Doreen Salina

A follow-up of a media-based, worksite smoking cessation program

Described an examination of data collected 2 years following the onset of a media-based, worksite smoking cessation intervention. Thirty-eight companies in Chicago were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions. In the inital 3-week phase, all participants in both conditions received self-help manuals and were instructed to watch a 20-day televised series designed to accompany the manual. In addition, participants in the group (G) condition received six sessions emphasizing quitting techniques and social support. In the second phase, which continued for 12 months, employees in G participated in monthly peer-led support groups and received incentives, while participants in the nongroup (NG) condition received no further treatment. Twenty-four months after pretest, 30% of employees in G were abstinent compared to only 19.5% in NG. This study is one of the few experimentally controlled worksite smoking cessation interventions to demonstrate significant program differences 2 years following the initial intervention.

Assessing a smoking cessation intervention involving groups, incentives, and self-help manuals

A media-based worksite smoking cessation program was evaluated. Participants in each worksite received a television program and one of three conditions: 1) self-help manuals alone, 2) self-help manuals and incentives, or 3) maintenance manuals, incentives, support groups, and cognitive behavioral strategies for quitting smoking. During the 6 months following the initial media and group meeting intervention phase, 14 booster meetings were held for participants who had received support groups. The quit-rate among participants who received manuals, incentives, and groups was significantly higher than the quit rate among participants who received the manuals and incentives, or just the manuals. The results indicate that the combination of cognitive behavioral techniques and social support may represent an effective worksite smoking cessation intervention. The significant effect of the group condition 12 months following initial quit efforts is particularly promising.

Analysis of clustered data in community psychology: With an example from a worksite smoking cessation project

Although it is common in community psychology research to have data at both the community, or cluster, and individual level, the analysis of such clustered data often presents difficulties for many researchers. Since the individuals within the cluster cannot be assumed to be independent, the use of many traditional statistical techniques that assumes independence of observations is problematic. Further, there is often interest in assessing the degree of dependence in the data resulting from the clustering of individuals within communities. In this paper, a random-effects regression model is described for analysis of clustered data. Unlike ordinary regression analysis of clustered data, random-effects regression models do not assume that each observation is independent, but do assume data within clusters are dependent to some degree. The degree of this dependency is estimated along with estimates of the usual model parameters, thus adjusting these effects for the dependency resulting from the clustering of the data. Models are described for both continuous and dichotomous outcome variables, and available statistical software for these models is discussed. An analysis of a data set where individuals are clustered within firms is used to illustrate fetatures of random-effects regression analysis, relative to both individual-level analysis which ignores the clustering of the data, and cluster-level analysis which aggregates the individual data.

Co-occurring mental disorders among incarcerated women: Preliminary findings from an integrated health treatment study

Abstract There is a growing awareness of the incidence of mental disorders among women involved in the criminal justice system. Two hundred and eighty-three women were participants in a federally-funded study and all met DSM-IVcriteria for at least two Axis I disorders, including one substance abuse diagnosis. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (chronic) was the primary mental health diagnosis for 75% of the sample. Based on findings, the need for rigorous and accurate diagnostic evaluation for women in criminal justice settings is discussed; specific recommendations include: providing evidence-based, integrated, trauma-informed treatment, and designing comprehensive gender-specific programs to improve outcomes for incarcerated women.

A multimedia‐based approach to increasing communication and the level of AIDS knowledge within families

The print and electronic media have been used effectively in the past to assist individuals in altering negative health behaviors and attitudes associated with obesity, stress, hypertension, and smoking. This article presents the use of a multimedia-based, health promotion strategy targeted toward AIDS prevention within the family unit. In November of 1988, for 6 consecutive days, 5- to 10-minute segments addressing AIDS and the family were televised on the noon and 9 p.m. news broadcasts of a major television station in the midwest. One hundred fifty-one 8th-grade students and their parents were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions. The intervention consisted of prompting participants to view the broadcasts and giving them printed material regarding AIDS and how the topic could be discussed within the family. This AIDS educational newspaper supplement paralleled the content of the daily telecasts. All participants completed questionnaires approximately 1 week prior to and after the media program. Controls were not given the prompt or provided the supplements. Children who were encouraged to watch the program viewed significantly more of the broadcasts, talked more about sexual issues within their families, and were more knowledgeable about AIDS than controls. Parents of children identified as at risk for HIV infection had more difficulty discussing AIDS with their children than parents of children not at risk.

Stress, coping, and appraisal in a smoking cessation intervention

Abstract Stress, coping, and appraisal were explored in order to better understand the factors associated with smoking cessation. Employees from 61 worksites received one of three programs which incorporated the use of self-help manuals, incentives, social support groups, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Results indicated successful quitters perceived less stress in their lives, used more problem-focused coping and less emotion-focused coping, and perceived more control over their stressors than participants who were not able to quit smoking.

Addressing Unmet Needs in Incarcerated Women With Co-occurring Disorders

ABSTRACT This article will present findings related to critical needs in a group of 281 incarcerated women with co-occurring disorders. The women completed interviews while incarcerated and again at various time points after community reentry. Findings revealed that the number of basic needs increased over time, and a low level of social support was related to negative outcomes. Recommendations for this population include holistic evaluation assessments and integrated treatment plans that encourage staff to comprehensively assess clients at intake and link them to support services during and after incarceration. Implications of this female empowerment model will be discussed.

Strategies in identifying people with chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an illness that is characterized by debilitating fatigue. Few non-treatment-based epidemiological studies have been conducted in assessing rates of this disorder. Problems in conducting non-community-based prevalence studies are discussed. In addition, pilot data showing strategies to reach people afflicted with CFS are presented. It is argued that community-based epidemiological efforts are needed in order to estimate prevalence rates of this disorder.

Oxford recovery housing: Length of stay correlated with improved outcomes for women previously involved with the criminal justice system

BACKGROUND Housing plays a crucial role in providing resources for and aiding an individuals reentry into the community following incarceration and substance use treatment. As such, this study examined the influence of recovery homes on a sample of former female substance-using women with criminal justice involvement. METHODS Two hundred women who had been involved with the criminal justice system within the preceding 2 years were recruited from multiple sites in metropolitan Chicago. These women were assigned to either 1 of 2 conditions: Oxford House (OH) recovery homes or usual aftercare (UA). RESULTS Those with longer stays in OH (6 months or more) had better outcomes in terms of alcohol and drug use, employment, and self-efficacy than those with shorter stays. Outcomes for those who stayed in OH were not appreciably different than the UA condition on substance use and employment, but fewer deaths occurred for those in the OH condition. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that length of stay of 6 or more months is critical for those in recovery homes, but it is important for us to better understand the processes through which longer stays influence better outcomes.

Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Related Symptoms among Nurses

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an illness that is characterized by debilitating fatigue and a group of other related symptoms. Few epidemiological studies have been conducte4 and none have focused on a nursing population. The present study is the first to assess the prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndromerelated symptoms in a sample of nurses. Demographic characteristics, symptoms, and possible prevalence rates are presented and discussed When using both narrow and more inclusive criteria to define this symptom complexr higher rates of this disorder were found than in previous epidemiological studies. The implications of thesefindings are discussed