Ain't nobody got time for dad? Racial-ethnic disproportionalities in child welfare casework practice with nonresident fathers.

BACKGROUND: Given fathers' potential role in bringing about desired child welfare case outcomes, researchers have begun to identify factors that impact agency efforts to identify and involve fathers. Racial-ethnic inequality and bias are not among factors studied, despite longstanding evidence that racial-ethnic minority children make up a disproportionate share of the child welfare population. OBJECTIVE: We set out to identify racial-ethnic patterns in initial casework activity with nonresident fathers and explore whether select factors explain racial-ethnic differentials. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Caseworkers of 1,754 children in foster care in four U.S. states were surveyed. METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with whether agencies identified, located, and contacted nonresident fathers. RESULTS: Agencies were less likely to identify nonresident fathers of Black, Latinx, and Multiracial children, relative to those of White children. Among fathers whom agencies identified, Black and Latinx fathers were less likely to be located. Among fathers whom agencies located, Black and Latinx fathers were less likely to be contacted. Whereas greater rates of international mobility among Latinx fathers explained agencies' disproportionately low rates of contact, no other factor explained racial-ethnic differentials. CONCLUSION: We find evidence of historical racial-ethnic disproportionalities across the three initial stages of casework practice with nonresident fathers in U.S. child welfare systems. Though more recent data are needed, this research suggests that racial-ethnic minority foster children are more likely than White foster children to be denied the benefits of agency-father contact, whether due to societal or systemic racial inequalities.

Child welfare caseworkers' characteristics and their attitudes toward non-custodial fathers.

Despite increased attention to the caseworker's role in the successful engagement of fathers and in producing successful child welfare outcomes more generally, little is known about child welfare caseworkers' attitudes toward non-custodial fathers. Using generalized ordinal logistic regression to analyze attitudes in a sample of child welfare caseworkers from four U.S. states, the present study examines how caseworkers' demographic, education, and employment characteristics affect their attitudes toward non-custodial fathers. Race/ethnicity and employment characteristics predicted differences in opinion on whether fathers want to be involved, increase children's well-being, need help parenting, and whether involving fathers is troublesome and complicated. Results suggest that caseworkers' backgrounds serve as inputs into their approach to fathers and indicate a need for further study of the relationship between caseworkers' characteristics and attitudes, and how these might influence case outcomes.

Self-rated health and morbidity onset among late midlife U.S. adults.

OBJECTIVES: Although self-rated health (SRH) is recognized as a strong and consistent predictor of mortality and functional health decline, there are relatively few studies examining SRH as a predictor of morbidity. This study examines the capacity of SRH to predict the onset of chronic disease among the late midlife population (ages 51-61 years). METHOD: Utilizing the first 9 waves (1992-2008) of the Health and Retirement Study, event history analysis was used to estimate the effect of SRH on incidence of 6 major chronic diseases (coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung disease, arthritis, and cancer) among those who reported none of these conditions at baseline (N = 4,770). RESULTS: SRH was a significant predictor of onset of any chronic condition and all specific chronic conditions excluding cancer. The effect was particularly pronounced for stroke. DISCUSSION: This research provides the strongest and most comprehensive evidence to date of the relationship between SRH and incident morbidity.

A longitudinal analysis of sociodemographic and health correlates of sexual health among HIV-infected men in the USA.

BACKGROUND: Sexual health among HIV-infected men primarily has been examined in cross-sectional designs. Few have used longitudinal data to measure sexual health change or factors associated with change. Moreover, studies of HIV-infected men disproportionately focus on sexual risk behaviours. The present paper examines temporal changes in sexual health based on measures of sexual activity, erectile function, sex drive, and sex life satisfaction. METHODS: Data from a prospective cohort study of HIV-infected men (n = 197) in the USA were used. Sexual health measures were based on self-reported sexual activity, erectile function, sex drive, and sex life satisfaction at 12- and 24-month follow-ups. Transition matrices described 1-year sexual health changes. Logistic regression models determined sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with change. RESULTS: Men reported considerable change in sexual health during the year-long observation interval. Among men who experienced change, younger age, cohabitation, and higher CD4 counts were associated with greater sexual activity over time. Men with more depression symptoms had lower erectile function over time, and higher education and higher income were protective against temporal declines in sex drive and satisfaction. Less disease comorbidity was associated with 1-year improvements in sex life satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Some men in our sample experienced sexual health change, but stability was common for most. Temporal changes in sexual health varied according to age, cohabitation, education, income, and physical and mental health covariates. The present paper highlights the benefits of longitudinal investigations and multidimensional definitions of sexual health.

The dynamics of toothache pain and dental services utilization: 24-month incidence.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to describe patterns of change in reported toothache pain, and (2) to examine the impact of toothache pain on dental care utilization and vice versa. METHODS: Data from the Florida Dental Care Study (FDCS), a longitudinal study of oral health and dental service utilization conducted in north Florida, were used to measure self-reported toothache pain among dentate adults at baseline and four subsequent times during a 24-month period. Only persons 45 years of age or older with at least one remaining natural tooth at baseline were eligible. A total of 873 subjects participated, 764 of whom participated through 24 months. The analysis is focused on modeling transitions in the reported experience of toothache pain during intervals of six months. RESULTS: At the time of the baseline interview, 11.5 percent of subjects reported current toothache pain. During subsequent six-monthly interviews, from 13.4 percent to 21.6 percent of subjects reported having experienced toothache pain during the prior six-month interval. Among those with no toothache pain at baseline (n = 772), 31.2 percent experienced toothache pain at some time during the 24-month study period. The six-month incidence probability reflects the likelihood of developing toothache pain by estimating the conditional probability of reporting a toothache in a later interval given that this problem was not reported in the earlier one (for consecutive pairs of intervals). Overall, the six-month incidence probability for toothache pain in this study was. 11. Significantly higher 24-month incidence was observed for African-American subjects, those with less formal education, those in poorer financial circumstances, and problem-oriented dental attenders. CONCLUSIONS: In this diverse sample of adults, toothache pain occurs frequently and is quite variable overtime. Toothache occurs in conjunction with various forms of self-reported oral disease (e.g., abscess, cavities) or tissue damage (e.g., loose tooth, broken tooth, bleeding gums). Subjects who experience toothache are slightly more likely than others to utilize dental services in the time period proximate to the toothache pain.

Predictors of chewing difficulty onset among dentate adults: 24-month incidence.

OBJECTIVES: Chewing ability is an important measure of health-related quality of life, yet few studies have examined predictors of chewing difficulty in community-based samples. This study describes longitudinal patterns of chewing difficulty and identifies predictors of chewing difficulty onset. METHODS: The Florida Dental Care Study (FDCS) was a longitudinal study of oral health and related behaviors. Interviews and a clinical exam were conducted with a sample that included persons who had at least one tooth and were aged 45 years or older (n = 873). The five-item chewing index of Leake (1990), with minor revision, was the outcome of interest. RESULTS: Approximately 21 percent of baseline participants reported chewing difficulty and about 34 percent reported difficulty during the study. Having infected or sore gums, loose tooth, loose crown or bridge, toothache pain, lower numbers of opposing pairs of teeth, dry mouth, and being female were significant predictors of incident chewing difficulty. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported oral disease and tissue damage and toothache pain were strong predictors of decline in chewing ability. Additionally, women were identified as a high-risk group for incident chewing difficulty. Future research should elaborate further the pathways through which these factors affect oral function.

Correlation of admission criteria with dental school performance and attrition.

This study was conducted to provide current information on the relationship between admission criteria and dental school performance, including the association of admission criteria and dental school outcomes such as remediation and attrition. Standard tests of bivariate association and multivariate regression models appropriate for continuous and discrete dependent variables were used to examine the relationship between multiple indicators of admission criteria and dental school performance for six recent classes at the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). The admission criteria included the undergraduate science grade point average (GPA), undergraduate non-science GPA, Dental Admissions Test (DAT) academic score, Perceptual Motor Aptitude Test (PMAT) score, and admission interview score. Measures of dental school performance were the National Dental Board Examination Part I and Part II (NB-I, NB-II) scores, yearly and final dental school GPA, and academic progress through the UFCD program. In general, most admission criteria were good bivariate indicators of dental school performance. Multivariate analyses indicated that students with higher undergraduate science GPAs and DAT academic scores were more likely to achieve higher NB-I and NB-II scores. The undergraduate science GPA and admission interview score were the most consistent determinants of dental school GPA. Students with lower undergraduate science GPAs, DAT academic scores, and PMAT scores were more likely to remediate, to repeat an academic year, or to be dismissed. Although bivariate differences were observed in several admission criteria of students who remediated one or more courses, repeated an academic year, or were dismissed only the undergraduate science GPA and the PMAT score were indicators of programmatic progress in the multivariate analysis.