Kim Ammann Howard

Violence-Prevention Programs in Schools: State of the Science and Implications for Future Research

Abstract This article reviews school-based violence-prevention interventions published from 1993 through 1997. All of the interventions fitting the inclusion criteria involved classroom-based curricula; about one third included efforts to change the broader school environment or other settings where youth spend their time. Modest intervention effects in knowledge, attitudes, and aggressive, violent and prosocial behavior were reported. Elementary school interventions and programs focusing on the broader school environment appeared more successful in changing violence-related behavior. School-based health-promotion programs that integrated the community and home in other health areas were used to illustrate the potential success of more comprehensive interventions. A proposed framework for future comprehensive violence-prevention intervention research composed of three physical settings (school, home, and community) and three types of environments (information, social, and physical) is presented and discussed.

Independent Evaluation of the California Tobacco Control Program: Relationships Between Program Exposure and Outcomes, 1996-1998

OBJECTIVES This study sought to determine the effects of the California Tobacco Control Program on tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors. METHODS In 1996 and 1998, a telephone survey was conducted among adults in randomly selected households in 18 California counties. Tenth-grade youths in 84 randomly selected high schools completed a written survey. In analyses conducted at the county level, differences in outcomes were regressed on an index of program exposure. RESULTS Among adults, program exposure was associated with decreased smoking prevalence rates, increased no-smoking policies in homes, and decreased violations of workplace no-smoking policies. Among youths, there was no effect of program exposure on outcomes. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the California Tobacco Control Program may have reduced adult smoking prevalence rates and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Alcohol coverage in California newspapers: frequency, prominence, and framing.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and extent of alcohol coverage in California newspapers by examining the frequency, positioning, and framing of alcohol-related articles. A content analysis assessed the frequency and nature of alcohol references in news content drawn from a random sample of nine California newspaper issues from September 1997 to June 1998. The study findings indicate that alcohol is mentioned at least once a day in daily newspapers with more frequent mention in smaller newspapers. Alcohol is most often discussed in relation to trauma or in the context of promoting alcohol consumption. Articles on trauma and driving while intoxicated receive more prominence than other stories mentioning alcohol. Despite the relative frequency of alcohol content in trauma news, these stories are rarely framed with any sort of health context. Public health advocates should work toward increasing the frequency and improving the framing of alcohol in newspaper coverage.

Alcohol Point-of-Purchase Advertising and Promotions: Prevalence, Content, and Targeting

Spending on non-traditional media such as point-of-purchase advertising and promotions continues to increase. Pro-alcohol messages are a concern since, alcohol advertising is positively associated with drinking and related problems. This is one of the first studies that assesses alcohol advertising and promotions at retail outlets. Within a census of alcohol outlets in 10 ethnically diverse urban California communities, alcohol advertising was found to be prevalent in stores and on the outside of restaurants and bars. Independently owned stores had the highest prevalence of advertisements. Alcohol and alcohol advertisements were commonly placed where youths were likely to see them. Models of color and cultural icons were frequently used to target advertisements to specific ethnic groups. Point-of-purchase advertising appears to be used to aggressively market alcohol and contribute to a pro-alcohol environment. Efforts to decrease and counteract this largely unregulated form of alcohol advertising seem warranted.

Beliefs about the risks of guns in the home: analysis of a national survey

Objectives—While epidemiological evidence suggests homes with guns are more likely to be the site of a suicide or homicide than homes without guns, the publics perception of these risks remains unknown. This study assesses the prevalence of the belief that homes with guns are safer than homes without guns, and factors associated with this belief. Methods—Telephone interviews were conducted with a random sample of 4138 registered voters in urban areas in the US. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess correlates of beliefs about the safety of keeping a gun in the home. Results—Twenty nine per cent of respondents believed keeping a gun in the home makes the home more safe, 40% said less safe, 23% said it depends, and 9% were unsure. The belief that a home is more safe with a gun was associated with being male, young, completing 12 years or fewer of education, having no children living at home, Republican party affiliation, and low levels of trust in the police for protection. Prior exposure to violence and fear of victimization were not associated with the outcome. Conclusions—Findings may increase understanding about the publics perception of the risk in keeping guns in the home and assist educational efforts to decrease the risk of these injuries.

What factors are associated with local enforcement of laws banning illegal tobacco sales to minors? A study of 182 law enforcement agencies in California.

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to understand the attitudes of local law enforcement staff regarding policies to reduce youth access to tobacco, to determine what proportion of these agencies have conducted unannounced compliance checks in the past year, and to examine factors associated with conducting compliance checks. METHODS A written questionnaire was completed by 182 law enforcement officials representing 200 cities and counties in California (some officials represented multiple jurisdictions). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with conducting compliance checks. RESULTS Only 36% of local enforcement agencies reported conducting one or more compliance checks in the previous year. Agencies were more likely to conduct compliance checks if they perceived fewer barriers to enforcement, reported more frequent collaboration with other community agencies to enforce youth access laws, and believed that youth access to tobacco is a problem in their community. CONCLUSIONS Because active enforcement of youth access laws using unannounced compliance checks has been shown to reduce the rate of illegal tobacco sales to minors and may reduce youth smoking, efforts to increase the level of enforcement should be promoted. These study results may be used to inform efforts to encourage local agencies to enforce existing youth access laws.