Language development with deaf children Essay

Erik Drasgow discussed in his article how important early exposure is for deaf children (Drasgow 1998). Unlike hearing children who are exposed to language early in the womb, deaf children get their exposure to language at birth (Drasgow 1998). Drasgow explains that studies show the earlier language is developed the higher children excel in language skills (Drasgow 1998). Deaf children born to deaf parents will acquire language as easily as hearing child born to hearing parents develops a spoken language (Drasgow 1998). It is vital for a child receive complete exposure to a natural language within their first twelve months (Drasgow 1998). Suppose a child does not have access to language until the age of six or seven, that child may never acquire a natural language (Drasgow 1998). Parents. Parents are the biggest influence for children, hearing or deaf. A deaf child born to deaf parents adapt language normally, because the parents know how to relate to their child. However, a deaf child born to hearing parents, who have no prior exposure to the deaf culture, struggle to learn how to communicate with their child. The absence of communication will interfere with a child’s development (Easterbrooks & Baker 2002). Hearing parents do try their best, but there are things a deaf child needs. The knowledge of visual and spatial relationships is a skill most hearing parents do not understand, however their child will need that understanding (Easterbrooks & Baker 2002). Also, we have learned that the signed language relies heavily on facial expressions and non-manual markers. If hearing parents choose manual communication they are so focused on the signs the parents lose the important facials that make up the signed language (Easterbrooks & Baker 2002). Deaf culture requires eye contact for a conversation to take place, because hearing parents are accustomed to calling out to children, peers, and family, the parents do not realize how necessary eye contact is for their child and have difficulty gaining their child’s attention (Easterbrooks & Baker 2002). Children, whether hearing or deaf, must have exposure, understanding, and support from family to truly adapt a language. b. Nanci Scheetz defines pragmatics in her book, Psychosocial Aspects of Deafness. She defines it as: â€Å"Pragmatics address how language is used to communicate in social contexts. It examines the rules that govern the exchange of language, and focuses on the reasons why individuals converse with each other. It delves into the realm of discourse and analyzes how speakers organize their thoughts into coherent conversations. Further more, it takes into consideration the speaker’s word choice, the recipient’s knowledgebase, and the choice† (Scheetz 2004). My understanding is that pragmatics takes a look at where a person stands in their social development. Society has social norms that must be followed. As we develop, we learn what is allowed in day-to-day conversation, but we also learn what is considered taboo. Christine Yoshinag-Itano makes an important point in her article. She explains those pragmatics are going to change for each developmental stage and the pragmatics for the spoken languages and the manual languages are going to be different (Itano 1997). In my opinion this is true. Deaf children should not always be compared to hearing children. Their development is not going to match a hearing child’s stage for stage. Hearing children have an opportunity to hear new words spoken by adults and can ask what they mean. While deaf children, especially in a mainstream setting, miss that chance because one sign has many different meanings. In the mainstream environment, an interpreter hears the new word and switches it to the signed language; the deaf child then misses what the educated word. In this scenario hearing children add a new word to their vocabulary and the deaf child sees the same signs he or she already knows. Instances such as these are why I believe hearing children have a higher pragmatic level and deaf children fall behind. c. Researchers Elizabeth Keating and Gene Mirus conducted a study on how deaf children relate to hearing children in a mainstream setting (Keating & Mirus 2003). These researchers observed deaf and hearing students at two Texas schools over a five-month span (Keating & Mirus 2003). They had never met the principles, teachers, or students prior to their observation (Keating & Mirus 2003). Their method was to get video surveillance of the deaf and hearing students interacting with each other (Keating & Mirus 2003). While reading this article, I was concerned that these researchers would not be able to understand the deaf children signing. However as I continued through the article they explained that Mirus is deaf, a native American Sign Language (ASL) signer, fluent in English, and was taught in a mainstream setting as a deaf student (Keating & Mirus 2003). Keating is hearing, a native English speaker and is a skilled ASL signer as well (Keating & Mirus 2003). These two authors had some helped from their research assistant Chris Moreland (Keating & Mirus 2003). He, like Mirus, was part of a mainstream deaf program, and is a fluent in ASL and English, but is not a native signer (Keating & Mirus 2003). These authors believed that having people who knew the cultures and languages was critical to the study (Keating & Mirus 2003). The authors discussed a point that I think is important, the difference between a hearing conversation and a deaf conversation. For the Deaf community, eye contact is key. If the signer trying to start the conversation does not have the desired recipients attention, then the conversation cannot take place because the signs would not be seen (Keating & Mirus 2003). Also, deaf require feed back during a conversation to ensure the other person understands and is attentive (Keating & Mirus 2003). Interruptions are common in conversations between two deaf persons and the understanding of space and time (Keating & Mirus 2003). Hearing conversations are different. Hearing conversations do not require eye contact or even be in the same room, also interruptions are considered rude in the hearing culture. These differences separate interaction with the hearing and deaf worlds. While deaf people have adapted ways to communicate with the hearing, hearing people still lack their resources (Keating & Mirus 2003). I think this area should be studied closely. Keating and Mirus’ study gives examples of conversations between children in a school setting. The researchers saw hearing children ignore the attempts of the deaf students to take part in the conversation by mimicking a hearing child’s actions or not knowing understanding why the deaf child is not paying them attention (Keating & Mirus 2003). However, when the deaf child was interacting the video showed gesturing to help the hearing child understand what was needed but the researchers also saw a deaf child misunderstand an incident with hearing children on a see-saw (Keating & Mirus 2003). A hearing child fell off the seesaw and fell, the deaf child thought another child knocked the other off on purpose (Keating & Mirus 2003). The researchers found that deaf-hearing relations never went past what was going on at the present moment and was much shorter than deaf to deaf relations and hearing to hearing conversations (Keating & Mirus 2003). I think this alone is cause for more research. It is not fair for children who are in the same classroom all day to not have anyway to interact with each other outside of gestures and lip reading. If a child is going to be placed in a mainstream setting other children should have the opportunity to learn ways to communicate with the deaf students. Chances are the same students are going to have classes together until they graduate; kindergarten to twelfth grade is far too long for children to go without learning signs or ways to communicate with the deaf students. Works Cited Drasgow, E. (1998). American sign language as a pathway to linguistic competence. Exceptional Children, 64(3), 329. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/201213704 Easterbrooks, S., & Baker, S. (2002). Language learning in children who are deaf and hard of hearing: multiple pathways. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Itano, C. Y. (1997). The challenge of assessing language in children with hearing loss. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 28(4), 362. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/232585838?accountid=14800 Keating, E., & Mirus, G. (2003). Examining interactions across language modalities: Deaf children and hearing peers at school. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 34(2), 115. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218136755?accountid=14800 Martin, D. S., Craft, A., & Sheng, Z. N. (2001). The impact of cognitive strategy instruction on deaf learners: An international comparative study. American Annals of the Deaf, 146(4), 366. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214468209?accountid=14800 Scheetz, N,. (2004). Psychosocial aspects of deafness. Boston: Pearson.

Market: Strategic Management and Adidas Essay

Adidas – a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sport around the globe. The vision of company founder Adolf (â€Å"Adi†) Dassler has long become reality and his corporate philosophy the guiding principle for successor generations. The idea was as simple as it was brilliant. Adi Dassler’s aim was to provide every athlete with the best possible equipment. It all began in 1920, when Adi Dassler made his first shoes using the few materials available after the First World War. Adidas Group (adidas) is one of the leading companies in global sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle now. The company along with its subsidiaries involves in designing, developing, marketing and retailing of sports footwear, apparel and accessories. It also involves in manufacturing and retailing of various sporting gears, accessories, golf balls, and iron rods. The company offers products through adidas, Reebok, and About TaylorMade-adidas Golf brands. Adidas brand through adidas Sport Performance offers products in five categories namely, football, basketball, running, training and outdoor. adidas continuously improved the quality, look, feel and image of our products and our organisational structures to match and exceed consumer expectations. adidas brand through adidas Sport Style offers authentic sportswear to the full spectrum of lifestyle consumers. Activities of the company and its around 170 subsidiaries are directed from the Group’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. It is also home to the adidas brand. Reebok Headquarters are located in Canton, Massachusetts. TaylorMade-adidas Golf is based in California. The company also operates creation centres and development departments at other locations around the world, corresponding to the related business activity. Effective December 31, 2011, the adidas Group employed 46,824 people. SWOT Analysis SWOT is a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. Specifically, SWOT is a basic, straightforward model that assesses what an organization can and cannot do as well as its potential opportunities and threats. The method of SWOT analysis is to take the information from an environmental analysis and separate it into internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external issues (opportunities and threats). Once this is completed, SWOT analysis determines what may assist the firm in accomplishing its objectives, and what obstacles must be overcome or minimized to achieve desired results. Strengths Top of brand recognition. Brand recognition of the Adidas especially its traditional three strips style is well reputed. The biggest sponsor of the sport events. Adidas is the biggest sponsor of the sport events specially football, such as 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africaâ„ ¢. adidas is the Official Sponsor, Supplier and Licensee of the FIFA World Cupâ„ ¢ and provides the Official Match Ball JABULANI as well as the equipment for all officials, referees, volunteers and ball kids. In the 2010 FIFA World Cupâ„ ¢, adidas equips more than 200 players as well as 12 teams: host nation South Africa, the tobecome world champion Spain, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, France, Japan, Nigeria, Slovakia, Denmark and Greece. Acquired major competitor. Adidas acquisition includes Salomon group in 1997 and Reebok in 2006 which they are the competitor previously. That increases the market share in the global sporting goods industry. Good partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA). adidas and NBA announced an 11-year strategic global merchandising partnership in 2006 that will make the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season. The Reebok brand will continue to be a global marketing partner of the NBA and will maintain the ability to create NBA branded footwear. Good reputation. The company has been obeying environmental laws and has never been accused for pollution. Such as no child labour accusations. Geographically-diversified operations. More than 170 subsidiaries guarantee marketplace presence for products of the adidas Group around the world. Sales and distribution of adidas products is grouped in four regions worldwide: Europe/Emerging Markets, North America, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. Today, the adidas Group is Europe’s biggest supplier of athletic footwear and sports apparel. Its mean adidas demographically wide spread every county have adidas outlets in every city or the branded products are scattered in different branded super marts. Product diversification. adidas Sport Style division presents new highlights of the Y-3 collection at the New York Fashion Week. Separately, adidas also have collaboration with Diesel – adidas Originals Denim by Diesel becomes available in stores in February 2008. Weaknesses The poor e-marketing. adidas e-shopping is offered only to the USA locations, some locations of Europe and Asia. Imperfect customer service. Customer service centers are not totally functional, and problems are faced specially in the case of e-marketing. Too expensive. The price is quite higher. The old version or over-quarter product still in higher price. Opportunities Improve the e-marketing. Adidas is planning to outscore its web development and ecommerce to the third party, which would then pay the company through ease at customer edge. Also can merge with them for expansion of online retail. Apps for smartphone. The smartphone very popular in the world now. The smartphone can allow users to browse the web, watch movie clips and sporting events, download music and play games; this opens new doors for Adidas Developing Technology. Although the company’s innovative technology can be regarded as its strengths yet a great deal needs to be done in this field. Business grows the importance of keeping up with changes in business computing and technology can be more important over time. Growing global footwear market. According to Prweb, Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA) announces the release of a comprehensive global report on Footwear markets. Global market for Footwear is projected to reach 15.7 billion pairs by the year 2017. Growth will be primarily driven by growing world population, expanding base of middle class consumers, rising standards of living, increasing household income and per capita spends. Threats Nike has large loyal customer base. Nike that is its strongest partner is paying much attention to the diversity of models in one item that is foot wear, this leads to enhanced marketing. So if failure to expand in North America could hamper Adidas’s prospects in Asia and threaten its leadership in Europe, where Nike is growing Legal Risks. The sponsored Kobe Bryant are reflecting negative image of the brand through their illegal activities like sexual abuse. Rising costs of raw materials. The company is facing higher raw material and wage cost. This is one of the key threats to Adidas. Counterfeits. Industry world-wide loses large amounts to counterfeiters. These losses not only affect the producers of genuine items, but they also involve social costs. According to estimates by the Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau (CIB) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), counterfeit goods make up 5 to 7% of world trade. This has become a key threat. Conclusion of SWOT Analysis According to the SWOT Analysis, adidas is strong in the market. They can gain more market share in the future. But they must improve the e-marketing and control the costs. They should be select the sponsor carefully, that is affect the company image. Porter five forces model Michael Porter (1980) examines the structure of industries by determining the forces that shape them. It is important to emphasise that the extent to which each force determines the structure of the industries differs. The model can also be used to illustrate which forces the firm can influence, in order to best position itself within its chosen industry. The new competitors are high barriers of entry to global sporting goods industry. Such as, high set up costs, economies of scale, marketing barrier. The five forces that examine are 1) the threat of new entrants, 2) the power of buyers, 3) the power of suppliers, 4) the threat of substitute products & 5) the competitive rivalry between existing firms. There are several reasons for this using the five forces analysis can clearly demonstrate how each force contributes the profitability of the industry. The threat of new entrants New entrants to an industry bring new capacity, the desire to gain market share, and often substantial resources. There are major sources of barriers to entry: By the economies of scale, the barrier is determined by size of operation required to operate efficiently with in the market. This is important when existing firms within the market can achieve cost advantages from their scale of operation. In industries that have minimum efficient scales of operation (MES), firms wanting to enter the market must compete at the level or incur a disadvantage. The global sporting goods industry where to be competitive there is a need to operate on a substantial scales. Just is Footwear market is projected to reach 15.7 billion pairs by the year 2017. By capital requirements to entry, the new competitors need the very expensive to start up and run a company. This relates to the pure finance required to enter an industry, but is often liked to the other barriers to entry. The need to invest large financial resources in order to compete can deter new entrants. Capital may be necessary not only for fixed facilities but also to extend customer credit, building inventories, and fund starting up losses. By Cost disadvantages independent of size, entrenched companies may have cost advantages not available to potential rivals, no matter what their size and attainable economies of scale. For example good relationships and knowledge of customers and suppliers can be utilized to defend a firm’s position. The new competitors may not produce easily. So the new competitors should be deriving some other competitive advantage, but that is hard. By access to distribution channels, the newcomer must secure distribution of its product or service. The new competitive is hard to obtain exclusive deals with retailers so that they sell only their products. They should give higher slotting fees to the retailers if want a good place in the shop. By Product differentiation, brand identification creates a barrier by forcing entrants to spend heavily on marketing. adidas have a good brand loyalty. The new competitor is very hard to build up their brand name in shortly. By expected retaliation, responses by existing competitors may depend on a firm’s present situation in the industry. Such as Price retaliation, increase the advertising cost to the potential entrant and creditable threat such as predatory pricing. The top lending such as adidas and nike should not be easy give the new competitor entry to the market. The power of buyers All firms at some time buy resource and are therefore faced with the power of buyers. It will effects on restricting the freedom of the organization to determine its price and strategic position. The products are mainly sold in bulk to major sports outlets and online stores, since they offer premium shelf space they command lower price. However, adidas have their own shop. So there are a small amount of customers who buy products directly in these shops. When Adidas sell their products to one off customers they can dictate the price as Adidas don’t rely on making these sales. The power of suppliers Same as the power of buyers, the power of suppliers also effects on restricting the freedom of the organization to determine its price and strategic position. Supplier provides a differentiated input that enhances the quality of performance of sellers’ products or is a valuable part of sellers’ production process. adidas raw materials to make football boots are not supplied by a monopoly. This gives adidas more power to dictate the price at which they buy their raw materials, as there are a large number of competitive suppliers. The threat of substitute products Substitutes often come rapidly into play if some development increases competition in their industries and causes price reduction or performance improvement. Many companies produce football boots are available to the consumers. However, adidas produce football boots that have unique features, such as nylon sole, rubber pads and Traxion. So adidas’s have an edge over their competitors. Also, the substitutes for football boots also include footwear and sports clothes for other sports. That can help develop other business such as Y-3. The competitive rivalry between existing firms The final force to consider is the rivalry that exists between firms already in the market. In this industry where growth is slow, competitors wish to expand at a faster rate need to obtain additional market share. There are some companies competing adidas for more market share, including Nike, Puma and Umbro. Adidas should keep their market share in the industry. They must control the price, improve product introduction and innovations, increase the cost of advertising and improved customer service. Conclusion of Porter five forces model According to the Porter five forces model, it is hard to entering global sporting goods industry. Most of the forces are strong. There have higher barriers for new entrants. adidas have good power of buyer and suppliers. The new competitor can find the substitute products of adidas may not easily. Final, the industry growth is too slow, so new competitors are hard to competing the market share from adidas.

Events [in his life and around him] that shaped Glenn Gould's adult Research Paper

Events [in his life and around him] that shaped Glenn Gould's adult life - Research Paper Example In 1939, when he was 7 years old, he started to go in the Toronto Symphony concerts. Between 1940 and 1944, Gould went through all exams from Grade 3 to Grade 10 in the Toronto Conservatory of Music in which he studied piano. After Grade 10, Gould started to study theory until 1947. He won many medals from that conservatory for the next 10 years, and also performed in many functions meanwhile. Between 1948 and 1950, Gould discovered the Schoenberg music through Guerrero. From this time onwards, he became a champion of the Schoenberg music for the rest of his life. In July 1951, Gould made an honoring speech for late Schoenberg. From 1952 onwards, he spent most of his time with his family. He gave himself time to prepare himself as an adult musician. In 1957, Gould released his last â€Å"Radio Canada International transcription disc (Programme 140): Brahms's Piano Quintet, with the Montreal String Quartet† (Bazzana). Soon after that, Gould stopped playing piano aggressively. à ¢â‚¬Å"He was the James Dean of classical music† (Page cited in Clarkson). Works Cited: Bazzana, Kevin. â€Å"Timeline.† 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. . Clarkson, Michael. â€Å"The secret life of Glenn Gould.† 25 Aug. 2007. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. .

Feminism Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Feminism Article Analysis - Essay Example Ann Tickner in her work â€Å"You Just Don’t Understand: Troubled Engagements Between Feminists and IR Theorists,† that is, the eradication and repudiation of gender inequality that traditionally characterized the relationship between man and woman. With it also is the breaking of the glass ceiling or the â€Å"objectification† of women either as a sexual subject or an entity that can be exploited or abused. I agree this has to be relegated to history and people should move forward with renewed vigour to pursue and work as equals to build a more harmonious, more productive and better society. Women, after all, compose a half of our population, which means half the talent that could make our lives better, and half the capacity to produce. Therefore, it is not only a matter of political propriety that women should be equal to men, but also as an economic and political imperative. This however is only limited to personal, economic and societal relations, and not to international relations. Thus, I disagree with Tickner’s approach of transcending the feminist perspective to international relations. Feminist theories and approaches just got it wrong in interpreting international relations in terms of the feminist approach. International relations cover a complex and wide array of interests that intersect with one another and require balancing, better judgement, relevance and efficacy. Resolving this complexity that characterizes international relations with the epistemological and ontological perspective of feminist body of knowledge is just too simplistic. For example, we can cite the Kantian tradition and solution as a workable approach to an economic problem such as the recent financial crisis that almost dragged the world into recession whose Kantian solution that have been adopted by many, such as Obama’s Stimulus Plan, and for most part it has succeeded in saving jobs and in general, the economy of the United States and most part of the

Legal Framework for Securing the Repayment of Secured Loans Essay

Legal Framework for Securing the Repayment of Secured Loans - Essay Example Thus the two different varieties of debt were different not because they were founded on different kinds of relationships, but rather only because in one the plaintiff could present specialty to evidence the debt (=debt on an obligation) [obligation meaning specialty], whereas in the other the plaintiff only has suit, that is, two people (either actually there in the thirteenth century, or there only by obligation by early in the fourteenth century [contract meaning a transaction (not an agreement), such as buying, selling, lending, borrowing). Do not be fooled by this usage of the word â€Å"contract†: that word is now used for agreements whereas then, the word meant a transaction.1 The difference between the debt on an obligation and debt on a contract, the difference that it made whether one had a specialty or only suit, was in the form of proof that followed. If the plaintiff had a specialty, the defendant had two possible replies: (1) the specialty is a forgery (= not my deed) or (2) I have repaid as proven by your written acquittance under your seal. The debtor could not allege repayment unless he had the written acquittance. The only issue that could go to the jury was whether the specialty was forged (or, after circa 1380, whether the debtor was illiterate so that he did not know what the specialty said so it was, similarly, not his deed). Thus there was no possible discussion about the nature of the debt and a thus little chance for the development of a 1UK Legal Framework, Debt body of substitutive law. ... were founded on different kinds of relationships, but rather only because in one the plaintiff could present specialty to evidence the debt (=debt on an obligation) [obligation meaning specialty], whereas in the other the plaintiff only has suit, that is, two people (either actually there in the thirteenth century, or there only by obligation by early in the fourteenth century (=debt on a contract) [contract meaning a transaction (not an agreement), such as buying, selling, lending, borrowing). Do not be fooled by this usage of the word "contract": that word is now used for agreements whereas then, the word meant a transaction.1 The difference between the debt on an obligation and debt on a contract, the difference that it made whether one had specialty or only suit, was in the form of proof that followed. If the plaintiff had specialty, the defendant had two possible replies: (1) the specialty is a forgery (= not my deed) or (2) I have repaid as proven by your written acquittance under your seal. The debtor could not allege repayment unless he had the written acquittance. The only issue that could go to the jury was whether the specialty was forged (or, after circa 1380, whether the debtor was illiterate so that he did not know what the specialty said so it was, similarly, not his deed). Thus there was no possible discussion about the nature of the debt and thus little chance for the development of a 1UK Legal Framework, Debt 3 body of substitutive law. In debt on a contract substitutive discussion was usually avoided by the defendants plea: I owe nothing.2We

Policy Brief Addressing The Issue Of Offender Recidivism Essay

Policy Brief Addressing The Issue Of Offender Recidivism - Essay Example It has been noted that there is a widespread inequality in the treatment of people in various institutions including the courts. There are allegations and reports that the minorities are being treated more strictly by court officials than the whites. They tend to receive harsher treatment for their crimes, are believed to be more predisposed to crimes and are likely to re-offend, especially the youths. Bridges and Steen (1998) explain that the perceptions of court officials towards the various categories of youths based on racial backgrounds influence their assessment of these youths. This impairs their ability to correctly assess the dangerousness of these youths.Although there is high rate of recidivism among the racial minorities especially the blacks, it should also be noted that it has turned into a stereotype. This can foster unequal treatment of white and minority offenders in dealing with criminal and juvenile cases and the administration of justice. Consequently, it can trig ger high offense and re-offense rates among the blacks as a reaction to the unfair perception given to them and the racial unfairness they witness in courts. It also opens a loop for recidivism by white offenders since they are not likely to receive a harsh treatment for their crimes. Drug offense is the main cause of rise in prison population in the United States. The percentage of people imprisoned for drug offenses has also risen dramatically and a high population of re-offenders is drug offenders. Spohn and Holleran (2002) state that people will keep way from crimes if they are sure to receive a severe penalty and immediately they commit the crime. People also commit crimes if the benefits obtained from them are higher than the costs. The state therefore needs prescribe tough disciplinary measures for drug offenders such as long prison sentences to deter the present and prospective drug offenders. This will make the cost of offending to be higher than the benefits received from the crime. The state should also remove fines levied on drug offenders because they could pay the fine from proceeds from the same crimes Administration of tough legal measures in based on severity of crime and past criminal record If people who find their way back to the prison for a second time receive a harsher punishment than first time offenders of the same crime, more offenders will be discouraged from reoffending. When administering the harsher punishment, considerations should not be

Research and develop individual knowledge on existing web based PMS, Paper

And develop individual knowledge on existing web based PMS, CRS, CRM, ERP or DMS systems of our choice and apply it to - Research Paper Example One of the information systems which has been. This paper will look at the aspect of property there are many parameters that should be considered before one engages in online advertising. The Internet is complex and also dynamic market platform that requires regular and daily training. Online marketing is far much different from the world of print, broadcast, and out-of-home advertising markets. The Internet is so vast and is evolving at very high-rates such that it is becoming hard to properly target the audiences which are intended. The online marketers are looking for efficient way of reaching their online audience while at the same time they are supposed to minimize expenditures. Websites are the primary tools that are used by companies to market their products and services online. There is therefore a dire need to make sure that the website that is being marketed meets the aim they were meant to achieve. Most e-commerce sites that have been developed lack strategy to appeal to t he audience. They lack in proper segmentation to address the issues and the needs of the various visitors that come to their sites for some information. They therefore fail to win these visitors and more still, fail to convert them to properties. Companies who are keen to turn more visitors to client swill have to learn about their intended audience and the needs and tastes they have. Every visit they make on the website should be an opportunity to entice them to buy or better still to come for services in the site. INTRODUCTION Property management systems are computerized systems that are used in the manufacturing, logistic, government and hospitality industry for managing properties. PMS is single software capable of performing numerous services including, management of personal property, equipment, and the associated legalities. In this digital age where web based applications such as PMS provide a competitive edge over old-fashioned, paper-based management mechanisms, these appl ications should entirely be incorporated into the business environment of any organization. This paper attempts to explore the advantages the PMS software such as Delphi would have on the hospitality environment such as chains of hotels. The hotel industry is made up of ventures interlinked together to provide wholesome services to consumers. Starting from reservations all the way to check out, all this activities need to be documented in a harmonious way. The adoption of technology is therefore necessary to promote interoperability as well as efficiency. The many hotel systems such as point-of-sale, telephone, security and room control, entertainment and ordering, telephone services, accounts, HR and payroll among others are comprehensively packaged together in single PMS software. By automating these services, better customer service is achieved, which encourages spending, and consequently better returns. The automation can be achieved at a single entity or/and integrated througho ut a worldwide chains. Our focus for this assignment is New Market Internationals Delphi sales and suite. The software is termed as the industries standard tool for empowering sales, marketing for hotel, restaurants, and stadiums and gaming venues. The Kessler Hotels for instance utilize the Delphi PMS software. Its vast networks distributed across the globe are centrally managed. Comprising of 50 hotels and resorts distributed across Asia Pacific, North America Middle East and Europe, and boosting of

Kandinskys Works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kandinskys Works - Essay Example The paper "Kandinsky’s Works" analyzes the works of the famous artist, Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky’s works, how they influenced theatre forms in the 20th century and how they commented on wider issues of society, arts culture & politics. Then, Kandinsky begun his career in Munich, 1896, publishing firstly a pamphlet, which summarized the idea of new art.1 During that pamphlet he claimed that art should not be simply the reproduction of nature, and this consideration related to the works of Herman Orbist, which was being inspired by the work of Claud Monet. W1 Accordingly, similarity could be discovered in the early works of Kandinsky and Monet, so regarding the aforementioned similarity the Old town II, 1902, by Kandinsky, was included into the text of essay. Evidently, Kandinsky is more widely known for his works in Expressionism & Abstract movements; however, Kandinsky’s published works did not go straight oils to abstract, and he first failed to be accepted i nto Franz von Stuck’s painting class, after which he was accepted alongside Paul Klee and Hans Purrman.1 Additionally, during this time in Munich Kandinsky came into contact with a multitude of artists, from studio assents to sculptors, and in this thorough study of art Kandinsky became disillusioned with how this scene was supplied and filled with academic scholars of art; subsequently, he considered them as narrow minded and politically coloured artists. On the contrary, it is in his later exhibitions which were named â€Å"Phalanx†.

Human society Essay Example for Free

Human society Essay Human society, as we know it, is becoming lazy and antisocial. Its pretty much useless to deny it. Compare us to fifty years ago, and you will find weve let ourselves go. Compare us to a hundred years ago, and youll realize weve morphed into beanbags with brains. In the 1890s they got by fine without even using cars. Or credit cards, for that matter. Of course, they couldnt show skin at the beach, but thats another matter. Take the Segway scooter for instance. For those of you not in the know, its a slow, ugly, two-wheeled, battery-powered (ooh ahh), upside-down coffee table, with some junk in it that makes it impossible to fall off of (in case all that standing gets the best of you). It was designed for city use (like that god awful 1/8 mile from your work to the doughnut shop), and has no other practical use except possibly as a coat hanger/umbrella rack. 45 klicks, top. Can run about 200 kilometers on a battery. Offers little or no protection against cars, which is a moot point because its nowhere close to being street legal. All you have to do is stand. In other words, its a big wheelchair for the able where you dont have to move your arms, legs, or even eyelids for that matter. Makes walking obsolete. Pretty lame invention for 5000 bucks a pop, huh? Here comes the scary part. This Yuppie-Mobile is being hailed as something that will revolutionize the way we travel. Scientists are calling it an engineering masterpiece. The website is taking advance orders because the things are going quicker than they can make them. And very few of these people are actually in need of these services. No, friends, its pure laziness. Next on the chopping block those insta-gas keys at gas stations. Such a stupid idea makes the Segway Scooter look like Edisons light bulb. Im sure you know what Im talking about, but if you dont heres a run-down: For a small fee (your soul), you can get a little key-type deal with a gas station logo on it mailed to you (along with about a million pieces of junk mail). Although they look like toddler toys, they actually hold a lot of fat-gaining power for the modern lazy yuppie. Imagine, if you will, life before the Key. Imagine the horror of actually having to labour out of your heated SUV and talking to a low-life gas pump. Imagine social interaction. Imagine returning to find your (instant) coffee slightly less warm. Before the Key, all of these things were, in all their horror, a reality. Now, you can just beep the key in front of the reader, pump your gas, and get a friendly greeting from the meter such as have a nice day. Nothing puts you in a good mood like being complimented by an LCD screen. The gas is charged to the credit card or other easy pay billings system. Again, these mechanisms have alarming popularity. Shell introduced them to their gas stations about a year and a half ago, and now you would be hard-pressed to find a gas station that doesnt have some form of instant-payment tool. Even the mom and pop stations are getting in on the fad. Only theirs involves paying 25 dollars for a rock, and proceeding to throw it at the pump when the gas is pumped. Gas pump deaths are at an all-time high. Just kidding, kids. Perhaps the most disgusting example of lethargy comes from the same people who bring you Enforma Diet Pills (for those too `busy to diet. Damn slobs). I am talking about none other than the queen of the late-night infomercials, the talk of the trailer park, the (drum roll please) AbTronic. This is their angle: The AbTronic(TM) is so effortless that you can be watching your favourite television program, reading a book or even cooking dinner while getting your body into the shape you want it[1][1]. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. I cant even begin to tell you whats wrong with this one. You apparently dont even need to go to a gym anymore to get `rock-hard abs. Sure, youll be porky in other places, but your abdominal muscles will be `rock-hard. And ab muscles are enough for the modern ultra-lazy consumer. Who cares that this device has uncertain long-term effects? Who cares if it doesnt work half as well as ordinary sit-ups[2][2]? Who cares? Its easy, its expensive, and thats good enough for the average American consumer. The scary thing is, unlike most infomercial products, the demographic this product is reaching extends far beyond the crackhouses and backwoods. American teens from all walks of life are throwing out their gym memberships for a shot at insta-abs. The decline of civilization at its lowest. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe these innovations are for the better. Who knows what can be accomplished with the increased amounts of free time? Maybe the time saved by these devices could be put towards creating world peace. Or forming a perfect system of government. Or inventing life saving devices. Yeah right. _______________________ [3][1] Store.yahoo.com/wonderfullbuys/abtronic.html . The wonderfullbuys site is actually a haven of lazy-person tools. If this kind of stuff floats your boat, I recommend it. [4][2] [5]www.streetcents.cbc.ca. Great consumer review site. [image001.jpg] The Segway: Motorized Stupidity [image002.jpg] The AbTronic: The Pinnacle of human idiocy References Visible links 1. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn1 2. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn2 3. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref1 4. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref2 5. http://www.streetcents.cbc.ca/ Hidden links: 6. http://www.coursework.info/

Approaches to Psychology Essay Example for Free

Approaches to Psychology Essay The psychoanalytic approach was started and developed mainly in Europe between 1900 and 1939 by Sigmund Freud, a Viennese doctor who specialized in neurology. As a doctor, he became interested in the field of hysteria the manifestation of physical symptoms without physical causes and became convinced that unconscious mental causes were responsible, and could be responsible for all mental disorders and even our personality. He created the theory of personality, and based his ideas upon intensive case studies of a considerable range of patients, especially his infamous study on Little Hans, a young boy who Freud carried out psychoanalysis upon. Bowlby (1946) applied Freuds theories when he used psychoanalysis on a large group of children with various ages on a study of habitual delinquency. The central emphasis is on dynamic, biological processes especially those taking place in the unconscious mind, and involves the idea of psychic determinism, i. e. Freudian slips. Freud said that we all have instinctual drives wishes, desires, needs, or demands, which are hidden and suppressed from the consciousness because society disapproves of their open expression. Freud proposes three main components of the mind; the id, the ego and the superego. The id operates on the pleasure principle and its goal is immediate gratification and reduction of tension caused by irrational impulses. The ego operates on the reality principle, and controls the id in its reaction with the world. The superego operates on the idealisation principle, with norms and values of society being internalised. According to this approach, we all undergo psychosexual stages oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital which gradually motivate the individual to focus on the libido, and can be linked with the Oedipus complex. The libido is described as psychic energy behind primary drives of hunger, aggression, sex and irrational impulses. Fixation at any of these stages can lead to behaviour in our adulthood reflecting earlier stages of our childhood, which are caused by unresolved conflicts. For example, fixation at the oral stage can cause adult behaviour that is centred on the mouth (eating, smoking, etc. ) The purpose of psychoanalysis was as a therapy to treat mental disorder by means of treating the unconscious mind. The methods that Freud used for investigating the unconsciousness were by means of case studies, and deep analysis and interpretation. Free association involves the uninhibited expression of thought association, no matter how bizarre or embarrassing, from the client to the analyst. Dream analysis involves the analyst attempting to decode the symbols and unravel the hidden meaning (the latent content) of a dream from the dreamers report (the manifest content). Freud used his theory to explain a number of topics. He explained that the development of personality came from fixations or defence mechanisms, and that aggression was caused by hydraulic drives and displacement. Abnormality was seen as the consequence of early traumas and repression, which subsequently could impair our moral and gender development, the latter being the result of the Oedipus complex. The psychoanalytic approach has been greatly influential within psychology, in areas such as psychotherapy and developmental theories, and also beyond in art, literature and other sciences, some 100 years since Freud first developed his ideas. His theory has had some experimental support in certain areas, such as repression and fixation. Freud introduced the world to the concept of the unconscious, and regarded his case studies like Little Hans and Anna O as firm empirical support for his theory. He thought his belief in determinism and detailed collection of data were scientific, yet many psychologists today argue that his theories and ideas are too biological, that is that they rely too much on the influence of basic instincts and physical drives. Most of Freuds ideas and concepts came from only a handful of results on the study of children. Freud could have allowed his own prejudices to shape his analysis, leading to no objective measures. His close interventions and feedback to the childs family could have changed the childs behaviour and that of its family. Psychoanalysis lacks rigorous empirical support, especially regarding normal development, and leads to reductionism, i. e. it reduces human activity to a basic set of structures, which cant account for behaviour. Freuds ideas have been accused of being irrefutable, and are therefore theoretically unscientific. Another approach to psychology is the behaviourist approach, which concentrates on the theory of learning and behavioural therapy, and tries to explain behaviour in terms of its relation to environmental events (stimuli), rather than any innate factors. The view that behaviour should be the sole subject matter of psychology was first advanced by the American psychologist John B. Watson in the early 1900s. His position came to be called behaviourism. He believed that psychologists could not afford to speculate upon the unobservable inner workings of the mind, since they are too private to be studied scientifically. For the behaviourist, much of their research focuses on objectively observable behaviour, rather than any internal process. The approach proposes that behaviour is radical, and that it is caused and maintained in this way.

Obesity is a long-term complex condition

Obesity is a long-term complex condition Obesity is a long-term complex condition which has become a worry for many people in our culture nowadays and it is important to obtain and realizing of what obesity is. According to Wlardlow (Journal of the Hela, 2000, vol. 7) obesity is defined as a condition characterized by excess body fat and also defined as being 20% above the average weight. Generally increase consumption of foods high in fats and sugars may lead to obesity. According to research, we all have and require fat tissue in our bodies. When there is too much body fat, the result is obesity (The World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia CD-ROM, 1996). Classification of obesity is commonly based on Body Mass Index (BMI) which adjusts body weight for height is associated with the total body fat content in adults. A BMI of 25-29.9 is classified as overweight while a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese. The energy needed by the human body is divided into two. Primary energy is needed by the human body for non-voluntary act ivities, such as heart rate, breathing, bowel movements, and others and secondary energy activity and movement is caused by human use during the day walking, swimming and movement in general. The World Health Organization, the National Institute of Health. Its over- all prevalence has increased by 33% in the last decade (Merck, 2003, pp. 685-687). Researchers have found that obesity is directly related to an increase in the mortality rate (Journal of American Medical Assoc., 2003, vol. 289, 2, pp.187-193). Obesity tends to run throughout ones life, meaning that its presence at any age will increase the risk of the condition at later ages. This paper discussed the causes and effects of obesity.  Obesity can contribute to many adverse health outcomes which increase ones risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, gallbladder disease, cancers, pulmonary disease, bone joint disorders and early death( Rosemary., para.2 ).Each plays an important role so many people are overweight or obese nowadays because of many factors that influence being obese or overweight which include behavior, environment , eating habits and lifestyle changes all plays an significant role in obesity. According to the American Medical Association, being obese means that 30% of your ideal body weight is constituted by fat (Atkinson, 1999). Obesity is the worlds biggest health epidemic at the moment! Preventing obesity is one of the main steps that we need to focus on. Causes of Obesity To begin with, there are many causes that lead people to become obese. First of all, many people get obese because of heredity. For example, if the person has a strong family history of obesity, he will have the tendency to be obese more than the other people with no family history. Some people are prone to gain weight and store fat due to increase in genetic. Although not everyone with this tendency will become obese, some persons without genetic tendency do become obese. This is due to our genes that decides the level of metabolism. Wardlaw, Insel and Seyler suggest that genetic background accounts for about 70% of weight differences between people. The genetic and hormonal problems lead people to get higher weight than they should as it tends to run in families. The sedentary life style of some people also plays a role in being obese. Technology has made labor and timesaving products such as, cars, computers and TVs with remote controls devices reduces  the overall amount of energy used in their daily lives (NIDDK, 2001). Employers do not give efforts for the physical activities and most hold jobs that involve minimal physical labor especially at work places. If people do not practice enough exercise due to the use of cars instead of walking. For example, lack of movement due to demand for watching TV and playing video games rather than engaged in playing different sports. Besides, eating habits include the spreading of the fast food which contain high amount of fat and calories and changing environment has widened food options and eating habits. for example, Shelves in the supermarkets are stocked with a greater selection of foods, soft drinks, fast food restaurants and pre-packaged foods are more accessible today. Although such foods are fast and convenient they tend to be very high in fat and calories contributing to an excess caloric intake, causing weight gain (National Institute of Digestive, Diabetes and Kidney Disease, 2001). So people are not aware of the quality and quantity of the food, they will certainly end up in raising their weight. The psychological condition has great influences on some people to become obese especially those who suffer from certain emotional or stress problems, because their feelings influence their eating habits, causing them to overeat.

Nursing Does Not Qualify as a Profession Essay -- Careers Nursing Nurs

Determining if Nursing Qualifies as a Profession Abstract Nursing will be compared to common characteristics of a profession to determine if nursing qualifies as a profession. Does Nursing Qualify as a Profession? â€Å"There are six characteristics commonly used to asses whether a job is considered a profession: education of the practitioner, having a code of ethics, receiving compensation commensurate with the work, being organized to promote a needed service, having autonomy in practice, and being recognized by the government with licensure†(Pinkerton, 2001,p.130). â€Å"Florence Nightingale first began professional education for nurses in 1860"(Wikipedia, 2015). Currently there are several levels of education for nurses, ranging from diploma to doctoral degrees. Nurses are legally accountable to practice within the nurse practice acts set forth by legislature. These laws are derived from an official code of ethics that was first published by The American Nurses Association in 1971. Compensation commensurate with work falls short when compared with autoworkers, who receive comparable, if not higher wages and better benefits than nurses do. Nursing has several organizations. â€Å"The National League for Nursing (NLN) is primarily responsible for regulating the quality of the educational programs that prepare nurses for the practice of nursing†(Catalano, 2000,p.10). Also, the American Nurses Association (ANA) which â€Å"is more concerned with the quality of nursing pra... Nursing Does Not Qualify as a Profession Essay -- Careers Nursing Nurs Determining if Nursing Qualifies as a Profession Abstract Nursing will be compared to common characteristics of a profession to determine if nursing qualifies as a profession. Does Nursing Qualify as a Profession? â€Å"There are six characteristics commonly used to asses whether a job is considered a profession: education of the practitioner, having a code of ethics, receiving compensation commensurate with the work, being organized to promote a needed service, having autonomy in practice, and being recognized by the government with licensure†(Pinkerton, 2001,p.130). â€Å"Florence Nightingale first began professional education for nurses in 1860"(Wikipedia, 2015). Currently there are several levels of education for nurses, ranging from diploma to doctoral degrees. Nurses are legally accountable to practice within the nurse practice acts set forth by legislature. These laws are derived from an official code of ethics that was first published by The American Nurses Association in 1971. Compensation commensurate with work falls short when compared with autoworkers, who receive comparable, if not higher wages and better benefits than nurses do. Nursing has several organizations. â€Å"The National League for Nursing (NLN) is primarily responsible for regulating the quality of the educational programs that prepare nurses for the practice of nursing†(Catalano, 2000,p.10). Also, the American Nurses Association (ANA) which â€Å"is more concerned with the quality of nursing pra...

The Effects of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies on Humans Essa

The Effects of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies on Humans Abstract Humans have to deal with many different diseases and the ones most disliked are the ones with no cures. Like cancer, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies have no cure, but they are more rare. These diseases are prion diseases which cause the brain to deteriorate. Prions are proteins that sometimes behave like viruses, which mean that they should have some form of nucleic acid, but since they don’t, they cause abnormalities. The nervous system contains many normal prions, but when an abnormal prion comes along, it transforms all the normal prions into abnormal ones. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is found in cattle, but it can be transmitted to humans. The Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease affects the elderly for reasons unknown, while Kuru affects those who practice cannibalism. Scrapie is found only in sheep and the Chronic Wasting Disease is found in deer and elk. As of right now, Kuru and Scrapie are not known to infect humans. Prion diseases affect many animals, such as cattle, sheep, deer, elk and humans. All mammals have prions, which are proteins that are found abundantly in the nervous system. The brain contains the most prions and is therefore dominantly affected by disease. The prion disease found in cattle is called bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. Humans contract this disease by eating infected cows. The elderly usually contract the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease for reasons unknown, and Kuru, which is extremely rare nowadays, is contracted by cannibalism. Scrapie infects sheep and the Chronic Wasting Disease infects deer and elk. Though there is no link to either Scrapie or Chronic Wasting Disease infecting humans, it is ... ...missible Spongiform Encephalopathies 6 References †¢ American Veterinary Medical Association. (2002, May). About Scrapie. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 7/25/05: http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/may02/s050102i.asp †¢ Australian Academy of Science. (1997, February). Mad Cow Disease-A Human Problem? Science. 7/25/05: http://www.science.org.au/nova/003/003key.htm †¢ CBC. (2003, December). Science and Symptoms. CBC News. 7/26/05: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/madcow/science.html †¢ University of Toronto. (2003, June). Researchers Discover Possible Diagnosis, Treatment, Vaccine for Mad Cow, Prion Diseases. Science Daily. 7/26/05: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/06/030602025719.htm †¢ U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2005, February). Prion Disease. Genetics Home Reference. 7/26/05: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=priondisease

The Effects of Internet Addiction to Lifestyle and Dietary Behavior

Nutrition Research and Practice (Nutr Res Pract) 2010;4(1):51-57 DOI: 10. 4162/nrp. 2010. 4. 1. 51 The effects of Internet addiction on the lifestyle and dietary behavior of Korean adolescents Yeonsoo Kim *, Jin Young Park *, Sung Byuk Kim , In-Kyung Jung , Yun Sook Lim and Jung-Hyun Kim 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 4 § School of Human Ecology, Nutrition and Dietetics Program, Louisiana Tech University, LA 71272 USA Graduate school of Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Korea 3 Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Seoul 110-793, Korea 4 Department of Home Economics Education, Chung-Ang University, Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Korea 5 Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea Abstract We performed this study to examine lifestyle patterns and dietary behavior based on the level of Internet addiction of Korean adolescents. Data were collected from 853 Korean junior high school students. The level of Internet addiction was determined based on the Korean Internet addiction self-scale short form for youth, and students were classified as high-risk Internet users, potential-risk Internet users, and no risk Internet users. The associations between the students’ levels of Internet addiction and lifestyle patterns and dietary behavior were analyzed using a chi-square test. Irregular bedtimes and the use of alcohol and tobacco were higher in high-risk Internet users than no risk Internet users. Moreover, in high-risk Internet users, irregular dietary behavior due to the loss of appetite, a high frequency of skipping meals, and snacking might cause imbalances in nutritional intake. Diet quality in high-risk Internet users was also worse than in potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users. We demonstrated in this study that high-risk Internet users have inappropriate dietary behavior and poor diet quality, which could result in stunted growth and development. Therefore, nutrition education targeting high-risk Internet users should be conducted to ensure proper growth and development. Key Words: Internet addiction, dietary behavior, diet quality, adolescents Introduction8) The Internet has become an important tool for social interaction, information, and entertainment [1]. However, as the Internet has moved into homes, schools, Internet cafes, and businesses, the prevalence of Internet addiction has been increasing rapidly. Internet addiction is characterized as poorly controlled Internet use, and can lead to impulse-control disorders [2]. Recently, Internet addiction, especially among adolescents, has been recognized as an important social issue in various countries because of the high prevalence of depression, aggressive behavior, psychiatric symptoms, and interpersonal problems associated with this addiction [3,4]. The incidence of Internet addiction in adolescents was estimated to be approximately 11% in China [2], 8% in Greece [5], and 18. 4% in Korea [1]. Adolescents are more vulnerable to Internet addiction than adults, and the social performance, psychology, and lifestyle habits of Internet addicts can be affected by this addiction [6]. Numerous cross-sectional studies have shown that Internet addiction has an adverse effect on several lifestyle-related factors in adolescents; it can result in irregular dietary habits, extended periods of time spent on the Internet [7], physical inactivity, short duration of sleep [2], and increased use of alcohol and tobacco [2,8,9]. Some studies have reported that the change in lifestylerelated factors caused by heavy Internet use could have an adverse impact on the growth and development of Internet addicts [2,7]. Nutritional status also plays a crucial role in growth and development during adolescence. Several studies have shown that malnutrition or unbalanced nutritional intake can reduce weight gain and decrease leg length in adolescents [9,10]. Optimal nutrition is therefore important for adolescents to grow and develop properly. Moreover, once dietary habits are formed during childhood, they tend to be carried on throughout adulthood, thus teaching adolescents to develop healthy eating habits is of critical importance [11]. Numerous studies have showed associations between Internet addiction and mental health problems, such as depression and psychiatric symptoms, among adolescents. However, information on the effects of Internet addiction on the dietary behavior of * Yeonsoo Kim and Jin Young Park are Co-first authors.  § Corresponding Author: Jung-Hyun Kim, Tel. 82-2-820-5278, Fax. 82-2-817-7304, Email. [email  protected] ac. kr Received: November 17, 2009, Revised: February 16, 2010, Accepted: February 16, 2010 ? 2010 The Korean Nutrition Society and the Korean Society of Community Nutrition This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons. rg/licenses/by-nc/3. 0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 52 The effect of Internet addiction on dietary behavior adolescents is limited. Therefore, in this study, we examined the dietary behavior of Korean adolescents according to their level of Internet addiction. income per month, and the education level of the parents. A lifestyle habit questionnaire assessed the regularity of bedtime, sleep disturbance, and the use of alcohol and tobacco. Dietary behaviors and diet quality The dietary behavior questionnaire assessed recent changes in meal size, appetite, eating speed, frequency and reasons for skipping meals, and the frequency, type, and reasons for snacking. Diet quality was assessed by a 10-item mini-dietary assessment index. The mini-dietary assessment index was used to assess overall dietary quality based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and Food Tower for Koreans [13]. This index includes four food groups that should be consumed, four food groups that limited amounts of should be consumed, and two items regarding varied and regular diet. Responses to food items of which sufficient amounts should be consumed were reported using a 5-point Likert scale where 1=seldom, 3=sometimes, and 5=always. Responses to food items of which limited quantities should be consumed were also reported using a 5-point Likert scale where 1=always, 3=sometimes, and 5=seldom. The maximum possible score for diet quality is 50. In this study, diet quality was defined as â€Å"good† if the total score was greater than or equal to 30 [14]. Statistical analyses All analyses were performed with a significance level of ? =0. 05 using the SPSS software package version 12. (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Relationships between levels of Internet addiction and socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle patterns, and dietary behavior were analyzed using the chi-square test. The relationship between dietary quality and level of Internet addiction based on the self-scale rating system were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s mul tiple range test for multiple comparisons. Subjects and Methods Subjects This cross-sectional study included 1,000 adolescents from grades 7 through 9 living in Seoul, Korea. Of 1,000 participants, 800 students were recruited from eight junior high schools. The remaining 200 subjects were recruited from the Korean Youth Counseling Institute (KYCI), where they had been diagnosed and were being treated as Internet addicts. The study was conducted from October 2008 to November 2008. The Institutional Review Board of Chung-Ang University (Seoul, Korea) deemed this study exempt from the requirement for informed consent. Of the 1,000 surveys administered and collected, 147 were excluded due to incomplete responses and difficulty in assessing the level of Internet addiction, thus a total of 853 samples were analyzed in this study. Korean Internet addiction test (KS scale) Internet addiction was evaluated using the Korean version of the Internet addiction self-scale short form (KS scale) for youth, which was developed by the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion [12]. In brief, the KS scale for adolescents is a 20-item self-report questionnaire, consisting of six core components: disturbance of daily routines, self-esteem, withdrawal, virtual interpersonal relationship, deviant behavior, and tolerance. Response to each question is on 4-point Likert scale where 1 corresponds to â€Å"not at all†, 2 corresponds to â€Å"sometimes†, 3 corresponds to â€Å"frequently†, and 4 corresponds to â€Å"always†. The level of Internet addiction was categorized as either high-risk, potential-risk, or no risk based on the total score and the score for the three components of disturbance of daily routines, withdrawal, and tolerance. Subjects were classified as high-risk Internet users if their total score was the same or greater than 52, and/or if the score for disturbance of daily routine, withdrawal, and tolerance was greater than 16, 10, and 12, respectively. Subjects were classified as potential-risk Internet users if their total score was greater than or equal to 48 and less than 52 and/or if their score for disturbance of daily routine, withdrawal, and tolerance was greater than 14, 9, and 11, respectively. Subjects were classified as no risk Internet users if their total score was less than 48. Subject characteristics and lifestyle patterns The following socio-demographic characteristics of subjects were used in this analysis: age at the time of recruitment, family Results General characteristics of subjects The general characteristics of the participants and the relationships between the level of Internet addiction and general characteristics are provided in Table 1. Subjects were between the ages of 13 and 15 years with a mean age of 14. 0 years. More boys were high-risk Internet users than girls (31. 4% vs. 14. 0%), and more girls were no risk Internet users than boys (74. 7% vs. 58. 9%). Younger adolescents were significantly more likely to be highrisk Internet users than older adolescents (P < 0. 001). Household monthly income was significantly related to the level of Internet addiction; adolescents from households with a low monthly income (< 1,000 K won and 1,000 K-1,999 K won) were more likely to be high-risk Internet users (57. 5% and 31. 7%, respectively) Yeonsoo Kim et al. Table 1. Subject characteristics based on level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Gender Boys Girls Age (years) 13 14 15 Monthly income (Korean Won)2) < 1,000K 1,000K-1,999K 2,000K-2,999K 3,000K-3,999K ? 4,000K 53 Potential risk (n=90) 37 (9. 7) 53 (11. 3) 15 (7. 0) 46 (14. 5) 29 (9. 0) 3 (7. 5) 15 (12. 5) 25 (15. 8) 14 (7. 7) 28 (10. ) 28 (9. 7) 37 (10. 5) 17 (15. 2) 1 (4. 8) 41 (10. 4) 31 (10. 1) 9 (17. 3) 3 (13. 1) No risk (n=577) 225 (58. 9) 352 (74. 7) 126 (59. 2) 213 (67. 2) 238 (73. 7) 14 (35. 0) 67 (55. 8) 98 (62. 0) 139 (76. 4) 205 (74. 3) 183 (63. 1) 254 (72. 2) 78 (69. 6) 8 (30. 1) 261 (66. 2) 220 (71. 9) 36 (69. 2) 9 (39. 1) Total (n=853) 382 (100. 0) 471 (100. 0) 213 (100. 0) 317 (100. 0) 323 (100. 0) 40 (100. 0) 120 (100. 0) 158 (100. 0) 182 (100. 0) 276 (100. 0) 290 (100. 0) 352 (100. 0) 112 (100. 0) 21 (100. 0) 394 (100. 0) 306 (100. 0) 52 (100. 0) 23 (100. 0) P-value < 0. 001 120 (31. 4)1) 66 (14. 0) 72 (33. 8) 58 (18. 3) 56 (17. ) 23 (57. 5) 38 (31. 7) 35 (22. 2) 29 (15. 9) 43 (15. 6) 79 (27. 2) 61 (17. 3) 17 (15. 2) 12 (57. 1) 92 (22. 4) 55 (18. 0) 7 (13. 5) 11 (47. 8) < 0. 001 < 0. 001 Father’s education High school graduate & under College graduate Graduate school graduate Others Mother’s education High school graduate & under College graduate Graduate school graduate Others 1) < 0. 001 0. 008 N (%) 2) 1,250 Korean won = 1US dollar Table 2. KS-scale scores based on the level of Internet addiction Components Disturbance of daily routine Self-esteem Withdrawal Virtual interpersonal relationship Deviant behavior Tolerance Total 1) 2) Maximum score 24 4 16 12 8 16 80 High risk (n=186) 14. 97  ± 3. 21 1)a2) a a Potential risk (n=90) 13. 90  ± 3. 25 1. 69  ± 0. 84 4. 56  ± 1. 89 3. 93  ± 1. 46 8. 76  ± 2. 64 5. 22  ± 2. 21 b b c No risk (n=577) 9. 32  ± 2. 21 1. 32  ± 0. 61 5. 49  ± 1. 50 3. 78  ± 1. 41 2. 87  ± 1. 07 5. 90  ± 2. 04 c c Total (n=853) 11. 04  ± 3. 59 1. 60  ± 0. 85 6. 88  ± 2. 82 4. 62  ± 2. 58 3. 48  ± 1. 55 7. 23  ± 3. 07 34. 90  ± 11. 48 2. 41  ± 0. 94 7. 23  ± 2. 54 10. 56  ± 2. 59 5. 16  ± 1. 53 b c c c c a a a a b b b b 10. 61  ± 2. 97 50. 95  ± 8. 41 41. 06  ± 5. 29 28. 69  ± 6. 36 Mean  ± S. D Values with different superscript letters within a row are significantly different after Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0. 05). than adolescents from households with a higher monthly income. Adolescents from households with high monthly incomes (3,000K-3,999K won and ? 4,000K won) were more likely to be no risk Internet users (76. 4% and 74. 3%, respectively). Parents’ educational status also affected the level of Internet addiction. High-risk Internet users had parents whose highest level of education was high school graduation or less (27. 2% in father and 22. 4% in mother, respectively). In contrast, a high proportion of no risk Internet users had parents who were college graduates (72. 2% in father and 71. 9% in mother, respectively). KS-scale score The total KS-scale score and the scores of the six components of the KS-scale are presented in Table 2. High-risk Internet users had significantly higher total KS-scale scores and scores for the six main components than potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users (P < 0. 05). Lifestyle patterns Lifestyle patterns, including bedtime, sleep disturbance, alcohol use, and tobacco use according to the level of Internet addiction are shown in Table 3. No risk Internet users had regular bedtime patterns (10. 4% always had a regular bedtime and 41. 8% often had a regular bedtime) while high-risk Internet users complained of irregular bedtime patterns (13. 6% reported often irregular bedtimes and 11. 4% reported always irregular bedtimes). Both high- and potential-risk Internet users suffered from sleep disturbances (81. 1% and 76. 7%, respectively). Similarly, 66% of 54 The effect of Internet addiction on dietary behavior Table 5. Snacking patterns based on the level of Internet addiction P-value Skipping breakfast 20 (10. 9)1) 15 (16. ) 49 (26. 6) 60 (10. 4) 95 (11. 2) < 0. 001 Yes No Skipping Lunch Yes No Skipping Dinner Yes No Oversleep No appetite Indigestion Snacking before a meal Weight loss Saving money Lack of time Habit Others ? 3 times/day Table 3. Lifestyle patterns based on the level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Bedtime Always regular Often regular 25 (27. 8) 241 (41. 8) 315 (37. 0) 30 (33. 3) 229 (39. 7) 328 (38. 5) 14 (15. 6) 6 (6. 7) 32 (5. 5) 15 (2. 6) 71 (8. 3) 42 (4. 9) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) Total (n=853) High risk (n=186) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) Total (n=853) P-value 0. 683 88 (47. 3) 1) 43 (48. 3) 228 (40. 1) 359 (42. 6) 46 (51. 7) 340 (59. 9) 484 (57. 4) 0. 177 6 (6. 8) 34 (6. 0) 56 (6. 7) 0. 049 98 (52. 7) 16 (8. 6) Neither regular or 69 (37. 5) irregular Often irregular Always irregular Sleep disturbance Yes No Alcohol use Yes No Tobacco use Yes No 1) 25 (13. 6) 21 (11. 4) 170 (91. 4) 82 (93. 2) 531 (94. 0) 783 (93. 3) 38 (20. 4) 15 (17. 1) 80 (14. 1) 133 (17. 0) 150 (81. 1) 69 (76. 7) 278 (48. 3) 497 (58. 4) < 0. 001 35 (18. 9) 21 (23. 3) 298 (51. 7) 354 (41. 6) 148 (79. 6) 73 (82. 9) 486 (85. 9) 707 (82. 8) 49 (28. 3) 34 (19. 7) 6 (3. ) 8 (4. 6) 10 (5. 6) 2 (2. 9) 25 (14. 5) 18 (10. 4) 18 (10. 4) 29 (15. 8) 51 (27. 7) 86 (55. 5) 4 (2. 6) 21 (13. 5) 22 (26. 2) 112 (21. 3) 183 (23. 4) 20 (23. 8) 122 (23. 2) 176 (22. 5) 6 (7. 1) 5 (6. 0) 8 (9. 5) 0 (0. 0) 6 (7. 1) 7 (8. 3) 13 (14. 4) 29 (5. 5) 21 (4. 0) 38 (7. 2) 2 (0. 4) 40 (7. 6) 44 (8. 4) 55 (9. 7) 41 (5. 2) 34 (4. 3) 56 (7. 2) 7 (0. 9) 64 (8. 2) 69 (8. 8) 97 (11. 5) 0. 004 0. 026 R easons for meal skipping 123 (66. 5) 58 (64. 4) 252 (43. 7) 433 (50. 8) < 0. 001 62 (33. 5) 97 (52. 4) 88 (47. 6) 32 (35. 6) 325 (56. 3) 419 (49. 2) 28 (31. 1) 90 (15. 6) 215 (25. 2) < 0. 01 62 (68. 9) 897 (84. 4) 637 (74. 8) N (%) Table 4. Recent changes in dietary habits based on the level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Changes in meal size Increased Decreased No change Changes in appetite Worse Bad No change Better Do not know Fast Average Slow Irregular 1) 10 (11. 9) 118 (22. 4) 153 (19. 5) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) Total (n=853) P-value Frequency of snacking 1-2/day 104 (56. 5) 65 (72. 2) 396 (69. 8) 565 (67. 2) 12 (13. 3) 116 (20. 5) 179 (21. 3) 50 (60. 2) 239 (47. 2) 375 (50. 4) 4 (4. 8) 8 (9. 6) 38 (7. 5) 46 (6. 2) 73 (14. 4) 102 (13. 7) 0. 245 4 (29. 0)1) 29 (32. 2) 164 (28. 6) 247 (29. 1) 62 (33. 3) 70 (37. 6) 25 (13. 4) 30 (16. 1) 72 (38. 7) 17 (9. 1) 42 (22. 6) 64 (34. 4) 71 (38. 2) 32 (17. 2) 19 (10. 2) 20 (22. 2) 127 (22. 2) 209 (24. 6) 41 (45. 6) 282 (49. 2) 393 (46. 3) 7 (7. 8) 11 (12. 2) 8 (8. 9) 21 (3. 7) 53 (6. 2) 0. 019 None Snack items Confectionery Soda 0. 001 80 (13. 9) 121 (14. 2) 78 (13. 6) 103 (12. 1) 43 (47. 8) 254 (44. 2) 369 (43. 4) 21 (23. 3) 142 (24. 7) 205 (24. 1) 37 (41. 1) 173 (30. 0) 274 (32. 2) 33 (36. 7) 271 (47. 0) 375 (44. 0) 11 (12. 2) 109 (18. 9) 152 (17. 8) 9 (10. 0) 23 (4. 0) 51 (6. 0) 0. 002 Ttokbokki, rameon, fried foods Fast foods Fruits Milk Others Hunger Lack of time for a meal Habit Boredom Social event Others 1) 12 (7. 7) 14 (9. 0) 15 (9. 7) 3 (1. 9) 86 (46. 7) 10 (5. 4) 28 (15. 2) 33 (17. 9) 17 (9. 2) 10 (5. 4) 3 (3. 6) 9 (10. 8) 8 (9. 6) 1 (1. 2) 26 (5. 1) 61 (12. 1) 55 (10. 9) 14 (2. 8) 41 (5. 5) 84 (11. 3) 78 (10. 5) 18 (2. 4) 0. 057 Changes in eating speed Reasons for snacking 46 (51. 1) 319 (55. 6) 451 (53. 2) 1 (1. 1) 22 (24. 4) 14 (15. 6) 5 (5. 6) 2 (2. 2) 30 (5. 2) 41 (4. 8) N (%) 79 (13. 8) 129 (15. 2) 98 (17. 1) 145 (17. 1) 34 (5. 9) 14 (2. 4) 56 (6. 6) 26 (3. 1) igh-risk Internet users and 64% of potential-risk Internet users had used alcohol. Fifty-two percent of high-risk Internet users had used tobacco while only 15. 6% of no risk Internet users had used tobacco. Dietary behavior and diet quality Recent changes in eating habits among adolescents are provided in Table 4. More of high-risk Internet users answered that their dietary habits had been chan ged to have small meal sizes, a poor appetite, and irregular eating speeds than no risk Internet users (P=0. 019, 0. 001, and 0. 002, respectively). High-risk Internet N (%) users had a high prevalence of skipping dinner (Table 5). High-risk Internet users snacked frequently, often snacking more than three times per day (15. 8% vs. 9. 7 % for no risk Internet users). Favorite snacks and reasons for snacking were not significantly different among adolescents based on levels of Internet addiction. Diet quality based on levels of Internet addiction is shown Yeonsoo Kim et al. Table 6. Diet quality based on the level of Internet addiction High risk (n=186) Potential risk (n=90) No risk (n=577) 3. 40  ± 1. 52b Total (n=853) 3. 25  ± 1. 58 1) 55 I eat more than one 2. 72  ± 1. 722)a3) 3. 36  ± 1. 36b serving of milk or dairy products every day. I eat several servings of meat, fish, egg, bean, or tofu every day. I eat vegetables and Kimchi every meal. I eat one serving of fruit or fruit juice every day. I eat three meals a day on a regular basis. I eat a variety of foods every day. I eat fried or stir-fried foods most of the time. I eat fatty meat most of the time. I add table salt or soy sauce to foods most of the time. I eat ice cream, cake, and/or drink soda between meals. Total 1) 2. 86  ± 1. 50a 3. 04  ± 1. 48a 3. 35  ± 1. 41b 3. 21  ± 1. 44 2. 83  ± 1. 63a 2. 91  ± 1. 69a 3. 11  ± 1. 48ab 3. 43  ± 1. 45b 3. 38  ± 1. 49b 3. 45  ± 1. 55b 3. 26  ± 1. 51 3. 32  ± 1. 9 2. 58  ± 1. 56a 2. 98  ± 1. 63b 3. 32  ± 1. 59c 3. 12  ± 1. 62 2. 86  ± 1. 60a 2. 85  ± 1. 57a 2. 98  ± 1. 48a 2. 78  ± 1. 42a 3. 38  ± 1. 45b 3. 35  ± 1. 45b 3. 16  ± 1. 42 3. 18  ± 1. 49 2. 72  ± 1. 50a 3. 26  ± 1. 67a 2. 73  ± 1. 50a 3. 07  ± 1. 59a 3. 28  ± 1. 56b 3. 53  ± 1. 52b 3. 10  ± 1. 58 3. 42  ± 1. 57 2. 80  ± 1. 72a 2. 80  ± 1. 50a 3. 29  ± 1. 54b 3. 13  ± 1. 59 28. 38  ± 6. 34a 30. 22  ± 6. 79b 33. 75  ± 6. 01c 32. 20  ± 6. 57 Diet quality was assessed by using 10-item mini-dietary assessment index developed by Kim [14]. Mean  ± SD 3) Values with different superscript letters within a row are significantly different (P < 0. 5) after Duncan’s multiple range test. 2) in Table 6. The diet quality of high-risk Internet users was significantly lower than that of potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users, respectively (P < 0. 05). Discussion In this study, we demonstrated that high-risk Internet users eat smaller meals, have less of an appetite, skip meals, and snack more than their potential-risk and normal-risk Internet user counterparts. Moreover, the diet quality of high-risk Internet users is poorer than that of potential-risk Internet users and no risk Internet users. The frequency of skipping dinner in high-risk Internet users was significantly higher than that in no risk Internet users. This finding is consistent with a study by Kim and Chun that reported a high incidence of meal skipping in Internet addicts [7]. The high frequency of skipping dinner could be related to snacking; more frequent snacking was observed in high-risk Internet users than no risk Internet users. Savige et al. also reported that adolescent heavy snackers skipped dinner more frequently than their non- or light-snacker adolescent counterparts [15]. Moreover, the favorite snacks of our participants were confectionery and fast food, which are nutritionally poor foods with high calories provided by fats and simple sugars but with few other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Thus high-risk Internet users have improper dietary behaviors that could impact their growth and development. The quality of the diet of high-risk Internet users as measured using a mini-dietary assessment index was poor. The mini-dietary assessment index that we used is a Korean version of the Healthy Eating Index in which scores over 30 indicate a good quality diet. In high-risk Internet users, the average total score was 28. 38, which indicates an â€Å"inappropriate† diet quality. High-risk Internet users had the lowest meal regularity score, reflected by a higher rate of skipping dinner in high-risk Internet users than no risk Internet users. Moreover, high-risk Internet users did not consume enough milk and dairy products, meat and fish, and fruits and vegetables compared with no risk Internet users. Proper intake of milk and dairy products as major sources of calcium during childhood is crucial for achieving optimal peak bone mass and maintaining and repairing bone tissue [16]. In addition, low consumption of fruits and vegetables in high-risk Internet users suggests low intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber in these individuals. Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in energy production, maintenance of bone health, adequate immune function, and protection against oxidative stress [17,18]. Several studies have shown that proper fruit and vegetable intake can prevent health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases [19-21]. High-risk Internet users not only consumed too little of the recommended food groups; they consumed more than the recommended daily quantities of fatty foods, fried foods, salt, and foods high in simple sugars. High fat and simple sugar intake increase the chance of being overweight or obese. Obese children and adolescents can have various adverse health outcomes, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome [22-24]. Furthermore, obese children have a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality when they reach adulthood [22,23]. The diet of high-risk Internet users, though it may meet their energy requirements, is lacking in nutritional value, and may therefore not support the growth spurt during adolescence and may cause nutrition-related health problems. High-risk Internet users drank and smoked more and had a poorer quality diet and higher frequency of meal skipping than no risk Internet users. Results from two cross-sectional studies on Korean high school students [8] and Taiwanese high school students [2] found a strong association between Internet addiction and high use of alcohol and tobacco. Alcohol and tobacco companies use the Internet to promote and advertise their products by using themes and icons of youth popular culture, games and contests, and commercially-sponsored websites and homepages [25]. Therefore, because high-risk Internet users are more likely to be exposed to tobacco and alcohol advertisements, 56 The effect of Internet addiction on dietary behavior 4. Seo M, Kang HS, Yom YH. Internet addiction and interpersonal problems in Korean adolescents. Comput Inform Nurs 2009;27: 226-33. 5. Siomos KE, Dafouli ED, Braimiotis DA, Mouzas OD, Angelopoulos NV. Internet addiction among Greek adolescent students. Cyberpsychol Behav 2008;11:653-7. 6. Ha JH, Kim SY, Bae SC, Bae S, Kim H, Sim M, Lyoo IK, Cho SC. Depression and Internet addiction in adolescents. Psychopa thology 2007;40:424-30. 7. Kim JS, Chun BC. Association of Internet addiction with health promotion lifestyle profile and perceived health status in adolescents. J Prev Med Public Health 2005;38:53-60. 8. Choi K, Son H, Park M, Han J, Kim K, Lee B, Gwak H. Internet overuse and excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents. Psychiatry Clin Neuosci 2009;63:455-62. 9. Gunnell DJ, Smith GD, Frankel SJ, Kemp M, Peters TJ. Socioeconomic and dietary influences on leg length and trunk length in childhood: a reanalysis of the Carnegie survey of diet and health in prewar Britain (1937-1939). Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 1998;12:96-113. 10. Sachar RK, Singh H, Soni RK, Singh WP, Bhatia RC, Raizada N, Singh B. A cross-sectional study of growth parameters of rural adolescent girls of Punjab. Indian J Matern Child Health 1997;8:21-5. 11. Vadiveloo M, Zhu L, Quatromoni PA. Diet and physical activity patterns of school-aged children. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109: 145-51. 12. Kim DI, Chung YJ, Lee EA, Kim DM, Cho YM. Development of Internet addiction proneness scale-short form (KS scale). The Korean Jounal of Counseling 2008;9:1703-22. 13. The Korean Nutrition Society. Dietary reference intakes for Koreans. Seoul: KokJin Co. ;2005. 14. Kim WY, Cho MS, Lee HS. Development and validation of mini dietary assessment index for Koreans. The Korean Journal of Nutrition 2003;36:83-92. 15. Savige G, Macfarlane A, Ball K, Worsley A, Crawford D. Snacking behaviors of adolescents and their association with skipping meals. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2007;4:36. 16. Petrie HJ, Stover EA, Horswill CA. Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitior. Nutrition 2004;20:620-31. 17. Wardlaw GM, Hampl JS. Perspectives in Nutrition. New York: McGraw-Hill International Co. ; 2007. p. 295-463. 18. Omenn GS. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) as cancerpreventive agents. IARC Sci Publ 1996;139:33-45. 19. Davis EM, Cullen KW, Watson KB, Konarik M, Radcliffe J. A fresh fruit and vegetable program improves high school students’ consumption of fresh produce. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109:1227-31. 20. Lorson BA, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Taylor CA. Correlates of fruit and vegetable intakes in US children. J Am Diet Assoc 2009; 109:474-8. 21. Miriran P, Noori N, Zavareh MB, Azizi F. Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Metabolism 2009;58:460-8. 22. Berenson GS, Srinivasan SR, Bao W, Newman WP, Tracy RE, Wattigney WA. Association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis in children and young adults. The Bogalusa Heart Study. N Engl J Med 1998;338:1650-6. 23. Freedman DS, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. The relation of overweight to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics they are more likely to drink and smoke than other Internet users. Furthermore, high frequency of use of tobacco and alcohol can exacerbate diet-related problems, because smoking and drinking are negatively associated with diet quality and dietary behaviors such as meal regularity [26,27]. High-risk Internet users reported more irregular sleep patterns and more episodes of sleep disturbance than no risk Internet users. This is consistent with a previous study of Korean adolescents that showed that Internet addiction was associated with insomnia, apnea, and nightmare [8]. In addition, sleep disturbance could increase the risk of mental health problems as well as substance abuse [6,28,29,30]. Hence, high-risk Internet users are more likely to experience physical and mental health problems. This study has some limitations. First, this study was a cross-sectional study, therefore we could not confirm causal associations between Internet addiction and dietary behavior. Second, the questionnaire was self-reported. It is therefore possible that some of the adolescents may not have admitted to using alcohol and tobacco due to social restrictions, even though this study was anonymous. High-risk Korean adolescent Internet users had improper dietary behavior and a poorer diet quality than their no risk Internet counterparts. To ensure that the growth and development of high-risk Internet users is not adversely impacted, their diets should be supplemented with the nutrients that they are lacking. Interventions to improve both dietary behavior and treat Internet addiction may have synergistic health benefits. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that children should be educated as to what a balanced diet and optimum physical activity routine is to remain healthy and grow. Furthermore, the government should take an active role in designing and evaluating Internet addiction-related health intervention strategies. Given the likely adverse effects of Internet addiction on adolescents’ development because of poor dietary behavior, it is critical to raise awareness about Internet addiction. Close attention should be paid to students at risk of Internet addiction, as well as students at low risk to prevent them from becoming addicted to the Internet. References 1. Tsitsika A, Critselis E, Kormas G, Filippopoulou A, Tounissidou, Freskou A, Spiliopoulou T, Louizou A, Konstantoulaki E, Kafetzis D. Internet use and misuse: a multivariate regression analysis of the predictive factors of Internet use among Greek adolescents. Eur J Pediatr 2009;168:655-65. 2. Lam LT, Peng ZW, Mai JC, Jing J. Factors associated with Internet addiction among adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav 2009; 12:1-5. 3. Ko CH, Yen JY, Liu SC, Huang CF, Yen CF. The associations between aggressive behaviors and Internet addiction and online activities in adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2009;44:598-605. Yeonsoo Kim et al. 1999;103:1175-82. 24. Kim HM, Park J, Kim HS, Kim DH, Park SH. Obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in Korean children and adolescents aged 10-18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1998 and 2001. Am J Epidemiol 2006;164: 787-93. 25. Levy JA, Strombeck R. Health benefits and risks of the Internet. Journal of Medical Systems 2002;6:495-510. 26. Strine TW, Okoro CA, Chapman DP, Balluz LS, Ford ES, Ajani UA, Mokdad AH. Health-related quality of life and health risk behaviors among smokers. Am J Prev Med 2005;28:182-7. 27. Teufel NI. Alcohol consumption and its effect on the dietary 57 patterns of Hualapai Indian women. Med Anthropol 1994;16:79-97. 28. Roane BM, Taylor DJ. Adolescent insomnia as a risk factor for early adult depression and substance abuse. Sleep 2008;31:1351-6. 29. Yen JY, Ko CH, Yen CF, Wu HY, Yang MJ. The comorbid psychiatric symptoms of Internet addiction: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia, and hostility. J Adolesc Health 2007;41:93-8. 30. Yen CF, Ko CH, Yen JY, Chang YP, Cheng CP. Multidimensional discriminative factors for Internet addiction among adolescents regarding gender and age. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2009;63:357-64.

Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ABSTRACT: Disasters of both natural and technological origin have a considerable impact on communities. The effects of disasters in India are significantly reduced by well established counter disaster arrangements at all three levels of government. These arrangements comprise comprehensive plans of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery and in more recent times, of mitigation. The economic effects of disasters can be devastating and widespread.When disasters strike houses, businesses and community infrastructure get damaged or destroyed and people’s livelihoods are temporarily and sometimes permanently disrupted. Physical damage is the most visible economic impact of disasters. Major natural disasters can and do have severe negative short-run economic impacts. Disasters also appear to have adverse longer-term consequences for economic growth, development and poverty reduction. But, negative impacts are not inevitable. Vulnerabilit y is shifting quickly, especially in countries experiencing economic transformation – rapid growth, urbanization and related technical and social changes.In the Caribbean and Bangladesh there is evidence of both declining sensitivity to tropical storms and floods and increased resilience resulting from both economic transformation and public actions for disaster reduction. The largest concentration of high risk countries, increasingly vulnerable to climatic hazards, is in Sub-Saharan Africa. Risks emanating from geophysical hazards need to be better recognized in highly exposed urban areas across the world because their potential costs are rising exponentially with economic development.Natural disasters cause significant budgetary pressures, with both narrowly fiscal short-term impacts and wider long-term development implications. Reallocation is the primary fiscal response to disaster. Disasters have little impact on trends in total aid flows. Keywords: Disaster Impacts, Dir ect Economic Impacts, Indirect Economic Impacts, Intangible Economic Impacts. Submitted by: Dr. A. PADMAVATHI, Guest Faculty, Department of MCA, S. V. U. C. C. M&C. S. , S. V. University, Tirupati-517502. Introduction: The economic effects of disasters are mostly seen as physical damage to infrastructure.More often than not loss of income through loss of trading activity and the time taken to re-establish such activity, particularly for agricultural industries, is overlooked. The consequences of extended periods of trading or production down-time can result in bankruptcy, forced sale, business closure, loss of experienced workers, a depleted customer base and population shrinkage. These consequences are exacerbated by community losses resulting in a reduction in disposable income. The flow-on through the disaster affected community has been likened to the domino effect.It addresses the economic consequences of disasters on communities and includes a framework of economic recovery pr inciples as well as strategies to implement those principles. In this publication the term â€Å"economic† is used with respect to the costs to the community caused by the disaster while â€Å"financial† is used with respect to those schemes aimed at providing monetary sources to assist recovery. The range of economic effects and consequences on a disaster affected community is relative to the specific nature of the event and the economic demographics of the affected community Economic Consequences of Disasters:The economic effects of disasters can be devastating and widespread. When disasters strike houses, businesses and community infrastructure get damaged or destroyed and people’s livelihoods are temporarily and sometimes permanently disrupted. Physical damage is the most visible economic impact of disasters. However, the less visible impacts such as lost income through being unable to trade are just as significant and the consequences often last longer than the physical damage (for example, bankruptcy and business closures). The flow-on effects through a community can be pervasive.The range of economic effects and consequences for a disaster-affected community vary greatly and depend on both the nature of the event and the economic health of the community. It is also important to recognise that communities are diverse. In some cases, disaster-affected communities recover and prosper, in others the adverse economic impact has a domino effect that spreads throughout the community. What makes some communities recover and prosper and others decline in the aftermath of a disaster? What are key characteristics of disaster-resistant communities?These are important questions and are critical to understanding the economic recovery process. The principles and strategies identified later in this report provide a starting point for considering these questions. The economic consequences of disasters can be classified in a variety of ways. No singl e framework will cover and prescribe every possible impact a disaster might have. Each disaster has unique characteristics and consequently in any attempt to classify these impacts there will always be impacts that do not fit neatly within the classification.Nevertheless a classification framework is a useful guide or tool we can use to tackle these issues. Almost all impacts of disasters have an economic dimension, even if this economic effect cannot be measured. Economic impacts are typically divided into two categories: tangible (those impacts we can assign a dollar value to) and intangible (impacts which are not easily expressed in monetary terms). These impacts are then further subdivided into direct and indirect impacts. Direct impacts are those that result from the physical destruction or damage to buildings, infrastructure, vehicles and crops etc.Indirect impacts are due to the consequences of the damage or destruction. Figure 1 illustrates the impacts of disasters using thr ee main categories-direct, indirect and intangible. An alternative approach is to examine the impacts of disasters in terms of who or what is affected. Three groupings are common: * Public infrastructure and community facilities; * Business enterprises (commercial, industrial, retail, service, agricultural etc); and * Residents and households. Using figure 1 and BTE Report 103 a brief discussion of the direct, indirect and intangible impacts of disasters on each of these three groups follows.FIGURE 1 THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A DISASTER Culture & Heritage Clean up Infrastracture Intangible impacts Health Aspects Death & injury I Indirect Impacts Business Disruption Disaster Impacts Direct Impacts Agriculture Commercial buildings 1. Direct Economic Impacts: Public Infrastructure and Community Facilities: Lifelines (such as water and sanitation systems, electricity, gas, telecommunications and transport) are vulnerable to all types of disasters. Direct damage to lifeline infrastructure i ncludes the immediate physical damage (eg. oads cracked or washed away, destroyed electrical transformers and so on) and also the damage which may take some time before becoming visible (eg. accelerated road deterioration due to the effect of water intrusion under road pavements). Public buildings include schools, child care centres, kindergartens, hospitals, nursing homes, neighbourhood centres, churches, entertainment/art/cultural centres, museums, clubs and so on. Direct damage to public buildings can also be thought of using the break up into structural (eg. roofs, walls etc), contents (eg. urniture, floor coverings and specialist items like sound systems and paintings etc) and external (eg. Playground equipment, swimming pools etc) damage. Business Enterprises include commercial, industrial, retail, service and agricultural business types. The economic impact of disasters on agricultural enterprises is often treated separately from other business types. Essentially however the impact on businesses can be viewed as falling into 3 main areas. * structural damage to buildings such as shops,factories, plants, sheds, barns, warehouses, hotels and so on.This includes damage to foundations, walls, floors, roofs, doors, in-builtfurniture, windows etc. * contents damage to fixtures and fittings (eg. carpets), furniture, office equipment, farm equipment, records, product stock (finished manufactured products, works in progress and input materials), crops, pastures, livestock etc. and * external damage, for example, to motor vehicles and fences. Residents and Households: The residential sector includes houses, flats, unit, townhouses and so on. The break up of direct damage into structural (eg. roofs, walls etc), contents (eg. furniture, floor coverings etc) and external (eg. wimming pools, gardens etc) is equally useful for this category. 2. Indirect Economic Impacts: Indirect impacts are those that are incurred as a consequence of the event, but are not due to the direct impact. Many indirect impacts are common to the public/community sectors business, and household (for example, disruption and clean up). Disruption effects: The disruption to the community, businesses and households caused by disasters is pervasive. The economic impact of disruption and its consequences for community recovery is often overlooked, as economic recovery can tend to focus on the highly visible direct physical damage.The following categories list the common forms of disruption relevant to each area. Sector/Area of impact| Disruption Examples| Business| —Lost or deferred production (eg. manufacturing, agriculture, services etc)—Lost or deferred income/trade/sales/value added (eg. Tourism operators, retail traders etc)—Increased costs (eg. freight, inputs, agistment)| Public services and networks| —Transport (traffic delays, extra —operating costs etc)—Loss of computer controlled systems—Loss of other lifelines (eg. electricity)—Government services (eg. ducation)| Households| —Additional costs (eg. alternative accommodation and transport, heating, drying out costs, medical costs etc)| Natural disasters can cause serious disruption to affected businesses which may not be able to operate during the event, and for some time afterwards, while the premises are being cleaned and equipment repaired. Business lost during this period can have devastating financial consequences and in some cases the business may not recover at all. Loss of farm income due to a natural disaster can affect the economies of country towns.For example, the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE 2000) estimates that farm expenditure represents at least a third of the economies of towns with less than 1000 people. Disasters that reduce farm expenditure can therefore have a major effect on the economies of small towns. Clean up: Cleaning up after a disaster is another obvious area of indirec t impact. The impact for public and community infrastructure, businesses and households is essentially the time it takes and the costs of cleaning materials.Clean up activities typically include removal of mud and debris, disassembly and cleaning of machinery and equipment, removal of destroyed household and business contents items and so on. 3. Intangible Economic Impacts Intangible impacts are often described as a ‘catch all’ that includes all those costs that are very difficult to estimate, for which there is no agreed method of estimation and for which there is no market to provide a benchmark. Evidence suggests that the size of intangible costs is substantial and although most cannot be quantified, in many cases they do still have an economic impact that should not be ignored.Sector/Area of impact| Intangible impact examples| Business| —Loss of confidence—Loss of future contracts—Loss of experienced staff| Public/Community| —Health impac ts (deferral of procedures, reduced quality of care etc)—Death and injury—Loss of items of cultural significance—Environmental impacts—Heritage losses—Lack of access to education, health, defence, art galleries and museums etc| Residents and households| —Loss of personal memorabilia—Inconvenience and disruption, especially to schooling and social life. —Stress induced ill-health and mortality—Pets—Quality of life—Dislocation| Conclusion:Assistance that ensures the survival of the existing economic infrastructure of a region is vital to disaster recovery, but it should not be so great as to affect the natural economic laws of supply and demand operating on the sales and distribution of existing products or services. Government can initiate major projects, that can assist in erasing some of the bad memories of the past and provide a boost in construction and service jobs into the area. References: (1) http:// en. wikipedia. org. (2) www. ndmindia. nic. in/ (3) www. ndma. gov. in/ (4) disastermgmt. bih. nic. in/ (5) http://saarc-sdmc. nic. in/index. asp