Formal education in Iran, especially higher education, has been a means to smoothen the road to social mobility, provide good jobs, and boost people's earnings. Now, being a university graduate and remaining unemployed is regarded as a challenge. In addition, governments consider this new unemployment a threat to their legitimacy. It seems that…

Determines the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among Native Americans and Whites in the United States from 1983-86. Findings indicate 1,075 Native American cases represented an annual incidence 2.8 times the rate for Whites. Fifty-six percent of Native American cases and 27 percent of White cases were attributed to diabetes. (JS)

Pregnant women, especially those working in veterinary medicine, face occupational health/disease risks from mutagens, teratogens, and carcinogens. These hazards can be placed into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological. Each of these hazards is discussed with examples. (Author/JN)

A discussion at the Third International Conference on AIDS on ways to cross the cultural barriers that have prevented many black and Hispanic people from learning about the disease is described. (MLW)

Notes that diseases affect health and functional status of patients in different ways and have variable impacts on family caregivers. Using hip fracture, dementia, and stroke as examples, illustrates how physical, social, psychological, and cognitive disabilities place different demands on caregivers. (Author)

Overviews vital statistics data, emphasizing differences in health status between the Black and White populations with respect to specific diseases and mortality. Discusses major causes of death among US Blacks. (GC)

Presents typology of hope sources for patients with life-threatening illness. Details 10 sources of hope, including 5 major sources of hope: religion, medical science, fallibilism, self-discipline, and renewal and deception by others (false hope). Divides hope sources into cognitive and behavioral dimensions. Examines varying hope orientations…

The problem of caring for the mildly ill child in day care has received little attention. Most state policies require exclusion of sick children. This article discusses recent developments and describes four models of providing such care. Criteria for evaluating ill child care arrangements are offered. (Author/MT)

Comments on psychosomatic family concept. Reviews decline of psychosomatic models of illness that assume that arousal is the only or primary means by which psychosocial factors influence illness. Focuses on brittle diabetes, noting the potential for family theorists to develop more adequate models of poor self-care and medical crises as…

A study of white women members (N=347) of the American Chemical Society who died between 1925 and 1979 finds five times the expected rate of suicide, a higher risk for some forms of cancer, and a lower rate of heart disease. These and other findings are discussed. (JN)

The author describes the etiology of retinitis pigmentosa, a visual dysfunction which results from progressive loss of the retinal photoreceptors. Sections address signs and symptoms, ancillary findings, heredity, clinical diagnosis, therapy, and research. (SBH)

Describes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), newly characterized human retrovirus which causes chronic, progressive, immune deficiency disease, the most severe phase of which is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Reviews most important current epidemiologic, clinical, and virologic information about HIV and HIV disease and provides…

Describes third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), noting that upper age limit was removed and that older black, Mexican American, and white populations were oversampled. Sees NHANES III component for older adults providing multidimensional overview of physical and functional health status (osteoporosis; arthritis;…

Discusses racism from disease perspective. Posits underlying schema of irrelevance as cognitive structure acquired in childhood to cope with inconsistent data of racial oppression in ideologically egalitarian society. Sees schema coming into conflict with diversity in U.S. life and individual manifesting disease symptoms. Utility of group…

Notes that process of discharge planning is often impeded by disagreements among family members who must readjust roles and relationships in the face of crisis of illness. Discusses sources of family disagreements related to discharge planning, identifies implications for social work practice, and uses family systems perspective to articulate…