Family and marital support have been shown to be associated with better treatment adherence, illness adaptation, and blood sugar control in studies of individuals with diabetes. However, the behaviors and attitudes that describe appropriate support have not been defined. This is a qualitative study which asked couples who live with diabetes to define support. Seventy-four individuals (patients and spouses) participated in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts of these interviews were rigorously coded and analyzed by a team of researchers. A sampling of quotes is provided. Helpful behavior was particularly evident in the areas of dietary control and regimen specific support, general relational support, and reminders.

A systematic review on studies related to the genetic characteristics of Sasang types was conducted with the goal of delineating genetic characteristics of Sasang typology. Six electronic databases of up to the March 2011 were examined with the key words of Sasang typology, constitution, and genetics in both Korean and English. Predefined review criteria were used, including demographic characteristics, type classification methods, genotyping methods, and genotypes. Fifty-nine potentially relevant studies were identified and 40 peer reviewed research articles that contained genetic data were included. Fourteen articles reported statistically significant differences among Sasang types, which are heritability, structural variation, genome-wide screening, and pathophysiological function. Although significant genotypes were reported with vWA, CSF1PO, Penta D, HLA-Cw*04, HLA-Cw*07, PPAR-γ, MDR1, IL-α, IL-β, and IL-6 receptor, results of the review indicate that there was no conclusive genotype related to the Sasang typology. Considering the features of Sasang typology, it is recommended that the macroscopic systems medical approach on genetics be employed, rather than the single genes association approach.

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Background Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may alter responses to stress. Children with PCE tend to grow up in suboptimal caregiving environments, conducive to child maltreatment (CM). Guided by the diathesis-stress model, the present study examined differences in self-reported responses to stress and coping in adolescents with and without PCE and explored whether childhood maltreatment (CM) moderated the effects of PCE. Methods Adolescents (N=363; 184 PCE, 179 non-cocaine exposed (NCE)), primarily African-American and of low socioeconomic status, were prospectively enrolled in a longitudinal study at birth. The Responses to Stress Questionnaire was used to assess volitional coping (primary control, secondary control, disengagement) and involuntary responses (involuntary engagement, involuntary disengagement) to stress at the 15- and 17-year follow-up visits. CM was assessed retrospectively at age 17 using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Results Findings from longitudinal mixed model analyses indicated that PCE was associated with poorer coping strategies only among adolescents with a history of CM. Adolescents with PCE who experienced CM reported less dominant use of primary (e.g., problem solving, emotional regulation) and secondary control (e.g., cognitive restructuring) and more dominant use of disengagement (e.g., denial, avoidance) and involuntary disengagement (e.g., inaction) than adolescents with PCE who did not experience CM or NCE adolescents regardless of CM. CM was associated with more dominant use of involuntary engagement (e.g., intrusive thoughts). Conclusions PCE may increase sensitivity to CM, predisposing increased vulnerability to environmental risk. Continued studies into adulthood will elucidate how coping and involuntary stress responses affect social, vocational, and behavioral adjustment.

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