Home Economics Research Journal最新文献

A family resource management framework was used to develop a model of relationships between socioeconomic variables, financial management practices, and satisfaction with preparation for financial emergencies. This study examined direct and indirect effects of socioeconomic charac teristics and mediating effects of financial management practices variables on satisfaction with preparation for financial emergencies. A sample of 297 money managers was randomly selected from two rural counties of a midwestern state. Results showed that households'monthly income was the only socioeconomic variable that had a significant direct effect on satisfaction with preparation for financial emergencies, whereas the effects of other socioeconomic variables were mediated through the effects offinancial management practices. Financial management practices such as the managerial behavior index, monthly saving, and the number of insurance types had significant positive effects on satisfaction with preparation for financial emergencies. Monthly debt payment had a significant but negative effect on satisfaction. The managerial behavior index and monthly debt payment had both direct and indirect effects on satisfaction with preparation for financial emergencies. Their indirect effects were mediated through monthly saving. Monthly saving and the number of insurance types showed only direct effects on satisfaction with preparation for financial emergencies.

Rainbow trout and cod were baked in conventional and microwave ovens to final internal temperatures of 55°C, 65°C, and 75°C, and then subjected to sensory evaluation. Cooking loss and lipid content in accumulated liquid were measured. For both species of fish in both ovens, an increase in temperature meant a decrease in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor as well as in surface moistness. The internal temperature of the fish had a greater effect on the eating quality than did the method of heating. Cod had a greater weight loss when microwave cooked than when cooked in the conventional oven. The rainbow trout had similar total weight loss in both ovens but lost more lipid when microwave cooked. When the fish cooked in those ovens were compared at 55°C, no difference between ovens was found in the sensory characteristics.

As part of an Agricultural Experiment Station U.S. Western regional project, this article reports consumer perceptions of dermatological and other health problems resulting from contact with laundry products or laundered textiles. The objectives are to (a) assess the percentage of the population who perceive these health problems and analyze the relationship between these problems and the respondents' demographics, (b) identify laundry products implicated by afflicted individuals, and (c) assess the specific health problems and how consumers seek relief from these problems. Information from a self-administered questionnaire mailed to a disproportionate stratified random sample of households in five Western U.S. states provided baseline data on the existence of dermatological and other health problems perceived to be attributed to laundry product use. Skin irritation perceived to be caused by laundry products was reported by 26% of 3,841 respondents, and perceptions of allergies to laundry products were reported by 21% of the respondents. These problems were experienced more often by females than males and more often by children, age 1 through 20, than other age groups. In follow-up telephone interviews with afflicted consumers, detergents caused the most health problems. Skin irritation, especially on the arms, was the most common health problem. Individuals typically discontinued use of laundry products that they suspected caused their problems.

This article reports the titles of theses and dissertations completed in 1991 in colleges and universities throughout the United States. The 732 titles are reported by subject matter area and degree, with title, author, institution, and availability information following each entry. There are five tables illustrating information about graduate research in home economics: Table 1 lists the numbers of theses and dissertations reported by each institution, Table 2 lists the numbers and percentages of theses and dissertations that fall into each subject matter area, Table 3 ranks the institutions reporting the highest number of titles, Table 4 shows the ranking of all the institutions by subject matter area, and Table 5 summarizes the titles by degree and leading subject matter area for the years 1986–1991.

The link between extension and research has been a hallmark of home economics programs at land-grant universities. The uniqueness of extension programs, compared to other agencies and organizations that provide educational programs for families, is that extension programs are research based. This article examines several of the factors that impede the full realization of the ideal of the land-grant university model. Recommendations for revitalizing the extension/research link in home economics are proposed. The article is intended to provide research and extension faculty and administrators at the land-grant universities with ideas for strengthening the interface between extension and research so that the ultimate goal of more effective service to constituents, in particular, families, can be achieved.

The study surveyed 115 pregnant adolescents to determine their beliefs about nutrition during pregnancy. They were recruited from schools, clinics, residential homes, and public health facilities in 35 counties in middle and eastern Tennessee. Personal interviews and a 26-card game format were used to collect data. Participants read each belief from a card and attached it to a tack board indicating a response ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Responses were factor analyzed, and those factors with loadings of ≥ .50 and with eigenvalues of unity were retained and named for the major concepts present in the belief statements. Subsequently, dietary patterns of the participants were compared to belief statements that mentioned specific foods and current recommendations for pregnancy. Adolescents agreed with recommendations associated with milk consumption and weight gain during pregnancy. These responses were consistent with a calcium intake of 1317 mg ± 669 and a mean weight gain of 36.3 ± 16.1 pounds. Erroneous beliefs, such as the baby getting what it needs over maternal needs, also received “agree” responses. Results overall indicate that pregnant adolescents in this group needed counseling about salt restriction, maternal versus fetal needs, and use of vitamin supplements during pregnancy.

During the 19th century, the United States government mandated the migration of American Indians to reserved lands located in what would eventually become the state of Oklahoma. However, in 1889, the government also began opening those same lands to non-Indian settle ment, and the population of the territory expanded rapidly. In the late 1930s, under a program sponsored by the federal government, approximately 6,300 of those 19th-century residents were interviewed concerning their memories of life within the Indian Territory. Those interviews, having subsequently been printed, were searched for references to the production, acquisition, and use of clothing. The collected information was compiled into a large computerized data base that was searched for all means by which territorial female residents acquired clothing. The results suggested a gradual transition from the home production of fabrics to a greater reliance on commercial yardgoods, with home sewing remaining important throughout the period. The data also suggested a relationship between the historical environment within which clothing was acquired and the means by which the acquisitions were made. Additionally, the study revealed descriptive information concerning the techniques by which apparel was produced.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a human ecosystem integrative model for use as a research framework for interior design. The model is an adaptation of models developed by Morrison (1974), Doxiadis (1975), and Bubolz, Eicher, and Sontag (1979). The model is shown using two different examples, interior lighting and household energy consumption change, as the constructs of interest related to interior design. Discussion of application to interior design is included.

As new technologies are being developed for use with home automation systems, the role of the consumer in the acceptance of these technologies is crucial. The acceptance or rejection of individual components can contribute to the success or failure of an entire system. The purpose of this study is to assess the consumer acceptance of three alternative electrical plug and receptacle designs to be con sidered for use by the SMART HOUSE Limited Partnership. The research (a) as sessed the importance of selected characteristics of plugs and receptacles, prior to and following experience with use, (b) determined relative preferences for specified characteristics of plugs and receptacles, and (c) created an index that combined preferences for characteristics for each plug, receptacle, and unit de sign with the importance of the characteristic. The preferences for units were assessed in three different environmental contexts. Data were collected from 148 consumers. There were significant differences in consumers' evaluations of the performance of the three units. Consistent ordering of preferences across mea sures was found. The study reinforces the importance of the end-user in the acceptance of components for home automation systems.