OBJECTIVES To ascertain if there are specific sociocultural and behavioural practices associated with the exposure to saliva, semen and vaginal fluids, particularly through child-rearing practices and the use of traditional medicine in Lusaka, Zambia. METHODS We conducted 11 focus group discussions with men and women from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds (n = 105) in Lusaka, Zambi...

The Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence Past, Present, and Future: The Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Lecture E. L. May Precursors of Addiction David N. Nurco Developmental Epidemiological Studies of Substance Use in Woodlawn: Implications for Prevention Research Strategy Sheppard C. Kellam, C. Hendricks Brown, and John P. Fleming Susceptibility to Substance Abuse Among American Indians: Variatio...

BACKGROUND The role of race in human genetics and biomedical research is among the most contested issues in science. Much debate centers on the relative importance of genetic versus sociocultural factors in explaining racial inequalities in health. However, few studies integrate genetic and sociocultural data to test competing explanations directly. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We draw on e...

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the value of viewing the pediatric transplant experience through a sociocultural lens and to offer an organized framework for identifying influential sociocultural variables in pediatric transplantation. METHODS A conceptual model is presented which organizes sociocultural factors that may influence the transplant process. A review of the pediatric and adult transplan...

Motivations for condom use are intricate and the behaviour of individuals and couples takes place in complex sociocultural settings. This study examines in detail the sociocultural context of condom use among the Maasai, an east African agropastoralist population. A review of the ethno-demographic literature demonstrates the sociocultural significance of semen in a range of settings. A detailed...

This article reviews recent sociocultural studies of families of children with intellectual disabilities to introduce the range of research conducted from this perspective and to highlight the methodological, conceptual, and theoretical contributions of this approach to the study of mental retardation. Sociocultural studies examine families within their cultural, historical, and sociopolitical ...