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Full-Text Articles in Sociology
Heavy Drinking And Health Promotion Activities, Michael T. French, Ioana Popovici, Susan L. Ettner
Heavy Drinking And Health Promotion Activities, Michael T. French, Ioana Popovici, Susan L. Ettner
Michael T. French
Empirical evidence suggests that individuals who consume relatively large amounts of alcohol are more likely to use expensive acute medical care and less likely to use preventive or ambulatory services than other individuals. The few studies that investigated the associations between heavy drinking and health promotion activities did not try to address omitted-variable biases that may confound the relationships. To fill this void in the literature, we examined the effects of heavy alcohol use on three health promotion activities (routine physical exam, flu shot, regular seatbelt use) using the US 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Although specification tests indicated …
The Cost Of Crime To Society: New Crime-Specific Estimates For Policy And Program Evaluation, Michael French, Kathryn Mccollister, Hai Fang
The Cost Of Crime To Society: New Crime-Specific Estimates For Policy And Program Evaluation, Michael French, Kathryn Mccollister, Hai Fang
Michael T. French
Estimating the cost to society of individual crimes is essential to the economic evaluation of many social programs, such as substance abuse treatment and community policing. A review of the crime-costing literature reveals multiple sources, including published articles and government reports, which collectively represent the alternative approaches for estimating the economic losses associated with criminal activity. Many of these sources are based upon data that are more than 10 years old, indicating a need for updated figures. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for calculating the cost to society of various criminal acts. Tangible and intangible losses are estimated using …
Alcohol Use And The Labor Market In Uruguay, Michael T. French, Ana I. Balsa
Alcohol Use And The Labor Market In Uruguay, Michael T. French, Ana I. Balsa
Michael T. French
This paper is one of only a few studies to examine potential labor market consequences of heavy or abusive drinking in Latin America and the first to focus on Uruguay. We analyzed data from a Uruguayan household survey conducted in 2006 using propensity score matching methods and controlling for a number of socio-demographic, family, regional, behavioral health, and labor market characteristics. As expected, we found a positive association between heavy drinking and absenteeism, particularly for female employees. Counter to the findings for developed countries, our results revealed a positive relationship between heavy drinking and labor force participation or employment. This …
Alcohol Consumption And Body Weight, M T. French, E C. Norton, H Fang, J C. Maclean
Alcohol Consumption And Body Weight, M T. French, E C. Norton, H Fang, J C. Maclean
Michael T. French
The number of Americans who are overweight or obese has reached epidemic proportions. Elevated weight is associated with health problems and increased medical expenditures. This paper analyzes Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions to investigate the role of alcohol consumption in weight gain. Alcohol is not only an addictive substance but also a high-calorie beverage that can interfere with metabolic function and cognitive processes. Because men and women differ in the type and amount of alcohol they consume, in the biological effects they experience as a result of alcohol consumption, and in …
Victimization In Early Life And Mental Health In Adulthood: An Examination Of The Mediating And Moderating Influences Of Psychosocial Resources, Michael T. French, Terrence D. Hill, Lauren M. Kaplan, Robert J. Johnson
Victimization In Early Life And Mental Health In Adulthood: An Examination Of The Mediating And Moderating Influences Of Psychosocial Resources, Michael T. French, Terrence D. Hill, Lauren M. Kaplan, Robert J. Johnson
Michael T. French
Although numerous studies have documented the long-term effects of childhood victimization on mental health in adulthood, few have directly examined potential mediators and moderators of this association. Using data from the Welfare, Children, and Families project (1999)—a probability sample of 2,402 predominantly black and Hispanic low-income women with children living in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio—we predict psychological distress in adulthood with measures of physical assault and sexual coercion before age 18. Building on previous research, we test the mediating and moderating influences of emotional support, instrumental support, and self-esteem. Although we observe no indirect effects of physical assault, the …
Economic Evaluation Of A Pre-Release Substance Abuse Treatment Program For Repeat Criminal Offenders, Michael T. French, Hai Fang, Ralph Fretz
Economic Evaluation Of A Pre-Release Substance Abuse Treatment Program For Repeat Criminal Offenders, Michael T. French, Hai Fang, Ralph Fretz
Michael T. French
Substance use disorders are common conditions among repeat criminal offenders. Without addressing these underlying substance use behaviors, parolees are significantly more likely to recidivate within 1 year of release. New Jersey is one of the first states to actively pursue substance abuse treatment options for inmates who are in the final stages of their sentences. Given the fiscal realities of taxpayer-supported programs, such initiatives must clearly demonstrate economic benefits for sustainability and growth. This article conducted one of the few comprehensive economic evaluations of prerelease substance abuse treatment to determine whether Community Education Centers' programs in New Jersey generated desirable …
Racial/Ethnic Composition, Social Disorganization, And Offsite Alcohol Availability In San Diego County, California, Michael T. French, Amie L. Nielsen, Terrence D. Hill, Monique N. Hernandez
Racial/Ethnic Composition, Social Disorganization, And Offsite Alcohol Availability In San Diego County, California, Michael T. French, Amie L. Nielsen, Terrence D. Hill, Monique N. Hernandez
Michael T. French
We draw upon social disorganization theory to examine the effects of community characteristics on the distribution of offsite alcohol outlets in San Diego County, California. Of particular interest is whether alcohol availability varies according to neighborhood racial/ethnic composition once measures of social disorganization (socioeconomic disadvantage, residential instability, and racial/ethnic heterogeneity) are controlled. Using data from the 1990 Census and 1993 alcohol license reports, we estimate a series of negative binomial regression models with corrections for spatial autocorrelation. The results show that percent Asian is associated with lower offsite alcohol outlet density. Once socioeconomic disadvantage is controlled, percent Latino is related …