Browsing by Subject "Parents"
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Item Evaluation of Kinship Indices for the Identification of Missing Persons(2006-07-01) Hamilton, Kristi Payne; John Planz; Arthur Eisenberg; Joseph WarrenWhen both parents are able to provide reference DNA samples, the likelihood ratio, or strength of a match, between the parents and their child will be very high for a true match. However, what happens when only one parent is available, or neither parent is available? How effective are other relatives’ DNA profiles at aiding in the identification of an unknown sample? What sort of threshold, if any, should be in place to determine whether an unknown is excluded from being the relative of the reference donor? This study aims to approach an answer these questions by analyzing a database consisted of anonymous samples from the paternity testing division of the University of North Texas Health Science Center DNA Identity Laboratory. The concentration of the study is on whether kinship indices are reliable and consistent in being able to provide information regarding a sibling relationship. Evaluation of the kinship indices of parents and siblings of different families, both within the family and outside of the family, will aid in the determination of whether or not a threshold exists, and what that threshold may be. This information will be invaluable to future cases involving unidentified remains when direct reference samples or parent reference samples are not available.Item Factors Influencing Parents' Decision to Use Complementary and Alternative (CAM) Therapies in Children with Chronic Conditions(2023-05) Munshi, Aliyah I.; Fulda, Kimberly; Franks, Susan; Schranz, DamonIntroduction/Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or CAM, therapies are defined as treatments, or therapies, outside of conventional medical practices, some of which have a basis outside of traditional Western practices and are often used in children with chronic conditions. Studies have found that patients, or caregivers of patients, do not always inform their doctors when they are using a CAM therapy, with this disconnect sometimes leading to interference in their treatment plan and possibly becoming a complicating factor. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that influence a caregiver to use CAM therapies in order to bridge the gap in knowledge linking various factors to CAM therapy usage. Methods: Participants were recruited from the UNTHSC Health Pavilion Pediatrics and Family Medicine Clinics, as well as from various social media platforms. Data was collected through a survey questionnaire that 50 total eligible participants filled out. Participants answered questions regarding their CAM therapy usage, or their willingness to. They additionally answered questions about sociodemographic factors, their child's condition, and possible physician discussion of CAM therapies. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics comparing CAM therapy usage to the variables mentioned previously. Results: Type of chronic condition was not associated with an increase in CAM therapy usage. 83.3% of participants whose child's condition was more severe reported having used CAM therapies while 76.9% of participants whose child's condition was less severe reported having used CAM therapies. Sociodemographic factors such as child race/ethnicity (p= 0.412), caregiver race/ethnicity (p=0.236), caregiver education level (p=0.180), caregiver marital status (p= 1.000), caregiver employment status (p=0.575), and reliable form of transportation (unable to perform test) were not associated with CAM therapy usage. Physician discussion of the following CAM therapies were associated with an increased usage, or willingness to use those CAM therapies: Botanical drugs/natural product drugs (p=0.032), breathing and relaxation techniques (0.009), dietary supplements (0.002), and psychotherapy (0.040). Conclusion: There was a trend possibly associating CAM therapy usage and severity; however, statistical tests were unable to be performed and prevented statistically backed conclusions to be made. Physician discussion of certain CAM therapies is associated with an increase in participants using those CAM therapies, or being willing to use them. Further studies with larger sample sizes gathered from more diverse recruitment sites are needed to better explore these relationships and possible factors that may influence a caregiver to use CAM therapies for their child with a chronic condition(s).Item How often parents make decisions with their children is associated with obesity(BioMed Central Ltd., 2018-09-25) Rahman, Adrita; Fulda, Kimberly G.; Franks, Susan F.; Fernando, Shane I.; Habiba, Nusrath; Muzaffar, OmairBackground: Evidence supports that better parental involvement and communication are related to reduced obesity in children. Parent-child collaborative decision-making is associated with lower BMI among children; while child-unilateral and parent-unilateral decision-making are associated with overweight children. However, little is known about associations between joint decision-making and obesity among Hispanic youth. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the relationship between parent-child decision making and obesity in a sample of predominantly Hispanic adolescents. Methods: Data from two studies focused on risk for type II diabetes were analyzed. A total of 298 adolescents 10-14 years of age and their parent/legal guardian were included. Parents completed questionnaires related to psychosocial, family functioning, and environmental factors. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the association between obesity (≥ 95th percentile for age and gender), the dependent variable, and how often the parent felt they made decisions together with their child (rarely/never, sometimes, usually, always), the primary independent variable. Covariates included gender, age, ethnicity, total family income, and days participated in a physical activity for at least 20 min. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated. Results: Adolescent participants were predominantly Hispanic n = 233 (78.2%), and approximately half n = 150 (50.3%) were female. In multivariate analyses, adolescents who rarely/never made decisions together with their family had significantly higher odds (OR = 3.50; 95% CI [1.25-9.83]) of being obese than those who always did. No association was observed between either those who sometimes make decisions together or those who usually did and those that always did. Conclusions: Parents and children not making decisions together, an essential aspect of parent-child communication, is associated with increased childhood obesity. The results of our study contribute to evidence of parental involvement in decision-making as an important determinant of adolescent health. Further studies should explore temporal relationships between parenting or communication style and obesity.