Does arts and cultural engagement vary geographically? Evidence from the UK household longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown the beneficial impacts of arts participation and cultural engagement on health outcomes. However, this engagement is socially patterned and is also possibly influenced by geographical factors. STUDY DESIGN: The aim of this study was to examine the association between geographical factors (spatial setting and neighbourhood characteristics) and arts and cultural engagement amongst adults in the UK. METHODS: Data analysed were from Understanding Society Wave 2 (2010/12) with a total sample size of 26,215. Logistic and ordinal regression was used to identify geographical predictors for the patterns of the engagement. RESULTS: Our results show that there are geographical differences in participation independent of individual demographic and socio-economic backgrounds. In particular, there was more evidence for differences in the participation based on neighbourhood characteristics (e.g. level of area deprivation). We also found some interactions between individual and geographical factors for cultural engagement but not for arts participation. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a geographical and individual socio-economic gradient in arts and cultural engagement. Given the health benefits of arts engagement, improving access to arts and cultural programmes geographically may potentially help to reduce health inequalities.

Political ideologies and health-oriented beliefs and behaviors: an empirical examination of strategic issues.

The area of health care has been called the most important political issue of the 1990s. Attitudes toward health care reform, increasing health costs, and defensive medical practices have been examined in the public press and by academicians. In addition, a substantial amount of research has been directed toward the improvement of individual personal health due to changes in personal health-related habits and behaviors. To date, there are relatively few studies which have attempted to examine the political tendencies of a nationwide sample of respondents as they relate to personal health-related beliefs and behaviors. This article explores the consumer's views on critical questions relating to health orientations and political tendencies. The results indicate a divergence between the political orientations of respondents and their beliefs and behaviors associated with health and wellness. Implications for policy-makers are discussed.

The presumed influence of attention on accuracy in the developmental eye movement (DEM) test.

BACKGROUND: The developmental eye movement (DEM) test is a clinical test used widely to evaluate ocular motility function (accuracy and speed) in school-age children. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate, retrospectively, the change in accuracy over time while performing the DEM horizontal reading task in children. METHODS: The charts from children who had performed the DEM test during a routine eye examination in a pediatric optometry service were reviewed. The study included 22 patients (6 to 11 years old, 12 boys, 10 girls) who had a routine eye examination that was precepted by one of the authors (R.C.) during the period of 1995 to 1999. Patients were divided into two categories: 1) those with abnormal DEM test results and 2) a control group consisting of those with normal DEM test results. Chart review was done consecutively within each category. Collected data included patient age, gender, refractive error, and DEM test results. For analysis, the horizontal task of the DEM was divided into two halves (I and II), Part I always preceded part II, and data was sorted as the number of errors per part. RESULTS: More errors in accuracy occurred in part II than in part I (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p < or = 0.01) of the horizontal DEM test in the group of subjects with an abnormal DEM test. No differences in the number of errors in parts I and II of the horizontal task of the DEM were found in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Findings showed that when excessive errors in accuracy occurred, the number of errors increased over time. If the errors were caused by an oculomotor dysfunction found in the DEM, errors should be equally distributed throughout the text. If errors were caused by fatigue, a difference in parts I and II should have occurred in both the test and the control group. These findings suggest that attention may influence accuracy over time in those patients that do poorly on the DEM test.

Particulate Air Pollution in Mexico City: A Collaborative Research Project.

PM10, PM25, precursor gas, and upper-air meteorological measurements were taken in Mexico City, Mexico, from February 23 to March 22, 1997, to understand concentrations and chemical compositions of the city's particulate matter (PM). Average 24-hr PM10 concentrations over the period of study at the core sites in the city were 75 H g/m3. The 24-hr standard of 150 µ g/m3 was exceeded for seven samples taken during the study period; the maximum 24-hr concentration measured was 542 µ g/m3. Nearly half of the PM10 was composed of fugitive dust from roadways, construction, and bare land. About 50% of the PM10 consisted of PM2.5, with higher percentages during the morning hours. Organic and black carbon constituted up to half of the PM2.5. PM concentrations were highest during the early morning and after sunset, when the mixed layers were shallow. Meteorological measurements taken during the field campaign show that on most days air was transported out of the Mexico City basin during the afternoon with little day-to-day carryover.

Comparison of the effectiveness of a nondilated versus dilated fundus examination in the pediatric population.

BACKGROUND: A study was performed to compare the clinical effectiveness of a nondilated fundus examination to a dilated fundus examination. METHODS: The population consisted of 90 pediatric patients aged 5 to 16 years. Subjects were randomly selected from patients presenting for a routine eye examination at the Eye Institute of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Direct ophthalmoscopy was performed on the subjects before pupillary dilation while direct and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy were performed post-dilation. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (25.5 percent) had one or more posterior pole anomalies not detected by the nondilated pupil examination. A total of 30 posterior pole anomalies were not detected by the nondilated pupil examination. Forty-six patients (51 percent) had one or more peripheral anomalies not detected by the nondilated pupil examination. Sixty-nine total peripheral anomalies were not detected by the nondilated pupil examination. CONCLUSIONS: A dilated fundus examination provides a more effective clinical method for evaluating intraocular health in a pediatric population.

Prevalence of vision and ocular disease conditions in a clinical pediatric population.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to fill a significant void in the ophthalmic literature by performing a large scale, comprehensive, prospective study of the prevalence of vision disorders and ocular pathology in a clinical pediatric population using well-defined diagnostic criteria. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 2,023 consecutive patients between the ages of 6 months and 18 years presenting for an initial comprehensive examination at the Eye Institute of The Pennsylvania College of Optometry. There were 373 subjects between 6 months and 5 years, 11 months of age, and 1,650 subjects between 6 years and 18 years of age. RESULTS: The most important finding from this study is that other than refractive anomalies, the most common conditions optometrists are likely to encounter in a pediatric population are binocular vision and accommodative disorders. The prevalence of accommodative and binocular (strabismic and non-strabismic) vision disorders is 9.7 times greater than the prevalence of ocular disease in children 6 months to 5 years of age, and 8.5 times greater than the prevalence of ocular disease in children 6 to 18 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The data from this study has great significance for clinicians, optometric educational institutions, health care planners, and administrators. This data suggests that other than refractive anomalies, the most prevalent conditions in the clinical pediatric population are binocular and accommodative disorders. Clinicians should use a minimum data base that includes assessments of accommodation and binocular vision that will allow them to detect conditions with the highest prevalence.

Guilt appeals in advertising: what are their effects?

This study examined consumers' emotional responses, their attitudes toward advertisements and brands, attributions about the companies promoting the brands, and purchase intention for ads varying on level of guilt appeal. Sixty working mothers, a prime target of guilt appeals, participated in the study. Results indicated that moderate guilt appeals elicited more felt guilt in the working mothers than did low or high guilt appeals. Furthermore, emotional responses, particularly anger, mediated the relationship between level of guilt appeal and consumers' attitudes and corporate attributions, and an inverse relationship occurred between level of guilt appeal and attitudes and attributions. Purchase intention was affected by the level of the guilt appeal and by anger.

Microbiological Standards for Cheese: Survey and Viewpoint of the Canadian Health Protection Branch.

The Health Protection Branch, Health and Welfare Canada is considering proposals for microbiological standards for cheese. These proposals are based on a 2-year study (1974-1976) carried out by the Branch. The proposed standards per gram are: total coliforms m = 500, M = 1500, fecal coliforms m = 100, M = 500, and Staphylococcus aureus m = 100, M = 1000, for cheeses made from pasteurized milk; total coliforms m = 5000, M = 50,000, fecal coliforms m = 500, M = 1000, and S. aureus m = 1,000, M = 10,000 for cheeses made from heat treated or unpasteurized milk. The type of standard proposed will be based on a three-class acceptance plan as developed by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods. Use of this plan in interpretation of the analytical results allows for the normal variation between analytical samples.