Thomas A. Arcury

Sex Differences in Environmental Concern and Knowledge: The Case of Acid Rain.

Several theories have been presented that predict differences between women and men in attitudes toward the environment due to differences in sex roles. Research on which these theories can be tested has tended to examine general environmental concern, and the results have generally been weak and inconclusive. Using an approach suggested in the literature, this study examines sex differences in concern and knowledge, using multi-item scales for each, about one environmental issue — acid rain. The results contradict the theories being tested, however: if there is a sex difference, men are found to be more concerned and knowledgeable about the environmental problem.

Environmental Worldview in Response to Environmental Problems Kentucky 1984 and 1988 Compared

This study examines the influence of a major environmental problem, the 1988 drought, on environmental worldview. Its aims are to both examine the stability of environmental worldview and to further the development of theoretically based environmental social research. Guided by the New Environmental Paradigm, data are analyzed from statewide telephone surveys of Kentucky conducted in 1984 and 1988. In addition to the effects of other sociodemographic factors in both years, the analysis examines the influence of residing in a county which experienced water restrictions in 1988 on environmental worldview. There was an increase in the level of environmentalist worldview for the entire state population between 1984 and 1988. The only group for which the increase in environmentalist worldview was statistically significant for this interval was that which lived in a county which had water restrictions in 1988.

Evaluating Short-Form Versions of the CES-D for Measuring Depressive Symptoms Among Immigrants From Mexico

This article examines the feasibility of using a short-form version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D) in community mental health research with Mexican immigrants. Several features of three published short versions of the CES-D were examined using data combined from seven diverse Mexican immigrant samples from across the United States (N= 685). Results indicate that published short-form versions of the CES-D are reliable, they account for most of the variance in scores from the full CES-D, and there is little evidence that the use of short forms attenuates associations with other concepts relevant to understanding the mental health of Mexican immigrants. Although additional validation research is necessary, the results of this study suggest that short-form versions of the CES-D can be used to study mental health among Mexican immigrants.

Disparities in A1C Levels Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Adults With Diabetes: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE—Hispanics have higher rates of diabetes and diabetes-related complications than do non-Hispanic whites. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the difference between the mean values of A1C for these two groups. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We executed a PubMed search of articles published from 1993 through July 2007. Data sources included PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, the Cochrane Library, Combined Health Information Database, and Education Resources Information Center. Data on sample size, age, sex, A1C, geographical location, and study design were extracted. Cross-sectional data and baseline data from clinical trials and cohort studies for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites with diabetes were included. Studies were excluded if they included individuals <18 years of age or patients with pre-diabetes or gestational diabetes. RESULTS—A total of 495 studies were reviewed, of which 73 contained data on A1C for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, and 11 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant mean difference (P < 0.0001) of −0.46 (95% CI −0.63 to −0.33), correlating to an ∼0.5% higher A1C for Hispanics. Grouping studies by design (cross-sectional or cohort), method of data collection for A1C (chart review or blood sampling), and care type (managed or nonmanaged) yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS—In this meta-analysis, A1C was ∼0.5% higher in Hispanic patients with diabetes than in non-Hispanic patients. Understanding the reasons for this disparity should be a focus for future research.

Work-family conflict: experiences and health implications among immigrant Latinos.

Work-family conflict research has focused almost exclusively on professional, White adults. The goal of this article was to expand the understanding of culture and industry in shaping experiences and consequences of work-family conflict. Using in-depth interview data (n = 26) and structured survey data (n = 200) from immigrant Latinos employed in the poultry processing industry, the authors evaluated predictions drawn from emerging models emphasizing the influence of cultural characteristics such as collectivism and gender ideology on work-family conflict. Results indicated that immigrant Latinos in poultry processing experienced infrequent work-to-family conflict; both the level and the antecedents of work-to-family conflict differed by gender, with physical demands contributing to greater conflict for women but not men. In addition, there was little evidence that work-family conflict was associated with health in this population. These results demonstrate how traditional models of work-family conflict need to be modified to reflect the needs and circumstances of diverse workers in the new global economy.

Rural-Urban Differences in Environmental Knowledge and Actions

Abstract Greater awareness of between-group variation in environmental attitudes and knowledge will improve the quality of environmental education programs. The authors examined environmental characteristic differences between rural and urban residents, using telephone survey data from a sample of Kentucky River Basin residents. Although they expected that the more urban and metropolitan an individual, the greater would be the individuals environmental world view, concern, knowledge, and actions, they found no consistent differences by residence in these characteristics. They did find differences by education and income. They concluded that the success of environmental education depends on its participation in promoting equity in the general population.

Public Environmental Knowledge: A Statewide Survey

Abstract The environment as an issue has been prominently before the public for almost two decades. Yet the question of how much the public knows about their environment or about environmental issues has seldom been considered in the research literature. Using data from a statewide survey, this paper examines the general level of public environmental knowledge and analyzes the sociodemographic characteristics correlated with such knowledge. The results indicate that public environmental knowledge remains painfully low, and that the major correlates of environmental knowledge are education, income, and sex. The need for the development of environmental knowledge scales that can be applied across a variety of research is discussed.

Migrant Farmworker Stress: Mental Health Implications

CONTEXT The number of Latinos in rural regions of the United States is increasing. Little is known about factors that undermine the mental health of this segment of the rural population. PURPOSE The goal of this study is to determine which stressors inherent in farmwork and the farmworker lifestyle contribute to poor mental health. METHODS An interview containing the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MFWSI) and 3 mental health scales (the PAI [anxiety], CES-D [depression], and CAGE/4M [alcohol abuse]) was administered to a sample of 125 male migrant farmworkers. Factor analysis differentiated discrete domains of stressors in the MFWSI. Regression models identified associations of the MFWSI stressor domains with mental health outcomes. FINDINGS Thirty-eight percent of participants had significant levels of stress as determined by the MFWSI. The MFWSI reduced to 5 stressor domains: legality and logistics, social isolation, work conditions, family, and substance abuse by others. Some 18.4% of participants had impairing levels of anxiety, 41.6% met caseness for depression, and 37.6% answered yes to 2 or more questions on the CAGE. Social isolation and working conditions were associated with both anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, social isolation was more strongly associated with anxiety, and working conditions were more strongly linked to depression. CONCLUSIONS Specific categories of stressors (social isolation, working conditions) inherent in farmwork and the farmworker lifestyle are associated with mental health among immigrant farmworkers. Isolating specific categories of stressors helps in designing programs and practice for the prevention and management of mental health disorders in the immigrant, farmworker population.

Workplace, household, and personal predictors of pesticide exposure for farmworkers.

In this article we identify factors potentially associated with pesticide exposure among farmworkers, grade the evidence in the peer-reviewed literature for such associations, and propose a minimum set of measures necessary to understand farmworker risk for pesticide exposure. Data sources we reviewed included Medline, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, PsycINFO, and AGRI-COLA databases. Data extraction was restricted to those articles that reported primary data collection and analysis published in 1990 or later. We read and summarized evidence for pesticide exposure associations. For data synthesis, articles were graded by type of evidence for association of risk factor with pesticide exposure as follows: 1 = association demonstrated in farmworkers; 2 = association demonstrated in nonfarmworker sample; 3 = plausible association proposed for farmworkers; or 4 = association plausible but not published for farmworkers. Of more than 80 studies we identified, only a third used environmental or biomarker evidence to document farmworker exposure to pesticides. Summaries of articles were compiled by level of evidence and presented in tabular form. A minimum list of data to be collected in farmworker pesticide studies was derived from these evidence tables. Despite ongoing concern about pesticide exposure of farmworkers and their families, relatively few studies have tried to test directly the association of behavioral and environmental factors with pesticide exposure in this population. Future studies should attempt to use similar behavioral, environmental, and psychosocial measures to build a body of evidence with which to better understand the risk factors for pesticide exposure among farmworkers.

Ecological Worldview and Environmental Knowledge: The “New Environmental Paradigm”

Abstract With the increased societal awareness of environmental issues, social scientists have expanded their examination of environmentally related topics. One component of this expansion has been the generation and growth of social theory which has the human-environment relationship at its core. This study is a further test of one of these theories, the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP). Using survey data, the relationship of the NEP to knowledge of environmentally relevant issues is examined. The results show ecological worldview as measured by the NEP scale has an independent influence on net environmental knowledge of other sociodemographic characteristics.