Kent State University

About: Kent State University is a education organization based out in Kent, Ohio, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Liquid crystal & Population. The organization has 10897 authors who have published 24607 publications receiving 720309 citations. The organization is also known as: Kent State & KSU.

Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action

Abstract: Vaccine refusal has been a recurring story in the media for well over a decade. Although there is scant evidence that refusal is genuinely increasing in the population, multiple studies have demonstrated concerning patterns of decline of confidence in vaccines, the medical professionals who administer vaccines, and the scientists who study and develop vaccines. As specialists in microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases, scientists are content experts but often lack the direct contact with individuals considering vaccination for themselves or their children that healthcare professionals have daily. This review examines the arguments and players in the US antivaccination scene, and it discusses ways that experts in infectious diseases can become more active in promoting vaccination to friends, family, and the public at large.

Initial behavior outcomes for the peacebuilders universal school-based violence prevention program.

Abstract: PeaceBuilders is a universal, elementary-school-based violence prevention program that attempts to alter the climate of a school by teaching students and staff simple rules and activities aimed at improving child social competence and reducing aggressive behavior. Eight matched schools (N > 4,000 students in Grades K-5) were randomly assigned to either immediate postbaseline intervention (PBI) or to a delayed intervention 1 year later (PBD). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze results from assessments in the fall and spring of 2 consecutive school years. In Year 1, significant gains in teacher-rated social competence for students in Grades K-2, in childself-reported peace-building behavior in Grades K-5, and reductions in aggressive behavior in Grades 3-5 were found for PBI but not PBD schools. Differential effects in Year 1 were also observed for aggression and prosocial behavior. Most effects were maintained in Year 2 for PBI schools, including increases in child prosocial behavior in Grades K-2. Implications for early universal school-based prevention and challenges related toevaluating large-scale prevention trials are discussed.

Verbal Aggression in Marriages A Comparison of Violent, Distressed but Nonviolent, and Nondistressed Couples

Abstract: This study examines verbal aggression in the disputes of abusive couples. Verbal aggression is defined as both a predispositional trait and a relational pattern, so it is viewed within a system theory framework. Specifically, the study considers the relationship between verbal aggression and marital distress, the level of agreement between couples in reporting their verbally aggressive behavior, and the level and type of reciprocity in their verbal aggression. A sample of 82 couples representing violent, nonviolent distressed, and nondistressed relationships completed self-report instruments on verbal aggression and argumentativeness for themselves and their spouses and marital satisfactionfor themselves. Results show that abusive couples experience less marital satisfaction, less accurately recall each other's behavior, and have significant reciprocity in their verbal aggression compared to nonviolent distressed and nondistressed couples.

Exposure to early life trauma is associated with adult obesity.

Abstract: Exposure to traumatic events during childhood is associated with an elevated risk of adult obesity. It has been hypothesized that the psychological sequelae from childhood trauma account for this risk, though no study has examined whether an increased risk of obesity is found in persons without psychological disorders. We examined exposure to early life stressors and body mass index (BMI) in 696 adults without significant medical or psychiatric history. Bivariate correlation showed that the total number of early life stressors (r=0.08), age (r=0.19), and sex (r=0.16) were significantly related to adult BMI. Given the relationship between sex and BMI, we examined the contribution of early life stressors to adult obesity separately for men and women. In men, hierarchical regression showed that exposure to early life stressors predicted adult obesity. Specifically, history of being bullied/rejected (Obese 31%, Normal weight, 9%) and emotional abuse (Obese, 17%; Normal weight, 2%) predicted adult obesity after controlling for the effects of age. In women, no relationship between early life stressors and adult obesity was found. These findings suggest that multiple processes mediate the relationship between early life stress and adult obesity and that their relative contributions may differ between men and women.