Making research relevant to policy.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B Havens.
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In Manitoba, Canada, a representative cohort of elderly individuals ages 65 to 84 (n = 3,573) were interviewed in 1971 and the survivors of this cohort were reinterviewed in 1983. This analysis assesses the determinants of successful aging--whether or not an individual will live to an advanced age, continue to function well at home, and remain mentally alert. Over 100 separate indicators of demographic and socio-economic status, social supports, health and mental status in 1971 were available as potential predictors of successful aging. Indicators of access to health care over the period 1970-82 and indicators of diseases over this period were also available as predictors. Those who aged successfully were shown to have greater satisfaction with life in 1983 and to have made fewer demands on the health care system than those who aged less well. Despite the large number of potential predictors of successful aging which were examined, only age, four measures of health status, two measures of mental status, and not having one's spouse die or enter a nursing home were shown to be predictive of successful aging.
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Researchers and practitioners frequently have criticized educational media's coverage of menstruation as being too oriented toward the "hygienic crisis" while de-emphasizing the emotional and other developmental aspects of puberty. In the present study, 31 audiovisual media currently available for sale/rental were reviewed for content related to the physical and psychological aspects of menstruation, the portrayal of adolescent girls, parents, and peers, and the relationship of menstruation to the developmental process. Seven films were produced by sanitary product manufacturers; 24 by other commercial filmmakers. The majority of the media depicted female anatomy by animated images and related the menstrual process to pubertal development. The relationship between menstruation and reproduction was mentioned in three cases. In general, variations in physical and emotional responses were described as normal. In all cases, fear and embarrassment were acknowledged. Openness in discussions among peers and with female adults was emphasized.
This paper assesses our ability to use administrative data for developing indicators of health status. Traditionally, measures of health status have been derived from interviews. Here indicators from administrative data and from interviews are compared, i.e., their ability to predict important health outcomes for a large representative sample of elderly residents of Manitoba, Canada. Indicators of health status derived from an administrative data system and from health interviews are shown to provide roughly similar predictions of nursing-home entry. Administrative data provide significantly better predictions of death and future hospital entry than do variables from interview data.
Education about menstruation is not restricted to school instruction or information provided by adults and peers; exposure to advertisements in teen media provides imagery depicting menstruation and feminine role expectations. This paper analyzes the imagery in advertisements for sanitary products and products for the relief of menstrual symptoms. A 25% random sample of Seventeen magazine issues from 1976 to 1986 stratified by year were reviewed. A total of 135 ads for sanitary products and 32 ads for products for the relief of menstrual discomfort were analyzed. Each ad was examined for recurrent themes in text, context and tone. Data collected were examined for similarities in themes across both product type and time. The ads depict menstruation as a "hygienic crisis" that is best managed by an effective "security system" affording protection and "peace of mind." The failure of adequate protection places the woman at risk for soiling, staining, embarrassment and odor. Menstruating women are depicted as dynamic, energetic and always functioning at their optimal level. Such imagery may encourage guilt and diminished self-esteem in the adolescent who experiences discomfort. A lack of maternal, teacher or male figures in the ads is evident; the importance of peer support is reinforced.
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Seventy-four 8th- and 10th-grade students attending a private girls' school in Hawaii were queried about their perceptions of and preparation for menstruation using a questionnaire administered in a health education class. Eighty percent had already started menstruating. The most frequently cited perceptions by the respondents referred to both the inconveniences and the normalcy of menstruation. Many were first informed about menstruation by their mothers and stated that they also first informed their mothers when they started menstruating. Surprise, fear, and embarrassment were common initial reactions, while strong negative or positive emotions were more rare. Only 35% wanted boys and girls together during class discussion, but 89% stated that boys needed to be informed about menstruation. The most frequent reasons cited for noncoed settings were the girls' concern about their comfort in openly discussing menstruation. Thirty-eight percent thought parents should inform other siblings when they started menstruation, although almost half gave specific conditions the parents should consider. The majority thought the fifth to sixth grades were the best times to introduce menstruation content.
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