Study: Higher Education Playing Bigger Role In Gender Wage Gap

While higher education has helped women narrow their long-running wage gap with men, there is one college-related factor that has becoming increasingly important in perpetuating that gap, according to new research.

And that factor is college major.

Women are still segregated into college majors that will lead them to careers with less pay than men, says Donna Bobbitt-Zeher, author of the study and assistant professor of sociology at Ohio State University at Marion.

"Gender segregation in college is becoming more influential in how men and women are rewarded later in life," Bobbitt-Zeher says.

"If you really want to eliminate earnings inequality, college major segregation is a piece of the puzzle that really stands out."

The findings are especially important now because many people assume that, if anything, college helps women more than it helps men nowadays.

"A lot of people look at data showing that women are more likely to go to college than men, and that women get better grades in college than men, and assume that everything is all right," she says.

"But this research suggests there are still problems for women that relate to college."

Bobbitt-Zeher presented her research August 9 in San Francisco at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

She used data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 and the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. With these data sets, she was able to compare women who graduated from high school in 1972 and 1992. She compared the incomes of college graduates seven years after their high school graduations, in 1979 and 1999. Both samples included about 10,000 cases.

Findings showed the income gap between college-educated men and women declined significantly in 20 years – in 1979, women's earnings were 78 percent of their male counterparts, but by 1999 the women were earning 83 percent as much as men.

Using well-accepted statistical techniques, Bobbitt-Zeher estimates how much of that income difference between men and women was explained by various factors in 1979 versus 1999. Some of the factors she examined included occupations and industries that men and women work in; background, including socioeconomic status and race; how much individuals valued earning a lot of money; factors related to parental and martial status; SAT scores; the colleges that people attended and whether they earned graduate degrees; and, of course, the percentage of women in their college majors.

Findings showed that about 19 percent of the income gap between college-educated men and women in 1999 could be explained by their college major -– nearly twice as much as in 1979, when 10 percent of the gap was explained by college major.

Although work-related characteristics combine to explain a bigger share of the gap, no other single known factor was more important than college major in explaining the income gap in 1999.

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Book Chronicles the Journeys of Women Physicians, Scientists to the Front Lines of Fighting Cancer

Just more than one year after it was created, the office of Women Faculty Programs at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has introduced a collection of essays by leading women faculty aimed at inspiring generations of women scientists to come.

Legends and Legacies: Personal Journeys of Women Physicians and Scientists at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center presents the reflections of 26 current faculty women on their formative years and influences, their hurdles and opportunities as they pursued rewarding careers -- and leadership roles -- in science and academic medicine.

Anecdotes and insight shared throughout the book reveal personal struggles and bias based on gender, race or social/economic background, as the women sought to balance personal and professional lives, including the often competing demands of motherhood and the tenure track. The women profiled represent diverse ages, backgrounds and cultures and various professional roles, from clinicians and physician scientists to basic scientists and veterinarians. (Please see sidebar.)

In his foreword, Dr. John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, noted "I was struck by how diverse -- and often difficult -- their pilgrimages have been, yet all share the common bond of growing up knowing they wanted to make a difference."

Editor Elizabeth Travis, a professor in the departments of Radiation Oncology and Pulmonary Medicine and the first associate vice president for Women Faculty Programs at M. D. Anderson, conceived the book project to recognize the accomplishments of M. D. Anderson's women faculty while spotlighting advocacy efforts intended to improve opportunities for women already in the field, as well as inspire others to choose and then stay in the field.

"Legends and Legacies is about seeing dreams through in the face of adversity," says Travis. "I hope it serves as a source of inspiration for young women dreaming of careers in science and medicine - and as a reminder to those women and men who are mentoring the next generation."

Mendelsohn also credited the women's "innate tenacity to succeed," commending Travis and the faculty women for their efforts to make M. D. Anderson a top destination for women physicians and scientists. "We are proud to be the home of so many remarkable women physicians and scientists who continue to be leaders in cancer patient care, research, education and prevention."

Through its Women Faculty Programs, M. D. Anderson promotes workplace initiatives for women physicians and scientists, such as creating a better work-life environment; nominating women faculty for prizes and awards; increasing the number of women leaders; providing career development and mentoring programs; reviewing faculty salaries annually; hosting women physicians and scientists to give scientific and women-in-science talks; promoting institution-wide gender-balanced participation; and reviewing status of women faculty annually.

Offering the book's final note, Dr. Raymond Dubois, provost and executive vice president of M. D. Anderson, says, "We must discard past gender stereotypes and do everything possible to attract, train and support the best and brightest minds to meet the challenges of conquering such relentless and stubborn problems as cancer. Future generations are counting on all of us."

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Published Reports On Pregnant Drinking Called Inaccurate

A national alcohol research group is concerned that the media's misinterpretation of a recent British research study could encourage pregnant women to be more at ease with temperate alcohol consumption.

Some media reports erroneously stated that the study by The University College London researchers revealed that light drinking by pregnant women could be beneficial to their babies. Other articles said light drinking during pregnancy would not affect the behavior or mental acuity of babies born to drinking mothers.

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group, a subgroup of the Research Society on Alcoholism, says the conclusion of the study was not reported accurately. "Unfortunately, several media outlets misinterpreted this report to mean that drinking improved the children's outcome," the FASD Study Group says.

The published report looked at the drinking patterns of pregnant mothers of three-year-olds and assessed the behavior and cognitive skills of the children. The University College London researchers actually reported that the children born to women who drank lightly during pregnancy were not at increased risk compared with children of mothers who did not drink during pregnancy.

However, this result may be based on the higher socioeconomic status of the light drinking mothers and their children involved in this study. Higher socioeconomic status is well known to improve an infant's neurodevelopmental outcome. The study's authors, Dr. Yvonne Kelly at University College London and colleagues, suggested this explanation for their findings and the FASD Study Group agrees with that conclusion.

Many published reports show that even moderate to light drinking can cause birth defects.

"Generally, the adverse effects of light drinking during pregnancy are subtle and may go undetected in children," says Feng Zhou, president of the FASD Study Group and a professor of anatomy, cell biology and neurobiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "Other alcohol research studies of moderate drinking during pregnancy have shown an adverse impact on multiple aspects of development through adolescence and young adulthood even when other important environmental factors are taken into account."

Zhou says the news reports have been carried in various European and American publications and on news web sites.

"The media reports are alarming for a number of reasons but it is particularly disturbing at this time of year when holiday parties may make alcohol consumption more accessible and appealing to pregnant women who have read the erroneous reports," he says.

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Batelle Scientist To Address Science Workforce Issues

There aren't enough women and minorities in the science and engineering workforce, and a Battelle employee is doing something about it.

Dr. Robert Casillas has been elected to serve as a member of The National Academy of Sciences Committee on Capitalizing on the Diversity of the Science and Engineering Workforce in Industry. His term runs from April of 2008 through October 30, 2009.

The committee, operating under the oversight of the National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy, will analyze and synthesize all of the most recent data on the subject of diversity in the science and engineering workforce and develop practices to recruit, retain and advance women and underrepresented minorities as they increase their presence in
industry. It will identify and evaluate best practices, draw findings and conclusions and develop recommendations for the corporations that rely on the skills of scientists and engineers and provide guidance to Congress, funding agencies, corporations and industrial leaders.

Women are entering the science and engineering workforce at a rate higher than minorities. Hispanics are the largest portion of the U.S. population after whites, then African-Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders. These groups will make up more than 50 percent of the nation's workforce by 2050. But only a fraction of these minority populations are represented in the science, technical, engineering and mathematics professional occupations.


Not only is the appointment an honor for Casillas, he says it's appropriate because of his Hispanic heritage. "It's important to me to foster opportunities for others," he says. He serves on Battelle's Multicultural Employee Resource Group and is a member of the Society of
Toxicology and its Dermal Toxicology and Hispanic Toxicologists Specialty Sections.

Casillas, the vice president and manager of Battelle's Biomedical Science and Technology product line, is responsible for a multimillion dollar annual business volume and supervises more than 240 personnel at research locations in Ohio and Maryland. Dr. Casillas' research
specialization is in medical countermeasures against chemical and biological threat agents.

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Number of Russian Women Smokers Has Doubled Since Soviet Collapse

The number of Russian women who smoke has more than doubled since the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to new research.

In 1992, seven per cent of women smoked, compared to almost 15 per cent by 2003. In the same period, the number of men who smoke has risen from 57 per cent to 63 per cent.

The researchers behind the study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, blame the privatisation of the previously state owned tobacco industry and the behaviour of the transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) for what they describe as a “very worrying increase.”

Between 1992 and 2000, TTCs such as Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International invested approximately $1.7 billion to gain a 60 percent share of the privatized Russian tobacco market.

Tobacco advertising had simply not existed in the Soviet era. Yet as soon as the TTCs were there, it was rampant, say researchers. By the mid 1990s it was estimated that half of all billboards in Moscow and three quarters of plastic bags in Russia carried tobacco advertising.

“There can be no doubt that the marketing tactics of Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and the like directly underpin this massive increase in smoking that spells disaster for health in Russia,” says Dr Anna Gilmore from the School for Health at the University of Bath, who carried out the study with academics from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and University College London, and has been researching tobacco control in the region for over seven years.

“Following privatisation of the tobacco industry, TTCs invested heavily in developing the market, promoting smoking as part of the new ‘western lifestyle’,” Gilmore says.

“They aggressively targeted women, young people and those living in cities with their marketing and distribution strategies. This is now directly reflected in the smoking patterns we are seeing. Until this point women in Russia had simply not smoked,” she adds.

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Is Fear of Weight Gain Keeping Many Women From Trying to Quit Smoking?

Is a fear of getting fatter partly to blame for the fact that nearly one in five American women still smokes, and many don’t try to quit?

Although there are many possible reasons for the stubborn persistence of smoking, fear of weight gain is high on the list for many women, says a University of Michigan Health System researcher who has devoted much of her career to studying this issue.

Several years ago, she and her team reported that 75 percent of all women smokers say they would be unwilling to gain more than five pounds if they were to quit smoking, and nearly half said they would not tolerate any weight gain. In fact, many women started smoking in the first place because they thought it might help them stay slim.

Now, new U-M research findings published in the October issue of Addictive Behaviors show that women who smoke tend to be further from their ideal body image, and more prone to dieting and bingeing, than those who don’t smoke.

Cigarettes are well known to suppress appetite and weight, says Cindy Pomerleau, director of the U-M Nicotine Research Laboratory. “So it’s hardly surprising that women who have trouble managing their weight or are dissatisfied with their bodies are drawn to smoking,” she says.

In another recent study, published in August, the U-M team found that overweight women smokers who were overweight as children were far more likely to have started smoking in their early teens than women whose weight problems started later in life. They also had worse withdrawal symptoms when they tried to quit.

Once they make a serious attempt to quit, evidence suggests that most weight-concerned smokers can be just as successful in kicking the habit as others.

“The problem here is getting women who are concerned about their weight to be willing to try to make a quit attempt,” says Pomerleau, “and then helping them gain a sense of control over their weight.”

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Early Pregnancy Screening Cuts Down's Births by Half

Non-invasive screening of pregnant women with ultrasound early in pregnancy, combined with maternal blood analysis, has reduced the number of children born in Denmark with Down Syndrome by 50%, a scientist tells the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics.

Professor Karen Brøndum-Nielsen, of the Kennedy Institute, Glostrup, Denmark, will say that another benefit of the introduction of this procedure in her country was a drop in the number of invasive pre-natal diagnostic procedures from 11% to approximately 6% of pregnancies.

In September 2004, Professor Brøndum-Nielsen will tell the conference, the National Board of Health in Denmark recommended new guidelines for prenatal diagnosis. “Previously this was restricted to pregnant women over 35 years of age, but since the implementation of the new guidelines it has been available to any woman who wants it.”

The women were offered a measurement of nuchal translucency in the fetus by ultrasound. This test looks at thickness of the black space (fluid) in the neck area of the fetus. If there is more than the normal amount of fluid the risk of Down syndrome is increased. Likewise if there is a certain combination of serum markers in the maternal blood test, taken at the same time, there is the possibility of an increased risk of a chromosomal abnormality. The combined screening is carried out at 11 to 14 weeks of gestation.

Professor Brøndum-Nielsen and her team looked at the effects of the new guidelines in 2004, 2005, and 2006, in 3 counties in Denmark with a total population of 1.1 million inhabitants, or about one-fifth of the population of the country. They compared these findings with national figures obtained from the Central Cytogenetic Registry, which confirmed the reduction in invasive procedures and the number of children born with Down syndrome at national level.

“When we looked further at the history of children born with Down Syndrome, we found that their mothers had declined the offer of screening, or had taken it up too late in pregnancy”, she says. Another group had risk assessment that did not lead to invasive procedures
Women whose test results showed an elevated risk were offered an invasive procedure (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis) to definitely confirm or exclude the diagnosis of Down syndrome by chromosome analysis.

“We found that making non-invasive screening available to all pregnant women meant that the numbers of invasive procedures decreased by 40% between 2004 and 2006”, says Professor Brøndum-Nielsen. “Although we have not yet studied the whole of the population, these numbers are significant enough to show that the new guidelines have been accepted by a great majority of Danish parents. However, there is a need for analysis of the psychosocial aspects, both as to the pre-test counselling and the women´s attitudes”, she says.

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Don't Let Misinformation Ruin Your Happiness

You've probably heard a lot of stereotypes and misinformation about russian dating and marrying Russian brides.

So first, consider visiting LoversPlanet not to seek a loving relationship with a beautiful Russian woman, but just to find out more. After all, why should you let preconceptions or even downright wrong knowledge hold you back from seeking the happiness you've always wanted?

First of all, protect yourself from scams. Importantly, LoversPlanet verifies all suspicious profiles as identified by a complex scoring system in the same way insurance companies evaluate risk.

While LoversPlanet simply cannot vouch 100% for all of its members, the site offers many helpful tips and advice to protect yourself. A big one to watch out for: A lady insists or strongly suggests that she wants to visit you and not visa versa. A good test is to advise your lady that you are willing to come to Russia even if you are not going to. Will she be happy with this? For scammer this would mean that no money is to be sent.

So be armed with some knowledge and some common sense. With that, you should enjoy delving into this new and exciting world and finding the lasting happiness of your dreams.

This was a sponsored post.

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Young Women Will Spend Far More of Their Tax Refund, New Survey Finds

Significant gender and age gaps exist when it comes to saving money. A new survey released from Visa USA shows women between the ages of 18 and 49 will save far less of their tax refunds than any other group.

The Visa survey shows that only 30% of women ages 18 to 49 plan to put the money they receive from their income tax refunds into savings. By contrast, 40% of men in that age bracket plan to put their refunds into savings. According to the survey, women ages 50 and over are the champion savers, with 48% saying their tax refunds will be saved. Men 50 and older are close behind, with 45% saying they will invest their refunds in savings, the survey found.

"Our research has found a dramatic gender and age gap when it comes to saving money. Women under 50 save far less of their tax refunds than other groups and this could have significant ramifications for their financial health," says Jason Alderman, director of Visa USA's financial education programs. "Taking advantage of tax refunds to save for retirement or a rainy day is vitally important."

The Visa survey of credit and debit cardholders, which grouped respondents by gender and age (49 and younger or 50 and older), found the following statistics:

• Overall, 41% plan to save their refund; 31% will apply it to paying bills; 10% will use it for a major purchase; 7% will use it for everyday living expenses; 6% don't expect to get a refund and 5% don't know.
• Those planning to put their refund into savings span across all education levels, with 38% of those who have high school diplomas or less planning to save, and 41% of those who attended or graduated from college planning to save.
• Women under the age of 50 are the only group who plan to spend more than they set aside from their tax refunds, with 41% saying their refunds will go to paying bills and only 30% saying it will be saved.

In an effort to help all tax refund recipients cash in on a chance to save, Visa USA has released money management tips encouraging consumers to make more of their dollars work hard for them. These tips are being offered as part of Visa USA's free, online financial education program, "Practical Money Skills for Life."

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Study Says Women, Managers Differ on Career Advancement in Chemical Companies

During this Women's History Month, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a report called It's Elemental, the results of a three-year study of women's careers in the chemical industry. The first study of its kind, the findings reveal that women and their managers have differing attitudes and perceptions about career advancement.

"While there have been some surveys of women on academic career tracks, no comprehensive work exists on women and their managers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) intensive industrial settings," says Judith Giordan, who is currently on detail from the University of Southern Mississippi as a program director for NSF's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program. "As industry is the largest employer of these graduates, we wanted to determine and share how women can get ahead and what could hold them back from the career success they want."

One finding reveals that managers, particularly male managers, rated the ability to relocate higher than women did as a factor for career success. Whereas women rated two items as high on their list--"blowing your own horn is a key element for success and recognition" and "…to be on highly visible projects where contributions can be recognized and rewarded"--managers rated those components as lower priorities for career advancement.

Another finding was that some women still perceive sexist discrimination, which may impact their career advancement. Women who felt positive about their work environments reported lower levels of discrimination. The results indicate that top-level managers still need to develop and enforce policies and initiatives to combat sexism in the workplace.

"It's very clear from the data that women want to advance, and they're willing to do what it takes," says Ruth Fassinger, principal investigator for the project and professor and interim chair of the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland, College Park. "Women stated they want support and opportunities to get ahead. To go along with this, both the women and managers we surveyed said that mentoring is hugely important. We are conducting a follow-up study on mentoring so that we can better understand how it can be successfully structured."

Researchers compared women with their managers in five critical areas: success and advancement; workplace support and climate; mentoring; home-work intersection; and company initiatives. Each chapter includes an analysis of the data. Key points and recommendations for managers and companies are offered at the end of each chapter.

"While women are taking on leadership roles in STEM industries, the number of women in those roles and the rate at which it is happening is disappointingly slow," says Giordan. "Opportunities for the next generation of women to thrive in industrial settings will increase as younger women coming up through the pipeline are better informed and prepared."

Career development workshops are planned for women in undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral positions to help them prepare and learn from the findings. The report has been sent to senior managers at more than 50 companies.

The study was conducted by the University of Maryland, College Park, under a grant from NSF.

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Black-White Life Expectancy Gap Narrows, But Remains Substantial

Reductions in the death rate from homicide, HIV disease, unintentional injuries -- and among women, heart disease -- have contributed to narrowing the life expectancy gap between blacks and whites in the United States, although substantial inequalities and challenges remain, according to a study in the March 21 issue of JAMA.

Life expectancy at birth has generally been increasing in the United States since at least the late 19th century. For as long as data have been reported by race/ethnicity, life expectancy of blacks has been lower than that of whites, according to background information in the article. Since the early 1980s, the black-white life expectancy gap increased sharply, then subsequently declined. But the causes of these changes have not been investigated.

Sam Harper, Ph.D., of McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, and colleagues conducted a study to determine the contribution of specific age groups and causes of death to changes in the black-white life expectancy gap from 1983 to 2003. They analyzed data from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System, maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics, which collects information on all deaths occurring in the United States each year.

The authors report that after widening during the late 1980s, the black-white life expectance gap has declined because of relative mortality improvements in homicide, HIV disease, unintentional injuries -- and among women, heart disease.

"For females, heart disease made by far the largest contribution to the overall life expectance gap, accounting for 1.4 years (28 percent) of the gap in 1983, 1.6 years (28 percent) in 1993, and 1.3 years (30 percent) in 2003," the authors write. "Other important causes of the 4.5-year gap in 2003 include diabetes (0.5 years), stroke (0.4 years), and perinatal death (0.4 years)."

"Among males, the largest contribution to the gap was homicide in 1983 (1.1 years) and 1993 (1.6 years), but by 2003 heart disease became the leading cause, accounting for 1.4 years (21 percent) of the overall 6.3-year gap, followed by homicide (one year), HIV (0.6 years), and perinatal death (0.4 years)," they continue.

The current difference in life expectancy at birth between blacks and whites remains substantial, 6.3 years for men and 4.5 years for women. "Homicide, HIV, and perinatal death, although demonstrating favorable trends, continue to keep the black-white gap unnecessarily large, and unfavorable mortality trends in nephritis [kidney disease] and septicemia [bloodstream infection] are currently contributing to widening the gap," the authors write.

The authors emphasize that further narrowing of the gap will require concerted efforts to address the major causes of the remaining gap.

"Reducing social and individual risk factors for major causes of death and improving access and quality of care for blacks, particularly for cardiovascular diseases, should be a pressing priority for public health and health care," they conclude.


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Combination Therapy Shows Improvement for Breast Cancer Patients

Giving radiation therapy and chemotherapy at the same time after a lumpectomy helps keep breast cancer from returning locally, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Inc. (ASTRO).

Breast cancer widely affects women in the United States, with more than 213,000 women estimated to be diagnosed in 2006. For early-stage breast cancer, the standard treatment is a lumpectomy (surgical removal of the tumor) followed by radiation therapy to the entire breast. Doctors usually recommend chemotherapy in addition for women with invasive disease. When to give the chemotherapy -- whether after surgery, but before radiation or after surgery and radiation -- has been widely debated among researchers.

Cancer researchers at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn., and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J., wanted to try to answer the question as to the proper sequencing of chemotherapy. Doctors recorded data from more than 2,000 patients over the course of nearly 25 years. Of those women, 535 patients were treated with the different sequencing of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Patients were then grouped by how they received the treatment, 276 women received chemotherapy before radiation therapy, 106 women received radiation therapy before chemotherapy, 109 women received concurrent chemotherapy and radiation, and 44 women received the "sandwich" technique of alternating chemotherapy with radiation therapy and then repeating chemotherapy.

The outcome for the women in the study was successful across the group, with 10-year overall survival at 78 percent. Doctors found that there was no significant difference in the way these combinations affected the general patient outcome, but there was a difference in where tumors could relapse. Of the 109 patients who received chemotherapy and radiation therapy at the same time, only 8 percent relapsed locally (in the conservatively treated breast) over 10 years.

Of the women who received radiation therapy before chemotherapy, 13 percent had a local relapse while 22 percent of the women who had chemotherapy before radiation had a local relapse.

"It is important for doctors to test and retest combinations of treatments and how we deliver them to our patients. In this retrospective analysis, by concurrently administering chemotherapy and radiation therapy, there appears to be a benefit to selected patients in terms of local control of the breast cancer. The challenge over the next few years is to identify those patients who would best benefit from this strategy. This can best be accomplished by prospective clinical trials," says Bruce Haffty, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at Robert Johnson Wood Medical School-UMDNJ and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, in New Brunswick, N.J.