Purpose is an indicator of healthy human development and believed by some theorists and educators to be an important outcome of college. The aim of this study was to test the potential for assessing purpose using a person-centered analysis, thereby providing more individual-specific understanding of students' purpose development, and second by…

Longitudinal analyses have revealed informative patterns about health, mental health, adaptive skills, autism symptoms, and social skills during the transition to adulthood for autistic individuals. This study expands on these findings by investigating the trajectories of positive affect from age 15 to 30 years using a heterogeneous cohort (n =…

Asthma is the leading chronic health condition among children in the United States and a major cause of childhood disability. It also disproportionately affects low-income and racial and ethnic minorities. Although a wide range of interventions have been implemented to improve asthma-related outcomes among socioeconomically disadvantaged and…

A new measure of community well-being is developed based on the notion that community residents perceive the quality-of-life (QOL) impact of community services and conditions in various life domains (e.g., family, social, leisure, health, financial, cultural, consumer, work, spiritual, and environmental domains). These perceptions influence…

Most research on parental bookreading has focused on mothers reading to their children. This study examined bookreading practices among approximately 800 fathers and mothers in low-income families. We looked at differences and similarities between families where both parents read frequently compared to families where only mothers read frequently.…

Background: Asthma is a serious problem for low-income preteens living in disadvantaged communities. Among the chronic diseases of childhood and adolescence, asthma has the highest prevalence and related health care use. School-based asthma interventions have proven successful for older and younger students, but results have not been demonstrated…

The physical decay of neighborhoods is associated with social conditions such as disease risk, poor mental health, and fear of crime. Researchers assessing neighborhood effects commonly operationalize neighborhoods via municipal boundaries such as U.S. Census Tracts, although more sophisticated analyses examine structures within a defined radius…

Subjective indicators were used to measure perceived overall quality of life and the value placed on and satisfaction with life concerns of some rural, white families in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A human ecological systems approach which assumes that human needs are satisfied through use of resources of the natural, human-constructed, and…

Research in 37 neighborhoods in Flint, Michigan, investigated the association between the extent of racial integration in a neighborhood and residents' satisfaction with, awareness of, and attitudes toward various aspects of neighborhood and community life. The influence of demographic factors was also examined. The degree of neighborhood…

The use and impact of a $256 monthly cash subsidy by 1,283 Michigan families with children with severe disabilities were examined. Families reported such uses as the purchase of clothing, toys, sitters, special foods, adaptive equipment, and professional services. Families indicated that the subsidy had improved family life, eased financial…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 331 Michigan farm operators (a 33% response rate) and 319 spouses (a 31% response rate) as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states.…

This report describes the results of the second phase of a study of child care policy conducted for the Michigan League for Human Services (MLHS). (The report on the first phase of the study described the results of a mailed survey sent to parents receiving public assistance and to practitioners who provided and/or monitored publicly supported…

Reports survey findings from 888 Michigan secondary teachers on their use of 16 classroom practices, perceived difficulty of practices, and importance of practices for own job satisfaction and student achievement. Compares results to those from four other countries. Summarizes the practices' effects on quality of teaching life. Contains 54…

In this article, the authors consider three sources of support for new teachers--hiring practices, relationships with colleagues, and curriculum--all found in earlier research to influence new teachers' satisfaction with their work, their sense of success with students, and their eventual retention in their job. They find that a "support…