Search

"Hooking up" encompasses an array of definitions, embodies a multitude of implications, and is an almost unavoidable part of college life. The present study applies identity theory to patterns of casual sex and dating at college, more predominantly known as hookup culture, to examine how the "partier" identity shapes drinking, partying, and hooking up. More specifically, we incorporate structural and perceptual control aspects of identity theory, expecting to find that commitment to, salience of, and endorsement of meanings associated with the "partier" identity will increase hookup likelihood. In doing so, we move beyond a public health discourse of hookup "risks" and frame this sexual behavior as a form of identity verification deeply embedded in social relationships and the self. We utilize two waves of data collected six months apart from 19- to 27-year-old college students at a large, southeastern public university (n = 197). Path analyses were conducted in which we control for characteristics typically associated with hookup culture, finding limited effects of demographic characteristics (e.g., race, drinking, and Greek life membership) on behavior. Instead, we largely find support for the proposed direct and indirect effects of identity theory's concepts, collected at Wave 1, on hook up behaviors at Wave 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the protection of patient privacy rights by the Tennessee General Assembly conducting ex parte interviews in order to achieve the goals of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Topics discussed include unsustainable risk associated with ex-parte interviews in which plaintiffs medical history may be subjected to disputes, uneven disclosure of protected health information and presence of plaintiffs counsel at the time of interview.

Background: Residential environments are known to contribute to asthma., Objective: To examine the joint impacts of exposures to residential indoor and outdoor air pollutants and housing risk factors on adult asthma-related health outcomes., Methods: We analyzed >1-year of data from 53 participants from 41 homes in the pre-intervention period of the Breathe Easy Project prior to ventilation and filtration retrofits. Health outcomes included surveys of asthma control, health-related quality of life, stress, and healthcare utilizations. Environmental assessments included quarterly measurements of indoor and outdoor pollutants (e.g., HCHO, CO, CO 2 , NO 2 , O 3 , and PM), home walk-throughs, and surveys of environmental risk factors. Indoor pollutant concentrations were also matched with surveys of time spent at home to estimate indoor pollutant exposures., Results: Cross-sectional analyses using mixed-effects models indicated that lower annual average asthma control test (ACT) scores were associated (p < 0.05) with higher indoor NO 2 (concentration/exposure: β = -2.42/-1.57), indoor temperature (β = -1.03 to -0.94), and mold/dampness (β = -3.09 to -2.41). In longitudinal analysis, lower ACT scores were also associated (p < 0.05) with higher indoor NO 2 concentrations (β = -0.29), PM 1 (concentration/exposure: β = -0.12/-0.24), PM 2.5 (concentration/exposure: β = -0.12/-0.26), and PM 10 (concentration/exposure: β = 10.14/-0.28). Emergency department visits were associated with poorer asthma control [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.84; p < 0.001], physical health (IRR = 0.95; p < 0.05), mental health (IRR = 0.95; p < 0.05), higher I/O NO 2 ratios (IRR = 1.30; p < 0.05), and higher indoor temperatures (IRR = 1.41; p < 0.05)., Significance: Findings suggest that residential risk factors, including indoor air pollution (especially NO 2 and particulate matter), higher indoor temperature, and mold/dampness, may contribute to poorer asthma control., Impact: This study highlights the importance of residential indoor air quality and environmental risk factors for asthma control, health-related quality of life, and emergency department visits for asthma. Two timescales of mixed models suggest that exposure to indoor NO 2 and particulate matter, higher indoor temperature, and mold/dampness was associated with poorer asthma control. Additionally, emergency department visits were associated with poorer asthma control and health-related quality of life, as well as higher I/O NO 2 ratios and indoor temperatures. These findings deepen our understanding of the interrelationships between housing, air quality, and health, and have important implications for programs and policy., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)