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Problem statement. Parents are an important factor in the educative processes of their children. However, not all parents have the opportunity to become involved with their children by attending school functions or becoming volunteers in their children's school. Although some parents display their involvement in the confines of their household, many individuals are not aware of parents' contributions--especially those contributions from low income, African-American, single parents. Research question. This qualitative study focused on the following questions: (1) How do low income African-American single parents perceive their roles in the educative process of their high achieving children; and (2) How do these parents portray these roles. Methodology. Nineteen low income African-American families with high achieving children were identified. Income levels were determined by the children's participation in the federally funded free lunch program. High achievement was determined by the children's reading scores on the CTBS and cumulative grade point averages on their report cards. Parents completed a Parent Interaction Schedule and were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Students also completed a Student Activity Schedule. Both schedules were discussed at the follow-up interview with the parents. All interviews and personal observations were tape recorded. Data were analyzed and coded through use of a computer assisted software package, The Ethnograph. Through a series of respondent-generated and researcher-generated codes, themes developed and were analyzed. Findings. These parents perceived their roles in the educative process of their children to fall into the following categories: grades, homework, high school, college, and careers. They exhibited their involvement through their enforcement of study time and reading, maintaining a structured household, monitoring of television programs, and providing rewards and punishment for academic performance. Conclusions. These families were very involved in the education of their children and displayed this involvement in the household. Specifically, these parents had high expectations for their children, had a high regard for reading, communicated with their children on a regularly, maintained structured households and established a system of rewards and punishments.

Background Young adulthood is a critical life period for health and health behaviours. Related measurements collected before and after birth, and during childhood and adolescence can provide a life-course analysis of important factors that contribute to health and behaviour in young adulthood. The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study has collected a large number of such measurements during the fetal, perinatal, infancy, childhood and adolescence periods and plans to relate them to common health issues and behaviours in young adults, including spinal pain, asthma, sleep disorders, physical activity and sedentary behaviour and, work absenteeism and presenteeism. The aim of this paper is to describe the rationale, design and methods of the 22 year follow-up of the Raine Study cohort. Methods/Design The Raine Study is a prospective cohort study. Participants still active in the cohort ( n  = 2,086) were contacted around the time of their 22nd birthday and invited to participate in the 22 year follow-up. Each was asked to complete a questionnaire, attend a research facility for physical assessment and an overnight sleep study, wear activity monitors for a week, and to maintain a sleep and activity diary over this week. The questionnaire was broad and included questions related to sociodemographics, medical history, quality of life, psychological factors, lifestyle factors, spinal pain, respiratory, sleep, activity and work factors. Physical assessments included anthropometry, blood pressure, back muscle endurance, tissue sensitivity, lung function, airway reactivity, allergic status, 3D facial photographs, cognitive function, and overnight polysomnography. Discussion Describing the prevalence of these health issues and behaviours in young adulthood will enable better recognition of the issues and planning of health care resources. Providing a detailed description of the phenotype of these issues will provide valuable information to help educate health professionals of the needs of young adults. Understanding the life-course risk factors of health issues and behaviours in young adulthood will have important health planning implications, supporting the development of targeted interventions to improve current health status and reduce the onset and development of further ill-health across adulthood.