Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Healthy Kids Evaluation Survey: Early Results From A Baseline Survey Of Program Applicants, Bill J. Wright, Heidi Allen, Matthew J. Carlson

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its launch in 2009 the Healthy Kids program has worked to provide health insurance for children in Oregon. Marketed as one program available to all Oregon children, Healthy Kids enrolls families making below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) into the Oregon Health Plan, while families above 200% FPL are enrolled in a sliding‐fee private insurance product offered through a health insurance exchange called KidsConnect.

This project is an evaluation of the effects of the Healthy Kids program, conducted by the Center for Outcomes Research (CORE) at Providence Health and Services along with Portland State University. As families …

Religion And Infant Mortality In The U.S.: A Preliminary Study Of Denominational Variations, John P. Bartkowski, Xiaohe Xu, Ginny Garcia-Alexander

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prior research has identified a number of antecedents to infant mortality, but has been focused on either structural (demographic) forces or medical (public health) factors, both of which ignore potential cultural influences. Our study introduces a cultural model for explaining variations in infant mortality, one focused on the role of community-level religious factors. A key impetus for our study is well-established religious variations in adult mortality at the community level. Seeking to extend the growing body of research on contextual-level effects of religion, this study examines the impact of religious ecology (i.e., the institutional market share of particular denominational traditions) …

Police Community Partnerships: A Review Of The Literature, Portland State University. Criminology And Criminal Justice Senior Capstone

Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project

To better understand community/police collaborations, this study researched several different types of successful partnerships. Our objective was to learn why the partnerships were formed and who was involved. Our research also sought to determine the goals of the partnerships, and the methods used to achieve those goals. The study also highlights several practices used by police agencies successfully to solve community problems.

Associations Between Childhood Maltreatment And Young Adult Romantic Relationships: A Focus On Gender Differences, L. Kris Gowen, Celina Kishna

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two recent studies investigated the associations between experiencing maltreatment in childhood and dating aggression and interpersonal problems in young adult romantic relationships, with a focus on gender differences.

How Mental Health Challenges Impact The Sexual And Relational Health Of Young Adults, L. Kris Gowen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sexual behavior is a normative aspect of young adulthood—90% of young adults have had vaginal intercourse and/or oral sex before the age of 30.1 Similarly, engaging in romantic and/or intimate relationships is seen as an essential developmental task of young adulthood. However, little is known about the sexual and romantic relationships of young adults with serious mental health conditions (SMHC), despite the fact that there is evidence that this population is disproportionately affected by poor sexual health. This article will outline what is known about the sexual and romantic relationships of young adults with SMHC and highlight the importance of …

Fair Trade And Development: A Changing Paradigm, Daniel Jaffee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book chapter.

By the time the fair trade movement celebrated the 20th anniversary of its founding in 2008, it had been transformed virtually beyond recognition. From a marginal European movement characterized by small ethical companies, non-profit charities, solidarity groups and alternative trading organizations (ATOs) selling coffee and handicrafts to a small group of politicized consumers through alternative world shops, fair trade has become an international market system with annual sales of nearly US $5,000m. (€3,500m.) (FLO 2010), reaching mass audiences of mainstream shoppers across the global North with a wide range of food and non-food products originating from both small …

Prevention Of Human Trafficking: A Review Of The Literature, Portland State University. Criminology And Criminal Justice Senior Capstone

Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project

A review of the literature pertaining to human trafficking reveals that human trafficking is a difficult crime to detect and prevent. Human trafficking involves the trafficking of human beings for the purpose of commercial sexual activities as well as forced labor. These crimes are occurring worldwide. Research indicates organized crime, prostitution, massage parlors, and brothels are closely linked to the crime of human trafficking. Government corruption and transnational criminal organizations contribute significantly to this crime and financial profit is usually the primary motivation. The objective of this report is to examine the various elements of human trafficking including the recognized …

The Fast Food And Obesity Link: An Investigation Of Consumption Patterns And Severity Of Obesity In Pre-Bariatric Surgery Patients, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Thankam S. Sunil, Pedro Hinojosa

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We examined selected behavioral factors associated with severity of obesity among pre-operative bariatric surgery patients in the San Antonio area; focusing specifically on the effects of fast food consumption. We used ordered logistic regression to model the effects of behavioral and attitudinal variables on obesity outcomes. Our results indicated that among the behavioral factors, fast food consumption exerted the largest influence on higher levels of obesity. After controlling for several social and demographic characteristics, the effects of fast food consumption remained significant in the model. In fact, for each increase in fast food consumption there was a 26% increase in …

A Study Of Riders' Noise Exposure On Bay Area Rapid Transit Trains, Alexis Dinno, Cynthia Powell, Margaret Mary King

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Excessive noise exposure may present a hazard to hearing, cardiovascular and psychosomatic health. Mass transit systems, such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, are potential sources of excessive noise. The purpose of this study was to characterize transit noise and riders' exposure to noise on the BART system using three dosimetry metrics. We made 268 dosimetry measurements on a convenience sample of 51 line segments. Dosimetry measures were modeled using linear and non-linear multiple regression as functions of average velocity, tunnel enclosure, flooring, and wet weather conditions, and presented visually on a map of the BART system. This …

Gangs And Gang Activity In America: A Prevention Report, Portland State University. Criminology And Criminal Justice Senior Capstone

Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project

This report covers information on gangs, gang activity, and gang prevention. The report reveals information such as the history of gangs in the U.S., the definition of “gang,” data on prevalence, persons affected by gang activity, demographics of gangs and their members, criminal activity committed by gangs, gang hierarchical structure, prevention strategies, and effectiveness of gang prevention programs.

Racial Differences In The Association Between Socioeconomic Position And Mortality: Does Occupation Matter?, Hyeyoung Woo, Caroline Smith

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study is to examine the association of SEP on mortality rate differentials between non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black adults, in a nationally representative sample, with an emphasis on occupational factors. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 1986 through1994 was matched with death certificate data from the National Death Index (NDI), from 1986 through 2002. Occupations (using Census occupation codes) were then matched to occupational level data in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database to obtain occupation level psychosocial and physical risk factors. Survival analysis is used in our study to …

The Sexual Health Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Questioning Youth, L. Kris Gowen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although persons of different sexual and gender orientations often get grouped together under the term “LGBTQ” (for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning), it is important to distinguish between subpopulations based on sexual vs. gender orientation. A person’s sexual orientation is the gender to which a person is emotionally, romantically, and sexually attracted. Gender identity is how a person self-identifies as a particular gender regardless of biological sex characteristics. “Transgender” describes persons who are born a certain sex, but identify with, and consequently wish to live as, a different gender than the sex their anatomy dictates. According to data from …