Exploring the Relationship Balance Assessment.

Assessments of power in couples' relationships often only survey one partner, but they do not take into consideration both partners' perceptions. Thus, many assumptions about power and equality in relationships have not been quantitatively tested due to a lack of dyadic measures of power. Therefore, the purpose of the Gender and Relationships Study was to develop and test a new scale of equality and relative power for couples, the Relationship Balance Assessment (RBA). The RBA may be useful for research and for clinical work with couples to help raise awareness of the balance of power in their relationship. A review of the literature has shown a shift away from focusing on monetary resources and decision-making dominance towards examining relationship processes and the connection between gender and power. This study prescreened a pool of process-oriented questions based on the qualitative literature. Then exploratory factor analysis of data from 268 individuals and 91 couples identified 12 consistent latent factors underlying relationship equality. These 12 subscales are summed up with the TREASURES acronym: Time Discretion, Relational Power, Emotional Power (Emotional Expression and Avoidance subscales), Accommodation, Spending and Saving subscales, Union or Sexual Dominance, Rational Power, Economic Role Power (Status and Childcare subscales), and Social Choices.

Disparities in obesity prevalence and obesity-related behaviors among adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago.

Objective African Americans adolescents have disproportionately high rates of obesity compared to their Caucasian peers. Little is known about the rates of obesity among adolescents of African descent in countries with diverse populations. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and weight-related behaviors among adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago and to explore differences by race and gender. Methods In this cross-sectional study, students from a national stratified sample of high schools (n = 42) in Trinidad and Tobago completed a self-administered survey regarding their health habits. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured height (via a portable stadiometer) and weight (via a digital scale), and BMI percentiles determined using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts. Univariate calculations and χ2 analyses were performed to determine obesity prevalence and explore associations between obesity and self-reported demographic factors and weight-related behaviors. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test mean difference in weight status and multivariate analyses explored the role of gender and race after adjusting for covariates. Results Of the 3618 adolescents in the study, 56.3% were female. Race: 31.9% Black-Trinidadian, 33.7% Indo-Trinidadian and 33.4% Mixed-Race. Mean age was 17.6 years. The overall prevalence of obesity was 7%, but this differed by race (Black-Trinidadians 17%, Mixed-Trinidadians 2%, Indo-Trinidadians 1%). Black-Trinidadian girls were most likely to be obese (28.1%) and to engage in obesity related habits than their peers. Conclusion Black-Trinidadian girls have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity than their peers. Further work should explore culturally tailored interventions to address obesity prevention and treatment in this group.

Religious involvement and health-related behaviors among Black Seventh-Day Adventists in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Most studies that involve Black Seventh-Day Adventists (SDAs) have been conducted in the United States. We sought to examine the association between religious involvement and lifestyle practices among Black SDAs in Canada. METHOD: A convenience sample of 509 Black SDA church members 18 years and older completed a self-administered questionnaire, assessing religious involvement and seven lifestyle practices promoted by the SDA church: diet, physical activity, water intake, exposure to sunlight, alcohol use, caffeine and tobacco use, and rest. RESULTS: Compliance with lifestyle practices ranged from a low of 10% meeting fitness guidelines to a high of 99% abstaining from tobacco products. Religious involvement and lifestyle were positively related (rs = .11, p < .05). Multivariate analyses indicated that private religious practice (ß = .16, p =.003), importance of the health principles (ß = .17, p = .003), and acceptance of health principles (ß = .65, p = .00001) significantly predicted the number of behaviors practiced. CONCLUSION: Greater religious involvement is associated with positive lifestyle practices but is not an independent predictor of lifestyle practices for Black Canadian SDAs.

Race and health in Guyana: an empirical assessment from survey data.

This paper examines racial differences in physical health and mental well-being in Guyana, South America: a country with cultural ties to the Caribbean. It explores the complex relationship among race, socioeconomic status and health outcomes which in developed societies continues to be of significant research interest. Utilizing a random probability sample of over 900 adults, the analyses provide information on the general physical and mental health status of this population and examine the differences by racial groups when other factors are controlled. The results indicate significant age-specific racial differences in physical and mental health in Guyana. Higher rates of diabetes, arthritis or rheumatism, back and breathing problems among Indo-Guyanese when compared to other groups were noted. Racial differences in physical health were attenuated when gender and educational levels were controlled.

Regional differences in attitudes that may affect health behavior and willingness to participate in research among Black Seventh-day Adventists.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the attitudes and perceptions of Black Seventh-day Adventists regarding health research and the healthcare system in two regions of the United States. DESIGN: Church members were selected from those who participated in the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) and those who chose not to participate. Participants were selected from two regions of the United States. SETTING: Participants were interviewed in their churches, in their homes, and in the research study office at Loma Linda University. Interviews were done in the Western and Southern regions of the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 384 Black Seventh-day Adventists, aged >30 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to the structured interviews from those in the Western region were compared to those in the Southern region. RESULTS: Those in the Southern region included more elderly subjects; they were more likely to own their home despite earning less; and were more likely to be married. Compared to the Western region participants, we found Southern participants to have greater participation in church activities, greater mistrust of the healthcare system and particular concerns about racial inequalities in care. In contrast, they also reported more positive experiences with their personal healthcare provider than Western participants. Southerners felt that they had greater control over their own health, perhaps in part due to a greater identification with the health teachings of the Adventist church. CONCLUSIONS: A number of clear differences were found between Black Adventist subjects living in either the Western or Southern regions of the United States. These factors should be considered carefully when planning the promotion for a research study.