Categorizations of similarity and dissimilarity between different types of illnesses and physical conditions were obtained from 24 8-year-olds and 20 11year-olds. Subjects were each presented with a sequence of ten combinations of three ailments from a set of five and had to identify the two within each triad that were most similar to each other and different from the third; they then provided (open-ended) reasons for their choice. Two parallel sets of five ailments were used, selected so as to represent the same conventional categories. Results indicated significant consensus within and across age-groups in judgements of the relative similarity of different categories of ailments to each other. This pattern of judgements remained stable across the two parallel sets. Older children were able to verbalize more reasons for their judgements. These reasons revealed a variety of criteria, among which causal antecedents, although more frequently mentioned by older children, did not predominate. These fmdings are interpreted as supporting a cognitive schema approach, implying continuity rather than discontinuity in cognitive development.

The paper reports on the World Social Science (WSS) Fellows seminar on Risk Interpretation and Action (RIA), undertaken in New Zealand in December, 2013. This seminar was coordinated by the WSS Fellows program of the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the RIA working group of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) program, the IRDR International Center of Excellence Taipei, the International START Secretariat and the Royal Society of New Zealand. Twenty-five early career researchers from around the world were selected to review the RIA framework under the theme of ‘decision-making under conditions of uncertainty’, and develop novel theoretical approaches to respond to and improve this framework. Six working groups emerged during the seminar: 1. the assessment of water-related risks in megacities; 2. rethinking risk communication; 3. the embodiment of uncertainty; 4. communication in resettlement and reconstruction phases; 5. the integration of indigenous knowledge in disaster risk reduction; and 6. multi-scale policy implementation for natural hazard risk reduction. This article documents the seminar and initial outcomes from the six groups organized; and concludes with the collective views of the participants on the RIA framework.

OBJECTIVE:The present study aimed to identify the predictors of non-compliance with smoking restrictions among Greek college student smokers. Differences in attitudes to smoking bans and tobacco control policies between current smokers and non-smokers were also examined.METHODS:Data were collected from college students (n = 229, mean (SD) age 21.27 (3.15) years). Measures included tobacco dependence, attitudes to tobacco control policies, outcome expectancy and normative beliefs.RESULTS:The majority of current smokers reported non-compliance with existing restrictions. Logistic regression analysis showed that non-compliance was significantly predicted by (less) anticipated regret from tobacco-related health harm, tobacco dependence and perceived prevalence and social acceptability of smoking. Analysis of variance indicated that current non-smokers held significantly more positive attitudes to smoking bans and tobacco control policies than current smokers.CONCLUSIONS:Smoking was highly prevalent, and more than half of current smokers reported not complying with existing regulations in public places. Smokers' attitudes to smoking bans and tobacco control policies did not have an effect on compliance behaviour. Future policies to promote compliance with smoking restrictions in Greece should target health-related anticipated regret, and perceived social norms.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy of a brief smoking cessation intervention with pregnant women practicable routinely by midwives.DESIGN:Midwives were randomized to deliver the experimental intervention or usual care. The 10-15-minute intervention was based on brief counselling, written materials, arrangements for continuing self-help support and feedback on expired-air carbon monoxide levels. The intervention was tailored to the women's needs: those who did not want to stop smoking received a brief motivational intervention, those who wanted to stop received an intervention designed to assist them and those that had stopped recently (recent ex-smokers) received a relapse prevention intervention.SETTING:Booking interviews with pregnant women in nine hospital and community trusts.SUBJECTS:A total of 1120 pregnant women in the third month of pregnancy (249 recent ex-smokers and 871 current smokers).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Three indicators of biochemically validated abstinence were collected. Continuous abstinence for at least 3 months prior to delivery, point prevalence abstinence immediately post-delivery, and continuous abstinence from 3 months pre-delivery to 6 months post-delivery.RESULTS:Only a small proportion of the women who would have been eligible to take part in the trial were actually recruited by 178 recruiting midwives, with lack of time being cited as the main barrier. The intervention and usual care groups differed in post-delivery point prevalence abstinence rates for recent ex-smokers (65% vs. 53%, p < 0.05, one-tailed), but not in other outcome measures. Overall, 54% of "recent ex-smokers" at booking and 7% of "current smokers" at booking had been abstinent for at least 3 months at the time of delivery, and 23% and 3%, respectively, were still abstinent by the time the child was 6 months old (i.e. 12 months post-intervention). Smoking status at follow-up was predicted by dependence indexed by time to first cigarette in the morning.CONCLUSIONS:A brief "one-off" smoking cessation intervention by midwives does not seem to be a practicable or effective method of helping pregnant smokers to stop. Other options such as tailored self-help materials and telephone counselling and other specialist treatments should be examined. Current smoking cessation rates in pregnancy are very low.

Immediately following their annual review at a specialist diabetes clinic, 175 individuals (79 type 1 and 96 type 2 diabetes) completed a questionnaire to assess their satisfaction with the consultation and understanding of the information given. The majority (84.6%) reported satisfaction with the way in which information was presented. Patients who reported greater understanding, and who felt able to discuss or ask questions during their consultation, expressed higher satisfaction (both p<0.01). Patients with hypertension reported less understanding of information, perhaps suggesting that they were particularly confused about the significance of blood pressure changes and its treatment. The following groups of patients all reported increased motivation to manage their diabetes as a result of the visit: (i) patients with poor control, (ii) those who felt they were given more education about the condition, (iii) those with whom changes in treatment had been discussed and (iv) those who believed they were at greater risk of retinopathy and neuropathy. These findings suggest ways of improving organisation of the annual review to enhance patient satisfaction. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-reports of symptom experience and subjective ratings of health were obtained from 157 undergraduates. The format of the symptom-report question was varied so that half the participants underlined any symptoms tin a list of 30) they had experienced (endorse condition), whereas the remaining participants crossed out any they had not experienced (exclude condition). Within each. of these conditions, half were asked to record symptoms over the last month, and half over the last year. Participants in the exclude condition reported, on average, 70% more symptoms than those in the endorse condition. More symptoms were reported over the last year than the last month. Adjusting for the number of symptoms reported and the perceived seriousness of the symptom set! as a whole, participants rated their own state of health more negatively in the endorse than exclude condition. This is consistent with research on the "feature-positive" effect, suggesting that active responses have greater influence on self-perceptions. It is argued that self-report measures of health status must be interpreted in relative, rather than absolute terms, and that attention should be paid to the underlying cognitive processes.

To ensure effective primary prevention of skin cancer, aimed at changing behaviour in the sun, and ultimately at reducing the incidence and mortality rates from skin cancer, sufficient information needs to be known about the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer, the effectiveness of sun protection measures, and the acceptability and uptake of protective measures by the general public. This review specifically addresses the quality and outcome of studies designed to evaluate the impact of primary prevention initiatives in the U.K. Four main areas of concern are highlighted: (i) teenage behaviour in the sun is difficult to change; (ii) fashion, in part, dictates adult and adolescent behaviour in the sun; (iii) there are practical problems related to response rates, follow-up and interpretation of self-reported behaviour; and (iv) a strategy for primary prevention in the U.K. may be falsely based on the experience and results of Australian and American programmes. Standardized methods for monitoring general population behaviour are needed in the U.K. Evaluation of interventions targeting specific groups, especially parents and young children, and the relative costs of different strategies should be reported. Primary prevention messages and strategies should be adapted to the type of ultraviolet radiation exposure experienced, and the overall low risk of melanoma, while addressing controversies on the health effects of sun exposure and sun screens.

The feasibility of targeted screening for cutaneous malignant melanoma in the UK using a postal questionnaire and invitation to screening by a consultant dermatologist was investigated in a population based cross-sectional survey. A total of 1600 people aged 25–69 years, stratified by the social deprivation score of wards within one general practice, were randomly selected from a population of 8000.1227 (77%) returned the questionnaire and 896 (56%) attended the screening clinic. Uptake was lower for men (P< 0.001), those aged under 50 (P< 0.001), people from deprived areas (P< 0.001) and skin types III and IV (men only, P< 0.001). Twenty per cent of women and 10% of men felt nervous about attending the clinic, but only 4% were worried by the questionnaire. The level of agreement between the self- and dermatologist’s assessments of risk factors was best for hair colour (Kappa = 0.67, sensitivity 73% and specificity 98%). People tended to under-report their level of risk. Over 95% knew about at least one major sign, but 54% reported incorrect signs of melanoma. Targeted screening for melanoma in the UK will be hampered by difficulties in accurately identifying the target population. Strategies to improve skin self-awareness rather than screening should be developed and evaluated. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign