Lihshing Leigh Wang

A true challenge for any superhero: an evaluation of a comic book obesity prevention program.

The purpose of this study was to pilot test the Comics for Health program, a theory-based nutrition and physical activity intervention for children. Twelve after-school programs were randomized to either a theory-based (n = 37) or a knowledge-based (n = 34 children) version of the intervention. Pretests, posttests, and 3-month follow-up tests were administered to evaluate the programmatic effects on body mass index percentile, obesity-related behaviors, and constructs of social cognitive theory. Both interventions found significant, yet modest effects for fruit and vegetable consumption (P < .005), physical activities (P < .004), and water and sugar-free beverage consumption (P < .001) and self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable consumption (P < .015) and physical activities (P < .009).

Using the Health Belief Model to Determine Safer Sexual Behavior among African Immigrants

Background. African immigrants in the U.S. are at high risk of HIV/AIDS because of their risky sexual behaviors, but they are infrequently studied. The purpose of this study was to use health belief model (HBM) to examine safe sexual behaviors among African immigrants. Methods. A cross-sectional design with a 44-item valid and reliable questionnaire based on constructs of HBM was administered to a quota sample of 412 African immigrants in Ohio. Results. The logistic regression analyses revealed that the HBM constructs as a set significantly accounted for the variance in condom use and monogamous behaviors. The findings showed that perceived susceptibility (OR=1.10), perceived barriers (OR=1.10), cues to action (OR=1.19) and self-efficacy (OR=1.21) were significant predictors of condom use (p<.05). Discussion. Based on the findings future HIV/AIDS risk reduction programs among African immigrants can be designed based on HBM.

A comparison of intimate partner violence between Jordanian nurses and Jordanian women.

Abstract Intimate partner violence is a serious international problem. It is not known if the extent of intimate partner violence for Jordanian nurses is similar to that of Jordanian women. Until the rate is known, implementation of nursing interventions for Jordanian women may be thwarted. The study purpose was to determine the rate of intimate partner violence among Jordanian nurses working in governmental health settings in a northern city of Jordan and to compare the rate to published statistics for a community sample of Jordanian women. A cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. A stratified random sample of 80 Jordanian nurses working in governmental women’s health centers and public hospitals in a northern city of Jordan was invited to participate. Institutional review board approval was granted. Participants completed the Woman Abuse Screening Tool in a private room at their work site. No identifiers were added to the survey forms. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests were computed to compare the rate of intimate partner violence between the study sample and reported statistics for Jordanian women. Approximately 59% of participants experienced psychological violence, 12.5% experienced physical violence, and 5.1% experienced sexual violence. No significant differences were found in the rates of violence for the study sample and published data for a community sample of Jordanian women. Intimate partner violence is as prevalent against Jordanian nurses as it is for Jordanian women. Intimate partner violence needs to be addressed to prevent potential sequelae such as decreased work productivity and an inability to provide safe patient care.

A Process Evaluation of a Social Cognitive Theory–Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention: The Comics for Health Program

Process evaluations are an often overlooked yet essential component of health promotion interventions. This study reports the results of a comprehensive process evaluation for the “Comics for Health” program, a childhood obesity prevention intervention implemented at 12 after-school programs. Qualitative and quantitative process data were collected using surveys, field notes, and open-item questionnaires, which assessed program fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, reach, recruitment, and context. Triangulation of methods was also employed to better understand how the program was implemented and received by the facilitator, staff members, and children in the program. Results indicated that program implementation had an almost perfect rate of fidelity with most lessons recording 100% tasks completed. Lessons were implemented in their intended order and lasted approximately 30 minutes as planned. After-school staff members reported that the program was well received by children, and this program should be replicated in the future. Attendance records showed that a majority of the children attended each lesson on the initial day of delivery (70.4%) and informal make-up lessons were implemented to compensate for the other children. Finally, several known sources of contamination were found such as past and concurrent exposure to similar health promotion interventions, which could potentially influence study outcomes. These findings will be used to help explain the results of this intervention and make recommendations for future intervention efforts.

Evaluating the Research Quality of Education Journals in China: Implications for Increasing Global Impact in Peripheral Countries.

There has been a rapid growth of academic research and publishing in non-Western countries. However, academic journal articles in these peripheral countries suffer from low citation impact and limited global recognition. This critical review systematically analyzed 1,096 education research journal articles that were published in China in a 10-year span using a multistage stratified cluster and random sampling method and a validated rubric for assessing research quality. Our findings reveal that the vast majority of the articles lacked rigor, with insufficient or nonsystematic literature reviews, incomplete descriptions of research design, and inadequately grounded recommendations for translating research into practice. Acknowledging the differences in publishing cultures in the center-periphery divide, we argue that education research publications in non-Western countries should try to meet Western publishing standards in order to participate in global knowledge production and research vitality. Implications for emerging countries that strive to transform their research scholarship are discussed.