Migration and mental illness: what role do traditional childhood socialization practices play?

Interpretations of studies which show a correlation between migration and mental illness generally focus on sociocultural variables while giving scant attention to determinants of cognitive-personality orientations. This article examines childhood socialization practices as a key variable for comparing points of psychological stress between the traditional rural culture and the post-industrial urban culture. The hypothesis that harsh and restrictive childhood socialization practices foster the development of a cognitive-personality orientation which increases the likelihood of maladaptive responses to culture change is illustrated by anthropological and psychological data obtained from Sicilians living in Sicily, the U.S.A. and Australia. Suggestions are given for minimizing the mental health risks involved during the critical transition period following migration.

[Peculiarities of pregnancies in women in the fifth decade of life (author's transl)]

From 1974-1978, 101 women in the fifth decade of life were delivered. The course of the pregnancy was more often complicated by pre-eclampsia. Premature and dysmature deliveries were not more common than in younger women. The sex ratio was more in favor of females than usual. Despite shorter duration of labor and delivery the Apgar ratings at 1 and 5 minutes were less favorable in the new borns of older pregnant women. The infants required more often intubation and transfer to the pediatric hospital. The perinatal mortality was 4.2%. Down syndrome occured in 4.2% of the infants and abnormalities occured in 4.9%. Routine genetic amniocentesis and intensive pregnantal care should lower the fetal morbidity and mortality in these cases. Urinary total estrogen determinations are proposed as a parameter for the monitoring of the these risk cases besided ultra-sound and fetal monitoring.

[Lung cancer mortality and cigarette smoking in Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia: regional differences and chronological development]

Trends and regional differences in lung cancer mortality and cigarette smoking are examined for 26 developed countries. "In 1975, lung cancer mortality figures for females aged 55 to 64 years...showed 12 to 60 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, for males 60 to 270 deaths. In nearly all countries the mortality rates of males have been increasing since 1958.... For females the rise in lung cancer mortality is particularly steep...." An increase in cigarette smoking between 1935 and 1973 is also noted, and it is found that "the ranking of the countries by cigarette consumption essentially corresponds to that by lung cancer mortality." (summary in ENG)

Mortality model based on delays in progression of chronic diseases: alternative to cause elimination model

For the analysis of the impact of major chronic diseases on a population, a life table model is proposed in which the age at death due to specific cause (chronic disease) is postponed. Even though many of the major causes of death related to intrinsic aging processes are impossible to eliminate, these causes might be significantly delayed or retarded. To illustrate the use of this model, the effects of a delay of 5, 10, and 15 years in deaths due to three chronic degenerative diseases (cancer, ischemic heart disease, and stroke) are calculated for specific race-sex components of the U.S. population in 1969. These calculations show that even moderate delays in the progression of major chronic diseases will yield a sizable portion of the total gain in longevity that would be available if the diseases were totally eliminated. Thus, they demonstrate that a life table model based on cause delay provides a more biomedically plausible representation of the health impact of a chronic disease on a population than does the cause elimination life table model. Additionally, the cause-delay model provides a mechanism for incorporating the likely effects of medical innovation on survival.

Spatial patterns of age-sex structures in Costa Rica: a study in demographic modernization

The relationship between economic development and demographic factors in Costa Rica is examined. "Specifically, the paper illustrates the evolution of spatial patterns in age-sex structures over three points in time for a single case study area." The authors suggest that there is order in the evolving patterns and that this order may be explained by the economic modernization process. Data are from the 1950, 1963, and 1973 censuses. Although some spatial order is indicated, the patterns are confused primarily by an increase in fertility that apparently occurred between 1950 and 1963.

The myth of macho dominance in decision making within Mexican and Chicano families

The patriarchal Hispanic family structure characterized by macho dominance in marital decision making is a myth which prevails in social science literature. This myth, which is perpetuated and disseminated through impressionistic essays, is very compatible with the "social deficit" model of Hispanic family life and culture. Our conclusion—based on an intensive analysis of four major studies on marital deci sion making within Mexican and Chicano families—is that the available data fail to substantiate the hypothesis of Mex ican and/or Chicano male dominance in marital decision making.

Estrogen replacement therapy II: a prospective study in the relationship to carcinoma and cardiovascular and metabolic problems

A 10-year double-blind prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). The sample population consisted of 84 pairs of randomly chosen postmenopausal in-patients, matched for age and diagnosis. The treatment group received high-dose conjugated estrogens, cyclically with progesterone. The controls recieved placebos. Results revealed no statistically significant difference in that incidence of thrombophlebitis, myocardial infarction (MI), or uterine cancer. There was a lower incidence of breast cancer in the treated group. Estrogen-treated patients showed a higher incidence of cholelithiasis. Those in the treated group who began the study with elevated beta/alpha lipoprotein ratios showed a reduction in that ratio over the course of the study, while the controls either maintained or increased their ratios. The low number of cases precludes drawing any real significance from the data on diseases of low frequency. The study excludes only a high incidence of complications from estrogens.

[The outcome in pregnancies resulting after the induction of ovulation 519 pregnancies (author's transl)]

Some geneticists have been against induction of ovulation because there is a greater incidence of chromosome abnormalities in spontaneous abortions that occur after induced pregnancies. We have found the number of early abortions (15.6 p. 100) and of malformed fetuses (4.8 p. 100) is not greater than average when we have studied a personal prospective series of 140 pregnancies and a series of 519 pregnancies collected following an enquiry made among some of our colleagues. The number of late abortions and of premature labours is much higher (3.4 p. 100 and 14.8 p. 100 respectively) and they correspond particularly with the higher incidence of multiple pregnancies (12.3 p. 100) which have been obtained especially after the use of HMG. This has a direct repercussion on perinatal mortality (4.3 p. 100).

Sexual knowledge, attitudes, and practice of Israeli adolescents

A study of 4,976 high-school students in Israel, representative of this age group for the entire country except for 13 percent who attend religious schools, revealed that about one-third of the boys aged 14-15 and almost one-half of those in the 16-17 age category have had sexual intercourse. The respective figures for girls are 6 percent and 16 percent. Age at onset of sexual activity was found to be higher and the level of knowledge about the same as in reports from the Western world. Students of Oriental origin, as well as those considering themselves religious or traditional tended to be less active sexually, more conservative in their attitudes, and less knowledgeable. In contrast, students of both sexes residing in kibbutzim were found to be more active sexually and more knowledgeable. A double standard for girls was accepted, especially among the female respondents, except in the kibbutzim. A subgroup of girls highly sexually active, in contrast to their own attitudes, has been identified, and possible reasons for this discordance discussed. As sexual activity among teenagers is becoming more prevalent, comprehensive and early sex education school programs should be encouraged.

The production, morphology, karyotypes and transport of spermatozoa from tertiary trisomic mice and the consequences for egg fertilization

Tertiary trisomic males, carrying the small translocation chromosome from the T(1;13)7OH reciprocal mouse translocation as the extra chromosome, are oligospermic. Uterine and oviductal sperm counts were congruent to 10% of normal. Of the uterine spermatozoa, 77-2% were morphologically abnormal compared with 24-6% in the oviduct. Oligospermy in the tertiary trisomic males leads to delayed fertilization; 34-8% of the 109 eggs scored between 5-5--9-5 hr after mating were fertilized compared with 52-1% (n=343) at Day 2. Of the 179 morulae/blastocysts recovered at Day 4, 46-9% contained the small marker chromosome, which agrees with earlier cytological studies on secondary spermatocytes. These results indicate that euploid and aneuploid spermatozoa are formed in about equal numbers and there is no relationship between sperm morphology and karyotype.

Type and time of insemination within the menstrual cycle and the human sex ratio at birth

Data that strongly suggest that the timing of insemination affects the human sex ratio at birth are presented. Two studies conducted by the author, including a total of 1,318 pregnancies, in which timing of insemination was related to the shift in basal body temperature are discussed, and previous literature is reviewed. The differential effect of type of insemination-natural versus artificial-is noted. The further question why timing and type of insemination affects the human sex ratio is also explored.

Attitudes toward family planning, marriage, and family size among unmarried women in Korea

Data from the 1973 National Fertility and Family Planning Survey show that young unmarried women aged 18-27 desire small families and support family planning. These women express a lower son preference than did young currently married women surveved in 1973 and earlier. A majority of the respondents approve of the "stop at two" slogen of the family planning association, and they want to obtain more information about contraception before marrying. Unfortunately, survey results show that present sources of contraceptive information, including the schools, have not proved adequate.