buy custom Public Smoking essay

buy custom Public Smoking essay Public smoking exposes non-smokers to cigarette smoke. It occurs involuntarily and is known as a secondhand smoke (Romp, 2011). Secondhand smoke has various health hazards to people who do not use tobacco (Christensen, 2003). In some circumstances, its effects are similar to those experienced in smokers. Secondhand smoke in enclosed places has almost same effects as smoking. It results in involuntary smoking and thus causing detrimental health effects. Tobacco affects people in varying ways. This occurs because human bodies react to foreign substances differently due to the differences in the genes (Oaks, 2001). Either way, effects of secondary smoke should be avoided since it occurs involuntarily (Kabat, 2008). Many of the non-smokers do so voluntarily. They do so due to various reasons most of which are health related. Bans on public smoking thus should be implemented to protect innocent people from smoke related health dangers (Romp, 2011). Various health complications, which may even lead to death, are caused by secondhand smoke. Effects in infants Severe health effects occur in infants because of secondhand smoke. This is attributed mainly to their tender bodies, which cannot withstand the smoke (Oaks, 2001). These effects are so serious that they even lead to the death in some cases. A myriad of complications occur in infants because of public smoking (Kabat, 2008). Apart from causing death, effects of the secondhand smoke cause various detrimental consequences (Christensen, 2003). Some of these effects affect the individual even in adulthood. Secondhand smoke increases risk of asthma in infants. The smoke affects the respiratory system and thus causing asthmatic reactions (Romp, 2011). Asthmatic children, who are exposed to smoke, experience more serious asthmatic conditions. This occurs because of the chemicals in the smoke, which interfere with respiration (Romp, 2011). Serious asthmatic attacks can lead to death in infants. Secondhand smoke triggers such attacks and thus may lead to death of infants. Infants in families where smoking occurs get such attacks more often than in families of non-smokers. It also results in sudden infant death syndrome (Oaks, 2001). The smoke causes coplications in the lungs resulting in death. This is very common in the US and other countries where smoking is widely practiced. The syndrome may also occur due to a combination of complications in the system of the infant (Romp, 2011). The chemical in the smoke triggers these complications. Secondhand smoke causes over four hundred deaths of infants in the US per year (Kabat, 2008). This unwanted loss of innocent lives calls for action against the secondhand smoke. This can be reduced by banning public smoking hence such bans are welcome. The smoke exposes these young ones to the lung infections (Romp, 2011). These result in diseases such as bronchitis. These diseases cause serious health conditions, which are even fatal to infants. The infections increase the risks of contracting tuberculosis in infants (Christensen, 2003). Various infections thus occur because of the lung infections. Even not taken care of, these infants may end up dying. It also causes impairment in the breathing system. This occurs mainly because the smoke has the effect of slowing the growth of the lungs (Kabat, 2008). The smoke has other various effects in infants. It is known to cause allergies in infants. They occur due to the reaction against chemicals such as nicotine present in the smoke (Romp, 2011). It also affects the nervous system of the young (Kabat, 2008). This causes nervous disorders, which are carried on even to the adulthood. These may cause difficulties in learning and coordination as well. Its effects are also known to cause the middle ear infections. This is related to the effects caused by the smoke to the lungs. Such serious health issues cannot be overlooked. This calls for bans on public smoking since it will help to reduce such cases. Smoke is a major cause of the cancer today. It is mainly associated with lung cancer (Oaks, 2001). It also causes the breast cancer and more so on women who have not yet reached the menopause (Kabat, 2008). Secondhand smoke is a significant contributor of cancer cases. Passive smoking damages lungs of non-smokers leading to complications, which result in cancer. This is attributed to chemicals present in the smoke, more so nicotine (Christensen, 2003). It damages the lung tissues resulting in cancerous cells. Passive smoking is also known to be a major cause of brain tumoors in non-smokers. Cancer is difficult to cure particularly in its later stages. Today cancer is one of the major killers and most deaths are smoke related. This calls for ban of public smoking to protect those who do not use the product (Oaks, 2001). Secondhand smoke results in coronary diseases in non-smokers. This occurs mainly to those exposed to the smoke in enclosed places. Smoke is known to cause obesity and thus resulting in the heart complications (Kabat, 2008). This smoke also increases the risk of stroke upon exposure. Stroke causes deaths and thus involuntary smoke may result in deaths. The smoke also increases the heart rate in people particularly in those with heart problems (Kabat, 2008). This increases the risk of heart attack and deaths of people exposed to the secondhand smoke. Passive smoking causes premature birth (Oaks, 2001). This occurs when a mother is exposed to the smoke while pregnant. Premature births may be a reason of the death of newborns. Passive smoking of pregnant mothers also leads to the birth of underweight babies. It also affects the spine of the fetus during its development. This results in back pains of the victims during their adulthood (Oaks, 2001). Tobacco business is known to create huge revenues to governments. However, the gains are eroded by the health implications of smoking. Cancers and other diseases caused by smoking are difficult to treat (Christensen, 2003). They require expensive equipments thus call for significant investments. A big fraction of health budgets in many countries are devoted to treatment of these diseases. To reduce these economic effects, ban on public smoking is needed. This will reduce the number of such diseases hence saving the governments money (Kabat, 2008). Passive smoking has various health effects to non-smokers. They are similar to those experienced by smokers. This results in people involuntarily suffering from smoke related diseases. These diseases have negative impacts to human health (Kabat, 2008). They lead to millions deaths annually in various countries. They also account for large amounts of medical expenditure. I therefore agree that smoking in public places should be banned because of the health risks for non-smokers. Buy custom Public Smoking essay

A Law Unto Themselves

A Law Unto Themselves A Law Unto Themselves A Law Unto Themselves By Maeve Maddox I heard someone on the radio refer to a particular group of people as being â€Å"a law into themselves.† The only version of this idiom that I’m familiar with is â€Å"a law unto themselves.† The expression derives from Romans 2:14. Numerous English translations of the Bible render the phrase as â€Å"a law unto themselves,† but some use a different preposition, like to or for. Here are three translations: For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves.- King James Version (KJV) Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,  they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.- New International Version (NIV). For when Gentiles, who do not have the law,  by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.- English Standard Version (ESV) The passage refers to Gentiles who, although they lacked the law that had been given to the Jews, had their own laws that taught them how to live righteously. The preposition unto is a fossil. It once had several meanings, including some of the modern meanings of into, but, by the 18th century, its use had become obsolete in standard speech- except for the idiom â€Å"to be a law unto oneself.† Note: The word unto, meaning to, is sometimes heard in an elevated religious context, as in We cry unto the Lord. The modern use of â€Å"a law unto themselves† differs in meaning from the way it is used in the Bible passage. In the biblical context, the Gentiles are perceived as obeying a different law, but presumably their law applies to all of them. In modern usage, â€Å"to be a law unto oneself† suggests that the person or people so described ignore laws that apply to everyone else, doing as they please, as if they were above the law. Here are some examples from the Web: The NYPD may enforce the law, but they’re also a law unto themselves.- The Guardian. They [the khap panchaya] believe theyre supreme, a law unto themselves.- The Times of India.   The Soviet Politburo was a law unto itself.- The Washington Post The CIA: A Law Unto Itself- The Nation Nicole Kidman Law Unto Herself- New York Magazine Here are some non-idiomatic uses that use the preposition into instead of unto: French waiters are a law into themselves- TripAdvisor Hobby Lobby threatens to make religious believers a law into themselves.- UCLA law professor. Its a real policy dilemma because people begin to believe they can be the [sic] law into themselves.- Another law professor. Note: The quotations from the law professors appeared in newspaper articles; the fault of substituting into for unto may lie with the reporters or their editors. If a speaker does not wish to use archaic unto, the idiomatic choice of preposition is plain to: French waiters are a law to themselves. Hobby Lobby threatens to make religious believers a law to themselves Its a real policy dilemma because people begin to believe they can be a law to themselves Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†50 Words with Alternative Spellings

How computers changes our lives Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How computers changes our lives - Lab Report Example Computer is a machine, which can be used to store data as well as to receive data. Computer is used as a tool in the society along with the Internet. Computers in the modern world have become a very complex because of a lot of component frame within a single computer and these components functions different functions for different purposes In addition to above, this is a research report consisted of some questions and the response analysis. This research report reveals the way computer is playing an important role to change one’s life. These questions will be regarding the role of computer in changing one’s life. To evaluate or to investigate how far the role of computer in the lives of individuals is deep rooted and what roles it is playing in facilitating the individuals to spend a smooth or comfortable life is the aim of this paper. In this paper, I will be using quantitative method to collect data from different persons and will be using a questionnaire consisted of eight questions. The questionnaire is based on a Likert scale that has the options, strongly agree, agree, agree to some extent, strongly disagree, disagree and disagree to some extent. The sample size is constituted of fifteen respondents. Random sampling was used to select individuals for the survey from the list of contacts that the researcher had on the social media. Using the Microsoft Excel will do the graphical representations. The majority of responses from the survey indicate that it will become evident that there seems to be a strong role of computer in individuals’ lives, especially, to the educated individual’s life. The use of computer in everyday life is increasing day by day from offices to universities (Hilber and LÃ ³pez). Without computer it is not possible for a person to access Internet, the largest and the easiest reservoir of information, entertainment and knowledge. 66% of responses indicate

Work in the Nursing Profession Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Work in the Nursing Profession - Case Study Example Most of the older people have multiple pathologies or diagnoses, but more often many symptoms are erroneously attributed to the older age, and no single cause should be ignored since it may lead to catastrophic consequences. With this background, the case history of Molly can be analyzed further to answer the questions related to her present illness. This 80-year-old widow for 2 years lives alone in her own house and is currently finding it very difficult to stay there. She has a large family of six children, all of whom are married, and although close to them, she is now finding it difficult to adjust. She had a chance of outing with these grandchildren, but their play and noise recently is falling on her nerves. It may be due to irritability due to some other reason. With the outing being brought to an end, she has been rendered more home bound. At home, she enjoys her television and garden, although it is doubtful as to how much gardening she can do herself. Medically, she is under care of her primary care physician for last 40 years, and her medications include prescription medications for arthritis, asthma, and heart problems. She has arthritis in almost all of her joints, and an aggravation of this problem and the pain associated with it has led to her increased consumption of over-the-counter pain relief medications and h eartburn medications. Moreover, the arthritis has aggravated to an extent that she needs to use walking stick, and her exercise has almost come to an end leading to restriction in mobility and gain in weight. She could manage to go to the local chemist for vitamins commuting in a bus, but that now seems improbable. Over the top of it recently, she does not seem to be able to manage her accounts efficiently. Many a times recently, she went shopping without money, and this forgetfulness has been noticed by the family members, and she gets irritated when somebody mentions this to her. Social contacts constricting, she has thus been left with her pastimes of reading, gardening, and television watching. In this admission, she had a fall in her garden leading to facial injury and hematoma and fracture neck of femur on the right hand side making a case for surgical procedure and acute hospital admission. It is expected that she would recover soon and be discharged home in a dependent condi tion needing home health assistance and care. She is not open to having someone unknown coming to her house and caring for her. Molly would need community care, and before instituting care, an assessment is necessary. One of her most important problems from the community care point of view is her recent confusion and intellectual failure making her dependent on others. Falls are comparatively recent additions to her condition that makes her vulnerable and dependent on others needing adjustments or constant watch. His prolonged arthritis would have led to contracture deformities in most of her joints restricting her mobility further die to loss of range of motion and painful joint conditions over the top of her age-related hypertension and onset of dementia. Her immobility predisposes her to many complications such as falls that has occurred, urinary incontinence, infections, pressure sores, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism, and the care that would be planned in the community level would need sharp attention to prevent these (Carmody and Forster, 2003, 1-11). This lady has thus all, impairment,

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay I belong to the White ethnic group which was responsible for the colonization of North America. While I am part of the White ethnic group, my family immigrated to the United States from Germany quite some time after the major colonization of North America. When most people think about the colonization of North America they think of White people on the Mayflower landing on Plymouth Rock. While the pilgrims did colonize what is now referred to as New England, the Spanish were actually the first to colonize North America. No matter who first colonized North America, this colonization caused an influx of immigrants that asserted their dominance over the native people. This colonization was also the root cause of slavery being introduced to this New World. Pilgrims are most notably identified as coming to North America to escape religious persecution. The ironic part of the colonization is that the pilgrims forced their religion on those native to North America. It is important to note that this may be one of the first indications of future ethnic and racial problems that would caused by the colonization of North America. I dont think people normally think about racism happening to Caucasians. Unfortunately it is very common for racism to happen to all ethnic groups in the U. S. Caucasian racism and prejudice against other ethnic and racial groups always seem to get the most publicity. It would be better to broaden our view of prejudice and racism so that we could get the whole story. I think that the Caucasian group had brought most of this negative attention on itself. Historically the U. S. has been dominated by Caucasians, which means this group doesnt have as much to worry about restrictions due to ethnicity or racial group. If we break down the Caucasian group even further we can see that this is even truer for the males, which I am, of this group. Male Caucasians have long been the dominant force in U. S. society. The majority of restrictions placed on females and ethnic groups have been enforced by Male Caucasians. The most notable Caucasian discrimination has been against African Americans. African Americans were largely used for slave labor during the beginning of the U. S. Going from slave to equal isnt easy, in both occurrence and acceptance from the former dominant or controlling group. This dominant position can be seen as a major reason why the view of discrimination is still focused on Caucasians. Since the Caucasian males of the past have put restrictions on most other ethnic groups, this wrong was attempted to be undone by Affirmative Action laws (Fullinwider, Robert). While most people see Affirmative Action as being helpful, it has also caused discrimination against Caucasian males. Some government agencies require a quota on hiring certain ethnic groups (this included female Caucasians). This can cause a job candidate that has hirer qualifications to be passed over just to fulfill a quota. I have seen this happen to my father while he was applying for a firefighter/EMT position. You can easily see the Caucasian male dominance by noticing the dual labor market effect. I see it more as a multiple labor market since I would also include female Caucasians as another labor market. Immigrants from Mexico often enter into a portion of this multiple labor market, most notably the farming community. Whether it is farming, manual labor, or the lower-end service sector it seems that it seems more acceptable to Caucasians for other ethnic groups to occupy these types of jobs. When the other ethnic groups occupy positions normally held by Caucasian males, we often see a limitation in their ability to progress in that profession (glass ceiling). If you look at the breakdown of people who run companies you will see this is dominated by Caucasians males, followed by males of the other ethnic groups, then females of all ethnic groups. Discrimination isnt only apparent in the job market, but in how companies invest in certain areas. It is seen in our response to what is happening in other areas of cities or areas of the country. We have slums and ghettos that dont get investment monies to fix them up due to the lower class segregation. We have other areas occupied by a high number of non-Caucasians that dont get investments just because of their ethnicity. New Orleans is a perfect example of all of these inequalities. It was a city segregated by race, ethnicity, and social class standing. The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina happened to people who couldnt afford to get out on their own, and was compounded by the predominantly Caucasian governments lack of response (arguably due to the racial differences between U. S. leaders and with the people effected by the disaster). I dont feel that I fit in with the standard culture for my Caucasian ethnic group or the U. S. mainstream culture. I dont participate in any religions, as I believe in myself and science that can be proved. I dont feel that I am or need to be better than any other ethnic group. I couldnt care less about what style is popular or what haircuts are in. I just try to be myself and try to ignore things that try to sway my opinions. Instead of taking someones word for something I would rather research and come to my own decision (almost to a fault). I think it is better to be different than a lemming following the crowd running off the cliff. References Fullinwider, Robert (2005). Affirmative Action. Retrieved February 1, 2006 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/.

Harmful Affects of Marijuana :: Marijuana Should NOT Be Legal

Marijuana or cannabis is one of the most commonly abused drugs. Marijuana consists of the dried and crushed leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the cannabis sativa plant. Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, also know as THC, is the primary psychoactive, mind-altering ingredient in marijuana that produces the feeling of being â€Å"high.† In this paper I will discuss some of the uses of marijuana, the effects of marijuana, its history, and some of the treatment methods for marijuana. Cannabis is one of the oldest known agricultural plants. Therefore it has a large presence in the history of the world. Woven fabrics have been discovered that are believed to be hemp fibers from 8000 to 7000 B.C. The first know use of hemp comes from China in about 4500 B.C. Which was used for rope, net making, and cloth weaving. Also, China was the first to use the plant for psychoactive purposes. India has documented the use of marijuana, or â€Å"bhang,† in the group of religious books known as the four â€Å"Vedas,† in about 1400 and 1000 B.C. These books refer to marijuana as one of the â€Å"five kingdoms of herbs†¦ which release us from anxiety.† Scientists believe that cannabis was introduced to the Middle East and Europe via India. Evidence has shown the use of cannabis in Norway and Germany in 400 B.C. In America, most believe that the Native Americans were aware of this plant, but most likely introduced by the Spaniards. The Spaniards brought the cannabis seed to Chile around 1545. In America, the plant was first grown in Virginia and Massachusetts in the sixteen hundreds. This plant was considered legal from the 1600’s until the 19th century. There is little evidence that shows marijuana being used for recreationally use in the U.S. during the 17th and 18th centuries. The drug became popular in the mid-19th century and was in most drugstores in though the beginning of the 20th century. Around the same time the recreational use for marijuana was first discovered. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 put a heavy tax on manufactures, importers, dealers, pharmacists, and medical practitioners. This tax outlawed the substance for recreational use. There was a very negative attitude toward marijuana during the 1940’s and 1950’s, although there was a resurgence of this drug during the 1960’s. Though this resurgence marijuana is still used for recreational use today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana has many harmful effects on the human body.

Epi Study Guide – Leon Gordis

Reverse Time Order- outcome actually come before the exposure (opposite of hypothesis); the outcome Is really the exposure and the exposure Is really the outcome d. Chance- to occur accidentally, without design, a coincidence e. Bias- systematic error in design, conduct, or analysis of a study that results in a mistaken estimate 3. 4 enduring epidemiological understandings patterns to their occurrence. These patterns can be identified through surveillance of populations. Examining these patterns of health and disease can help us formulate a hypothesis bout their possible causes. B.A hypothesis can be tested by comparing the frequency of disease in selected groups of people with and without the exposure to determine if the exposure and the disease are associated. When the exposure is hypothesized to have a beneficial effect, studies can be designed in which a group of people is intentionally exposed to the hypothesized cause and compared to a group that is not exposed. When an exposur e is hypothesized to have detrimental effect, it is unethical to intentionally expose a group of people. In these circumstances, studies can be designed that observe groups of free living people with and without the exposure. . One possible explanation for finding an association is that the exposure causes the outcome. Because studies are complicated by factors not controlled by the observer, other explanations also must be considered, including chance, bias, confounding and reverse time order. D. Judgment about whether an exposure causes a disease is developed by examining a body of epidemiological evidence as well as evidence from other scientific disciplines 8 cause-effect criteria questions 1 . What is the strength of association between the risk factor and the disease? 2. Can a biological gradient be demonstrated? 3. Is the finding consistent?Has it been replicated by others in other places? 4. Have studies established that the risk factor precedes the disease? 5. Is the risk f actor associated with on disease of many different diseases? 6. Is the new finding coherent with earlier knowledge about the risk factor and the disease? 7. Are the implications of the observed findings biologically sensible? Been produced by controlled administration of the risk factor? 4. Active surveillance a. s when the researcher is actively to collect data for the study 5. Age-adjusted rates a. Eliminate the effects of differences in the age distributions of populations 6. Association a. Towards the null = towards no association 7. Bias a. Systematic error in design, conduct, or analysis of a study that results in a mistaken estimate of an exposure's effect on the risk of disease 8. Biological gradient/ dose-response relationship 9. Biological sense – Are the implications of the observed findings biologically sensible? If it doesn't make biological sense today, doesn't mean it can't in future 10. Landing- a. Blind the participants, blind people administering exposures, and even blind assessors evaluating if they do or do not have outcome I.Other measures, such as mean differences, are used if the data are continuous 39. Measures of statistical stability – P values and confidence intervals are the two main ways to asses the role of chance in epidemiological research. The null P value and 95% confidence interval are most commonly used. 40. Misclassification a. Indifferently misclassification – likelihood that misclassification is equal (if there is an association, you are less likely to find it) b. Differential misclassification – alters measure of affect 42. National Children's Health Study a.The National Children's Health Study will examine the effects of the environment, as broadly defined to include factors such as air, water, diet, sound, family dynamics, community and cultural influences, and genetics on the growth, development, and health of children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21 years b. Cohort study 43. Natural Experiments -natural occurring circumstances in which groups of Pl within a population have been exposed to different levels of the hypothesized exposure. 44. Necessary and sufficient a. Al people with the ADZ are exposed 45. Not necessary and sufficient a. Those who have the ADZ may or may not be exposed 46. Necessary and not sufficient a. Elf you have the ADZ you have the exposure; you can have the exposure but the exposure may not be enough for you to get the ADZ 47. Not necessary and not sufficient a. Do not need to have exposure to have outcome, outcome does not mean you have b. XSL could be a cause of ADZ 48. Numerator a. A count 49. Nun Study- a. Retrospective cohort study, 1,000 nuns participated in the study. 3 of the nuns rote an autobiography at 22 linguistic in relation to Alchemies. 50. Observational Studies a. An epidemiological study of a natural experiment in which the investigator is not involved other than to count 51 . Odds ratio a. Ratio of the probability of the occurrence of an event to that of it's nonoccurrence b. OR= (A/C) / (BID) Students who did not do their homework had an odds of having a cell phone 9 times that of students who did their homework. 52. Outcome – ADZ, caused by exposure 53. P value 54. Passive surveillance is when the researcher relies on the available data for the study

Hum 176. Week 1 Mass Media

University of Phoenix Material- Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Write brief 250-to 300-word answers to each of the following: |Questions |Answers | |What were the major developments in the |In the early/middle 20th century brought a mass of developments into the world. Some of | |evolution of mass media during the 20th |the extended communication lines begin to extend then with radios, televisions, | |century? newspapers. The late 20th century added other forms of media through internet, social | | |communication, and technology such as video games. Media was the forefront of culture and | | |brought people together. Media is a mixture of mass media and communication outlets. | | |Before mass communication, people wrote letters and sent them through mail to communicate. | |However since the evolution, there are new ways such as email, text messages, video | | |conferencing, chatting, etc. This century has adapted to the media conversion and it has | | |evolved into daily lifestyles. In the average workplace, new waves of technology have | | |begun to embark on the evolution by removing files, the use of paper, more recycling, and | | |using technology to its full potential.The average employer no longer requires paper | | |applications. More applications for employment can be done online, through smartphone | | |services with just one touch. Another major development streamed lined in the early 1900’s| | |with the authority of the printing press. As the invention successfully streamed, it | | |allowed the news press and local media to get more local news out effectively. Theatres | | |embraced the line of cinema.More movies also became famous as part of the century | | |entertainment. There were no longer more outside evening films. The films also gained | | |communication through the development of radio. Radio became the worldwide core to news, | | |entertainment, and the source that people could rely on. The radio started to be the hit | | |location f or many artist to show their talents and for viewers to hear top hit songs.The | | |late 20th century brought on more collaboration of music through the internet, cell | | |phones, and applications downloads on the internet, and more. The major developments have | | |been a great asset to the country and will continue to be embraced by individuals. | |How did each development influence | | |American culture? | |

Critical Review of a Paper Investigating the Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy The WritePass Journal

Critical Review of a Paper Investigating the Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy Introduction Critical Review of a Paper Investigating the Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy ) into the application of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB, Ajzen, 1988, 1991) and its effectiveness in predicting intention to carry out health related behaviours. The TPB is a social cognition model, meaning that it seeks to predict intention to carry out a behaviour and to understand why individuals may fail to adhere to a behaviour to which they were once committed. The theory claims that three variables can be used to predict an individual’s behaviour: the individual’s attitude toward the behaviour, the attitude of significant others toward the behaviour and the individual’s perceived control over a behaviour. Perceived control over behaviour is governed by both internal factors such as an individual’s skills or available resources, and external factors such as actual opportunities to carry out the behaviour. Unlike the individual’s attitude toward the behaviour and the attitude of others, perceived control over the behaviour is believed to i nfluence both the intention to carry out the behaviour and the behaviour itself. In particular, the authors were investigating whether the TPB could be used to predict intention to consume alcohol during pregnancy. Previous research has found the TPB to be useful for predicting a range of other health related behaviours (Godin and Kok, 1996) and alcohol consumption behaviours in particular (Marcoux Shope, 1997; McMillan Conner, 2003). The authors focused on the role of TPB in being able to predict the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking during pregnancy is a major health issue. It has been found to influence a number of outcomes for the child including maladaptive behaviours (Sood et al., 2001) and weight at birth (Mariscal et al., 2006). Despite its relation to negative outcomes for the child, up to 54% of women in the UK have claimed to have consumed alcohol during their pregnancy (Bolling et al., 2007). Study Description 130 women based in the Aberdeenshire area returned a questionnaire that was distributed to them at their 20-week pregnancy scan. Of these, analysis was carried out on 116 women. The questionnaire included questions designed to gather information on demographic details, past and present alcohol consumption, and TPB variables. The TPB variables included measuring the participants’ intention to engage in the behaviour, their attitude toward the behaviour, their beliefs about the subjective norm and their perceived behavioural control. The study found that the majority of participants made changes to their drinking behaviour once they found out that they were pregnant, with these changes taking the form of a reduction in alcohol consumption. 64.7% abstained from alcohol altogether during their pregnancy, 34.5% continued to drink to some level and 0.9% did not answer. Of those women who continued to drink during their pregnancy, 13.4% were drinking above the recommended maximum lev els whereas the rest were drinking one to two units between two and four times per month. It was also found that although most participants received information about drinking during their pregnancy, 12.9% received no information. In relation to the TPB theory, it was found that women who abstained from drinking after finding out they were pregnant had significantly higher scores on the intention scale, suggesting that they had a significantly greater intention to quit alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Abstaining participants also had significantly higher scores on the subjective norm scale, indicating that they felt more pressure from what others thought about drinking during pregnancy. Abstainers were also found to have significantly lower scores on the attitude scale, suggesting a much less positive attitude toward the behaviour of drinking during pregnancy. In contrast,, the scale that measured perceived behaviour control did not show any significant differences between those women who abstained and those who continued to drink during their pregnancy. Attitude toward the behaviour and the influence of what others thought of the behaviour were found to be strongly and significantly correlated with intention to carry out the behaviour of abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. TPB was able to explain 59.3% of variance in intention to drink during pregnancy. Furthermore, the theory was able to correctly classify 91.8% of cases and as a result, was statistically able to distinguish between drinkers and abstainers. The authors concluded that as attitude was found to have the greatest statistically significant contribution to predicting intention and to contribute significantly to predicting actual behaviour, it would be an ideal candidate for intervention focus. As perceived behaviour control was the only TPB component found not to contribute, the authors suggest that the model without this component would be appropriate for predicting intention to consume alcohol during pregnancy. Critical Review The reviewed article addressed an important health issue, namely investigating how drinking alcohol during pregnancy could be reduced by understanding what drives or stops women from having the intention to carry out this behaviour. The finding that attitude toward drinking whilst pregnant has a significant impact on both intention to drink during pregnancy and actual drinking during pregnancy could have wider clinical and educational applications. Nevertheless, the authors are vague in how their findings could be applied in the real world and fail to make useful suggestions based on their data. The finding that some women were not provided with information pertaining to the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is also an important one because it highlights that some health trusts are failing to help women make informed decisions about this subject. However, it is not touched upon in the discussion. The study’s introduction is a little weak in that it does not make an overly convincing argument as to why their chosen topic is important and worth investigating. It makes only a brief reference to the negative impact that alcohol consumption can have on both mother and baby, and the literature to which it refers is quite outdated. This suggests that a thorough and recent literature review may not have been carried out. Furthermore, the study could present a much stronger argument as to why the TPB may be applicable to this health behaviour in particular. There is some justification in that the authors of the paper chose this particular theory on the premise that a socially-based theory such as TPB could highlight risk factors for the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy that could be more easily influenced than previous risk factors that have been identified such as drinking habits before pregnancy and socioeconomic status (Stewart Streiner, 1994; Yamamoto et al., 2008). Risk factors such as these cannot be easily changed. In contrast, risk factors based on attitudes toward a behaviour can be more easily altered through education or government interventions. The discussion does not flow particularly well and the overall conclusions of the study are not entirely clear. An advantage of the TPB is its holistic approach. It attempts to understand the behaviour of an individual in the context of both an individual’s attitude toward a behaviour, their perceived control over that behaviour and how they perceive others to judge the behaviour. However, our intentions to carry out a behaviour or not are the result of an incredibly complex process during which many variables are taken into account. Although the limitations of the study’s methodology are touched upon in the discussion, the authors fail to explore the limitations of the TPB and how these may affect their findings. For example, McKeown (1979) argued that negative health behaviours are determined on the individual level by the choices we make to behave in a certain way. Therefore, the theory may place too much emphasis on the importance of what others think of a behaviour. Indeed, in the current study, individual attitudes toward a behaviour were found to be more influential than subjective norms. One criticism of this study is its potential lack of representativeness, both culturally and geographically. Ethnic minorities made up only 6.9% of the sample, meaning that the results may not be generalisable to ethnic minorities. Furthermore, the sample was collected from only one geographic area, although the authors argue that their findings are in keeping with previous studies that used samples from a much wider geographical area (Anderson et al., 2007; Bolling et al., 2007). There may also have been a bias in the way in which participants were recruited. Women were approached by the researchers whilst awaiting their 20 week antenatal scans in hospital. The scans are designed to screen for any anomalies in the baby and to check that development is normal. These scans are not compulsory, potentially creating a bias in the sample. For example, Alderdice et al. (2007) found that women without qualifications or women from areas of high deprivation were significantly less likely to u ptake an offer of a 20 week screen for Downs Syndrome than women from affluent areas or women with degree-level qualification. This suggests that the women who were approached by the researchers in the current study may have been under-representative of women from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Furthermore, the study does not provide detail on the demographic information of the women who responded to the questionnaire, which would have been useful in evaluating generalisability. The measure used to ascertain TPB variables was developed using guidelines for the development of questionnaires designed to measure TPB behaviours (Francis et al., 2004). However, the measurement used was not a validated questionnaire. Furthermore, the authors do not provide examples of how they measured the three variables of intention, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control. This means that the measure cannot be opened up for scrutiny or re-used in later studies to assess its validity and reliability. Before the main study, a small pilot study was carried out with seven pregnant women to ensure that the questionnaire was easy to understand. Pilot studies are essential for establishing a sound study design (van Teijilngen Hundley, 2001). Although, it should be noted that the authors did not report the results of any reliability or validity tests. As part of the test battery, the study did use the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a reliable and valid measure for gathering information on alcohol consumption that was developed by the World Health Organisation (Saunders et al., 1993, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, 2004). This measurement has been reported to be superior to other measures designed to collect data on the same subject (Reinert Allen, 2002). Self-report measures in themselves have a number of limitations. Firstly, they are subject to social desirability bias. Social desirability bias acknowledges that participants may report carrying out behaviours that are socially desirable or may cover up being involved in behaviours that are frowned on. Based on the finding that subjective norms had a significant impact on both intention and behaviour, social desirability bias may have affected the results of this study. If participants were so influenced by what others thought of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, then they may have been likely to cover up occasions on which they did drink during their pregnancy. This means that the number of participants who did drink during pregnancy may have been higher than the study reported. Recommendations for Improvement and Future Research If this study is to be replicated, it could be improved in a number of ways. Firstly, ethnic minorities must be better represented. Great Britain is now a multi-cultural country and research must reflect this. The authors must provide more information or a copy of the questionnaire designed to measure TPB variables so that reliability and validity can be assessed. A useful future study would be to assess the impact of an intervention designed to change the attitude of women who do not perceive drinking alcohol during pregnancy to be an issue. As attitude was found to be the most important factor in intention to carry out this behaviour, the currently reviewed study would be strengthened if an intervention based around attitude was found to change behaviour. References Ajzen, I. (1988). Attitudes, personality, and behavior. Milton Keynes, UK: Open University Press. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211. Alderdice, F., McNeill, J., Rowe, R., Martin, D. Dornan, J. (2008). Inequalities in the reported offer and uptake of antenatal screening. Public Health, 122(1), 42-52. Anderson, S., Bradshaw, P., Cunningham-Burley, S., Hayes, F. Jamieson, L., MacGregor, A. et al. (2007). Growing up in Scotland: A study following the lives of Scotland’s children. Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Executive. Bolling, K., Grant, C., Hamlyn, B. Thornton, A. (2007). Infant Feeding Survey, 2005. Leeds, UK: The Information Centre. Duncan, E.M., Forbes-McKay, K.E. Henderson, S.E. (2012). Alcohol use during pregnancy: An application of the theory of planned behaviour. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(8), 1887-1903. Francis, J.J., Eccles, M.P., Johnstone, M., Walker, A., Grimshaw, J., Foy, R. et al. (2004). Constructing questionnaires based on the theory of planned behaviour: A manual for health service researchers. Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Centre for Health Services Research. Godin, G. Kok, G. (1996). The theory of planned behaviour: A review of its applications to health-related behaviors. American Journal of Health Promotion, 11, 87-98. Marcoux, B.C. Shope, J.T. (1997). Application of the theory of planned behaviour to adolescent use and misuse of alcohol. Health Education Research, 12, 323-331. Mariscal, M., Palma, S., Llorca, J., Perez-Iglesias, R., Pardo-Crespo, R. Delgado-Rodriguez, M. (2006). Pattern of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and risk for low birth weight. Annals of Epidemiology, 16, 432-438. McKeown, T. (1979). The role of medicine. Dream, mirage or nemesis? Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publisher Ltd. McMillan, B. Conner, M. (2003). Using the theory of planned behaviour to understand alcohol and tobacco use in students. Psychology, Health, and Medicine, 8, 317-328. Reinert, D. Allen, J.P. (2002). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): A review of recent research. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 26(2), 272-279. Saunders, J.B., Aasland, O.G., Babor, T.F., de la Fuente, J.R. Grant, M. (1993). Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption. Addiction, 88, 791-804. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. (2004). The management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in primary care: A national clinical guideline. Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Sood, B., Delaney-Black, V., Covington, C., Nordstrom-Klee, B., Ager, J., Templin, T., et al. (2001). Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood behaviour at age 6 to 7 years: I. Does- response effect. Pediatrics, 108(2), 34-43. Steward, D.E. Streiner, D. (1994). Alcohol drinking in pregnancy. General Hospital Psychiatry, 16, 406-412. van Teijilngen, E. Hundley, V. (2001). The importance of pilot studies. Social Research Update, 35, 1-4. Yamamoto, Y., Kanieta, Y., Yokoyama, E., Sone, T., Takemura, S., Suzuki, K. et al. (2008). Alcohol consumption and abstention among pregnant Japanese women. Journal of Epidemiology, 18, 173-182.

Recruiters look for these 8 skills in every resume

Recruiters look for these 8 skills in every resume The specific skills you need to excel in the working world will vary depending on your field. But there are 8 general skills all recruiters hope to see, whether listed or implied, on your resume. Not only will these skills  help you get your foot into the door, but they’ll also make you a competent and respected employee. If you don’t have any of these skills, it might be time to acquire a few. If you do have ‘em, great! Start showcasing them on that resume.1. ProfessionalismYou’ll want to go on to describe this in more concrete terms, depending on your industry, but the skill itself is invaluable- and hard to teach. Talk about how conscientious and organized you are, and how dedicated.2. Integrity/HonestyIt sounds simple, but it’s key- can a company trust you? Will you show up on time and do the job you’re assigned? Will you keep sensitive company information from people who aren’t supposed to hear it?  Just listing these skills se nds the message that you find them valuable enough for precious resume space.3. AdaptabilityFlexibility and the willingness to do things outside the exact scope of your job description are highly valued traits. Will you pitch in where needed, roll with the punches, and evolve as your industry changes? Are you ready to work on developing skills you haven’t yet mastered? If you let recruiters know you’re adaptable to change, they’re more likely to want you on board.4. Industry AwarenessIf you know what’s going on in your industry, it shows you have your eye on the bigger prize. You’ll be looking past your own position- and even your own company- at the bigger picture. This will make your work better and your insights deeper. You’ll also have a better learning curve when you can anticipate the changes coming in your field.5. Research SkillsNo one goes into a job knowing every possible answer to every possible problem or situation, or even just the answer to every question that comes up. Knowing how to research well and effectively- and knowing when a situation calls for it- is an invaluable skill. The ability to research well also suggests you’re a great self-starter- able to look into confusing things on your own before bugging your manager.6. Work EthicFile this under good, old-fashioned stick-to-itiveness. Can people count on you to get the job done? Maybe more importantly, do you hold yourself accountable? Show recruiters that you take your work seriously and are willing to work hard to make sure you do things right.7. People Skills/CommunicationYou may match the skills requirement list perfectly for a job, but if you can’t communicate effectively or clearly (or if you’re just really bad at interpersonal skills), you may lose out on more jobs than you know. Brush up your email, phone, and in-person conversation skills, and convey to recruiters that you can express yourself clearly and professional ly via all avenues.8. PassionNobody likes an automaton, however effective. Show that you’re qualified, sure, but don’t forget to show just how much energy and positivity you bring to the table. Let your passion, drive, and interest in the field shine through- or fake it if you have to!

REFLECTIVE REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

REFLECTIVE REPORT - Essay Example During the first meeting, we engaged in a brain storming session in which each of us though of possible topics/subtopics for discussion. We evaluated the numerous suggestions and narrowed down the subtopics to a few. Based on the few areas, each member of the group was assigned one part to research and write on. We agreed by consensus that each person would also present the part that they had researched on on the day of the presentation. Abiola was assigned the topics myths and religion and religious beliefs while Bernadin was assigned the part of defining science and religion. Oluwabumni was to research on the relationship between religion and science even as Tuoyo researched on the kind of relationship that may arise between science and religion. Kalu was to do the conclusion while I was to work on the introduction. In the meetings that followed, we basically got updates on the progress made by each group member. Based on the information that each one of us gathered, we made comments, criticized, and made suggestions as we deemed fit. This was meant to see us come up with the best possible presentation. As we discussed on the progress of each member, we were keen to ensure that our criticisms and comments were objective rather than subjective. In preparation for the presentation, I relied on different sources of information. I visited the British Library where I got access to several useful sources. I had a more or less similar experience to what I had previously at the library. The amount of information related to the topic was overwhelming and I had a bit of trouble narrowing down to a few books, journals, and periodicals. I was lucky to have had a previous experience with the same situation and so I took less time settling down of the few sources that I finally read and used as sources for the presentation.