SUMMARY We assessed the effect of sexual orientation on body image and attitudes toward eating and weight using data collected from lesbians and heterosexual women in three US cities. Data were analyzed using ordinary least squares regression controlling for a number of demographic characteristics. Findings indicate that while lesbian sexual orientation is predictive of positive body image and fewer negative attitudes toward eating and weight, the effects are modest. Body mass index (BMI), frequency of exercise, race, and self-image were the strongest predictors of body image; BMI, race, and city of residence were the strongest predictors of attitudes toward eating and weight. The authors conclude that while belonging to a lesbian subculture may provide some protection against the societal imperative toward thinness, it likely does not counter the larger societal preference that women be thin.

This paper examines activity patterns, participant demographics, and levels of satisfaction in multiple MOOC offerings at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from August 2012-December 2013. Using the following guiding questions: "Who are MOOC participants, how do they participate, and were they able to get what they wanted out of the course?" we have uncovered unique patterns of engagement that correlate with certain demographic characteristics. Our analysis employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, and serves as a model for further studies seeking to uncover the significance of participant activity within MOOCs.

According to the 1992 and 1993 Surveys of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), an estimated 4,538,000 adults in the U.S. serve as primary assistants for one or more household members with disabilities. Another 530,000 serve as secondary assistants. Spouses are the main source of primary ADL and IADL assistance, while adult children and other family members are the main source of secondary assistance. Primary household assistants tend to be older and female, while secondary assistants tend to be younger and male. Primary assistants are more likely than the general adult population to rate their health as fair or poor, describe themselves as work disabled, and be limited in or need assistance with ADLs. Secondary assistants report slightly higher rates of work disability than the general population, but similar rates of ADL limitation and health status. Both assistance groups are more likely than the general adult population to have annual family incomes which fall below the federal poverty line, and working-age (aged 18-64) assistants are much less likely to work full time.

This article primarily examines the role of attribution and self-concept as correlates of debt tolerance defined and operationalized as students’ of color willingness to take on loans to meet educational costs. To examine this set of relationships, three sets of attitude and perception indices are used: a family and friends support index, a self-concept index, and a locus of control index. Findings show that expecting to earn a first professional degree increases the odds of borrowing, whereas believing that good luck and good fortune are very important for success increases the odds of borrowing after controlling for other salient factors.