Objective-To see whether non-professional volunteer community mothers could deliver a child development programme to disadvantaged first time mothers for children aged up to 1 year.Design-Randomised controlled trial. Setting-A regional health authority in Dublin. Subjects-262 first time mothers who were delivered during six months in 1989 and who lived in a deprived area of Dublin; 30 experienced mothers from the same community recruited as community mothers.Interventions-All the first time mothers received standard support from the public health nurse. In addition, those in the intervention group received the services of a community mother, who was scheduled to visit monthly during the first year ofthe child's life.Results-232 (89%) first time mothers completed the study-127 in the intervention group, 105 controls. At the end of the study children in the intervention group were more likely to have received all oftheir primary immunisations, to be read to, and to be read to daily, played more cognitive games; and were exposed to more nursery rhymes. They were less likely to begin cows' milkc before 26 weeks and to receive an inappropriate energy intake and inappropriate amounts of animal protein, non-animal protein, wholefoods, vegetables, fruit, and milk.Mothers in the intervention group also had a better diet than controls. At the end of the study they were less likely to be tired, feel miserable, and want to stay indoors; had more positive feelings; and were less likely to display negative feelings.Conclusion-Non-professionals can deliver a health promotion programme on child development effectively. Whether they can do so as effectively as professionals requires further study.

Environmental JusticeThe recent growth and restructuring of the swine industry in the state of Mississippi has raised various environmental and socioeconomic concerns. We spatially examined the location and attributes of 67 industrial hog operations to determine if African American and low-income communities have a high prevalence of industrial hog operations located near their neighborhoods at the census block group level. We used spatial data and cross-classification analysis to compare the prevalence of industrial hog operations in neighborhoods that are primarily African American and low income with the prevalence in neighborhoods that are African American and affluent. We also used logistic regression to evaluate the relationship between the environmental justice vari-

Nonrecursive models which have been used to assess the potentially reciprocal relationship between fear of crime and handgun ownership may suffer on two accounts: (a) the use of "cweak"instrumental variables: and (b) the measurement of household (versus personal) handgun ownership. Data from the 1980 NORC General Social Survey are used in this study to minimize these problems in examining the relationships among fear of crime, victimization, and protective handgun ownership among males and females. SigniJcant effects of fear and victimization on personal gun ownership are found among men but not among women. These results are discussed in light of two concerns. First, earlier research is confirmed that finds gender direrences in the factors influencing gun ownership. Second, a clear need is emphasized for further research addressing questions of both conceptualization and measurement in the study of fear of crime and its effects on protective handgun ownership.One of the most popular hypotheses put forth to explain recent increases in handgun ownership is what Wright, Rossi, and Daly (1983) colorfully refer to as the "fear and loathing" thesis. According to this explanation, people purchase handguns primarily as a defensive weapon in the fight against criminals. Given the perception of increasing crime, it only makes sense that more people are arming themselves.Recent evidence, however, suggests that this sensible thesis rests on perilously weak empirical ground. As Wright et al. (1983: 45-63, 93-101) note after a thorough review of existing evidence, both the notion that we are a nation arming itself and the corollary idea that people buy guns-even handguns-primarily as a defense against criminals are at best specious and probably inaccurate assumptions. The number of new handgun owners whose purchases were primarily for defense is difficult to determine, but available evidence suggests that the number is quite small. Furthermore, even among

This study shows that alcohol intoxication accounted for a substantial number of emergency in-patient admissions to acute hospitals in one health board region in Ireland and that the age standardized recorded acute alcohol related emergency admission rate increased significantly over the 5-year period, 1997-2001. This increase mirrored the national increase in alcohol consumption over the same time period.

The variation in rates observed indicates the scope of reducing hospitalisations and associated costs for ACSCs, across both adult's and children's services and particularly in relation to diabetes complications.