Angela D. Coker

Examining Issues Affecting African American Participation in Research Studies

This article reviews literature on research issues influencing African American participation as participants in medical, nursing, education, and mental health studies between 1990 and 2007. Identified factors affecting African American participation include the following: distrust owing to historical research abuse and institutional racism, lack of information and understanding of research studies and informed consent, insufficient recruitment efforts by researchers, social stigma, and financial considerations. Recommendations for improving the research process include examining researchers’ motivation and their understanding of African American sociocultural context, implementing culturally sensitive research, employing intervention research, conducting community participatory research, utilizing community-based recruitment strategies, and developing an awareness and sensitivity toward African American diversity.

African American Female Adult Learners: Motivations, Challenges, and Coping Strategies.

This qualitative study used a series of focus groups to examine the experiences of African American female adult learners in higher education (N = 10). This article highlights three categories that emerged: the motivations, challenges, and sources of strength the participants experienced as they worked toward their academic goals. The findings are important to professionals working with African American women in academic settings and for those who want to enhance their current understanding of the lives of African American women.

Using Social Justice Group Work With Young Mothers Who Experience Homelessness

Research indicates (e.g., Bassuk et al., 1997) that women and children make up a large percentage of the total number of individuals living without permanent shelter. This article represents a reflective analysis of our work as group facilitators who conducted a series of personal growth groups for young mothers living in a residential facility located in a Midwestern city in the United States. We discuss our role as group facilitators who infused social justice principles in our group work, share challenges we experienced along the way, and offer suggestions for facilitating group counseling interventions.

Do measures commonly used in body image research perform adequately with African American college women

This study examines reliability and validity estimates for 3 widely used measures in body image research in a sample of African American college women (N = 278). Internal consistency estimates were adequate (α coefficients above .70) for all measures, and evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was found. Confirmatory factor analyses failed to replicate the hypothesized factor structures of these measures. Exploratory factor analyses indicated that 4 factors found for the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire were similar to the hypothesized subscales, with fewer items. The factors found for the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales and the Body Dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory-3 were not similar to the subscales developed by the scale authors. Validity and reliability evidence is discussed for the new factors.

Development and Feasibility of an HIV and IPV Prevention Intervention Among Low-Income Mothers Receiving Services in a Missouri Day Care Center

This article outlines the development and feasibility of an HIV and IPV prevention intervention. Researchers formed a partnership with a group of women representative of the population that the intervention was intended to reach using methods derived from participatory action research. The use of health protective behaviors changed from pre- to postintervention in the clinically desirable direction. Results indicated that intervention delivery was feasible in the novel setting of a large urban day care center. This intervention has promise as a strategy to reduce HIV among low-income women; however, a controlled study is indicated to further examine intervention efficacy.

Weighing and Body Monitoring Among College Women: The Scale Number as an Emotional Barometer

This study investigated weighing and body-monitoring behaviors, as well as psychological and behavioral reactions to weighing, among female college students. Weighing and body monitoring were engaged in by the majority of participants. Participants changed food intake and exercise based on weight. About 63% reported that the scale number impacts their mood, and 50% and 48% indicated that it impacts their sexual comfort and self-esteem, respectively. Most did not perceive self-weighing to be harmful. College counselors should be aware that weighing and body monitoring are normative, with negative psychological outcomes associated with weighing for a substantive percentage of college women.

Teaching Group Counseling in Botswana: Two U.S.-Trained Counselors Discuss Experiences and Share Cultural Considerations for Practice

There is a paucity of research in the area of teaching group counseling within an African context. In this article we describe and reflect on our experiences teaching group counseling at an institution of higher learning in the country of Botswana. We discuss cultural traditions and strengths that support an environment of group work in Botswana, describe cross-cultural challenges we experienced along the way as we implemented Western-derived didactic and experiential components of group counseling training, and discuss the ways in which we addressed the cultural differences we encountered. Implications for future cross-cultural research and training are discussed.