RAND Corporation

About: RAND Corporation is a nonprofit organization based out in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 9602 authors who have published 18570 publications receiving 744658 citations.

Childhood overweight and academic performance: national study of kindergartners and first-graders.

Abstract: DATAR, ASHLESHA, ROLAND STURM, AND JENNIFER L. MAGNABOSCO. Childhood overweight and academic performance: national study of kindergartners and first-graders. Obes Res. 2004;12:58‐68. Objective: To examine the association between children’s overweight status in kindergarten and their academic achievement in kindergarten and first grade. Research Methods and Procedures: The data analyzed consisted of 11,192 first time kindergartners from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative sample of kindergartners in the U.S. in 1998. Multivariate regression techniques were used to estimate the independent association of overweight status with children’s math and reading standardized test scores in kindergarten and grade 1. We controlled for socioeconomic status, parent-child interaction, birth weight, physical activity, and television watching. Results: Overweight children had significantly lower math and reading test scores compared with nonoverweight children in kindergarten. Both groups were gaining similarly on math and reading test scores, resulting in significantly lower test scores among overweight children at the end of grade 1. However, these differences, except for boys’ math scores at baseline (difference ! 1.22 points, p ! 0.001), became insignificant after including socioeconomic and behavioral variables, indicating that overweight is a marker but not a causal factor. Race/ethnicity and mother’s education were stronger predictors of test score gains or levels than overweight status. Discussion: Significant differences in test scores by overweight status at the beginning of kindergarten and the end of grade 1 can be explained by other individual characteristics, including parental education and the home environment. However, overweight is more easily observable by other students compared with socioeconomic characteristics, and its significant (unadjusted) association with worse academic performance can contribute to the stigma of overweight as early as the first years of elementary school.

Ten-Year Prospective Study of Public Health Problems Associated With Early Drinking

Abstract: Objective. To compare early nondrinkers, experimenters, and drinkers on the prevalence of problem behaviors at grades 7 and 12 and at age 23 (N = 6338, 4265, and 3369, respectively). Methods. Results are based on longitudinal self-report data from individuals who were originally recruited from 30 California and Oregon schools at grade 7 (1985) and assessed again at grade 12 (1990) and at age 23 (1995). Logistic regression was used to develop weighted estimates of the prevalence of academic difficulties, employment problems, substance use, and delinquent and violent behaviors within the 3 drinking status groups at grades 7, 12, and/or at age 23. Huber variance estimates, which adjust for weighting and clustering of observations, were used to assess the statistical significance of differences across groups. Results. Early drinkers and experimenters were more likely than nondrinkers to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school. By young adulthood, early alcohol use was associated with employment problems, other substance abuse, and criminal and violent behavior. Conclusions. Early drinkers do not necessarily mature out of a problematic lifestyle as young adults. Interventions for these high-risk youth should start early and address their other public health problems, particularly their tendency to smoke and use other illicit drugs.

A Five-Item Measure of Socially Desirable Response Set

Abstract: The internal consistency reliability of a five-item measure of socially desirable response set, the SDRS-5, was examined in two samples: 614 outpatients of medical providers and 3053 outpatients of medical and mental health providers. Alpha reliability estimates were 0.66 and 0.68, respectively. One-month test-retest reliability was 0.75 in a sample of 75 older adults. With appropriate caveats, we recommend the SDRS-5 for clinical investigators needing a very brief measure of socially desirable response set.

A correspondence between ALGOL 60 and Church's Lambda-notations: Part II

Abstract: This paper describes how some of the semantics of ALGOL 60 can be formalized by establishing a correspondence between expressions of ALGOL 60 and expressions in a modified form of Church's n-notation. First a model for computer languages and computer behavior is described, based on the notions of functional application and functional abstraction, but also having analogues for imperative language features. Then |his model is used as an "abstract object language" into which ALGOL 60 is mapped. Many of ALGOL 60's features emerge as particular arrangements of a small number of structural rules, suggesting new classifications and generalizations. The correspondence is first described informally, mainly by illustrations. The second part of the paper gives a formal description, i.e. an "abstract compiler" into the "abstract object language." lhis is itself presented in a "purely functional" notation, that is one using only application and abstraction.

Identifying the content area for the 51-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire: results from focus groups with visually impaired persons.

Abstract: Objective To identify the content area for a questionnaire designed to measure vision-targeted health-related quality of life and to determine whether problems with vision-related functioning are qualitatively similar across different common eye diseases. Design Twenty-six condition-specific focus groups were conducted with 246 patients from 5 geographic regions to identify the content area for a questionnaire for use among persons with diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cytomegalovirus retinitis, and cataract. A standard protocol was used to structure each focus group discussion. Sessions were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded in preparation for a content analysis. Settings Five university-based ophthalmology practices and 1 nonprofit eye care foundation. Participants Eligible participants had to have 1 of the following eye conditions: age-related cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, primary open angle glaucoma, cytomegalovirus retinitis, or low vision from any cause. All eligible persons were older than 21 years, spoke English, and had sufficient cognitive function to provide informed consent. Results Among the 246 participants, 2623 problems with vision-related functioning were mentioned. The mean number of problems per person ranged from 13.5 for those with diabetic retinopathy to 7.9 for persons with glaucoma. For the sample overall, reading problems were mentioned most frequently, followed by driving, general problems with seeing clearly, and mental health complaints caused by vision. Although the proportion of persons who reported each problem varied by condition, at least some persons with each eye disease reported each problem. The 3 most common descriptors associated with each problem were difficulty or ease of performance (13%), psychological distress associated with performance of the activity (11%), and complete inability to participate in a visual activity (11%). Conclusion An item-generation strategy for a new questionnaire using a standardized focus group method identified content areas and aspects of visual disability that are not included in currently available vision-specific instruments that assess the impact of common eye diseases on visual functioning in everyday life. Although participants mentioned problems that were unique to their disease, across conditions the problems mentioned were similar. These findings provide empirical evidence of content validity for a vision-targeted, health-related quality-of-life survey designed for use across conditions.