Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ethnic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Survival Among Texas Women, Ann L. Coker, Christopher P. Desimone, Katherine S. Eggleston, Arica L. White, Melanie Williams

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: The aim of this work was to determine whether minority women are more likely to die of cervical cancer. A population-based cohort study was performed using Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) data from 1998 to 2002.

Methods: A total of 5,166 women with cervical cancer were identified during 1998–2002 through the TCR. Measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and urbanization were created using census block group-level data. Multilevel logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of dying from cervical cancer by race, and Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for cervical cancer-specific survival analysis.

Results: After adjusting for age, SES, …

Sexuality And Persons With Down Syndrome. A Study From Brazil, Bruna Marques Bononi, Maria José Carvalho Sant'anna, André Chao Vasconcellos De Oliveira, Tadeu Silveira Renattini, Carla Franchi Pinto, Maria Lúcia Passarelli, Verônica Coates, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

In recent years, important gains and changes have been observed in the life of teenagers with Down syndrome (DS) with increased inclusion into society. This review will discuss adolescence and sexuality in teenagers with DS from a descriptive study of 50 patients with DS between the ages of 10 and 20 years. The mean age was 13.5 years, 50% females; 86% went to school with 62.2% in school for over six years. Of the patients that attended school, 60% went to special education school and only 10% read and wrote correctly. In an evaluation of autonomy, 66% took showers, 78% …

Objective And Subjective Residential Context And Urban Children’S Weight Status And Physical And Sedentary Activities, Rachel Tolbert Kimbro, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Sara Mclanahan

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

This paper fills this gap by addressing two research questions: first, we ask, are the activity patterns (outdoor play and television watching) of five-year-old children living in large cities associated with children’s weight status? Second, we ask, is residential context, and neighborhood safety in particular, associated with children’s activity patterns? Consistent with past research, we find that outdoor play is negatively associated with weight status, while television watching is positively associated with weight status. We also find, unexpectedly, that the poorest children are playing outdoors the most and watching the most television. Finally, we find that three measures of residential …

Violence And Women's Mental Health: The Pain Unequalled, Part One, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

No abstract provided.

Race Disparities In Birth Outcomes In The U.S. South And The Rest Of The Nation, Lenna Nepomnyaschy

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

There are well-documented and as yet unexplained disparities in birth outcomes by race in the United States, even after controlling for socioeconomic status. This paper examines the sources of disparities in low birth weight between blacks and whites in the U.S., by focusing on differences in disparities between two very distinct geographic areas, the Deep South and the rest of the country. Two findings from prior research drive the analyses: First, health overall is worse in the Deep South states; Second, race disparities are smaller in the Deep South than in the rest of the nation. A number of potential …

Externalities In The Classroom: How Children Exposed To Domestic Violence Affect Everyone’S Kids, Scott E. Carrell, Mark L. Hoekstra

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

There is widespread perception that externalities from troubled children are significant, though measuring them is difficult due to data and methodological limitations. We estimate the negative spillovers caused by children from troubled families by exploiting a unique data set in which children’s school records are matched to domestic violence cases. We find that children from troubled families significantly decrease their peers’ reading and math test scores and increase misbehavior in the classroom. The achievement spillovers are robust to within-family differences and when controlling for school-by-year effects, providing strong evidence that neither selection nor common shocks are driving the results.

Down From The Mountain: Skill Upgrading And Wages In Appalachia, Christopher Bollinger, James P. Ziliak, Kenneth R. Troske

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Despite evidence that skilled labor is increasingly concentrated in cities, whether regional wage inequality is predominantly due to differences in skill levels or returns is unknown. We compare Appalachia, with its wide mix of urban and rural areas, to other parts of the U.S., and find that gaps in both skill levels and returns account for the lack of high wage male workers. For women, skill shortages are important across the distribution. Because rural wage gaps are insignificant, our results suggest that widening wage inequality between Appalachia and the rest of the U.S. owes to a shortage of skilled cities.

Impact Of Poor Quality Of Life On Adolescents In Rural Kentucky: A Brief Report, Hatim A. Omar, Søren Ventegodt, Joav Merrick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

In many rural areas in Kentucky, adolescents lack the basic assets for a good quality of life, such as having caring adults, a safe place and useful activities after school. Methods: Analysis of data from middle and high school students referred to a comprehensive school based health promotion center (SBHPC). Results: From august 2006 to February 2008, a total of 382 students (200 female, 182 male, aged 12-18 years) were referred to the SBHPC for help. Only two (0.5%) students had two parents living with them and 12 (3.1%) had safe, organized after school activities. 19.9% of the total were …

Advancing The Study Of Violence Against Women: Evolving Research Agendas Into Science, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

Decades of research produced by multiple disciplines has documented withering rates of violence against women in the United States and around the globe. To further an understanding of gendered violence, a field of research has developed, but recent critiques have highlighted weaknesses that inhibit a full scientific exploration of these crimes and their impacts. This review extends beyond prior reviews to explore the field’s unique challenges, its community of scientists, and the state of its written knowledge. The review argues for moving beyond “research agendas” and proposes creation of a transdisciplinary science for the field of study of violence against …

Advancing The Study Of Violence Against Women: Response To Commentaries And Next Steps, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

No abstract provided.

The Labor-Market Returns To Community College Degrees, Diplomas, And Certificates, Christopher Jepsen, Kenneth R. Troske, Paul Coomes

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

This paper provides the first detailed empirical evidence of the labor-market returns to community college diplomas and certificates. Using detailed administrative data from Kentucky, we estimate panel-data models that control for differences among students in pre-college earnings and educational aspirations. Associate’s degrees and diplomas have quarterly earnings returns of nearly $2,000 for women, compared to returns of approximately $1,500 for men. Certificates have small positive returns for men and women in most specifications. There is substantial heterogeneity in returns across fields of study. Degrees, diplomas, and certificates all correspond with higher levels of employment.

Palestinian Refugee Women Of Jabaliya Camp, Occupied Gaza Strip: Everyday Acts Of Resistance And Avenues Of Empowerment, Sharon French Wallace

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The lives of Palestinian refugee women are complex and layered, embedded in the constraints and dictates of a patriarchal class system within a conservative culture that has been shaped by resistance to the Israeli military occupation since 1948. Over six decades of Israeli military occupation, ongoing national resistance, poverty and a maledominated society are a few of the forces that continue to shape the lives of refugee women today. The Israeli occupation has obstructed the development of a viable Palestinian economy and legal institutions that could serve as a framework for attaining women’s rights. In addition, Palestinian women, especially refugee …

School Lunch Programs And The American Diet: Exploring A Contested Food Terrain, Rebecca Som Castellano

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This study examines the social actors and issues involved in constructing and contesting the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), in order to identify whose interests are involved in shaping an institution which transmits dietary habits and food knowledge to the nation’s children through the mid day meal.

For the historical analysis, I collected data from historical accounts of the NSLP, congressional hearings, laws, and newspaper articles. For the contemporary analysis, I interviewed 15 actors representing organizations key to federal NLSP policy making. To frame my analysis, I utilize a model of power, based on the work of Arts and Van …

Hpv Vaccine Acceptance Among Latina Mothers By Hpv Status, Maureen Sanderson, Ann L. Coker, Katherine S. Eggleston, Maria E. Fernandez, Concepcion D. Arrastia, Mary Kay Fadden

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: We investigated whether Latina mothers who were and were not human papillomavirus (HPV) positive differed in their knowledge and acceptance of the HPV vaccine for their children.

Methods: We conducted a cross–sectional survey among women aged 18–64 years between April 2007 and April 2008. Data collectors conducted in-person interviews in community clinics with 215 HPV-negative women and 190 HPV-positive women (with respective response rates of 64% and 84%). Most (83%) HPV-positive women were recruited at dysplasia clinics. Although no HPV-negative women were recruited at dysplasia clinics, they were recruited at other low-income public and private clinics.

Results: After adjustment …

Violence Against Women Raises Risk Of Cervical Cancer, Ann L. Coker, Claudia Hopenhayn, Christopher P. Desimone, Heather M. Bush, Leslie Crofford

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Background: An emerging literature suggests that violence against women (VAW), particularly sexual violence, may increase the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and, therefore, may be associated with cervical cancer development. The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to determine if women who had experienced violence had higher prevalence rates of invasive cervical cancer.

Methods: Women aged 18–88 who joined the Kentucky Women’s Health Registry (2006–2007) and completed a questionnaire were included in the sample. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to adjust odds ratio (OR) for confounders (e.g., age, education, current marital status, lifetime illegal drug use, …

Ethnic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Survival Among Medicare Eligible Women In A Multiethnic Population, Ann L. Coker, Katherine S. Eggleston, Xianglin L. Du, Lois Ramondetta

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

To determine predictors of cervical cancer survival by socioeconomic status (SES), urbanization, race/ethnicity, comorbid conditions, and treatment among elderly Medicare-eligible women whose conditions were diagnosed with cervical cancer in a multiethnic population.

Methods: A total of 538 women with cervical cancer aged 65 years or older were identified from 1999 to 2001 from the Texas Cancer Registry and were linked with the state Medicare data and Texas Vital Records to determine survival times. All women had similar access to care through Medicare fee-for-services insurance. A composite measure of SES was created using census tract-level data as was urbanization. Treatment and …

Promises We Have Kept: Using Grounded Theory Methodology To Understand Developmental Factors That Contribute To Caucasian Low-Income Parents Positive Assessment Of Marital Health, S. Greg Thompson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Low-income Caucasian married parents described lifespan processes and conditions that contributed to their individual assessments that their marriage was healthy. Spouses participated in an interview together, followed later by an individual interview with each. Interview scripts referenced the study‘s primary research questions which sought their reflections on (a) external conditions that they considered to be important to their development, and (b) personal thoughts, emotions and behaviors they deemed relevant to the success of their marriage. A third research question called for integration of participants‘ reflections into a cogent grounded theory regarding successful low-income marriages. Analysis incorporated grounded theory methods, and …

Three Essays On The Black White Wage Gap, Nola Ogunro

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

During the 1960s and early 1970s, the black – white wage gap narrowed significantly, but has remained constant since the late 1980s. The black – white wage gap in the recent period may reflect differences in human capital. A key component of human capital is labor market experience. The first chapter of this dissertation examines how differences in the returns and patterns of experience accumulation affect the black – white wage gap. Accounting for differences in the nature of experience accumulation does not explain the very large gap in wages between blacks and whites. Instead, the wage gap seems to …

Do Adoption Subsidies Help At-Risk Children?, Kasey Buckles

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Over half a million children in the United States are currently in foster care, many of whom are at risk for long-lasting emotional and health problems. Research suggests that adoption may be one of the more promising options for the placement of these children. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, which provided federal funds for monthly adoption subsidies, was designed to promote adoptions of special-needs children and children in foster care.

Using data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting Systems for 2000- 2006, I consider the effects of these adoption subsidies on children’s likelihood …

Socioeconomic Status, Child Health, And Future Outcomes: Lessons For Appalachia, Janet Currie

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Appalachians are in poor health relative to other Americans. For example, the ageadjusted all cause mortality rate for Appalachian in 2006 was over 900 per 100,000 compared to a rate of 760 per 100,000 for those outside of Appalachia. This essay shows that health disparities start before birth—the incidence of low birth weight is 90 1,000 in rural Appalachia compared to 83 per 1,000 outside the U.S. These disparities continue through childhood and into adulthood. Moreover, although African Americans are generally in poorer health relative to white Americans, disparities between Appalachia and the rest of the U.S. are much greater …

Inequality And Human Capital In Appalachia: 1960-2000, Dan Black, Seth Sanders

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

This paper examines changes in the earnings distribution of men age 25-64 between 1960 and 2000 in Appalachia and in the remainder of the U.S. Because Appalachia is more rural than the remainder of the U.S. we also examine changes in the earnings distribution in rural vs. urban areas. Our central finding is that there have been large differences in the evolution of the earnings distribution in rural vs. urban areas and this is the principal reason that Appalachia’s earnings distribution differs to some degree from the remainder of the U.S. We find that the bottom of the earnings distribution …

Cities, Economic Development, And The Role Of Place-Based Policies: Lessons For Appalachia, Matthew Kahn

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

This paper surveys economic research on the association between economic development and urban areas, links this summary to some important trends in economic outcomes in Appalachia in recent decades, highlights areas in need of future research on the role of urban areas as engines of economic development in Appalachia, and discusses what types of place-based policies might be effective to promote economic growth and development in the Appalachian region.

Bilingual Education And English Proficiency, Christopher Jepsen

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

English Learners, students who are not proficient in English and speak a non-English language at home, make up more than 10 percent of the nation’s K-12 student body. Achieving proficiency in English for these students is a major goal of both state and federal education policy, motivating the provision of bilingual education policies. Using data for nearly 500,000 English Learners from California, I show that students in bilingual education have substantially lower English proficiency than other English Learners in first and second grades. In contrast, there is little difference between bilingual education and other programs for students in grades three …

The Organization Of Discipline: From Performance Management To Perversity And Punishment, Joe Soss, Richard Fording, Sanford F. Schram

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Over the past few decades, poverty governance in the United States has been transformed by the convergence of two powerful reform movements. The first, often referred to as “paternalist,” has shifted poverty governance from an emphasis on rights and opportunities to a stance that is more directive and supervisory in promoting preferred behaviors among the poor. The second, often described as “neoliberal,” has shifted governance away from federal government control toward a system that emphasizes policy devolution, privatization, and performance competition. During this period, public officials have proved remarkably willing to hand policy control over to lower jurisdictions and private …