Suchergebnisse

The critical acclaim enjoyed by such recent Australian graphic novels as Shaun Tan's The Arrival (2006) and Nicki Greenberg's adaptation of The Great Gatsby (2007) suggested that Australia had finally 'caught up' with the United States and Britain, by embracing
the graphic novel as a legitimate creative medium, on a par with literature and cinema. The media interest generated by a succession of Australian graphic novels during recent years often implied that their very existence was a relatively new phenomenon. Accepting this premise without question,
however, overlooks the evolution of the graphic novel in Australia, early examples of which – such as Syd Nicholls' Middy Malone: A Book Pirates (1941) – date back to the 1940s. Documenting how historical changes in the production and dissemination of graphic novels in Australia
have influenced their critical and popular reception therefore creates new opportunities to explore a largely overlooked facet of Australian print culture. Furthermore, the study of the graphic novel in an exclusively Australian context provides a new perspective for re-examining the origins,
definitions and, indeed, the limitations of the term 'graphic novel', and extends the parameters of the academic literature devoted to the medium beyond the traditionally dominant Anglo-American focus.

Purpose. To examine pathways between individual, social, and environmental factors associated with leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among Mexican-American adults. Design. Cross-sectional design using random-digit dialing to administer a structured telephone interview. Setting. Mexican-American adults living in a U.S.-Mexican border community in San Diego, California (N = 672). Measures. Data were collected on LTPA, demographic characteristics, acculturation, and other psychosocial and environmental factors associated with LTPA. Analysis. Structural equation modeling to test an a priori model of LTPA. Results. Participants were mostly female (71%) with a mean age of 39 years (SD = 13). Only 32% of participants met PA guidelines in their leisure time, with men (39%) meeting the guidelines more than women (29%). Using structural equation modeling, neighborhood factors, both social and environmental, showed indirect relationships with meeting PA guidelines through community resource factors. Significant covariates included marital status and age. Conclusion. Individual, social, and environmental factors were associated with LTPA in this sample of Mexican-American adults. These findings can inform intervention studies that aim to increase LTPA in this population.

Purpose. There is a need for a self-report measure that assesses use of recommended strategies related to weight management. Design. Cross-sectional analysis. Setting. Universities, community. Subjects. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) involved data from 404 overweight/obese young adults (mean age = 22 years, 48% non-Hispanic white, 68% ethnic minority). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) involved data from 236 overweight/obese adults (mean age = 42 years, 63% non-Hispanic white, 84% ethnic minority). Measures. The Strategies for Weight Management (SWM) measure is a 35-item questionnaire that assesses use of recommended behavioral strategies for reducing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure in overweight/obese adults. Analysis. EFA and CFA were conducted on the SWM. Correlate models assessed the associations between SWM factor/total scores and demographics by using linear regressions. Results. EFA suggested a four-factor model: strategies categorized as targeting (1) energy intake, (2) energy expenditure, (3) self-monitoring, and (4) self-regulation. CFA indicated good model fit (χ2/df=2.0, comparative fit index = .90, standardized root mean square residual = .06, and root mean square error of approximation = .07, confidence interval = .06–.08, R2 = .11–.74). The fourth factor had the lowest loadings, possibly because the items cover a wide domain. The final model included 20 items. Correlate models revealed weak associations between the SWM scores and age, gender, Hispanic ethnicity, and relationship status in both samples, with the models explaining only 1% to 8% of the variance (betas = –.04 to .29, p < .05). Conclusion. The SWM has promising psychometric qualities in two diverse samples.