Search results

One of the clearest trends in Latin American government during the past decade has been the establishment of military dictatorships in many South American countries, some of them long-term. Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay have all had this experience. In efforts to explain this phenomenon, many scholars have delved into the political history of civil-military relations in Latin American society since 1930. A recent penchant for contemporary history, promoted in part by the availability of funds for policy-oriented research, has stimulated this concern. In the process, however, the deeper historical roots of the institutional development of the Latin American military have been neglected.1

An estimated 2 in 3 college students report consuming alcohol in the past month and 44% of students report engaging in high risk or heavy episodic drinking at least once in the previous 2 weeks. Despite evidence suggesting that participation in sports may be a protective factor for the use of alcohol, recent data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), finds that 77% college student-athletes report use. Though overall prevalence rates of alcohol consumption are similar among college student-athletes and non-athletes, student-athletes are more likely to engage in binge or high-risk drinking as compared to their non-athlete peers. An overwhelming majority of studies found that protective behavioral strategy (PBS) use was associated with less drinking and alcohol-related problems. There are sport-related factors that have been assessed to determine their association with use of alcohol-related PBS. With known factors in mind, prevention programs are typically developed to effect distal outcomes by way of these, more proximal, intermediate constructs that are thought to be related to the health problem of interest. The purpose of the current study was to examine the structural features that influence whether a given student-athlete will be categorized into one of three groups; a) high-risk drinking behaviors, b) moderate risk drinking behaviors, or c) low risk drinking behaviors.

An increased incidence of HIV infection in adolescents has led researchers to examine factors that influence young people's sexual behaviors. One of these factors is parent-adolescent communication about sexuality. In this study, two measurements of this communication were developed and tested through a mailed survey instrument methodology, with a sample of 732 college students. The instruments were found to be psychometrically sound. An exploration of the associations between selected demographic variables, parent-adolescent communication about sexuality, and specific safer sexual behaviors was conducted using a Chi Square Automatic Interaction Detection statistical technique. Overall, the study findings suggest that race, gender, and communication with parents are important factors within the sexual activity of college students.

Purpose: To examine changes in organizations' workplace health promotion (WHP) initiatives over time associated with repeated self-assessment using the Well Workplace Checklist (WWC). Design: Well Workplace Checklist data include a convenience sample of US organizations that selected to assess their performance against quality WHP benchmarks. Setting: Workplaces. Subjects: In total, 577 US organizations completed the WWC in 2 or more years from 2008 to 2015. Measures: The WWC is a 100-item organizational assessment that measures performance against the original set of quality benchmarks that were established by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA). Analysis: This study examined changes in overall WWC scores as well as 7 separate benchmark scores. Multilevel modeling was used to examine changes in scores associated with repeated assessments, controlling for the year of assessment and organizational characteristics. Results: There were significant increases in overall WWC scores (β = 2.93, P < .001) associated with the repeated WWC assessments, after controlling for organizational characteristics. All 7 benchmark scores had significant increases associated with reassessment. Compared to other benchmarks, operating plan (β = 6.18, P < .001) and evaluation (β = 4.91, P < .001) scores increased more with each reassessment. Conclusion: Continued reassessment may represent more commitment to and investment in WHP initiatives which could lead to improved quality. Other factors that may positively influence changes in performance against benchmarks include company size, access to outside resources for WHP, and a history with implementing WHP.

Economic growth, low inflation, and financial stability are among the most important goals of policy makers, and central banks such as the Federal Reserve are key institutions for achieving these goals. In Asset Prices and Monetary Policy, leading scholars and practitioners probe the interaction of central banks, asset markets, and the general economy to forge a new understanding of the challenges facing policy makers as they manage an increasingly complex economic system. The contributors examine how central bankers determine their policy prescriptions with reference to the fluctuating housing market, the balance of debt and credit, changing beliefs of investors, the level of commodity prices, and other factors. At a time when the public has never been more involved in stocks, retirement funds, and real estate investment, this insightful book will be useful to all those concerned with the current state of the economy