Reference Information: Teresa E. Seeman, PhD, Burton H. Singer, PhD, Carol D. Ryff, PhD, Gayle Dienberg Love, PhD and Lené Levy-Storms, PhD, MPH 2002. Title: “Social Relationships, Gender, and Allostatic Load Across Two Age Cohorts” Psychosomatic Medicine, Volume 64, Pages 395-406
Main Concern/Objective: It has long been thought that there is an association between social relationships and environments and health outcomes.  Recently there have been thoughts of the social environment affecting health through biological pathways, and also that these health affects are demonstrated across the lifespan.  The main objective of the research in this article was to consider the idea of how social integration and support could affect morbidity and mortality through biological pathways. 
Research Methodology/Analytical Strategy:To test the idea the hypothesis that a range of biological systems are affected by social experiences, a new model of cumulative biological risk, called allostatic load was used. Research was done longitudinally using two age cohorts: adults aged 58 to 59 years (N = 106) and another including older adults aged 70 to 79 (N = 765), both which were studied for social relationships and similar measures of allostatic load. 
Description of Findings/ Results/ Main Points:In the younger cohort, lower allostatic load was associated with positive cumulative relationship experiences for men and women.  In the older cohort, more socially integrated and more emotionally supported men had lower allostatic scores, and similar results were shown for women.  “These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that social experiences affect a range of biological systems, resulting in cumulative differences in risks that in turn may affect a range of health outcomes.”
Implications:This cumulative measure of biological risk could be useful in looking at the health effects of complex matters such as social relationships, as “…such relationships likely affect a range of biological systems as cognitive and emotional qualities of social experiences are translated by the brain to downstream patterns of physiological activity.”  This research has shown that these effects are apparent throughout the lifespan, and may show an avenue for how health and aging are affected by social environment.
Your Overall Evaluation:I found this article and the research it portrayed to be interesting, but also somewhat difficult to understand.  Much of the writing was very detailed and technical and somewhat hard to decipher.  However, I believe these findings can tell us a lot about the importance of social relationships and environments.  The effects that these social aspects have on physiology and ultimately health outcomes throughout the lifespan and especially for older adults is something that I think should be considered as we study family relationships in middle and later years. 

Reference Information:Davison, T.E., & McCabe, M.P., April 2005 Relationships Between Men’s and Women’s Body Image and Their Psychological, Social, and Sexual Functioning Sex Roles, Vol. 52(7/8), 463-475
Main Concern/Theoretical Position: The focus of the study was to investigate the relationships between different characteristics of body image and psychological, social, and sexual functioning throughout adulthood. 
Research Methodology/Analytical Strategy:The study consisted of two hundred and eleven men and two hundred and twenty-six women, who were eighteen to eighty-six years of age.  The participants were classified into three groups; young adulthood (18-29 years), middle adulthood (30-49 years), and late adulthood (50-86 years).  The participants completed questionnaires and subscales of self-rated attractiveness, body satisfaction, body image importance, body image behaviors, appearance comparison, social physique anxiety, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social and sexual functioning. 
Dependent (main) Variable of Interest:The dependent variables were physical attractiveness, body image satisfaction, body image importance, body concealment, body improvement, social physique anxiety, and appearance comparison.  

Important Independent Variables Considered:The independent variables were gender and age group.
Description of Findings/Assertions:Body image was related with self-esteem for all age groups, although was unrelated to other components of psychological, social, and sexual functioning.  There were some exceptions; a disturbance in body image was related to problematic social and sexual functioning among middle-aged men and to depression and anxiety symptoms in late adulthood among men and women.  Middle-aged men who presented with the type of body image disturbance typical of women were more likely to have impaired interpersonal functioning.  These results demonstrate that social aspects of body image appear to be important in understanding psychological functioning in later life. 
Implications: Future researchers exploring the development of body image in adulthood should consider theoretically developed stages of adult development when choosing appropriate age categories to examine.  Body image could play a different role in the lives of adult’s ages fifty to sixty-five years than for adults in later years.  Another consideration could be using smaller homogeneous groups to show the development of body image and show specific relations of body image and day-to-day functioning at different ages.  Also, future researchers could examine different characteristics of body image for different populations.   
Your Overall Evaluation: I thought this article was interesting to read.  Although, it is kind of sad when they say a middle-aged man with low self-esteem or body image and impaired interpersonal functioning.  However, when women have lowered body image it does not seem to affect all components such as, psychological, social or sexual functioning.  I would be curious to read other articles that talk about these issues.  

Self-Esteem, Delinquent Peers, and Delinquency: A Test of the Self Enhancement Thesis
The purpose of this study was to test Kaplan’s (1978) self-enhancement thesis. This thesis argues that self-esteem is negatively related to delinquency, but that delinquency is positively related to self- esteem. The author is trying to link self-esteem and delinquency to delinquent peers. This article is directly related with the article given  “Youth gangs, delinquency and drug use: a test of the selection, facilitation, and enhancement hypotheses.” They both test adolescents and delinquent behavior by using the enhancement thesis.
In this article, the author is distinguishing the similarities and difference between self-esteem, and delinquency. “ Social psychology has long treated self-esteem as an important concept for understanding human behavior and psychological well-being”  (Jang 1998). This statement is also proved in several other studies as well. By looking at a child’s self-esteem level, you can tell a lot about him or her. Your able to predict several outcomes such as their delinquency, feelings of depression, anxiety, and school performance levels. When a child has a low self-esteem, they are more likely to have lower school performance levels as well. This study has proven this thesis, but it is not all way true. Poor performance can be related to other factors as well. The basis for both studies is the adolescents level of self-esteem.

Reference Information: Oliver W. Edwards and Andrew P. Daire. School-Age Children Raised by Their Grandparents:  Problems and Solutions Journal of Instructional Psychology, Vol.33, No. 2, 7 Pages (113-119).
Main Concern/Theoretical Position:  The social, emotional, and physical functioning of grandparents raising their grandchildren.  Research suggests grandparents in these families experience high levels of stress and psychosocial difficulty.
Research Methodology/Analytical Strategy:  Scholars addressed the behaviors and school-related functioning of grandchildren in households headed by grandparents as primary caregivers. (cf. Harrison, Richman, & Vittimberga, 2000; Reynolds, Wright, & Beale, 2003).  Grandparents who raise their grandchildren can provide a loving, familial home environment that is more positive than a foster care or other such governmental arrangement.  Nonetheless, raising children is difficult for grandparents during what should be their golden years.
Dependent (main) Variable of Interest:  An Alternate Family Structure.  The numbers of grandparents who become surrogate parents to their grandchildren are increasing substantially (Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2000).  According to the United States Census Bureau (2001), approximately 5.6 million grandparents live in homes that include grandchildren younger than 18 years of age.  Almost 6% of children in the United States live in households maintained by grandparents (Fuller-Thomson & Minkler).   Grandparenthood is frequently viewed as a role without any definitive characteristics because there are no explicit or set expectations (Landry- Meyer & Newman, 2004).  Several grandparenting styles are evident and it is difficult to establish what is or what should be normal. When the nuclear family breaks down children may experience social-emotional and school-related problems as a result.  Grandparents are generally, more often physically fragile, sicker, and older than the typical parent is.  Research indicates that when these grandparents take on a surrogate parenting role they tend to experience stress that results in increased illness depression, and anxiety (Emick, & Hayslip, 1999; Poehlmann, 2003).
Important Independent Variables Considered:  The two empirical studies available in the literature that exclusively investigate children raised by their grandparents suggest these children function similar to children raised in other alternate family structures (Harrison et al., 2000; Solomon & Marx, 1995). In the earliest study, the grandchildren evidenced better physical health and fewer behavioral problems than children living with only one biological parent.  The relationships between teachers were similar for both groups.  However, boys demonstrated more behavioral problems than girls did.
The second empirical study involved children who were referred to an outpatient child and family therapy clinic.  The findings of this study revealed children raised by their grandparents demonstrated elevated levels of emotional and behavioral problems, but not more than the other children referred to the clinic because of apparent need for counseling.
Description of Findings/Assertions:  The following are helpful approaches psychologists can apply when working with grandparents who are raising their grandchildren:
-Assess grandparents’ appraisals of the situation …do they focus on the stressors, challenges, or potential emotional rewards of caregiving.
-Assist them in finding meaning in parenting again.
-Identify risks for intergenerational patterns of relationship dysfunction and foster experiences leading to alteration of maladaptive cycles.
-Foster grandparents’ knowledge of strategies for responding therapeutically to grandchildren with disrupted attachments (Poehlmann, 2003, p.154).
-Intergenerational counseling and intervention approaches that address interactions, affect, communication, and emotional support favorably impact many grandparents’ emotional and physical well being (Poehlmann, 2003).
My Overall Evaluation:  Grandparents raising grandchildren is nothing new.  My best friend, Sandy, was raised by her grandmother.  I cannot remember why.  The surprises in this article are the problems brought out concerning the school-age children.  Sandy and Miss Rose never seem to have a problem with school or Sandy’s behavior towards her grandmother; perhaps it was the manner in which children were raised at that time.  A time when questioning the authority of a caregiver was not a “norm.”  Valid points are given concerning problems with today’s children, and way in which teachers, counselors, and programs can intervene for the good of all involved.  It is a definite plus that children are not put in foster homes quickly. Remaining with family makes the transition of leaving home due to death, divorce, or abuse easier to deal with. The author’s conclusion concerning grandparents raising their grandchildren is that grandparents can be allies with school professionals in ensuring their charges’ appropriate social-emotional development and school-related functioning.  The Authors believe they will more effectively link with teachers as sources of support, school involvement, and assistance (Gibson, 2005) when psychologists, school counselors, and other school professionals implement some of the practical and theory-based interventions offered in their article. 

Reference Information:  Fields, J. (2003). Children's living arrangements and characteristic: March 2002. U.S. Department of Commerce Economic and StatisticsAdministration. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov., (June 2003).
Main concern/ Theoretical Position: Children's welfare and what constitute better living conditions within the family structure.
Research Methodology/ Analytical Strategy: To give a demographic understanding of the U.S. population from a universal prospective, of what conditions constitutes a better living arrangement for children. This statistical data include non-sampling bias, and is based on interval ratio with no zero.
Dependent (main) Variable of Interest: Co-resident arrangement for children living with   a grandparent household without parent being present, were twice as likely to be in families that were below poverty level. For foreign born children, lack of education ffect their resources and is a strong indicator of their success in school, and their transition into adulthood. Children living with neither parent present were more likely to have incomes less than 30,000 than children in any other living arrangements.
Important Independent Variables Considered: Economic hardship suggests that in households maintained by parents, is based on resources, that relate to 9% lacked health insurance, 8% living in families below the poverty level, and 4% living in households that received food stamps (www.census.gov., 2003).
Description of Findings: The overall evaluation in identifying children's welfare is based on estimation,, because of non-sampling bias not included such as institutional

Reference Information: Gregory S. Liptak, MD, MPH, Mark Orlando, PhD, Jacalyn T. Yingling, MS, Karin L. Theurer-Kaufinan, PhD, Daniel P Malay, RPT, Luz A. Tompkins, MSW, Jeannette R. Flynn, MD. The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Journal of Pediatric Health Care, vol. 20 No. 4, July/August 2006,245-252.
Purpose of Study; To evaluate the needs of families with children and disabilities, and their primary health care plans. This article also discusses the different conditions some children have and the proper health care needed for each individual needs.
Sampling Comments: The American Academy of Pediatrics and Maternal and Child Health Bureau have stated, "All children with special health care needs will receive regular ongoing comprehensive care within a medical home". AAP (2006), "it should be accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family centered, coordinated, and compassionate. It should be delivered or directed by well-trained physicians who are able to manage or facilitate essentially all aspects of pediatric care." Based on clinical experience, it was hypothesized that families who have a child with autism would be less satisfied with primary care than families with other conditions.
Measures: This article reviewed the methods, surveys and data obtained throughout general analyses of each family depending on their child's condition. The tables that were shown allowed us to see the struggles each child depending on their condition goes through educationally, socially and emotionally. Then goes to show the ways these children's conditions affects then- parents.
Findings/Main Points; Throughout this article we are shown how hard it is for not only the children with special needs but also the tolls it ends up playing on mom and dad. Our primary health care services today state that, depending on the condition of your child, you can only receive so much help. The charts shown throughout this article show the families ability to answer questions about their child's condition, understanding the conditions, what doctors are qualified to help with their medical needs and what doctors know about the certain types of medications their child may be given. Parents of children with autism had the highest understanding and knowledge on how to manage then-children's needs properly. A study done by Brogan & Knussen stated that families who had a child with autism rated their primary care physicians lower than families who had a child with a physical or mental disability on the physicians ability to answer their questions regarding their child's condition and their ability to understand how the child's condition affects the family (Brogan and Knussen 2006).
Conclusion; hi conclusion this article helps better understand how less stress in a family can help better manage children with disabilities. This information was found through

Reference Information: Webley, P., & Nyhus, K. (2006). Parents' influence on children's future orientation and saving. Journal of Economic Psychology, 27(1), 140-164.
Purpose of Study: To explore the belief that the behavior of parents influences the economic actions of their children. And if aspects of economic socialization control economic manners in adult life (Webley & Nyhus, 2006).
Sampling Comments: The survey included information on economic behavior. Inquiries were sent out to the households on a weekly basis. The sample is representative of the Dutch population with respect to certain socioeconomic variables, such as region, political preference, age of the head of the household, housing, and degree of urbanization (Webley & Nyhus, 2006).
Measures: The following measures were collected from both parents and children; future orientation, bank savings, smoking behavior, net income,, education, economic socialization, preference for spending, plans for the future, control of expenditure, and relationships within the family (Webley & Nyhus, 2006).
Findings/Results/Main Points: It is reported that economic socialization ( being encouraged to have a bank account, having earned or been given money as a teenager, having discussed financial affairs with parents) is connected with future direction, education level, and a inclination for saving rather than spending left -over-money. It was also found that there was higher bank savings in those households where the husband expresses a preference for saving and where wives have a longer planning horizon. Contrary to expectations, education has a damaging effect on savings in households (Webley & Nyhus, 2006).
Conclusion:   The outcomes demonstrate that parental actions (such as talk about financial behavior with children) and parental orientations (conscientiousness, coming orientation) have a weak impression on children's fiscal behavior as well as fiscal behavior in adulthood (Webley & Nyhus, 2006). This information surprised me because I thought that it would have much more of an impact on children's future economic behavior.

 Reference Information: MacCallum, F., Golombok, S., & Brinsden, P. (2007). Parenting and child development in families with a child conceived through embryo donation. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(2\ 278-287.
Main Concern/Theoretical Position: The main concern of the article was to compare parents of children who were conceived through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), embryo donation, and adoption. The authors were interested to see if there were differences in parenting, child behavior, and outcomes based on the recent trend of parents who conceive a child through embryo donation. Those parents that raise a child from embryo donation are not biologically linked to the child, but they do take part in the pregnancy and prenatal development of the child before birth, which the authors thought may result in a difference between parents who adopt and did not take part in the prenatal development of the child. The article also considers the differences between parents who are biologically linked to the child through IVF, one parent and two parent instances, and those who have no biological link through embryo donation or adoption.
Research Methodology/Analytical Strategy: The methodology of the study was complicated. There were many dependent variables and three independent variables of embryo donated, IVF, and adoptive parents and children to compare all of the dependent variables to, so there were many methods used. They tape recorded interviews with the mothers and fathers separately and gave them questionnaires. These questionnaires and interviews were used to assess the quality of marriage and quality of parenting. Quality of parenting was broken down into the categories of expressed warmth, emotional over involvement, defensive responding, sensitive responding, and parent-child interaction. Psychological adjustment was tested by using the Parenting Stress Index. Anxiety was measured by the Trait Anxiety Inventory, and depression was measured by the Edinburgh Depression Scale. The conception disclosure or plan to disclose in the future was obtained by asking the parents if their children were told or if they planned to ever tell them. The socio-emotional adjustment of the children was tested by the preschool version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
Dependent (main) Variable of Interest: The main independent variable was parents who conceived through embryo donation and their children. FVF parents and adoptive parents were also independent variables which all of the same dependent variables were tested towards, and then the outcomes were compared to those of the embryo donated parents and children.
Important Independent Variables Considered: The independent variables that were geared towards the parents included attachment, security, parental warmth, gestational relationship (in embryo donated versus adoption only), social class, profession, age of mothers, length of time trying to create a family through alternative methods of conception, quality of marriage, emotional over involvement, defensive responding (when asked about the conception and disclosure to the child), sensitive responding, psychological adjustment, intention to disclose conception details to the child, anxiety, and depression. The independent variables that were geared towards the children

Reference Information: Robinson. Brvan E.    March 2001.Workaholism and Family Functioning: A Profile of Familial Relationships, Psychological Outcomes,, and Research Considerations: Contemporary Family Therapy. Vol. 23. Issue:

Main Concern/Theoretical Position: Robinson examined the relationship between workaholism, family functioning and the psychological outcomes of family members.

Research Methodology/Analytical Strategy: The term workaholic first appeared in a publication in 1968. Robinson is researching how the effects of a workaholic parent effects a family since the term first came into the vocabulary of the American public. Then he broke tl down to 400 physicians and asked their opinion on how they feel about what they have seen workaholic families.

Dependent (main) Variable of Interest: Robinson studies how a relationship is strained between the workaholic and his/her children. He also researches how the relationship is strained between his/her spouse.

Important Independent Variables Considered: He also examined the behaviors and interactions of families that do not have a workaholic spouse/parent

Description of Findings/Assertions: He saw that there was a definite difference in oven positive feelings towards the spouse/parent in the non workaholic families.

Implications: The are more harsh feelings and strained relationships, and also more psychological problems in the families with the workaholic spouse/parent.

Your Overall Evaluation: Even though this workaholic spouse/parent feels that they are contributing positively towards their family when it comes to financial security, they are mak their family more estranged in the end. The family as a whole does like a hard working spouse/parent, but when they cross that line that is when they feel that their relationship is drastically changing towards the worse.

Reference Information:Alice C. Schermerhorn, University of Nortre Dame; Catherine A. DeCarlo, University of Denver; Patrick T. Davies, University of Rochester Children's Influence in the Marital Relationship. Journal of Family Psychology, 2007, Vol.21, No. 2, Pgs 259-269
Purpose of Study: This study examines the link between marital conflict and children's behavior and how it corresponds to marital conflict. There are four parts to the study that are examined. The first is that marital discord would relate to negative emotional reactivity. The second is the link between children's behavioral responses and later marital conflict. The third is the behavioral dysregulation and how it relates to adjustment problems. The fourth is to explore individual differences in responding to marital conflict.
Participants: The sample is 232 primarily middle-class, cohabiting couples with a kindergarten age child. The couples had to have cohabited for at least three years to be eligible to participate. The ethnic background for the participants were, 82% White, 13% Black, and 5% Hispanic. The average income ranged from $40,000 to $55,000.
Procedure: the mothers and fathers completed questionnaires in separate rooms, and together completed a marital resolution task. With the parents' permission, teachers reported on their children's psychosocial functioning at school.
Measures: Marital functioning was measured by mothers and fathers reporting on their global marital satisfaction on the 15-item Marital Adjustment Test and also mothers and fathers completed the two-item Frequency/Severity subscale of the Conflicts and Problem-Solving Scales. Also there was a task which involved selecting two topics that the couple identified particularly hard to handle. The couples were asked to discuss the issue and the couple was videotaped during the interaction then coded. Child negative emotional reactivity was measured by the mothers and fathers completing the 7-item Negative Emotional Reactivity subscale of the Security in the Marital Subsystem. Child behavioral dysregulation was measures by parents completing the 5-item Behavioral Dysregulation subscale. Child adjustment was measured by the parents' assessment of their child using the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 4-18 years. Also teachers reported the child's behavior using the 62-item Externalizing scale of the teacher report form. The Child Behavior Scale was also completed.
Conclusion: As hypothesized, the study shows that with exposure to destructive marital conflict there is a link to a children's negative emotional reactivity. Also there is an effect to marital conflict involving children overtime and the parents are able to adjust. Evaluation: I agree with this conclusion not only because it makes sense that a parents unhappiness can effect a child but all of the research proves result. The information is very detailed.

Reference Information: Perspectives on Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology from the Allied Health Professional Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Nicoletti, A. (2204) Teen Pregnancy Prevention Issues Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 17 (2) 155.Retrieved October, 1 2007 from the World Wide Web: hrtp/ww.journals/ohiolink.edu Purpose of the Study: Douglas Kirby. PhD did a study on comprehensive evaluation and this determined why teen pregnancy occurs and some ways he thinks that he could stop it.
Sampling and Measures: Teen Pregnancy Rates among other countries has decreased in the past decade. The reason behind this is because teens have injectables birth control methods that last a lot longer then what they use to in the past and theirs a lot more types of birth control methods available now days. There was a time when their wasn't that many types of birth control that teens could take let alone get the birth control them selves. Now there are places available like Plan Parent Hood, and Prenagacy Services, that give out birth control to teen and any one else that needs it. People do not need a prescription anymore this could be very beneficial among teens that are fearful to give their parents notice that they're about to engage in sexual activity.
Findings / Results / Main points: The usage on condoms has gone up as well because of the high risk of contracting HIV. Some think that the rate of teen sexually activity in the US is the highest but that's not the case. The rates of teen sexually activey in the US are the same rates in any other countries. The differences between other countries and the US are that in some other countries they tend to talk about sex, and their teens have an understanding on sexual behavior.
Conclusions: The problem with the US is that they try to prevent teens from becoming pregnant instead of trying to prevent teens having sex. If teens having sex was the first issue of discussion just maybe teen pregnancy wouldn't be much of a problem. This is an issue that is a very highly talked about and a concern among the world today, and probably will never be under control.

Reference Information: Greenberg, J.S., Knudsen, K.J., and Aschbrenner, K.A. (2006) Prosocial Family Processes and the Quality of Life of Persons with Schizophrenia. Psychiatric Services, 57 12, 1771-1777. Retrieved October 3, 2007 from the World Wide Web.
Purpose of the Study: Individuals are likely to experience interactions characterized by feelings of warmth, closeness, and positive regard as expressions of support. Social support has been strongly associated with improved quality of life for persons with serious mental illness. The study aims to examine the relationship of aging mothers and adults with schizophrenia and prosocial family processes that potentially enhance rather than detract, from the life satisfaction of the persons with serious mental illness. The authors hypothesize that expressions of parental warmth and praise and a better-quality relationships between the parent and the child would be associated with higher levels of life satisfaction among adults with schizophrenia.
Sampling and Measures: This study was a longitudinal study of 295 families of adults with schizophrenia. This was the third wave of the study. The criteria for participation was that mothers must be 55 years or older, report that her son or daughter had been diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having schizophrenia, and the mother provided at least weekly assistance with major activity of daily living with her son or daughter with mental illness. Upon the third wave of the study the participants in the study were made up of 122 mother-child dyads. Mothers and children completed full-length home interviews and self-administered questionnaires. The child also completed a Satisfaction with Life Scale. Three indicators of prosocial family processes were used to evaluate data collected: warmth, praise, and quality of the relationship.
Findings/Results/Main Points: All three indicators of prosocial family processes were significantly correlated with the life satisfaction of the adult with schizophrenia. The strongest predictor of life satisfaction was of maternal warmth. The expression of greater warmth from the mother was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Likewise higher levels of maternal praise were related to great life satisfaction. Adults with schizophrenia reported that when they shared a close relationship that was mutually supportive with their mothers they also showed high levels of life satisfaction. It was found that not only did the participants report higher levels of life satisfaction but it was also found that the role of these prosocial processes reduced relapse rates among adults with schizophrenia.
Conclusions: In the mental health field most emphasis has been put on fixing families of an individual with a mental illness with little emphasis on family strengths such as the role in enhancing life satisfaction. Through the identification of indicators of prosocial family processes the authors assert that family support is important in the lives of individuals with schizophrenia. With the information provided in the study, future researchers have a guideline for developing interventions that promote goals in the care of persons with mental illnesses.

Reference Information: Kulm, Tracy L., Cramer, Sheran.   The Relationship of Student Employment to Student Role, Family Relationships, Social Interactions and Persistence. College Student Journal, vol. 40, Issue 4, December 2006, 1-6.
Purpose of Study:   To study the relationships of college student employment and its' effect on student life.   Given are several statics and charts backing up the study.
Sampling and Measures:   Approximately five hundred, nineteen to twenty-four year old, mid-western university undergraduates participated in and "on-line" survey.   Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analyses, reliability and correlations.   Study time/student time positively correlated with employment while grade point average negatively correlated with employment. Attendance and family relationships were not related to employment (Kulm, 2006).   Three items represented student role: 1) difficulty in finding time to do all things required of me, as a student, 2) it was difficult to do everything I was expected of a student, and 3) employment interfered with time spent studying outside the classroom.
Findings/Results/Main Points:   Findings reported where based on responses to a web-based survey by five hundred undergraduate students in a mid-western university.   Approximately sixty percent of respondents were female and forty percent male.   The majority of students were twenty to twenty-two years old.   Most had no children.   Ninety-nine percent had never married. Fifty-three percent were employed for financial reasons and thirty eight point six percent were employed for both financial reasons and professional development.   The higher the number of hours employed the more employment interfered with study time and student time.   Students are spending less time preparing for class than is recommended and that may be due to more students

Reference Information: Fuchs, V. R. (1999) Health care for the elderly: how much? Who will pay for it? Health Affairs, Vol 18, Issue 1, 11-21
Purpose of Study: This article looks at soaring medical cost expected for the elderly over the next 13 years, the root cause, and a number of means by which to meet these cost increases.
Sampling Comments: "Health care expenditures on the elderly tend to grow about 4 percent per year more rapidly than the gross domestic product (GDP). This could plunge the nation into a severe economic and social crisis within two decades. Efforts to 'save Medicare' will prove to be 'too little, too late' unless they are embedded in broader policy initiatives that slow the rate of growth of health care spending and/or increase the income of the elderly." (Fuchs, 1999)
Measures: The annual rate of change in Medicare payments per person by age and gender from 1987 to 1995 ranged between 4% and 5% per year. The rate of change tended to be higher for older ages and for women in general. During that same period GDP only grew at an annual rate of about 1.2%. The average amount in 1995 dollars per person was about $9,200 in 1995. Should those trends continue (and without any inflationary considerations), the average amount per person would be about $25,000 in the year 2020.
Findings/Results/Main Points: The article is quick to point out one singular reason for the above mentioned growth. That was only after they rounded up the usual suspects to no avail of -increases in physician's fees, as they were not increasing, hospital admissions were increasing and patients stayed longer in hospitals, as that was not the case, and the declining health of the elderly, as that was not the case either. Most experts believed that technology was the driving force behind the long-term medical cost. The medical system was delivering more and better services and products, i.e. new drugs, MRI, hip replacements, angioplasties and many other costly interventions.
The author proposes two possibilities to avoid this crisis - slow the rate of growth of health care spending on the elderly or find ways to pay for the additional care. Three means are suggested to slow the growth rate, (1) slow rate of growth of resources used in healthcare, (2) produce the same or more services with fewer resources, and (3) slow the rate of growth for real services to patents. The second possibility is to find ways to pay for the additional care.
The biggest problem with slowing the rate of growth in healthcare will create a major decline in the quality of health care and ignore the benefits that improved technology can bring to us. Significant and unrealistic increase in taxes and in elderly income is what makes finding ways to pay for services not likely.
Conclusion: Lacking specific knowledge in this area makes it difficult to express opinion on this matter. It does, however, begs the question from me that, if we can go to the moon, how could these issues get so out of hand. It is not as though we didn't know about the "baby boom" phenomenon and that it was sure to have adverse economical effect in the future. Long term reform of Medicare (and Social Security) must be taken more seriously and cease being a political football by the politicians. At the very least, our policy makers must realize that total expenditures for health care on the elderly, will soon exceed GDP, tax revenue, and personal income of the elderly. How can our policy makers continue to justify financing war and deny our elderly the quality of the best health care and the longest of life to maximize the benefits of our technological prowess?