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Biomedical subjects

J A Neff

Publications and source records attributed to J A Neff.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Acculturation and drinking patterns among U.S. Anglos, blacks, and Mexican Americans.

The relationship between acculturation, generational status/nativity and drinking patterns is examined using data from a 1988 community survey of 1286 adult regular drinkers (at least two drinks/month) in San Antonio, Texas. This sample includes 412 Anglo, 239 Black, and 635 Mexican American respondents, with Mexican Americans further classified into high, medium, and low acculturation groups using a language-use-based acculturation measure. This data set allows comparisons between racial/ethnic majority and minority groups with further comparisons between Black and Mexican American subgroups. These racial/ethnic and acculturation level comparisons highlight the effects of minority status and cultural differences between groups with regard to drinking patterns. Overall, the analyses indicate little evidence to support an 'acculturation stress' model of alcohol use, wherein the stresses of acculturation produce higher levels of alcohol consumption among moderately or higher acculturation groups. Generally, in our data, quantity and frequency consumption was somewhat higher among the least acculturated males and moderately acculturated females. Further analyses by generational status indicate heavier consumption patterns among second-generation individuals, especially among the less acculturated, though those differences were eliminated by controls. The findings highlight inadequacies of using generational status/nativity measures alone to assess acculturation level. Further, joint effects of acculturation level and generational status suggest the viability of a cultural marginality model of acculturation, though many of the effects of acculturation and generational status are explained by demographic and psychosocial factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

"Machismo," self-esteem, education and high maximum drinking among anglo, black and Mexican-American male drinkers.

This study seeks to clarify the relevance of machismo to patterns of high maximum drinking among male drinkers. Specifically, the study describes the psychometric properties of a newly developed 7-item machismo measure, compares levels of machismo and self-esteem for a sample of Anglo, black and Mexican-American males, and examines both main and interaction effects of machismo, self-esteem and education as predictors of alcohol use in these racial/ethnic subgroups. Logistic regression analyses document interaction between race/ethnicity, machismo, self-esteem and education, which calls into question the presumed importance of machismo as a cultural element causing heavy drinking patterns among Mexican-American males.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Explaining trends in use of VA inpatient psychiatric services.

We examined the expansion of Veterans Administration (now Department of Veterans Affairs--VA) inpatient psychiatric services from 1963 to 1984. Aggregate national trends in VA inpatient episodes between 1963 and 1984 document not only increased use of inpatient services but also "decentralization," or a shift to providing psychiatric services in general VA medical centers. The national trends show a dramatic increase in admissions to psychiatric bed sections over the period 1963-1978, with admissions staying at this high level from 1976-1981 and dropping only slightly in the 1980s. Admission trends were disaggregated into first admissions and readmissions to psychiatric and general hospitals in a single VA medical district for the period 1972-1981. First admissions declined over the study period for both hospital types; readmissions increased initially, but declined somewhat at the end of the period. The admission trends and patterns in source of first admissions suggest that the growth of VA services reflects psychiatric "decentralization," as well as deinstitutionalization within VA.

Deinstitutionalization↗
PubMed1986

Alcohol consumption and psychological distress among U.S. Anglos, Hispanics and Blacks.

Data from the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Augmentation Component of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics were analysed to assess differences between Anglos (N=5546), Blacks (N=872), less-acculturated Hispanics (N=182), and more-acculturated Hispanics (N=58) with regard to alcohol use, psychological distress, and alcohol consumption-psychological distress relationships. Alcohol consumption differences were more notable for quantity rather than frequency, with Hispanics reporting significantly higher quantity than Anglos or Blacks. Drinkers were more depressed than non-drinkers among Anglos and Blacks; an opposite, though insignificant, pattern emerged among Hispanics. Higher quantity of alcohol use was generally associated with greater depressive symptomatology and lower well-being. More frequent drinking was generally associated with lower depressive symptoms and higher well-being. Additional findings that pointed to negative relationships between quantity and both reported nervous breakdowns and help-seeking for emotional problems among less-acculturated Hispanics suggest a greater use of alcohol as a coping mechanism in this group.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1985

Race and vulnerability to stress: an examination of differential vulnerability.

In this article the possibility of race differences in vulnerability to stress is considered. Structural models linking socioeconomic status, age, and life-change events to psychological distress are fit to blacks' and whites' data, which were obtained in a community survey of 829 Florida residents to evaluate differences in vulnerability. Life-change-distress paths were slightly larger among blacks than among whites, though not significantly so. The possible adaptive or coping resources provided by supportive social ties and by fatalistic responses to chronic stress are suggested as topics for further research with regard to psychological well-being among disadvantaged groups.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

Evaluating the stress-buffering role of alcohol consumption: variation by type of event and type of symptom.

The possible stress-buffering properties of alcohol consumption are examined. Data on psychological symptoms from 1270 rural adults supported both symptom dimension (affective/somatic) and type of event (catastrophic/noncatastrophic) as possible influences upon buffering properties. Non-catastrophic events showed the greatest buffer effects from alcohol use. For depressive symptoms the greatest buffer effect was produced by occasional drinking; moderate drinking had a less pronounced effect. For somatic symptoms, buffer effects were suggested for both moderate and heavy drinkers. No buffer effects from alcohol were observed for catastrophic events.

Adolescent↗