Predictive validation and forecasts of short-term changes in healthcare expenditure associated with changes in smoking behavior in the United States

Purpose This study used a mixed-methods design to assess changes in students' cultural awareness during and following a short-term study abroad. Method Thirty-six undergraduate and graduate students participated in a 2-week study abroad to England during the summers of 2016 and 2017. Quantitative data were collected using standardized self-report measures administered prior to departure and after returning to the United States and were analyzed using paired-samples t tests. Qualitative data were collected in the form of daily journal reflections during the trip and interviews after returning to the United States and analyzed using phenomenological methods. Results No statistically significant changes were evident on any standardized self-report measures once corrections for multiple t tests were applied. In addition, a ceiling effect was found on one measure. On the qualitative measures, themes from student transcripts included increased global awareness and a sense of personal growth. Conclusions Measuring cultural awareness poses many challenges. One is that social desirability bias may influence responses. A second is that current measures of cultural competence may exhibit ceiling or floor effects. Analysis of qualitative data may be more useful in examining effects of participation in a short-term study abroad, which appears to result in decreased ethnocentrism and increased global awareness in communication sciences and disorders students. Future work may wish to consider the long-term effects of participation in a study abroad for emerging professionals in the field.

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The Future of Muslim Education in the United States: An Agenda for Research

American Journal of Islam and Society ◽

10.35632/ajis.v20i3-4.524 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 20 (3-4) ◽

pp. 46-82

Author(s):

Fathi Malkawi

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

American Education ◽

Future Trends ◽

Muslim Community ◽

Short Term ◽

The Future ◽

Muslim Education ◽

Future Plans

This paper addresses some of the Muslim community’s concerns regarding its children’s education and reflects upon how education has shaped the position of other communities in American history. It argues that the future of Muslim education will be influenced directly by the present realities and future trends within American education in general, and, more importantly, by the well-calculated and informed short-term and long-term decisions and future plans taken by the Muslim community. The paper identifies some areas in which a wellestablished knowledge base is critical to making decisions, and calls for serious research to be undertaken to furnish this base.

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“Of Sound Mind and Body”

The Oxford Handbook of Children and the Law ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190694395.013.4 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 64-86

Author(s):

Frank E. Vandervort ◽

Vincent J. Palusci

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Substance Abuse ◽

Social Problem ◽

Drug Testing ◽

The United States ◽

Developmental Trajectory ◽

Prenatally Exposed ◽

Short Term ◽

Mind And Body ◽

Sound Mind

Substance abuse is a major medical and social problem. Estimates suggest that each year some 15 percent of the 4 million babies born in the United States are exposed to drugs or alcohol. Research demonstrates that exposure to these substances is harmful to the children in both the short term and across their developmental trajectory. This chapter summarizes the harms that might result from such prenatal exposure and considers the ways that both federal and state law respond to this. The chapter argues for universal drug testing of newborns in an effort to ascertain whether they have been prenatally exposed to such substances so that treatment and other services can be provided.

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Decline in Marriage Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World ◽

10.1177/2378023120980328 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 237802312098032

Author(s):

Brandon G. Wagner ◽

Kate H. Choi ◽

Philip N. Cohen

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Short Term ◽

Know How ◽

The Social ◽

Reporting Delays ◽

Social Upheaval ◽

Near Future ◽

Do So

In the social upheaval arising from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we do not yet know how union formation, particularly marriage, has been affected. Using administration records—marriage certificates and applications—gathered from settings representing a variety of COVID-19 experiences in the United States, the authors compare counts of recorded marriages in 2020 against those from the same period in 2019. There is a dramatic decrease in year-to-date cumulative marriages in 2020 compared with 2019 in each case. Similar patterns are observed for the Seattle metropolitan area when analyzing the cumulative number of marriage applications, a leading indicator of marriages in the near future. Year-to-date declines in marriage are unlikely to be due solely to closure of government agencies that administer marriage certification or reporting delays. Together, these findings suggest that marriage has declined during the COVID-19 outbreak and may continue to do so, at least in the short term.

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Time to First Cigarette and Self-Reported Health Among US Adult Smokers

Tobacco Use Insights ◽

10.1177/1179173x18825262 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 1179173X1882526 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Baksun Sung

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽

Smoking Behavior ◽

The United States ◽

Elevated Risk ◽

Poor Health ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Reported Health

Background: Numerous studies have reported that shorter time to first cigarette (TTFC) is linked to elevated risk for smoking-related morbidity. However, little is known about the influence of early TTFC on self-reported health among current smokers. Hence, the objective of this study was to examine the association between TTFC and self-reported health among US adult smokers. Methods: Data came from the 2012-2013 National Adult Tobacco Survey (NATS). Current smokers aged 18 years and older (N = 3323) were categorized into 2 groups based on TTFC: ≤ 5 minutes (n = 1066) and >5 minutes (n = 2257). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to control selection bias. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic and smoking behavior factors, current smokers with early TTFC had higher odds for poor health in comparison with current smokers with late TTFC in the prematching (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31-2.08) and postmatching (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.22-2.09) samples. Conclusions: In conclusion, smokers with early TTFC were associated with increased risk of poor health in the United States. To reduce early TTFC, elaborate efforts are needed to educate people about harms of early TTFC and benefits of stopping early TTFC.

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