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This article presents an application of survey non-response theory to a specific population with disabilities. From 1994 to 1997 the U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) did a special, two-phase study of disability. This survey format allowed for response patterns of the disabled population to be operationalized into contact, cooperation and proxy/assisted versus self-response categories. Using these data, the authors investigated the effects of severity of activity limitation at first interview on response patterns at second interview, with statistical controls for other characteristics related to the response outcome. The statistical results of the study show that respondents with moderate or severe activity limitation are more likely than those with mild activity limitation to be contacted and to cooperate, yielding higher response rates. However, respondents with a higher degree of activity limitation are also more likely to have proxy/assisted responses at re-interview. Barriers to self-response in household surveys are discussed in the concluding remarks.

National estimates of persons with disability are of great importance since they inform policy and program development. However, accurate estimation depends on accurate measurement, and disability measurement is still evolving. Using data from the 1994–1995 National Health Interview Survey and Disability Supplement, this study examines the relationship between functional and activity limitations and equipment use in order to characterize the influence of environmental factors on disability measurement. Our findings highlight the challenging methodologic issues related to measuring a concept of disability that reflects person–environment interactions.

Now that the threat of infectious disease is under control among the Native American population, the prevalence of chronic disease and occupational illness has become the focus of concern, particularly in relation to associated mortality and morbidity. This analysis addresses the issue of disability as caused by chronic illness, accidents and occupational illness among native populations and provides prevalence estimates of disability as measured by functional and activity limitations. The analysis also provides a description of the socioeconomic situation among Native Americans with various impairments and limitations. Compared to whites, blacks and persons of other races, Native Americans report the highest levels of impairment and functional and activity limitations. Overall, 32% report some type of limitation. As for those of all other races, the rates of prevalence increase with age and are associated with low levels of education and income. However, the rates among the youngest age group of Native Americans are greater whether examining physical limitations or task/activity limitations. Logistic regression analysis indicates that when controlling for all the characteristics commonly associated with limitations and impairment, race continues to be a predictor of both physical and task/activity limitations, with Native Americans 29% more likely to report some form of limitation.

This paper aims to inform the readers about the existing financial intelligence tools that are being used by financial intelligence units. It tries to demonstrate, with the help of a literature review, what the limitations of these tools are and how these limitations hinder the potential of the financial intelligence tools for early detection of terrorist financing activities.

The literature review method was adopted to discuss the financial intelligence tools, their limitations and the implications of the limitations for early detection of terrorist financing activities.

It was found that although the financial intelligence tools were introduced with a view to detect terrorist financing activities early, there are some inherent limitations of the tools relating to technical design features and operational procedures that hinder early detection of terrorist financing activities.

The existing financial intelligence tools need to be repaired by removing the inherent limitations of the tools.

The financial intelligence units should take into cognizance the importance of early detection of terrorist financing activities for preventing terrorist attacks and need to redesign the existing tools in such a way that make these tools effective for early detection of terrorist financing activities.

Peace will be established in society by preventing terrorist attacks through early detection of terrorist financing activities.

The originality of the paper lies in identifying the limitations of the existing financial intelligence tools for the early detection of terrorist financing activities.

Arthritis is the most prevalent chronic condition in persons ages 65 and older and is projected to increase substantially as the population ages. The purpose of this research is to assess if age, duration of arthritis, and severity of arthritis exert independent effects on various aspects of the disability process: functional limitations, activities of daily living (ADL) limitations, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) limitations. Type of arthritis, socio-demographic factors, behavioral factors, and additional health statuses are also examined. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement study, results show age and severity of arthritis are related to the number of functional limitations one has and to the odds of having ADL and IADL limitations. Duration of arthritis is positively related to functional limitations and to the odds of reporting ADL limitations. Duration of arthritis is not significantly related to IADL limitations, which are strongly linked to performing social roles and have less to do with physical functioning compared to ADL tasks and functional tasks. There is no difference between those with established arthritis compared to those who have had it for a shorter time period, suggesting those with arthritis adapt to social tasks better than physical tasks. The resources used to cope with IADL limitations may be more effective over time compared to those used to cope with functional limitations and ADL disability. Understanding the context of functional limitations and disability among those with arthritis may lead to improved support and care for those living with arthritis.

In recent years, recognition of environmental influences in public health has expanded to include more components of the environment such as the built environment, attitudes, and public policies. This environmental attention has addressed the need for healthier housing, schools, roads, and work sites, as some examples. Paralleling the development of awareness of the impact of environment on health and health behaviors, the influence of the environment and its contribution to the experience of disability has become more apparent. This national descriptive analysis of environmental barriers contributes to our understanding of the extent of environmental considerations for the entire U.S. adult population, not just older individuals, and will document those problems for those with self-reported functional limitations (i.e., disability).

This analysis uses the 2002 National Health Interview data to examine physical, social, and policy barriers experienced by the U.S. national population of adults age 18 or over. Focusing specifically on those who report a physical, activity, participation, or mental health limitation, the experience of barriers in the home, workplace, school, and the community is examined using descriptive analyses.

Results indicate that approximately 11% of the population with disabilities and 2% of the nondisabled adult population experience barriers in their daily lives. Severity of limitations and poor health status among those with disabilities increase the experience of barriers. The only sociodemographic factor related to reporting barriers was income. Depending on the kind of limitation, up to 28.6% of the population with disabilities experience barriers. The two most frequently reported types of barriers were building design and attitudes of other people.

This analysis provides an indication of how the environment is experienced by adults with disabilities and identifies perceived barriers found in the home, the work/school environment and the community. It starts to provide a baseline for understanding of the environment as experienced by persons with disabilities and suggests the most pressing areas for attention.

To our knowledge, this is among the first nationally representative analysis of barriers that interfere with daily activities experienced by adults in the United States. It highlights the experience of adults with disabilities and describes numerous types of potential barriers.

The objective of this study is to show the utility of the newly-approved World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a framework for organizing data from the National Health Interview Survey describing limitations in life activities among the U.S. population. Data were obtained from the 1994 to 1995 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Disability Supplement, Phase I (n=202,569). Forty-two items were selected from the survey to operationalize selected life domains of the ICF. Results indicated a prevalence rate of 19% for at least one life-domain limitation, with rates of limitations increasing with age, lower income and less education. Movement limitations were most frequently reported across the sample, but variations occurred within demographic characteristics. Life activities by sex and race produced noteworthy differences, by race/ethnicity generally, and by sex and race/ethnicity specifically. An example of mental health issues highlighted the use of the framework for health outcomes.

The ICF provides a foundational conceptual and classification system for improving disability science. These data suggest that the ICF has utility by providing data consistent with other disability measures, while providing an expanded and integrated model for science and policy. Fresh information is gleaned from organizing the data by ICF’s personal activity limitations. Differences by demographics across life domains, for example, can be more clearly presented and future analyses can assess associated impairments and environmental factors, including health service planning, health promotion, and access to care. The system can frame coherent integrated public health science and associated interventions to address the health and well being of people with disabilities.

As sociologists we all try to make a contribution to our field. Having completed our comprehensives and dissertations we have read in depth in several areas, have focused on an area that interests us, and have learned the research process whether it uses quantitative or qualitative methodology. We all make our contributions available to the field, but occasionally one among us makes a startling discovery, has an unusual idea or a way to approach a problem, starts examining a new problem at just the right moment, or has an insight into a specific conceptual problem with unusual alacrity. A few among us combine all that skill and happenstance and lead the way into new sociological insights, new areas of research and provide a notable foundation or advancement to an area of knowledge. Saad Nagi is one of those contributors with vision, insight, and skill to see ahead of his time. This paper attempts to bring together in one place his major contributions to the disability knowledge base in sociology.

The approach used in this paper is an in depth review of all of Nagi’s published works in the area of disability. The published literature is grouped into the five areas in which Nagi made major contributions, including major research of the Social Security Disability Insurance process; development of a framework for the disability process; epidemiological definitions and research; development of a coherent set of disability measures; and an examination of the social problem, policy, and program process as developed and practiced in this country.

Nagi made a large and significant contribution in all the areas listed above and much of the measurement, and process examination is still relevant and useful in current research. His framework is still the basis for the very newest models of disability which dominate disability research today.

Researchers need to go back to find Nagi books and articles written in the 60s, 70s, and 80s to ground their work in the originals rather than to take the interpretations of others on this material. The ICF and the Social Model did not originate in Europe alone, but much of the work began in the states in the early 60s with the work of Nagi, Haber, and others and should not be overlooked or ignored.

Several international and supranational organizations have undertaken efforts to improve and standardize the measurement of disability in population-based surveys. Among these are the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Statistical Office of the European Commission, the United Nations Statistical Division, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the World Health Organization, and Réseau sur l’Espérance de Vie en Santé Européennes. In this report their activities and recommendations are reviewed and examined from the viewpoint of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

Research on women’s health has increased substantially in the past decade, but this has not been paralleled in the area of developmental disabilities. In developmental disabilities research, there has been little attempt to disentangle the impact of age, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental disabilities on women’s health. The 1994–1995 Disability Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey, administered to a representative sample of the U.S. population, was used to describe the aging process in the community for women age 30 and older with mental retardation (MR), developmental disabilities (DD) or both (MR/DD). Definitions of MR and DD consistent with professional and legal standards were developed and adapted to the NHIS-D questions. Approximately 77 million civilian, non-institutionalized women in the United States were age 30 and older at the time of the survey. Among these women an estimated 0.56% have mental retardation or developmental disability. Compared with women in general, women with these disabilities were disproportionately absent in the community, had negative perceptions of their health status, and their health indicators tended to support these perceptions. Most women with these disabilities were independent in activities of daily living (ADL), but instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) posed more of a challenge, and limitations in major activities were common. Limitations in mobility were common among women with DD.