Family Structure Characteristics Research Articles

Health-Orientation and Socio-Demographic Characteristics as Determinants of Fish Consumption

ABSTRACTThere are many research on consumer perception of fish product attributes. To increase fish consumption, as recommended by international health organizations and dietary guidelines, there is a need to better understand what drives consumers to fish consumption behaviour. The objective of the research is to explore determinants of fish frequency consumption, with focus on healthy attitude and socio-demographic or family structure characteristics. The research interviewed 740 consumers face-to-face. Data elaboration includes a factor analysis, with PCA and Varimax rotation, and multiple multivariate linear regressions. Results show that consumer health-orientation and social influences are better drivers to increase fish consumption frequency, compared to socio-economic characteristics, including households with children. Easing consumer time constraints and fish purchasing favor convenience and at home fish consumption frequency. Given the health advantages of higher fish consumption, government initiatives should support fish food industry marketing strategies.

Factors Associated With Child Maltreatment Among Children Aged 11 to 17 Years in Community Settings of Karachi, Pakistan, Using Belsky Ecological Framework.

Child maltreatment is considered as a global social issue and results as combined effect of parental background, socioeconomic environment, family structure, and child characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with child maltreatment among children aged 11 to 17 years in Karachi, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey of 800 pairs (children ranging from 11 to 17 years old and their parents) was randomly selected from 32 clusters of Karachi, using multistage cluster sampling. A structured questionnaire was adopted from the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (International Child Abuse Screening Tool for Parent [ICAST-P] and for Child [ICAST-C]). Multiple linear regression technique was used to assess the association of factors with child maltreatment score, by using STATA software. Our study found that children who always get bullied and mistreated by their siblings are at increased risk of getting maltreatment by parents (adjusted β: 10.78, 95% CI = [8.5, 13.05]).The mean estimated ICAST-C score increases by 9.86 (95% CI = [6.17, 13.55]) for children with exposure of verbal abuse and quarrel within family members. The mean estimated ICAST-C score increases by 5.09 among male children as compared with female children (95% CI = [3.65, 6.52]). Among children whose family always fight with each other and whose parents have exposure to childhood maltreatment, the mean estimated ICAST-C score increases by 22.25 (95% CI = [16.53, 27.98]). This study reflects the potential factors of child maltreatment in Karachi. Our findings provide evidence to raise awareness about child maltreatment.

Social Inequalities as Determinantof Variations in Parental Expectation for Involvement in Education of Learners with Special Needs (SENs) in Nigeria

Although parent’s involvement is growing in popularity all over the world, little systematic research has focused on parents’ expectation for involvement in education of learners with special educational needs (SENs) in inclusive education. Grounded in the parental involvement literature, and using the Ecological and Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model (1995) as theoretical and conceptual frameworks, this study investigate why there were considerable variations in parents’ expectations for involvement in education of learners with (SENs) in Nigeria. The investigation is based on this research question: Do family structural characteristics, such as gender, marital status and education have significant influence on parental expectations for involvement in inclusive education in Nigeria? Employing a quantitative research method, this study gathered data from 372 parents of learners with SENs in 10 regular primary schools in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, and used a survey instrumenton Parental Involvement in Inclusive Education (PII) for data collection. The study found that socio-cultural and economic values attached to marital status, education and gender, influenced the expectation for involvement among parents of learners with SENs in Nigeria. Finally the study recommended that government and educational administrators should embrace actions and programmes that promote parental expectations for involvement by establishing parents’ support groups, where parents of learners with SENs can share their knowledge and work together in order to promote their children’s learning in inclusive education.

Social Disparities in Private Renting Amongst Young Families in England and Wales, 2001-2011

In Britain, the proportion of young families living in the private rented sector (PRS) has risen sharply in recent years. There is mounting concern that this trend could be particularly pronounced amongst less advantaged young families, who may be disproportionately channelled into relatively costly, insecure and lower quality accommodation in the PRS by growing difficulties accessing other tenures. In consequence, this paper uses the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study of England and Wales to compare how family structure and socio-economic characteristics shaped rates of private renting amongst young adults heading families in 2001 and 2011. The results show that social disparities generally increased during this period as private renting expanded most rapidly amongst some types of lone parent and amongst young adults heading couple families with a less advantaged class position. Increasing housing inequalities between young people may thus be as much a feature of “Generation Rent” as deepening divides between generations.

Impact of family structure and socio-demographic characteristics on child health and wellbeing in same-sex parent families: A cross-sectional survey.

Children with same-sex attracted parents develop well in terms of their health and wellbeing. There are many recognised factors that have an impact on child health, in general, including individual, family and wider social mediators. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of family structure and socio-demographic characteristics on child health and wellbeing in Australian same-sex parent families. A cross-sectional survey of self-identified same-sex attracted parents from across Australia was used to collect information on child health and wellbeing between May and December 2012. Mixed-effects multiple linear regression models were used to identify associations between family structure/socio-demographic characteristics and child wellbeing. Child health outcomes were measured using the Child Health Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. In same-sex parent families, biological relationships, parental gender and parental education were not significantly associated with health and wellbeing. Parental income, rurality and stable parental relationships were associated with health and wellbeing, and living in a single-parent household was associated with poorer wellbeing. Stable dual parent families offer good outcomes for children with same-sex attracted parents. Family processes are most important. This study does not support the assertion that children require both male and female parents, nor that biological relationships are essential to health and wellbeing. This study provides scientific data from a cross-sectional Australian-based study to describe and understand health determinants for children in family contexts that comprise same-sex parent and all family contexts. It recommends equitable, stigma-free family support.

Gender and Race Differences in American College Enrollment: Evidence from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002

This article examines college enrollment of male and female students from different racial-ethnic groups. Utilizing nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), the present study investigates the following research question: Among those who have completed high school or received a General Educational Development certificate (GED), to what extent are gender and racial/ethnic differences in enrollment explained by students’ pre-college academic achievement, educational and parental expectations net of socio-economic background, family structure and high school characteristics? The study finds that females have a great advantage over males in overall college enrollment, and the female advantage also exists within each racial/ethnic group. For racial/ethnic differences in college enrollment, the study finds that black and Hispanic students are less likely to go to any college compared to their white peers. However, when black, Hispanic, and white students have completed high school and have similar socioeconomic background and precollege achievement, black and Hispanic students are more likely than are white students to go to any colleges.

Common Immune-Related Exposures/Conditions and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Case-Control Study of Disease-Discordant Twin Pairs

We evaluated the association between common immune system-altering experiences and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk using a case-control study of 162 like-sex twin pairs discordant for NHL, identified from the International Twin Study. Information on medical history and evidence of childhood exposure to microbes was obtained by questionnaire from 1998 to 2002. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Intra-twin-pair agreement between twins on individual exposures was high (76%-97%). A negative association between NHL and seasonal hay fever (odds ratio (OR) = 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 0.75) and certain allergies (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.68) was observed. The number of atopic diseases was negatively associated with NHL (P for trend = 0.0003). A history of infectious mononucleosis was negatively associated with NHL risk (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.90). NHL risk was associated with more frequent childhood exposure to microbes during early life (P for trend = 0.04). No differences in association by NHL subtype were observed, although statistical power for these comparisons was low. These observations support the hypothesis that immune-related exposures, especially atopy, are associated with decreased NHL risk. Use of the within-twin-pair study design mitigates confounding by genome, family structure, and unmeasured characteristics of early childhood factors.

Estructura y tipología familiar en pacientes con dependencia o abuso de sustancias psicoactivas en un centro de rehabilitación de adicciones en el Municipio de Chía, Cundinamarca

ObjectiveTo determine the family type, family structure in a group of patients with a diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence who were at a rehabilitation center for addiction during the period between August and October 2009. MethodsThrough a descriptive qualitative-interpretative methodology 10 patients who met inclusion criteria for substance dependence or abuse were studied. The fieldwork and transcripts were made for three months by non-participant observation, non-structured interviews and examination of patients’ clinical history. ResultsSeven of the families interviewed were single-parent families with an unconventional organization on “gender roles”. Single-parent families favored loneliness, difficulty in rule-setting, de-idealization of the place of the father in the family structure and a constant search for complicity. In the analysis by categories, we found that in 10 families in the study of individuals with addictions it is common to find family structure characteristics such as inadequate communication, lack of authority rules and limits, presence of triangulations, the lack of cohesion due to the existence of a disconnected relationship pattern and changed roles compared to conventional gender. The search for the affection of the mother at her emotional overload absence of roles and lack of father, raised by the separation of the couple, was found as an essential aspect underlying the addictive behavior. A pattern of parental abandonment is configured. ConclusionThe findings confirmed what has been mentioned by various authors regarding the characteristics of the family typology structure and personal factors in patients with addictions, in addition to their need for affection combined with the desire for the mother's presence. The family typology does not determine for itself the abuse of psychoactive substances, but the influence of other factors such as family structure, especially deficient affective interactions, which should be considered in the development of therapeutic strategies.

Family structure and long-term care insurance purchase.

While it has long been assumed that family structure and potential sources of informal care play a large role in the purchase decisions for long-term care insurance (LTCI), current empirical evidence is inconclusive. Our study examines the relationship between family structure and LTCI purchase and addresses several major limitations of the prior literature by using a long panel of data and considering modern family relationships, such as the presence of stepchildren. We find that family structure characteristics from one's own generation, particularly about one's spouse, are associated with purchase, but that few family structure attributes from the younger generation have an influence. Family factors that may indicate future caregiver supply are negatively associated with purchase: having a coresidential child, signaling close proximity, and having a currently working spouse, signaling a healthy and able spouse, that long-term care planning has not occurred yet or that there is less need for asset protection afforded by LTCI. Dynamic factors, such as increasing wealth or turning 65, are associated with higher likelihood of LTCI purchase.

A novel family 19 chitinase from the marine-derived Pseudoalteromonas tunicata CCUG 44952T: Heterologous expression, characterization and antifungal activity

The Ptchi19 gene of the marine Pseudoalteromonas tunicata CCUG 44952T was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant chitinase PtChi19p of 483 amino acids has a molecular weight of 53.5kDa and a multi-domain structure characteristic of family 19 chitinases. The relevant constituents of this multi-domain structure are the domain (D132–A155) where the active site is located, and the domain (A437–W479) that includes a C-terminal carbohydrate-binding module 5. The purified protein was active in the temperature range of 20–50°C and at pH values of 6–9.5, maintaining a high stability under suboptimal conditions and in the presence of different metal ions. The recombinant enzyme hydrolyzed colloidal and crystalline chitin, as well as p-NP N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminide. As PtChi19p exhibited antifungal activity against phytopathogenic and human pathogenic fungi, it could be used as an alternative biofungicide.

Youth Education and Learning in Twenty-First Century China

:Rural-to-urban migration within China is one of the important drivers of transformation in economic and social conditions in the twetny-first century. This study uses data from a new nationally based sample, the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), to capture the multidimensionality of migration, household registration, and current residence and examines school pacing and verbal and math achievement among adolescents ages ten to fifteen. The study finds little evidence of significant migration effects after controlling for family structure, socioeconomic status, and county characteristics, except for one select group— urban “left-behind”—who are the most advantaged in both math and language achievement. Girls who are coresident with siblings demonstrate an advantage compared to boys who are coresident with siblings on language skill while it is singleton girls who demonstrate a disadvantage compared to singleton boys on math skills. Both girls and boys coresident with siblings perform lower overall than singleton boys on mathematics achievement. In modern China, male children in singleton families exhibit the gendered mathematics achievement test advantage that is well recognized in the international literature, whereas male children coresident with siblings more closely resemble girls.

Family–work dilemma of female migrants: patterns and strategies

Focusing on the differentials associated with migrants’ region of origin, this paper examines the effects of family structure on women’s work. This analysis aims to provide empirical evidence to shed further light on the existing knowledge and to explore the more appropriate theoretical model regarding the association between family structure characteristics and immigrant women’s work outside the home in the multicultural and multiethnic context. The multivariate results of this analysis support the key fact that the substantial effects of family structure characteristics on women’s work outside the home tend to persist beyond the influence of migration status and ethnic diversity.

The Performance of Early Age Migrants in Education and the Labour Market: a Comparison of Bosnia Herzegovinians, Chileans and Somalis in Sweden

This study examines how early age immigrants to Sweden from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chile and Somalia perform in education and the labour market in comparison with the children of natives. As the results demonstrate, the socio-economic position of the parents, family structure and other demographic characteristics of individuals only partially explain the differences between the descendants of natives and young immigrants from these countries. A further analysis demonstrates that the socio-historical contexts into which these immigrant children arrive and settle, that is the processes of migration, are equally likely to have an impact on young immigrants' performance.

Patient-reported hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in a primary care practice.

Identifying women appropriate for cancer genetic counseling referral depends on patient-reported family history. Understanding predictors of reporting a high-risk family is critical in ensuring compliance with current referral guidelines. Our objectives were to (1) assess prevalence of candidates for BRCA1 and BRCA2 counseling referral in a primary care setting, (2) explore associations with high-risk status and various patient (e.g., race) and family structure (e.g., number of relatives) characteristics, and (3) determine whether high-risk patients had genetic counseling and/or testing. Survey and pedigree data were collected between 2010 and 2012 for 486 Women's Health Clinic patients. Analyses in 2013 investigated perceived cancer risk and worry, family structure, and receipt of genetic counseling. We explored whether these were associated with meeting USPSTF guidelines for genetic counseling referral. Twenty-two (4.5%) women met the criteria for BRCA referral. Only one of these women had previous genetic counseling, and one reported prior genetic testing. Older women were more likely to meet BRCA referral criteria (P < 0.001). Although perceived risk was higher among high-risk women, 27% of high-risk women felt their breast cancer risk was "low", and 32% felt their risk was lower than average. About one in 22 women in primary care may require genetics services for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, but alarmingly, few actually receive these services. Also, a significant proportion do not perceive that they are at increased risk. Educational interventions may be needed for both providers and patients to increase awareness of familial risk and appropriate genetic counseling services.

Study on the Behavior Energy-Saving of the Heat Users of Central Heating System

As one of the effective ways of building energy saving, behavior energy-saving has the positive promotion function regarding the heating energy saving for the heat users of central heating system. The effect of behavior energy-saving on the heating load characteristics of central heating systems was studied based on the present development of central heating metering technology. The study was promoted combined the theoretical analysis and questionnaire survey. At first, the influence factors of behavior energy-saving were analyzed. Then the questionnaire survey about the present situation of behavior energy-saving was carried out and the basic heating modes of heat users were summarized considering on heating mode, habits and customs and the family structure characteristics. The concept and mainly form of behavior energy-saving and behavior energy-saving rate of central heating system heat users were clear and definitude by study on the behavior energy-saving rate. Thus it has good coaching and promoting effect on the development of behavior energy-saving.

Barriers to Success in Parent Training for Young Children With Developmental Delay

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cumulative risk on dropout and treatment outcome in parent training. Participants were 44 families of young children (mean age of 49.59 months) who presented with elevated externalizing behavior problems and developmental delay or borderline developmental delay. All families were offered to receive Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based, behavioral parent-training intervention, at a hospital-based outpatient clinic. Cumulative risk was calculated as a sum of risk variables, including socioeconomic disadvantage (poverty, low maternal education), family structure (single-parent household), and maternal risk characteristics (minority status, lower intelligence, and parental distress). Families with higher cumulative risk scores, especially those with three or more risks, were more likely to drop out of treatment and display diminished treatment response in child behavior and parenting skills compared with families with lower cumulative risk scores. However, only two individual risk factors (i.e., minority status and family structure) predicted dropout, and one individual risk factor (i.e., maternal education) predicted outcome. These findings suggest that it can be useful to conceptualize risk factors as having a cumulative, in addition to individual, influence on parent-training interventions for children with developmental delay and have significant implications for clinical practice. It is important for clinicians to regularly assess for risk factors, and future research should examine ways in which clinicians can improve retention and outcome of parent training in the presence of multiple risk factors.

Familial Effect on Child Poverty in Hong Kong Immigrant Families

This study investigated how family context affect poverty disparities between young children of immigrants from the Mainland China and children of local families whose parents were born in Hong Kong using 2006 bicensus data. 12,609 and 12,753 children of immigrant and local families were included in our data analyses. We find higher child poverty rates in immigrant families than in local families. Moreover, we found that family structure (single-parent vs. 2-parent), assimilation (first vs. second generation children of immigrant families), and parental human capital characteristics are significantly associated with the child poverty risk. Surprisingly, the impact of immigrant status on child poverty rates is stronger in 2-parent households than in single-parent households while child poverty declines associated with increasing assimilation defined by generational status of children are greater in 2-parent immigrant families than the corresponding declines in single-parent immigrant families. The implications of our results in intergenerational poverty are discussed.

The prevalence and correlates of neurotic disorders among undergraduates at a mainland Chinese university

To study the prevalence and risk factors of neurotic disorders (NDs) among Chinese university students. Stratified random sampling was used to select students who were interviewed using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Version 3.0 to diagnose psychiatric disorder and collected socio-demographic, and family structure and environment data. The response rate was 90 % (N = 1,843). The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) criteria were used to diagnose NDs. We used logistical regression to evaluate the links between NDs and selected correlates. The prevalence of NDs was 25.6 % (lifetime), 15.7 % (12-month), and 6.8 % (30-day) among the university students with no significant gender differences in these rates. No family structure characteristics were related to 12-month prevalence of NDs (P > 0.05). In contrast, family environment factors including a history of family disputes (OR 1.562, CI 1.108-2.203), parental mental health problems (OR 1.800, CI 1.379-2.349), and absence of care in childhood (OR 1.916, 95 % CI 1.331-2.759) were associated with higher prevalence rates of NDs. Our findings show a high prevalence of NDs in this sample of Chinese undergraduates. Social environment factors, in the student's family of orientation, were significantly associated with the prevalence of NDs. These findings support the importance of negative family experiences during childhood and adolescence and increasing vulnerability to NDs.

Guest Editor Comments

This special issue of JOFS, entitled "Family Diversity and Gender" brings together papers presented at t±e annual saturar of tre international Sociological Association Cammittee en Family Research (CFR-IEA) , held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2008. The seminar aimed to explore the concept of family diversity from theoretical and empirical perspectives. In a tread sense, family diversity is conceptualized as "a way of characterizing the variability within and amxg families" (Allen, Fine and Dero, 2000:2). The concept applies to different forms or types of families: from single-parent families, stepfanilies, elderly and their families, and LGET familia, to socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and cultural diversities in, and of, families. More specifically, the there of the seminar and of this issue locked at gender dynamics in families and its milieu.The search for diversity does not mean that there are no commonalities among differrent types of famines, nor is it taken to the extreme reductionist quest for the unique type of family .A holistic view of family consicers both similarities and dif ferences (Cf. Allen, Fine and Denry's discussicn of these "controversies,'' 2000) . Moreover, "Understanding the differences in families is a first step in developing effective family policies, but not the only step. Finding commonalities-those processes and practices that cut across race, ethnicity, family structure, education, cr gender-is particularly important for policy purposes.." (Bogenschneider , 1999:x) . Even though we acknowledge the importance of finding commonalities across types of families, for this issue the authors consider different facets of contemporary families by focusing particularly on diversity .The articles of this issue reflect the interraticnal research in family diversity, which goes beyond the traditional Anglo-centric two-parent middle-class families. They discuss the structural characteristics of diverse families, including gender , socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, family structure and size. They also discuss the processes, such as marital relationships, parenting, siblings' relationships, coresidence, and work. It is the interplay between structural characteristics, processes, and social ccntexts that is the main subject of this collection. Besides the conceptual diversity, diversity is also visible in the theoretical and empirical framework of the featured articles, as they are based in general family theories and in mixed methods.Featured ArticlesReger Penn's article "Arrangad Marriages in Western Europe: Media Representations and Social Reality" explores how arranged marriages-in Britain, France, and Germany-are perceived by the mass madia, and by young adults of international migrants.Yan Yu s article "Reconstruction of Gender Role in Marriage: Processes among Chinese Immigrant Wives," investigates how (and why) gender roles are constructed among Chinese immigrant couples. …

P2-500 Psychological distress and traumatic dental injuries in adolescents from East London

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between psychological distress and traumatic dental injuries (TDI) among adolescents.MethodsPhase 3 of Research with East London Adolescents Community Health Survey (RELACHS) collected data in a representative...