The Parenting Scale: A measure of dysfunctional parenting in discipline situations.

Designed a rating scale to measure dysfunctional discipline practices in parents of young children. Three stable factors of dysfunctional discipline style were identified: (1) Laxness, (2) Overreactivity, and (3) Verbosity. The Parenting Scale exhibited adequate internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Mothers of clinic children reported more dysfunctional parenting than did mothers of nonclinic children. Parenting Scale scores were related to maternal ratings of child behavior and marital discord. Most important, Parenting Scale scores correlated significantly with observational measures of dysfunctional discipline and child misbehavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effectiveness of a parenting skills program for parents of middle school students in small communities.

This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of behaviorally based parenting skills provided by carefully trained and supervised group leaders who were not mental health clinicians. A program for parents of at-risk middle school students was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in 8 small Oregon communities. Parents (N?=?303) were randomly assigned to immediate treatment or a wait-list condition. Data were analyzed using latent growth modeling. Participation in the program led to significant improvements in problem-solving interactions as indicated by parent reports and a Taped Situations Test. Parents' overreactivity and laxness toward their children's behavior were reduced and their feelings toward their children improved significantly as a function of treatment. Parent-reported child antisocial behavior was also reduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Punitiveness, authoritarianism, and parental discipline of grade school children.

"The purpose of this study was to investigate the interrelationships among ethnocentrism-authoritarianism in children, the child's willingness to be punitive, and the punitiveness of the parent as the child sees it. Three hypotheses postulating positive correlations among the three variables were set up… . It is concluded that the three hypotheses of the study are supported by the data, and that this evidence is in accord with, and reflects favorably upon, the theory of the origin of ethnocentrism-authoritarianism proposed by Frenkel-Brunswik and her associates." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parenting of adult children in an Israeli sample: Parents are always parents.

This qualitative study examines the role of parents with regard to their adult children, by exploring parents' experiences, meanings, and the underlying psychological processes of their parental role. In-depth interviews with healthy Israeli parents (N = 23) aged 56 to 69 explored their perceptions about their parental role. Narrative analysis techniques focused on the content and on the form of the narratives were applied. Five important internal dialectic dimensions emerged: emotional connection and separation; the child as narcissistic extension of the parent and the parent's desire to let the child individuate; growing importance of familial connections and the perceived generation gap; parents' balancing personal needs and the children's needs, and finally, maintaining a hierarchical stance and an equal stance. The results are integrated into the developing theory of intergenerational ambivalence, suggesting a dialectical configuration for the role of parent to adult children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A questionnaire for parents on school difficulties of their children (author''s transl)

The association of a secundum atrial septal defect and mitral insufficiency is not uncommon. Five patients with this combination of lesions are presented and the pathological anatomy of the mitral valve is discussed. All 5 patients demonstrated a similar cleft mitral valve; 2 had cleft valves when only mitral valve prolapse was suspected preoperatively. The surgical implication of these lesions is discussed.     

Social relationships and motivation in middle school: The role of parents, teachers, and peers.

Adolescents' supportive relationships with parents, teachers, and peers were examined in relation to motivation at school (school- and class-related interest, academic goal orientations, and social goal pursuit). On the basis of 167 sixth-grade students, relations of perceived support from parents, teachers, and peers to student motivation differed depending on the source of support and motivational outcome: Peer support was a positive predictor of prosocial goal pursuit, teacher support was a positive predictor of both types of interest and of social responsibility goal pursuit, and parent support was a positive predictor of school-related interest and goal orientations. Perceived support from parents and peers also was related to interest in school indirectly by way of negative relations with emotional distress. Pursuit of social responsibility goals and school- and class-related interest in 6th grade partly explained positive relations between social support in 6th grade and classroom grades 1 year later. Continued research on the social origins of classroom motivation in early adolescence is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The value of measuring practice patterns

BACKGROUND: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by decreased production of antibodies. Clinical presentation of CVI is generally that of recurrent pyogenic infections. Autoimmune diseases can also occur. The age of onset of symptoms shows two peaks at 1-5 and 16-20 years. CASE REPORT: A 77-year-old man was admitted in hospital for pernicious anemia. We discovered hypogammaglobulinemia with low levels of immunoglobulin G, A and M, but normal T-cell levels. We diagnosed common variable immunodeficiency. This patient had not had recurrent pyogenic infections. DISCUSSION: This case shows that common variable immunodeficiency can be revealed late by an autoimmune disease. The pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases in this immunodeficiency remains unknown despite several possible explanations.     

Parenting practices and problem behavior across three generations: Monitoring, harsh discipline, and drug use in the intergenerational transmission of externalizing behavior.

Using data from grandparents (G1), parents (G2), and children (G3), this study examined continuity in parental monitoring, harsh discipline, and child externalizing behavior across generations, and the contribution of parenting practices and parental drug use to intergenerational continuity in child externalizing behavior. Structural equation and path modeling of prospective, longitudinal data from 808 G2 participants, their G1 parents, and their school-age G3 children (n = 136) showed that parental monitoring and harsh discipline demonstrated continuity from G1 to G2. Externalizing behavior demonstrated continuity from G2 to G3. Continuity in parenting practices did not explain the intergenerational continuity in externalizing behavior. Rather, G2 adolescent externalizing behavior predicted their adult substance use, which was associated with G3 externalizing behavior. A small indirect effect of G1 harsh parenting on G3 was observed. Interparental abuse and socidemographic risk were included as controls but did not explain the intergenerational transmission of externalizing behavior. Results highlight the need for preventive interventions aimed at breaking intergenerational cycles in poor parenting practices. More research is required to identify parental mechanisms influencing the continuity of externalizing behavior across generations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates and consequences of harsh discipline for young children

OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence, predictors, and consequences of harsh discipline in a sample of low-birth-weight children at 1 and 3 years of age. DESIGN: Analysis of data from the Infant Health and Development Program, an 8-site randomized clinical trial of low-birth-weight infants. The sample for analysis consisted of 715 children who were 3 years of age. The independent measurements of primary interest were the mother's hitting and scolding of her child as disciplinary practice. Analyses were run separately for boys and girls. Bivariate and logistic analyses were used to examine the predictors of the mother's hitting and scolding behavior. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the consequences of the mother's harsh discipline on a child's IQ measured at age 3 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The mother's self-report of whether she used more than 1 physical punishment in the past week, as well as an observer's report from 2 home visits of whether the mother hit or scolded the child during the 2-hour home visit. In addition, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale was used to examine the consequences of persistent harsh discipline on child well-being. RESULTS: Findings demonstrate child, maternal, and environmental factors that might aggravate a parent's use of corporal punishment. Boys received higher amounts of harsh discipline on all outcome measures. For boys, growing up in an impoverished home was predictive of the greater likelihood of receiving harsh punishment. Using IQ at age 3 years as the outcome measure, girls were found to be vulnerable to persistent harsh discipline and lack of maternal warmth. Maternal harsh discipline in a context of low maternal warmth was associated with IQ scores for girls that are 12 points lower than the IQ scores of girls who received low punishment and high warmth.     

Preparing children for visiting parents in the adult ICU

The issue of pediatric visitation in the adult ICU is a controversial one that often evokes strong opinions from critical care nurses. This author describes age-related preparation strategies and nursing actions which are successful in providing a positive experience for the child, parent, and nurse.     

Self-help interventions: The reported practices of school psychologists.

School psychologists sometimes wonder if, and when, to use self-help intervention programs in the treatment of school-aged children. The authors collected survey information from 178 school psychologists about how self-help treatments are used and what outcomes are observed when using self-help interventions with school-aged children. A majority of school psychologists reported having used self-help interventions to help a child. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Information booklet for parents of children surviving cancer

With increasing survival rates in pediatric oncology, the medical and psychosocial costs of cure are becoming apparent for the child and his family. The focus of our concern is now how to prevent and to reduce these adverse late effects of cancer and its treatment. To reduce the late psychosocial consequences for the child and its family a booklet was written for parents. We decided to address parents because of the young age of many children when treatment is completed, the essential role of parents in alleviating late effects for the child and his siblings, and the possibility to discuss the whole range of psychosocial late effects: those for the patient, the siblings, and for the parents themselves. The booklet acknowledges the specific emotional problems in patients, parents, and siblings that results from surviving childhood cancer and provides information and support on how to deal with them. The booklet can enhance open communication with the health care team about late consequences. In this way the booklet supports the further integration of medical and psychosocial aftercare.     

The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program: A comparison of enhanced, standard, and self-directed behavioral family intervention for parents of children with early onset conduct problems.

Three variants of a behavioral family intervention (BFI) program known as Triple P were compared using 305 preschoolers at high risk of developing conduct problems. Families were randomly assigned to enhanced BFI (EBFI), standard BFI (SBFI), self-directed BFI (SDBFI), or wait list (WL). At postintervention, the 2 practitioner-assisted conditions were associated with lower levels of parent-reported disruptive child behavior, lower levels of dysfunctional parenting, greater parental competence, and higher consumer satisfaction than the SDBFI and WL conditions. Overall, children in EBFI showed greater reliable improvement than children in SBFI, SDBFI, and WL. By 1-year follow-up, children in all 3 conditions achieved similar levels of clinically reliable change in observed disruptive behavior. However, the EBFI and SBFI conditions showed greater reliable improvement on parent-observed disruptive child behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A teacher inservice model for problem-solving in classroom discipline: Suggestions for the school psychologist.

Suggests that school psychologists may find themselves faced with the task of conducting teacher inservice workshops on the subject of classroom discipline and discusses the shortcomings of various approaches to teacher training in classroom discipline. Four key principles of a teacher training model are presented for school psychologists' use. The principles focus on the concept of "discipline subsystems" (i.e., instruction, behavior modification, group management/dynamics, and psychodynamic/human relationships). The 4 discipline subsystems are both interrelated and interdependent, such that the functional characteristics of any one subsystem may influence the functional characteristics of other subsystems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validation of scales measuring attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention related to smoking among middle school students.

Attitudes toward smoking, self-efficacy to avoid smoking, and smoking intention, widely cited correlates of youth smoking prevention, are often measured in large-scale youth tobacco surveys. The psychometric properties of these scales have not been well studied among middle school youth. We examined the factorial, discriminate, and convergent validity of these scales among sixth to eighth graders from a convenience sample of 22 Texas middle schools (51.2% female; 51.21% White, 32.1% Hispanic, 16.9% African American, and 8.8% Other; 67.8% nonsmokers, 21.9% experimental smokers; 3.3% former smokers; and 7.6% current smokers). Confirmatory factor analysis and invariance testing suggest that smoking attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention have evidence of construct validity in this multiethnic sample, and the scales are appropriate to assess these constructs among middle school adolescents. Additional studies are needed to establish additional evidence of validity of these constructs in other middle school samples and other subgroups (e.g. current, experimental, and former smokers). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of an interactive computer program for the education of parents of asthmatic children

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a single evening meal (gorging) on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in normal individuals observing the Ramadan Fast. During the Ramadan month, Muslims refrain from food and liquids during the day and eat a large meal after sundown. DESIGN: Sequential measurement of plasma lipids and lipoproteins in Muslims observing the Ramadan Fast and non-fasting individuals. SETTING: The study was conducted in the Bedouin town of Rahat, in the northern Negev area of Israel. SUBJECTS: Twenty-two healthy subjects who fasted during Ramadan and 16 non-fasting laboratory workers, were studied before Ramadan, at week 1, 2 and 4 of the Ramadan month, and again four weeks after the end of Ramadan. RESULTS: Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) rose significantly (P < 0.001) at the week 4 measurement, returning to basal levels 4 weeks after the end of Ramadan. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL), and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma HDL increased by 23% after four weeks of gorging. The dietary change did not affect the composition of other lipoproteins, such as LDL, VLDL or Lp(a), other plasma biochemical parameters, or BMI. Prolonged gorging, well tolerated by all individuals, is a very effective non-pharmacological method to increase plasma HDL-cholesterol.     

The sexual practices of Asian and Pacific Islander high school students

The less common methods of medication administration that used to be used only in the hospital are also now used in alternate settings. Understanding the treatment modalities, care requirements, and complications of these alternate routes of administration is important for nurses who participate in the care of patients receiving infusions. Several alternate routes of administration are discussed, with emphasis on the more commonly used methods: intra-arterial, intraspinal, intraventricular, intraperitoneal, intraosseous, and several other routes.     

The parent-nurse relationship from the perspective of parents of children with cancer

Research to date has overlooked the specific relationship between parents and nurses, particularly in the context of family-centered care for a hospitalized child with cancer. The purpose of this study was to describe how parents perceive the relationship with the pediatric staff nurse necessitated by the hospitalization of their child with cancer. Using a symbolic interactionist framework and a modified grounded theory methodology, this study explored the parent-nurse relationship when a child with cancer is hospitalized. A purposive, theoretical quota sampling method was used to recruit 16 parents. Both parents' and nurses' care were examined from the parents' perspectives; mothers and fathers were interviewed separately. Analysis of the data led to the development of a substantive theory describing parent care (Making it Better), nursing care (Going Through the Motions, Caring Incompletely and Caring Completely), and the parent-nurse relationship (Working Together). Conditions influencing the care provided by parents and nurses and in turn the parent-nurse relationship were also identified. This research describes strategies nurses use to enhance the family-centered care they provide and reveals the effect nursing care has on parents' hospital experiences. Recommendations are made for nursing research, practice, and education.     

儿童预防接种中对家长进行健康教育的效果分析

预防接种使个体或群体获得对某种疾病的免疫力[1],是保证儿童健康成长的必要手段.预防接种既受到国家政策法规的保护和约束,又是一项涉及面广的社会性工作,宣传传染病的防治和正确的预防接种观念,建立和谐的社会,健康教育就显得格外重要.