In this study we investigated materialism among future educators and its relationship with stress and a number of health behaviors. Participants were 228 students (Mean= 20.64 years of age, S.D= 2.571) of the Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood of the University of Thrace, Greece.The instrument consisted of a short form of the Material Values Scale with three subscales, pertaining to the following three domains: possession-defined success, acquisition centrality and acquisition as the pursuit of happiness. Measurements also included the Perceived Stress Scale and questions on several health behaviors. The findings suggested that materialism values were held by 40% of the participants whereas the component of materialism as happiness pursuit particularly was related to higher levels of stress. Finally, the younger the future educators were the more materialistic values they held. Suggestions for further research are discussed and, considering that children use their educators as models, health promoting interventions that take into account materialism effects are suggested.
ABSTRACT. Screening of 1 042 000 Greek newborns for PKU using the Guthrie test, revealed a mean incidence 1: 10 420 for Hyperphenylalaninaemia (1:24 233 classic PKU and 1:18 280 benign variants). The mean Phe concentration of the first sample (3–15 days) was 14.1 mg/dl (6–40) for PKU while, for variants, it was 7.7 mg/dl (4.16). Using 4 mg/dl as the limit under which no repeat test was requested, no case of PKU has been missed. On the whole, 100 newborns with persistent Hphe have been detected: 43 proved to be classical PKU and 57 benign variants. After excluding BH4 deficiency, Phe blood level has been kept below 10 mg/dl in all Hphe babies during the first 2 years of life, irrespective of the type of Hphe. All treated Hphe babies have developed normally. Discrimination between PKU and variants was achieved in the 6–18 month of life with protein loading tests. Treated PKU children had the lowest Phe concentrations during the first year of life (mean 5.1 mg/dl). From then on, a steady yearly increase was observed. Their mean IQ in the Stanford‐Binet L‐M dropped from 107.2 in the second year to 95.8 in the sixth year. A high negative correlation is not clearly shown, probably due to the small number of eases, PKU clinic (supportive and counselling group therapy) along with individual consultations have proved to be helpful, as has the promotion of diet compliance. The need to individualize each of Hphe before deciding upon ways of treatment is stressed and a protocol to be followed for each Hphe is proposed.
Research on ethnic prejudice among children is important for contemporary multicultural schools seeking to enhance communication among students from different ethnic groups and provide effective intercultural education. Current scientific discourse points to the appearance of new implicit forms of prejudice, witnessed in modern multicultural societies, while traditional explicit prejudice tends to decline. However, empirical studies concerning the blatant-subtle distinction of prejudice in children are scarce. This paper examines ethnic prejudice in 329 ethnic majority preadolescents (aged 10-13 years) attending 10 urban and rural schools in central Greece. Data were collected using questionnaires constructed on the basis of focus group discussions with children, in addition to sociometric tests. Findings support the subtle-blatant distinction of prejudice in children and indicate that although blatant prejudice expressed as personal rejection is indeed low, perceptions of ethnic minority groups as a 'problem' for school life, as well as subtle prejudice, are substantial. Ethnic minority children are less popular and stigmatizing behaviour is common. Intimacy with an ethnic minority classmate is associated with lower levels of blatant prejudice at the individual level but the other forms of prejudice are not affected.
BackgroundGreece has the highest smoking rates (in the 15-nation bloc) in Europe. The purpose of this study was to investigate Greek smokers' intention and appraisal of capability to quit employing the theoretical frameworks of Decisional Balance (DB) and Cognitive Dissonance (CD).MethodsA cross-sectional study including 401 Greek habitual smokers (205 men and 195 women), falling into four groups according to their intention and self-appraised capability to quit smoking was carried out. Participants completed a questionnaire recording their attitude towards smoking, intention and self appraised capability to quit smoking, socio-demographic information, as well as a DB and a CD scale.ResultsThe most numerous group of smokers (38%) consisted of those who neither intended nor felt capable to quit and these smokers perceived more benefits of smoking than negatives. DB changed gradually according to smokers' "readiness" to quit: the more ready they felt to quit the less the pros of smoking outnumbered the cons. Regarding relief of CD, smokers who intended but did not feel capable to quit employed more "excuses" compared to those who felt capable. Additionally smokers with a past history of unsuccessful quit attempts employed fewer "excuses" even though they were more frequently found among those who intended but did not feel capable to quit.ConclusionFindings provide support for the DB theory. On the other hand, "excuses" do not appear to be extensively employed to reduce the conflict between smoking and concern for health. There is much heterogeneity regarding smokers' intention and appraised capability to quit, reflecting theoretical and methodological problems with the distinction among stages of change. Harm reduction programs and interventions designed to increase the implementation of smoking cessation should take into account the detrimental effect of past unsuccessful quit attempts.
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