[Communication with sexual partners about the risk of HIV/AIDS infection in seamstress apprentices in Benin]

Communication with sexual partners on the risk of HIV/AIDS infection and its relation to risk-taking was examined in a group of young single women who have been removed from school and apprenticed to a seamstress in Cotonou, Benin. Twenty women aged 15 to 24 were interviewed. Results showed that more than half the women had already discussed HIV/AIDS with their partners. This discussion, always initiated by the woman, progresses until the ultimate goal is achieved: discussion of practicing safer sex. Women who openly communicated with their partners possessed certain common characteristics (e.g. they were born in Cotonou, seeking marriage or financial assistance, had a perception of risk, had discussions with friends). Those who communicated the most reported that practicing safer sex consisted of using a condom, which still remains an occasional practice at best.

Outcomes of an ecological and participatory approach to prevent alcohol and other drug "abuse" among multiethnic adolescents

This study presents outcomes related to adolescents' alcohol use from an evaluation study testing the effectiveness of The Coalition for Youth Quality of Life Project (Le Regroupement pour la qualité de vie des jeunes). This project is an ecological and participatory approach developed to prevent alcohol and other drug use and misuse among multiethnic youth. The intervention was implemented through four channels of program delivery: families, schools, community organizations, and local government. The study involved 411 sixth graders from eight elementary schools and 380 eighth graders from two junior high schools, in two school districts of the Island of Montreal (province of Quebec, Canada). All students were enrolled in regular classes. Follow-up data were collected 18 months and 30 months after pre-test using a school survey. The findings indicated that the program had no significant impact on alcohol use. The program was, however, capable of producing a significant effect on several hypothesized mediating variables. At first follow-up, the sixth graders showed a higher self-esteem, better peer pressure resistance skills, and a more positive relationship with their father than the controls. The eighth graders were also more inclined to get involved in community activities related to substance abuse prevention and to choose more alternatives to "substance abuse" in their leisure time than the controls. The results are discussed by examining attrition effects and also reasons for program failure. Issues are raised about the evaluation of an ecological and participatory approach.

[Preliminary validation of a poster on oral hygiene in the elderly]

This study calls attention to the preliminary validation of an educational poster on oral hygiene intended for people at least 65 years old living in a group home or benefiting from home care. The poster aims to modify certain risk behaviours. Twenty-four people from a middle class background participated in the study and were recruited from a day centre for the elderly of the Montreal region (Quebec, Canada). This study was carried out in three steps: the conceptualisation of the poster and two pre-tests. Interviews and the "focus group" method were both utilised for the collection of pertinent data. The two pre-tests indicated that the poster was easy to read, attractive and promoted the development of new skills in older people and the putting into practice of the conveyed messages.

Is work a risk factor in the prescribed psychotropic drug consumption of female white-collar workers and professionals?

This article provides information on the prevalence and the characteristics of consumption of prescribed psychotropic drugs among unionized female white-collar workers and professionals in Montreal Canada. The objective of this paper is also to raise hypotheses on the contribution of certain professional factors to women's long-term use of psychotropic prescribed drugs. Data were collected through a questionnaire mailed to participants' homes. Results showed that prescribed psychotropic drugs are being used in the context of work. About 15% of the working women did use prescribed psychotropic drugs during the twelve months preceding the survey, and 5% of respondents reported a high level of consumption. Working women had a tendency to maintain consumption practices in line with their doctor prescription. Results also suggest that the work environment influenced prescribed drug consumption.

Convergence or divergence of male and female physicians' hours of work and income

This article verifies if the increase in the percentage of women in the medical profession led to the convergence of male and female physicians' hours of work as well as income. Active physicians in Quebec in 1978 were compared to the ones in 1988. Data were obtained from the computerized files of the Quebec Corporation of Physicians and the Régie d'assurance-maladie du Quebec. Despite the increasing representation of women in the medical profession, gender differences in hours worked and income remained. However, results also showed a tendency toward a convergence in total hours of work, more behavioral variation among women physicians and some behavioral change among men. The experience of the past should thus not be used as the basis for projections of future physician productivity or for medical manpower planning purposes without a careful analysis of trends in behavioral changes.

[Identification of community leaders]

Although many methods of measuring leadership have been developed in sociological studies, there are few articles on the feasibility of these methods. The goal of this study was to verify the feasibility of the "modified positional-reputational approach" developed by Nix. The study was conducted in a small community located north of Montreal. Nix's questionnaire was translated, adapted and administered to 49 key informants. Two hundred and fourteen leaders were selected. Three types of leaders were identified: the legitimizers, the effectors and the activists. Through a sociometric analysis, we established links between the different leaders and we described the power structure of the community. Despite a few shortcomings, Nix's approach was found extremely useful.

Safety performance among union and nonunion workers in the construction industry

This study examined differences between union and non-union construction workers in terms of safety performance and of demographic, employment, and sociopsychological factors related to safety performance. Data were collected by questionnaire in a larger study on construction workers' safety practices among 384 workers employed at nine nonresidential construction sites in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Union and nonunion construction workers differed in terms of safety performance and certain factors related to safety performance. Higher safety performance scores among union workers were, however, related to the fact that union members were older than nonunion members. Moreover, other differences were related to elements over which unions have more control. Findings revealed the need of special attention of the nonunion youngest members, and of additional evaluation of the actual and potential role played by unions in occupational safety.

The professional attitudes and clinical practices of men and women generalists

Data from a 1983-84 Quebec generalists' survey were used to compare the professional attitudes and clinical practices of women physicians with those of their male colleagues. The survey was conducted on a random sample of 736 Quebec generalists and achieved a 83.7% response rate. Analyses were performed separately for fee-for-service physicians and for salaried physicians working in local community health centers (CLSCS). Results showed more gender differences among fee-for-service physicians than among salaried physicians. Women in private practice were more likely than their male colleagues to value the multidisciplinary, social, and humanistic aspects of patient care. For their part, women salaried physicians reported being significantly more involved in the social and preventive dimensions of health care than their male colleagues. Important attitudinal differences were observed between fee-for-service and salaried generalists, regardless of gender. This study suggests that neither the medical training nor the organizational constraints of the work setting succeed in levelling off all gender differences. The findings also suggest that women physicians can help promote aspects of health care to which much importance has been attributed in recent years.