Cent Of Males Research Articles

Distribution, Inequality and Concentration of Incomeamong Older Immigrants in Canada

While there are many studies on differences in earnings between immigrants and the native-born or among immigrant groups, they do not consider distribution and concentration of income among immigrants explicitly. These aspects are important for understanding the distribution of economic welfare and consumer behaviour among members and hence are policy relevant. Using the 1991 Census data, the distribution and concentration of incomehave been examined among 15 broad birthplace groups for population aged55 years and over. About 19 per cent of males and 15 per cent of femalesreceive less than half the median income and obtain 5 per cent and 3 per centof the aggregate income respectively. About 30 per cent of males and29 per cent of females receive more than one and half times the medianincome and obtain 61 per cent and 59 per cent of aggregate incomerespectively. About 51 per cent of males and 56 per cent of females whoreceive incomes between half and one and half times the median income aretermed middle-class and their shares of aggregate income amount to 34 and38 per cent respectively. Although older immigrants aged 55 years and over, as a group, have roughlythe same quartile distribution and concentration of income as theirCanadian-born counterparts, the birthplace groups differ considerably.Those from the developing regions, that is, the groups that have loweraverage annual incomes, also have more inequitable distribution of incomethan the Canadian-born or their counterparts from the developed regions. Thus, income distribution is more polarized in populations from developingregions than in populations from developed regions or in the Canadian-bornpopulation. On average, females receive 45 per cent less income than males, and thereis less polarization of income among them than among males regardless ofthe place of birth. A part of the explanation lies in the receipt of government transfers, whichtend to equalize rather than polarize incomes, and older women derive ahigher proportion of their income from government transfers than older men.

Incentives to Work: Replacement Ratios and the Cost of Job Loss among Indigenous Australians

The relationship between the social welfare system and employment incentives has received considerable attention in the literature. This paper uses data from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey to consider these issues for indigenous Australians. Two measures are calculated: the replacement ratio which measures the expected gains from employment for those not in work; and the cost of job loss which measures the expected costsof becoming unemployed for those in employment. The estimates presented here show that the replacement ratio is higher for females than males and for those in a married or de facto relationship compared with single people. About 5 per cent of single males and females could expect a higher income from social security than from non‐Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)scheme employment. Among those with dependent partners 24 per cent of males and 40 per cent of females looking for work could expect a higher income from social security than from non‐CDEP employment. The estimates of the cost of job loss, which include the effects of the duration of unemployment and the replacementratio, show a high cost for some indigenous Australians because of their expected longer duration of unemployment.

The incidence of cleft lip and palate deformities in the south-east of Scotland (1971-1990).

This retrospective study reports the incidence of infants born with the cleft lip and palate anomaly within the Edinburgh Cleft Units catchment area, between 1 January, 1971, and 31 December, 1990. The importance of accurate data collection for local, regional, and national data bases is discussed with reference to the recent CSAG report on cleft lip and palate services in the UK. Five-hundred-and-two cleft lip and palate patients were identified (291 males, 211 females). The incidence is reported as 1.4 per 1000 live births (1 in 711). Twenty-five per cent of clefts affected the primary palate, 45 per cent affected the secondary palate, and the remaining 30 per cent were clefts of both the primary and secondary palate. Overall, a higher percentage of males were affected (58 per cent males to 42 per cent females). Clefts of the secondary palate, however, were more common in females (56 per cent females to 44 per cent males). Data presented in this study is similar to that previously reported from UK centres. It is suggested the accuracy of the UK cleft lip and palate data collection needs to be improved. Prospective data collection in a standardized format carried out on a national basis has to be a priority as recommended by the CSAG report.

Use of family planning at first sexual intercourse among young adults in Ecuador.

The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with the use of family planning at first sexual intercourse among young adults aged 15 to 24 in urban Ecuador. The study population consisted of 1443 young adults (494 females and 949 males) in the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, interviewed by the 1988 Ecuador Young Adult Reproductive Health Survey, who reported having experienced consensual sexual intercourse. Approximately 11% of females and 15% of males reported using contraception at first intercourse. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess jointly the effect of multiple factors on contraceptive use at first intercourse. The regression model was first run on the entire study population and then separately for males and females. In the overall population, the following variables were significantly related to using family planning at first sex: being male; being from Guayaquil; older age; father's completion of secondary school. Having lost one's virginity to a prostitute was significantly associated with non-use of family planning. Males were 3.6 times more likely than females to use family planning during their first sexual intercourse. For each year older a young adult was at first sex, his or her odds of using family planning was multiplied by a factor of 1.3. Twenty-eight per cent of males in this study experienced their first sexual intercourse with a prostitute, and these young men were highly unlikely to use family planning. A male who experienced first intercourse with his girlfriend was more than five times as likely to use contraception than a male who lost his virginity to a prostitute.

Papillary carcinoma in a thyroglossal duct remnant--a review of thyroglossal surgery in a regional centre in the west of Ireland.

A review of thyroglossal duct remnants presenting to a regional centre in the West of Ireland was undertaken. Over a 15 yr period, 25 patients were operated on for duct remnants. The mean age was 19.6 yr and ranged from 3 to 68 yr. There were 16 (64 per cent) males and 9 (36 per cent) females. Seventeen (68 per cent) patients were less than 20 years at the time of surgery. Four patients presented with a sinus and the remainder with a cystic lesion. Two patients experienced recurrent disease. One patient, a 41 yr old female, had a papillary carcinoma of a thyroglossal cyst. There were no clinical features distinguishing this patient from those with benign cystic remnants of the thyroglossal duct. The possibility of carcinoma in older patients, in particular females, presenting with thyroglossal cysts emphasises the importance of performing a formal Sistrunk's operation. It reduces the risk of recurrence of the cyst and may reduce the risk of recurrence of the tumour as the duct may provide a route for the spread of tumour.

Epidemiology and mortality of burns in Tehran, Iran

In order to assist with the prevention of burn injuries the epidemiology of burns in Tehran was investigated. In a retrospective study, 1239 files of patients who were living in Tehran and were injured between March 1994 and March 1995 were studied. Sixty-three per cent of patients were male and 37 per cent were female (age range, 1 month to 93 years). The highest incidence of burns was in the 16–25 age group ( 30 100000 ). Patients with below 40 per cent of burned surface constituted 52.5 per cent of injuries. The most common cause of burns was kerosene accidents. The most common cause of burns in children was boiling water. In terms of social class the highest rate of burns was observed among illiterate people (burn rate (BR) 39 100000 ). The mean length of hospitalization was 12 days. Of the 1239 cases, 737 patients died. The mortality rate was 51 per cent in males and 69 per cent in females. The mean body surface area burned was higher in females. The mortality rate was higher and the length of hospitalization was shorter in comparison with other studies in other countries.

Earnings of Public Sector and Private Sector Employees in Australia: Is There a Difference?*

This study examines differences in average weekly earnings between public sector and private sector employees in Australia. In the 1990s average weekly earnings of full‐time public sector employees were higher than for full‐time private sector employees by 10 to 15 per cent for males and 20 to 25 per cent for females. A variety of decomposition tests are applied to examine the sources of this inter‐sector difference in average weekly earnings. The tests generally show that higher average weekly earnings of public sector employees are wholly explained by inter‐sector differences in productivity‐related characteristics of employees and job characteristics in each sector.

Burn mortality in Chandigarh zone: 25 years autopsy experience from a tertiary care hospital of India

An analysis of autopsy records of burn victims revealed that most burn deaths occurred in the age group 21–40 years (67 per cent) with female preponderance (61 per cent) in all age groups except in the extreme age groups. 62 per cent of burn cases originated in urban areas. The majority of subjects (99 per cent females and 76 per cent males) died as a result of flame burns. Kerosene was the most common factor (76 per cent) in burn deaths. 11 per cent of deaths were due to the stove bursting and 27 per cent of victims died due to leakage of oil from the stove, 39 per cent of subjects sustained burns when their clothes caught fire. Scalds (3.3 per cent), electrical (4.7 per cent) and chemical (2.3 per cent) burns were more commonly seen in males, mainly sustained at their working place. Accidental burns were observed in 80 per cent of subjects followed by suicidal (16.2 per cent) and homicidal burn assaults (4.1 per cent). Peak incidence of burns in females was observed between 5.01 a.m. and 11 a.m. (38 per cent), which was the time of least incidence in males (10.3 per cent). The opposite trend was seen between 11.01 p.m. and 5 a.m. Among males, burn deaths were more common (85 per cent) in those who were living alone, away from their families; whereas in women the incidence of burn deaths was higher (74 per cent) in those living with their families. The majority of deaths due to burns occurred within one week (77 per cent) of the incident. Septicaemia was the major cause of death (55 per cent).

Probability misjudgment and belief in the paranormal: A newspaper survey

In a newspaper survey with 6238 respondents 59 per cent were believers in the paranormal. There was a large sex difference: 70 per cent of females were believers but only 48 per cent of males. Respondents were asked whether a list of 10 statements were true for them, and to estimate numbers true for other people. The ‘probability misjudgment’ theories predicted that believers would underestimate the number of statements true for other people, more than non‐believers. This was not found, but believers did claim that more statements were true for them. The ‘probability misjudgment’ theories are not supported.

HIV risk behaviour in Irish intravenous drug users.

The aim of the study was to measure HIV prevalence and risk behaviour in 185 Irish Intravenous Drug Misusers. Information was obtained by application of a standardised WHO questionnaire covering HIV risk behaviour in the preceding 6 months. HIV serostatus was obtained by saliva/blood sample testing. One hundred and 3 (55.7 per cent) shared and 114 (61.6 per cent) lent used injecting equipment in the previous 6 months. 97 (94.2 per cent) of those who shared always cleaned the needles before use but only 48 (49.5 per cent) of these always cleaned in an efficient manner. One hundred and 14 (79.2 per cent) males and 28 (68.3 per cent) females reported heterosexual activity in the preceding 6 months. On examination sexual risk behaviour was found to be high. 50.5 per cent of males and 63 per cent of females never used condoms with regular partners. 32.6 per cent of males never used condoms with casual partners. The large majority of partners of male I.D.U'.s (both regular and casual) were non injectors. Therefore there is potential for sexual spread of HIV into the non-injecting heterosexual population. Conversely the vast majority of partners of female IDU's were injectors. This suggests that female IDU's are at higher risk of HIV infection than their male counterparts. HIV prevalence in the study group was 8.4 per cent. Implications of results for future intervention are discussed.

High fecundity of hybrids between the sympatric snail species Viviparus ater and V. contectus (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)

Interspecific crosses between Viviparus contectus males and V. ater females were successful (53 per cent of intraspecific V. ater fecundity), whereas the reverse combination was almost sterile (1.2 per cent of intraspecific V. contectus fecundity). The hybrid offspring had a high survival rate (99 per cent in the first year) and a male-biased sex ratio (84 per cent males). F1 hybrids were fertile inter se and in all six backcross combinations tested. Some of the backcrosses had fecundities similar to intraspecific control crosses. Hybrid females produced more offspring in backcrosses with V. contectus males than with V. ater males, suggesting that the higher fecundity of V. contectus as compared with V. ater can be inherited paternally. The male-biased sex ratio of hybrids suggests that the female is the heterogametic sex in Viviparus. The male-biased sex ratio and the high fecundity of hybrids of both sexes in backcrosses are compatible with Coyne's (Coyne, J. A. 1992 Nature, 355, 511–515) hypothesis of a composite nature of Haldane's rule. The high fecundity of hybrids also implies that introgression may occur in natural populations.

High fecundity of hybrids between the sympatric snail species Viviparus ater and V. contectus (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)

Interspecific crosses between Viviparus contectus males and V. ater females were successful (53 per cent of intraspecific V. ater fecundity), whereas the reverse combination was almost sterile (1.2 per cent of intraspecific V. contectus fecundity). The hybrid offspring had a high survival rate (99 per cent in the first year) and a male-biased sex ratio (84 per cent males). F1 hybrids were fertile inter se and in all six backcross combinations tested. Some of the backcrosses had fecundities similar to intraspecific control crosses. Hybrid females produced more offspring in backcrosses with V. contectus males than with V. ater males, suggesting that the higher fecundity of V. contectus as compared with V. ater can be inherited paternally. The male-biased sex ratio of hybrids suggests that the female is the heterogametic sex in Viviparus. The male-biased sex ratio and the high fecundity of hybrids of both sexes in backcrosses are compatible with Coyne's (Coyne, J. A. 1992 Nature, 355, 511–515) hypothesis of a composite nature of Haldane's rule. The high fecundity of hybrids also implies that introgression may occur in natural populations.

Argali Ovis ammon surveys in Mongolia's South Gobi

The argali, Ovis ammon, a species of wild sheep, is threatened in Mongolia, suffering from poaching and competition with domestic livestock. The authors conducted ground and aerial surveys of argali in Dundgobi, Omnogobi and Dornogobi aimags (or provinces) of the South Gobi region of Mongolia. Ground surveys were conducted by vehicle and on foot, while aerial surveys were conducted using two Soviet AN-2 aircraft flying 40-km parallel transects. The interactive computer programme Distance was used to estimate population size and density. The authors observed a total of 423 argali in 85 groups (mean group size = 5.0 ± 0.6 SE), including 300 individuals in 61 groups on the ground survey (mean size = 4.9 ± 0.8 SE) and 123 animals in 24 groups during the aerial survey (mean size = 5.1 ± 1.2 SE). Population structure of the groups observed during the ground survey was 14.3 per cent males, 53.3 per cent females, 19.7 per cent lambs, and 12.7 per cent animals of undetermined sex (means = 0.7 ± 0.2 SE males, 2.6 ± 0.6 SE females, 1.0 ± 0.2 SE lambs, and 0.6 ± 0.4 SE undetermined). We estimated a population size of 3900 ± 1132 SE argali in the study area for a population density of 0.0187 ± 0.0054 SE animals/sq km. More rigorous and comprehensive surveys for argali, preferably for each distinct population, should be conducted for more accurate estimates. Argali require more active conservation and management, especially with respect to poaching and competition with domestic livestock. If sport hunting is to continue, a large portion of all money

Argali Ovis ammon surveys in Mongolia's South Gobi

The argali, Ovis ammon, a species of wild sheep, is threatened in Mongolia, suffering from poaching and competition with domestic livestock. The authors conducted ground and aerial surveys of argali in Dundgobi, Omnogobi and Dornogobi aimags (or provinces) of the South Gobi region of Mongolia. Ground surveys were conducted by vehicle and on foot, while aerial surveys were conducted using two Soviet AN-2 aircraft flying 40-km parallel transects. The interactive computer programme Distance was used to estimate population size and density. The authors observed a total of 423 argali in 85 groups (mean group size = 5.0 ± 0.6 SE), including 300 individuals in 61 groups on the ground survey (mean size = 4.9 ± 0.8 SE) and 123 animals in 24 groups during the aerial survey (mean size = 5.1 ± 1.2 SE). Population structure of the groups observed during the ground survey was 14.3 per cent males, 53.3 per cent females, 19.7 per cent lambs, and 12.7 per cent animals of undetermined sex (means = 0.7 ± 0.2 SE males, 2.6 ± 0.6 SE females, 1.0 ± 0.2 SE lambs, and 0.6 ± 0.4 SE undetermined). We estimated a population size of 3900 ± 1132 SE argali in the study area for a population density of 0.0187 ± 0.0054 SE animals/sq km. More rigorous and comprehensive surveys for argali, preferably for each distinct population, should be conducted for more accurate estimates. Argali require more active conservation and management, especially with respect to poaching and competition with domestic livestock. If sport hunting is to continue, a large portion of all money

COMPUTER SKILLS AND WAGES*

Data from the 1993 Survey of Training and Education show that 52 per cent of males and 60 per cent of females had at some time used a computer. An analysis using earnings functions reveals that computer usage is associated with a wage premium of between 12 and 16 per cent. Experiments show that omission of a variable recording computer usage from a wage equation will result in a bias of between 10 and 15 per cent in the estimated return to a year of schooling and similar distortion to the estimated return to experience.

Methodological issues in surveys of physical activity: the case of the Trent Health Lifestyle Survey

This paper examines methodological issues in physical activity measure ment by examining the findings of the 1994 Trent Health Lifestyle Survey which reported physical activity participation levels in adult men and women in the Trent region of England. In the survey, individuals were sampled from FHSA registers across ten districts of Trent Regional Health Authority ( N=18,787), and results indicated that high proportions of males (44 per cent) and females (46 per cent) had not undertaken any occasions of moderate or vigorous physical activity of at least 20 minutes duration in the previous four weeks. When asked about accumulated time spent on physical activity, 65 per cent of males and 64 per cent of females reported participating in 30 minutes or more 'energetic' activity on most days. In order to examine methodological issues, results of the survey are compared with those from national physical activity prevalence surveys. This comparison illustrates that even small methodological differences between surveys can substantially influence results, and caution is required in making such comparisons.

Fat mass, fat mass percentage, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference in a healthy population of Nigerian children.

We determined body fat mass, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference, in 5-15-year-old Nigerian children consisting of 454 (50 per cent) males and 450 (50 per cent) females. We derived regression equations between body fat mass and age, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference for each sex. The mean of age and height were similar in both sexes, while that of fat mass, percentage fat mass, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference were significantly higher in the female than male. Percentage fat mass varied between 3.02 and 32.16, and 1.88 and 53.84 in males and females, respectively (P = 0.0000). The percentage fat mass increased slightly with age (but significantly) in the female and decreased slightly with age in the male. Based on the US standards 164 (18 per cent) of the children were obese. We conclude that with improvement in living standards, childhood obesity may become a medical problem in Nigeria.

The New Zealand Rugby Injury and Performance Project: alcohol use patterns within a cohort of rugby players.

Although heavy drinking has traditionally been associated with rugby, the drinking patterns of New Zealand rugby players have not been examined. Three hundred and forty-eight rugby players (257 males and 91 females), completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) at the beginning of the 1993 rugby season. The mean AUDIT scores were 11.2 (SD = 5.1) for the males and 8.7 (4.1) for the females: a cut-off of 8.0 has been recommended by the developers of the instrument for identifying alcohol use disorders. The consumption of large quantities of alcohol, and a high frequency of heavy drinking sessions were the norm for this group. Sixty-one per cent of males and 38% of females consumed six or more drinks in a session at least weekly: typically, men drank 10 or more drinks in a session and women 5-6 drinks. The patterns of drinking exhibited by the cohort give cause for concern regarding the health risks associated with such behaviour.

Burn repetitions in Ghanaian children: prevalence, epidemiological characteristics and socioenvironmental factors

This paper reports the prevalence, epidemiological characteristics and socioenvironmental factors for burn repetitions in Ghanaian children newborn to 5 years old using a population-based survey. Mothers of children identified in a survey with burn scars were interviewed to obtain information on each child's demographics and the burn event, among others. Burn repeaters were compared with non-repeaters (children burned just once). Of 630 children identified with burns, 20 (3.2 per cent) had been burned twice. This statistic is significantly lower than expected from the known burn prevalence of 6.1 per cent in the region (P < 0.01). Burn repeaters included nine (45 per cent) children aged 24–35 months, 11 (55 per cent) males, and 9 (45 per cent) rural residents. The mean time interval between repeat burns was 9.6 months. While different mechanisms caused the two burns in 14 children, six were burned by the same mechanism. None of the demographic and socioenvironmental variables examined was significantly associated with burn repetition. It is concluded that since burn repetitions are low and share similar epidemiological characteristics with first-time burns, prevention efforts need not address repeat burns separately from burns in general.

Prevalence of domestic violence among patients attending a hospital emergency department.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of domestic violence victims among patients using emergency services at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital, in an affluent urban area of New South Wales. This study used a self-administered questionnaire (used in a similar study at the Royal Brisbane Hospital) to investigate the history of domestic violence among patients attending the emergency department during 64 randomly selected nursing shifts in October-November 1994. Adult domestic violence was reported by 19.3 per cent of females and 8.5 per cent of males, confirming the results of the Brisbane study. Evidence for underreporting was found: 4 per cent of females and 6.3 per cent of males who did not report being victims revealed experiences of abuse on nine measures of types of violence, including six taken from the Conflict Tactics Scale. Results supported evidence from other studies suggesting that experience of abuse as a child is a risk factor for being in abusive relationships as an adult. In the past, comparison of results has been limited because of variation in definitions of domestic violence; this has been overcome by intentional replication of the Brisbane study. The study was enhanced by inclusion of patients from non-English-speaking backgrounds and a cohort of parents of children attending. Similar prevalence estimates were found in these groups. Results have implications for the detection and treatment of victims of domestic violence across all strata of society and have potential to raise awareness and affect attitudes towards this significant community problem.