Search results

PurposeAlthough considerable consumer research has focused on family purchase decision‐making in families in Western countries, only limited attention has been paid to family purchase decision‐making within Eastern cultures. This study was designed to explore for the possible differences and similarities in spousal influences in different cultural environments by comparing Singaporean family purchase decision‐making process to that of US families.Design/methodology/approachQuota sampling was adopted to generate primary data for the examination of Singaporean spousal influence in family purchase decision‐making; data previously reported on US spousal families was used to compare with the primary data collected in Singapore.FindingsDifferences in marital values between Singaporean husbands and wives were found to be associated with differences in perceived patterns of influence throughout the family decision‐making process. The findings indicate that family purchase decision‐making is a culture‐specific phenomenon. The study found that the level of egalitarianism, which usually indicates a more syncratic or cooperative family purchase decision‐making, was associated positively with higher levels of education and income.Research limitations/implicationsThis study revealed a positive relationship between joint decisions and the level of egalitarianism, however, such evidence is still limited. To depend the understanding of spousal influences in family purchase decision‐making in different cultural environments, future research may need to go beyond demographics to include more cognitive, psychological as well as social environmental factors, such as the involvement level, the time a spouse spent alone for shopping, the love, affection, trust and confidence a spouse would have for or earned from another spouse, the importance a spouse would attach to his or her marriage and family, etc.Originality/valueThe paper offers insight into family purchase decision‐making within Easlern countries.

Employment is a crucial part of adult life and is associated with improved health outcomes. However, despite the several advantages of hiring individuals with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD), the employment rate for this population is still low. An employment conference was organised to inform participants of successful employment initiatives, and to increase our understanding of local employer challenges regarding the recruitment, hire, and retention of employees with IDD. Descriptive statistics were used to assess common methods of recruitment, potential helpful hiring strategies, and recruitment, hire, and retention challenges, and an ordinal logistic regression was conducted to examine whether responses differed based on demographic variables. The conference was evaluated by gathering data on several facets of participant satisfaction. Findings brought to light several key challenges that can be used to create more targeted interventions and supports. Responses to several questions differed by demographics (such as company size and industry type), which represent important areas for future research to examine. Participants reported being satisfied with the conference, and many indicated that their attitudes had changed towards disability and that they were more likely to employ individuals with IDD in the future. Systematically addressing barriers to employment is essential in order to reduce the employment gap and improve outcomes for individuals with IDD. Ultimately, conferences that aim to educate participants about successful programs and strategies represent a promising practice that can increase employment opportunities for individuals with IDD.

Abstract Background Chronic non-communicable diseases have become the major cause of death in China. This study describes and compares chronic disease mortality between urban and rural residents in Hubei Province, central China. Methods Death records of all individuals aged 15 years and over who died from 2008 through 2010 in Hubei were obtained from the Disease Surveillance Points system maintained by the Hubei Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Average annual mortality, standardized death rates, years of potential life lost (YLL), average years of potential life lost (AYLL) and rates of life lost were calculated for urban and rural residents. Standardized rate ratios (SRR) were calculated to compare the death rates between urban and rural areas. Results A total of 86.2% of deaths were attributed to chronic non-communicable diseases in Hubei. Cerebrovascular diseases, ischemic heart disease and neoplasms were the main leading causes in both urban and rural areas, and the mortality rates were higher among rural residents. Lung cancer was the principal cause of mortality from cancer among urban and rural residents, and stomach cancer and liver cancer were more common in rural than urban areas. Breast cancer mortality among women in rural areas was lower than in urban areas (SRR=0.73, 95% CI=0.63–0.85). The standardized mortality for chronic lower respiratory disease among men in rural areas was higher than in urban areas (SRR=4.05, 95% CI=3.82–4.29). Among men, total AYLL from liver cancer and other diseases of liver were remarkably higher than other causes in urban and rural areas. Among women the highest AYLL were due to breast cancer in both urban and rural areas. Conclusions Chronic diseases were the major cause of death in Hubei Province. While circulatory system diseases were the leading causes in both urban and rural areas, our study highlights that attention should also be paid to breast cancer among women and chronic lower respiratory disease among rural residents. It is important that governments focus on this public health issue and develop preventive strategies to reduce morbidity and premature mortality from chronic non-communicable diseases.

Background: Latinas have the highest incidence rates of cervical cancer in the United States, and Latinas in the United States are less likely to utilize cervical cancer screening. We used secondary data analysis of a nonclinical convenience sample (n = 316 women at baseline; n = 285 at 5‐year follow‐up) to examine correlates of cervical cancer screening among adult Latina women. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models using generalized estimated equations (GEE) algorithm were utilized to assess the influence of the independent variables. Women who reported their main health‐care source as community health clinics, women who were sexually active, and women who reported that a health‐care provider discussed HIV prevention with them were more likely to report having had a cervical cancer screening (aOR = 2.06; CI = 1.20, 3.52). The results suggest a need for continued efforts to ensure that medically underserved women (e.g., Latina women) receive counseling and education about the importance of preventive cervical cancer screening.