Sampling gay men: Random Digit Dialing versus sources in the Gay Community.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of obtaining a probability sample of gay/bisexual men using Random Digit Dialing (RDD), assess its validity, and describe differences between such a sample and a sample recruited from sources in the gay community. METHODS: Two samples, one of men participating in an event at the Gay Community Center (N = 26) and one of randomly selected men (N = 52), were recruited by telephone in targeted New York City neighborhoods. A five-minute questionnaire for identifying gay/bisexual men was administered. Respondents who identified themselves as gay/bisexual were also asked about their gay identity and level of affiliation with the gay community. RESULTS: The screen questionnaire had excellent sensitivity (.96) in identifying gay/bisexual men. RDD sampling identified a high percent of gay/bisexual-identified men (29%). Gay/bisexual men identified through the RDD technique were qualitatively different from gay/bisexual men contacted through the gay community: they were less affiliated with the gay community, had higher levels of internalized homophobia, and differed in the attitudes they endorsed. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce bias imported by sampling highly affiliated respondents, RDD sampling techniques should, and can, be used in studies of gay/bisexual men.

The co-occurrence of depression and substance abuse in late adolescence.

This article examines the role of adolescent social relationships in fostering the occurrence and co-occurrence of depression and substance abuse, using two waves of data from a community sample of adolescents (N = 900). Multinomial logistic response models were estimated to identify the extent to which risk and protective features of youths' family and peer relations were differentially linked with depressive symptoms, substance abuse, and their co-occurrence. Taking a within-person, configurational approach to adolescent adaptation, contrasts involved four subgroups of adolescents: those high on both depressed mood and substance abuse, those who experience neither problem, those evidencing high levels of depressive symptoms only, and those high on substance abuse only. Risk for depressive symptoms was differentiated by its association with conflict and lack of support in the friendship domain. Substance abuse was associated with negative peer pressure, but these youth were otherwise little different from youths with no problems. Whereas co-occurrence of depression and substance use was associated with more difficulties in both the family and peer environments, the most distinctive risk was that of low family support. Discussion centers on the developmental antecedents of co-occurring problems and family relations during adolescence.

Effects of a glucose polymer sports drink on blood glucose, insulin, and performance in subjects with diabetes.

Regular exercise has long been recognized as a cornerstone of diabetes management along with diet and medication. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a glucose polymer sports drink (GPSD) on blood glucose and electrolyte levels in persons with type I or type II diabetes. Twenty-five subjects controlled with insulin were randomized in a double-blind, two-period, crossover design study. Blood glucose and electrolyte levels were measured at intervals during a 60-minute, submaximal treadmill test and for 60 minutes postexercise. Wide variations in blood glucose levels within and between subjects hindered statistical analysis. However, a significant difference in mean blood glucose levels was determined, with overall blood glucose levels higher in the GPSD group compared with placebo. The use of the GPSD also prevented the onset of postexercise hypoglycemia and did not cause or contribute to hyperglycemia.

Public knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about homeless people: evidence for compassion fatigue.

Media reports suggest that the public is becoming impatient with the homeless--that so-called "compassion fatigue" has gripped the nation. This characterization of public sentiment could have important policy consequences-- restrictive measures can be justified by growing public impatience, and progressive housing policies seem feasible within a hostile climate of opinion. But evidence to support the compassion fatigue notion is anecdotal. We examine the issue by tracking the results of public opinion polls and by reporting detailed evidence from a nationwide random-digit dial telephone survey (N = 1,507) concerning knowledge attitudes and beliefs about homeless people. To be sure, the public sees homelessness as an undesirable social problem and wants something done about it. However, although the homeless are clearly stigmatized, there is little evidence to suggest that the public has lost compassion and is unwilling to support policies to help homeless people.

Depression and the social developmental context of adolescence.

This article examines the interrelations of personal and social factors in fostering longitudinal patterns of depressive symptoms, using 3 waves of data from high school students in the Boston area. Previously depressed and nondepressed youths differed markedly in their emotional responsiveness to family and friend relations. Chronically depressed youths were unresponsive to family problems, but were highly reactive to peer relations. Among previously asymptomatic youths, family relations exerted greater effects on depressed mood than relations with peers. Further analyses suggest a process through which chronic family turmoil shapes long-term mental health while also intensifying the distancing from family and investment in peer relationships that typically occurs in adolescence. Findings illustrate the importance of modeling transactions between personal and environmental factors in research on adolescent mental health and development.

Health problems reported by residents of a neighborhood contaminated by a hazardous waste facility.

A symptom prevalence survey was conducted of a neighborhood exposed to airborne hazardous wastes. Residents' responses were compared to those of a nearby control population. The results revealed that the exposed group had more self-reported complaints referable to the respiratory system (wheezing, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, persistent colds, coughs), constitutional complaints (always fatigued, bowel dysfunction), and irregular heart beat. When the effect of a documented irritant source in a small portion of the control population was removed, the exposed group also complained more often of irritation of the eyes and nose. There was a biological gradient for several of these effects. Efforts to eliminate the influence of confounding and recall bias are discussed. The results suggest either that the general population reacts to chemicals at levels much lower than the available occupational literature would indicate or that the effects are more long lasting than previously thought.