Jennifer L. Gregg

Preferred health resources and use of social media to obtain health and depression information by adolescent mothers.

PROBLEM Little is known about how adolescent mothers use social media and the Internet, especially to access health information. METHODS In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, adolescent mothers were recruited from an academic medical center after the birth of their child (n = 94) or from a state-funded, home visitation program during the first year after birth (n = 91). They completed the Pew Internet Survey: 37 questions related to use of social media and Internet, particularly in regard to obtaining health information. FINDINGS All adolescent mothers used a computer and almost all went online. Most accessed the Internet by cell phone (67.4%) and used social media. The health topics searched most frequently were pregnancy/birth control (85.8%), sexually transmitted diseases (n = 134, 72.6%) and HIV (66.3%). Response to survey questions differed between the two groups (adolescent mothers surveyed after birth from academic medical center and adolescent mothers surveyed in the first postpartum year in the community). CONCLUSIONS Adolescent mothers spend significant time on the Internet including searching for health information. Cell phones are their preferred methods for accessing the Internet, and they use social media. Thus, social media and the Internet are potentially feasible and acceptable vehicles to deliver health interventions to adolescent mothers.

Testing of a prototype Web based intervention for adolescent mothers on postpartum depression

PURPOSE This article describes testing of a prototype Web site for adolescent mothers with postpartum depression; providing proof of concept. METHODS Participants (N=138) were recruited from a public school-based program for adolescent parents and completed the Mental Health Acceptability Scale, Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help, and Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale before, and after, the Web site intervention. They also provided feedback on the usability of the Web site. RESULTS Attitudes related to depression and treatment (ATSPPH) improved after viewing the Web site (p=.023). Feedback on the Web site indicated that it was easy to use (77%), reflecting highly acceptable score for product usability. CONCLUSIONS The data provide the foundation for the launch of the Web site from prototype to product and more comprehensive testing. The creation and testing of informational text messages will be added to the Web site to increase the interactivity and dose of the intervention.

Undressing "health fashion": an examination of health-cause clothing and accessories.

Today, fashion items such as rubber wristbands in various colors, pink ribbons, and red dresses represent different health-related causes and can be seen frequently across demographic groups. Complete with pithy slogans (e.g., “Go Red for Women”), these items are part of a larger “health fashion” trend—one that involves wearing, using, and displaying health-cause clothing and accessories. In this article, the authors explore recent interest in “health fashion,” examining in particular its origins, effectiveness, and implications.

Policy-making in the public interest: a contextual analysis of the passage of closed-captioning policy

In 1990 the United States Congress approved the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, which mandated that all television sets 13 inches or larger for sale in the United States be manufactured with caption‐decoding microchips. This legislation allowed millions of deaf and hearing‐impaired people throughout the US access to captions on commercials and television programs. Access to technology is one determinant of who can participate in the social, cultural, political and economic facets of a society. Scholars recognize that communication processes in the public sphere often are unbalanced. Access to media outlets creates a gap between those with media power and those without. Using a contextual analysis framework supported by a social model of disability, this paper defines the roles of parties involved in the passage of closed‐captioning legislation and highlights how social forces were successful in passing legislation beneficial to the Deaf and Hearing‐impaired community.

Communication Ethics and My Sister's Keeper

Objectives: To identify ethical dilemmas in communication presented in My Sisters Keeper, a novel by Jodi Picoult. To examine how ones position/perspective shapes how one interprets and evaluates situations. To analyze ethical decision making. Relevant Courses: We have developed this activity for use in Communication Ethics; however, it could be employed in several courses like family, health, and interpersonal communication