesity.8Second, body mass index (BMI; weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) consistently emerges as an explanatory variable in studies that focus on the association between stress and health.11^–14 For instance, BMI is the strongest known predictor of some serological markers of stress, such as C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, 2 mediators of the stress response.14^,15 These biomarkers, or “stress mediators,” play a central role in glucose metabolism (both in production and cellular uptake via insulin), blood pressure regulation, and lipid regulation.Third, there is evidence that the BMI–health association is culturally produced. Younger persons, Whites, and women are disproportionately affected by negative body image concerns, and these groups unduly suffer from BMI-associated morbidity and mortality.1^,16^–18 For instance, overweight women lose 7 times more quality-adjusted life years than do overweight men. Likewise, whereas Whites begin to experience excess mortality with a BMI of greater than 25 kg/m² (overweight), Blacks do not suffer a net excess mortality unless they are obese (i.e., > 30 kg/m²).16There is a large body of evidence that indicates that social stress adversely affects mental health as well.19 Although genetic vulnerability and coping mechanisms are important components in the pathway from stress to mental distress, environmental stressors appear to play a large role. Numerous researchers have examined a variety of social stressors including discrimination, stigma, and low socioeconomic status.20^–22 These stressors have, in turn, been linked to poor mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, alcohol or substance abuse, and personality disorders. There also is preliminary evidence that indicates that overweight and obese women suffer from higher rates of depression than do normal-weight women and that social stress may be a contributing factor.23^,24If social stress caused by being overweight is an additional contributor to the increased prevalence of mental and physical illness among heavier persons relative to thinner persons, we would expect that body image perceptions, after we controlled for actual BMI, would be a predictor of mental and physical health.In this study, we constructed a variable for body image perceptions that was operationalized as the percentage discrepancy between actual weight and perceived ideal weight. Higher discrepancies between actual and ideal weight were hypothesized to be associated with poorer mental health or physical health, independent of actual BMI. Because of differences in subcultural norms regarding weight, we stratified the analyses by gender, race, and ethnicity. We hypothesized that this discrepancy between perceived ideal weight and actual weight would be predictive of both poor mental health and poor physical health outcomes and that these effects would be most prominent among women and non-Hispanic Whites.     

I think, therefore I manage

Thirty healthcare managers were asked about the moral assumptions underlying their attitudes to the job. Pat Haggard reports her findings.     

A survey of energy drink and alcohol mixed with energy drink consumption

Background

Energy drink consumption among youth is increasing despite recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics to eliminate consumption by youth. This study provides information on consumption of energy drinks and alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) in a sample of Israeli youth and how consumer knowledge about the risks affects consumption rates.

Methods

The study was conducted in three Tel Aviv public schools, with a total enrollment of 1,253 students in grades 8 through 12. Among them, 802 students completed a 49-item questionnaire about energy drink and AmED consumption, for a 64 % response rate Non-responders included 451 students who were absent or refused to participate. All students in the same school were administered the questionnaire on the same day.

Results

Energy drinks are popular among youth (84.2 % have ever drunk). More tenth through twelfth grade students consumed energy drinks than eighth and ninth grade students. Students who began drinking in elementary school (36.8 %) are at elevated risk for current energy drink (P?<?.001) and AmED (P?=?.002) use. Knowledge about amounts consumed and recommended allowances is associated with less consumption (OR 1.925; 95 %CI 1.18–3.14).

Discussion

The association between current AmED consumption and drinking ED at a young age is important. Boys and those who start drinking early have a greater risk of both ED and AmED consumption. The characteristics of early drinkers can help increase awareness of potential at-risk youth, such as junior and senior high school students with less educated or single parents.

Conclusions

Risks posed by early use on later energy drink and AmED consumption are concerning. We suggest that parents should limit accessibility. Increased knowledge about acceptable and actual amounts of caffeine in a single product might decrease consumption.

     

I am John.

"John's" story details the history of services provided to people with mental retardation in the United States from the 1720s to the present. Although "John" is fictitious, the facts relating to mental retardation, service, and treatment through the years are accurate. There are no social workers in John's life story mainly because mental retardation has not been a part of schools of social work curriculum. John's life might have been different if there had been social workers advocating for him.     

ISO14001在酒饮行业的实施和认证

中法合营王朝葡萄酿酒有限公司是我国葡萄酒行业第一家通过ISO14001认证的企业,也是CQC认证的第一家酒饮行业的企业,因此我们有必要对体系建立过程中和认证过程中遇到一些问题进行很好的总结。     

我有癌症我怕谁

四成癌症患者有自杀意念 某医学院校的附属医院,去年跳楼的癌症患者4例,全部当场死亡.某肿瘤医院5年来跳楼死亡人数近20人,仅1例抢救过来,其余全部死亡.     

张明：我是一个务实的人

做人要“诚”,诚恳、忠诚;做事要“实”,踏踏实实,两字连在一起就是“诚实”。这是张明做人的格言。     

Endogenous opioids and alcohol dependence: opioid alkaloids and the propensity to drink alcoholic beverages

Rats consume alcoholic beverages in a wide variety of circumstances. Opioid antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone, decrease intake of many ingesta, including alcoholic beverages. Small doses of morphine increase intake of alcoholic beverages. Further, the effects of small doses of morphine are persistent and there is no sign that tolerance to morphine's ability to increase alcohol intake develops as seen with morphine's ability to produce analgesia. Morphine's effects can combine with other variables that enhance intake of alcoholic beverages to produce very large daily intakes of ethanol. These generalizations, from a large number of separate experiments, support the conclusion that alcoholism is a special case of an ingestive disorder involving opioidergic systems.     

Down your drink: a web-based intervention for people with excessive alcohol consumption

AIMS: To conduct a pilot study of the usefulness of Down Your Drink (DYD), a web-based intervention to encourage excessive drinkers to adopt a healthy pattern of drinking and reduce alcohol-associated harm. The DYD website was structured as a 6-week programme, derived from a manual which included elements of motivational approaches and cognitive behavioural therapy. METHODS: Visitors whose responses to the Fast Alcohol Screening Test were positive, and those indicating excessive alcohol consumption, were encouraged to register. Users completed alcohol dependence and mental health questionnaires before the programme, and a drinking diary at each of the weekly sessions. Follow-up questionnaires were sent electronically to those who completed the programme, or who missed three or more sessions. RESULTS: During the 6-month study there were 7581 visits to the site and 1319 registrations. Of the registrants, 61.8% completed week 1, and 6.0% stayed with the programme until the end. The 6% who stayed for 6 weeks provided encouraging feedback about the value of the site. Little information was obtained from those who dropped out, but some reported that the programme was too time-consuming. CONCLUSIONS: Web site interventions for excessive drinkers are feasible and merit evaluation of their effectiveness.     

"I come because I am called": recruitment and participation in mammography screening in Uppsala, Sweden

In this article I report on research investigating factors associated with participation in mammography screening in Sweden. I conducted semistructured interviews with 32 women aged 40-49 years who attended mammography screening in rural Sweden. Study participants undertook screening in the context of a health system in which women aged 40 years and above are contacted by mail with an appointment time to attend for screening. Study participants placed great value on this system, and trust was expressed in health authorities. Availability of local screening facilities was also highly valued by study participants.     

The health and health behaviors of people who do not drink alcohol

BACKGROUND: Compared to abstention, moderate drinking has been linked to better health, and heavy and hazardous drinking to increased morbidity and mortality. Many studies have failed to account for heterogeneity in health and drinking history among nondrinkers, however. If former drinkers quit in response to ill health, this could increase the risk in the nondrinker category and underestimate the effects of alcohol if illnesses leading to abstention are alcohol-related. In addition, health behaviors may vary with drinking status, affecting health outcomes often attributed to drinking. METHODS: Survey data were collected from a probability sample of a large health maintenance organization's membership. Regression analyses assess the relationship between drinking status (adjusting for covariates), mental and physical health and functioning, and health behaviors. RESULTS: Former drinkers and lifelong abstainers had worse health and functioning than current drinkers and, comparatively, former drinkers had worse health than lifelong abstainers. Former drinkers did not differ from light-to-moderate drinkers in regard to health behaviors (except for smoking), although lifelong abstainers and heavier drinkers were less likely to use preventive care or try to improve their health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with hypotheses that former drinkers may stop drinking because of poor health, former drinkers were less healthy than current drinkers and had slightly worse health than lifelong abstainers, compared to light-to-moderate drinkers. Former drinkers did not appear to be at risk because of poorer health behaviors (except smoking), but lifelong abstainers and heavier drinkers might benefit from outreach designed to increase use of preventive care and improve health behaviors.