At-home observation of 40 sibling dyads was conducted to describe sex-role characteristics of school-aged same-sex and cross-sex siblings. Male dyads interacted less than other sibling groups, while older sisters in female or male-female dyads engaged in the most teaching and managing. Older sister dyads exhibited the greatest role asymmetrics.…

Surveyed 57 new mothers to examine the relationship between level of knowledge of informed consent to medical procedures during childbirth with other variables. Results showed women reporting knowledge of patient rights and desire to learn assertiveness were less likely to give birth by cesarean section. Discusses implications for counselors. (JAC)

The Commission on Population Growth and the American Future concluded that zero population growth (ZPG) is in the best interest of the United States. To achieve ZPG in the future, the United States must keep fertility and net immigration relatively low. Practical problems are discussed. (RM)

Studied the maternal plasmatic zinc behavior at delivery time and the cord blood zinc concentration from appropriate and low-birth-weight full-term infants and appropriate preterm infants. Findings indicated that neither prematurity nor fetal growth delay interfere in maternal or newborn infants' zinc levels. (BJD)

Very little support was found for any of several hypotheses concerning the effect of birth order on self-concept in adolescents. The strongest support was found for the hypothesis that middle-borns have the lowest self-evaluations. (Author/BW)

Research suggested that first-born males prefer sports in which the severity of possible injury is low in relation to the opportunity to affiliate under stress. (GW)

California's recent investment in teen pregnancy prevention has contributed to the largest decline in teen birth rates and the second largest percentage reduction of all 50 states. California's annual teen birth rate is now similar to the national rate. This occurred while the highest teen birth rate group, Latinas, increased as a proportion of…

This paper examines teen births during the period from 1991 to 1996, a period chosen because teen births started to decline in 1991 and 1996 was the most recent data year available. In most cities, the number of births to teens decreased in this period, but in a small number of cities, the number of births to teenagers increased. It is not clear…

Preliminary data for 2003 from the National Center for Health Statistics show the teen birth rate continues to decline, reaching historic lows for teens in each age group. The 2003 rate of 41.7 births per 1,000 females 15-19 was 33 per cent lower than the 1991 peak rate of 61.8. The 2003 birth rate for teens aged 15-17 (22.4) was 42 per cent lower…

Investigated birth order differences and the vocational interests of 150 male college students, making use of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. Sibling sex and interaction effects were also investigated. (DP)

Study results suggest that the disposition of firstborns seems to be toward intellectual activities and that of the later borns toward social activities having a high degree of social participation and concern. (WY)

The major trend towards worldwide easing of the birthrate does not include the current population patterns in Africa. The population policies of African nations range along a continuum from totally pronatal to strongly antinatal. However, even antinatal policies have had little effect on the overall spiralling upward population trend. (JA)

A total of 73 children seven to eight years of age were videotaped as they interacted with a sibling in cooperative, competitive, and neutral situations. It was concluded that children's experience of the sibling relationship varies systematically with sibling status. (Author/RH)

Siblings (N=237) of disabled children were compared to 248 siblings from a random family sampling to examine the effects of relative birth order and age spacing on psychological functioning. Younger males scored higher than older males on psychological impairment, while younger females were psychologically better off than older females. (CL)

Investigated the concurrent validity of three measures of death anxiety in undergraduate students. Results showed significant intercorrelations among the three scales; only one scale (Templer) differentiated first-born and only-children from later-born children. The former had higher death anxiety scores. (Author)