Pamela A. Monroe

Construct Validation of Physical Activity Surveys in Culturally Diverse Older Adults: A Comparison of Four Commonly Used Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to establish validity evidence of four physical activity (PA) questionnaires in culturally diverse older adults by comparing self-report PA with performance-based physical function. Participants were 54 older adults who completed the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance 10-item Test (CS-PFP10), Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults, Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS), and modified Baecke questionnaire. The total PASE score, three outcome scores for the CHAMPS, and three summary indices for the YPAS were significantly correlated with total CS-PFP10 score. The modified Baecke exhibited no correlations with CS-PFP10 scores. The PASE, CHAMPS, and YPAS appear to be the most valid PA self-report questionnaires for culturally diverse older adults.

Continued Reliance on One Respondent in Family Decision-Making Studies: A Content Analysis.

A common practice in studies of conjugal and family decision making is the use and generalization of one family members responses to describe other family members attitudes, perceptions, or family-interaction patterns. Response inconsistency is regarded by some as a systematic factor of perceptual difference and by others as a nonsystematic measurement error. A content analysis of research articles (N = 80) published in professional journals is conducted to assess the reliance on one family member for data to be generalized to the conjugal or family unit. Of the journal articles examined, 62.5% use equivalent respondents for data collection, analyses, and conclusions, while 37.5% extend the conclusions beyond the respondent(s) used in data collection. Articles are compared as to type of respondent, data-collection technique, sampling, sample size, statistics used, and unit of analysis of conclusions. Over time (1965-1978) there has been a continued reliance on individual family members for data on conjugal and/or family units.

Work opportunities in a non-traditional setting for women exiting welfare : A case study

The purpose of this research is to explore key issues regarding the need to provide jobs for women who are making the transition from welfare to wage work. A traditionally male-dominated industry, the secondary wood products industry, in a ten-parish rural region in northern Louisiana is used as a case study. One goal of the project is to explore barriers to expanding job opportunities for women in this industry, which is located in an economically disadvantaged region of the state. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with employers and business owners in this industry, and focus group discussions were conducted among employees at selected sites. Potential barriers to employing women in this industry are discussed, and recommendations for reducing barriers are made.

Spousal Response Consistency in Decision-Making Research.

This study investigates the level of inconsistency in spousal responses to decision making questions using a large sample of spouses in 576 households from a rural (nonfarm) low income population in Eastern Kentucky from 1979 to 1980. Response sufficiency is defined as the degree to which one spouses responses alone constitute a valid measure of family structure and interaction. Researchers investigating agreement in spouses responses have found that only about 50% of spouses give the same responses; this finding was particularly true for decision making items. Aggregate analysis revealed a high level of agreement between married men and married women on 13 decision making and task allocation items. Only 1 decision--who decides what to watch on television--rejected the hypothesis. With conjoint analysis however statistically significant response inconsistency was found on all decision making and task allocation items. In this sample nearly 1/4 of couples would have been misrepresented had only 1 spouse been questioned about the decision making process. Response inconsistency is especially noteworthy in this homogenous population. A theoretical model of response inconsistency needs to be developed.

Family health care decision making

How do families choose a health plan when offered the option of insurance or a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)? Choices are influenced by health consumerism, decision variables, family health needs, family composition, family socioeconomic status, and knowledge about HMOs. Subjects in the research reported here chose insurance or one of four HMOs; control subjects had no HMOs available. The model is estimated with LOGIT regression, yielding a pseudoR2 of.22 for the adjusted model. Participation in the decision process, number of chronic illnesses, and knowledge about HMOs all are significantly and positively associated with choosing an HMO; also, young adults are more likely than older adults to choose HMOs. The consumerism variable fails to attain significance. LOGIT analysis of the adjusted model indicates that the model predicted 72% of plan choices correctly. Suggested research for other family forms, for the poor, and for the elderlys health plan choices are discussed.

Transitions to Engagement Among Low-Income Cohabiting African American Couples: A Family Perspective for Policy

With passage of the Welfare Reform Law of 1996, various national, state, and local programs were created to encourage marriage, particularly among low-income African American cohabiting couples with children. However, policy makers know little about the deterrents to marriage for members of this group. More specifically, there is a lack of data that address the narrative responses of low-income, cohabiting African Americans regarding their desire for and barriers to marriage. To address this paucity, interviews were conducted with 30 low-income African American couples to explore their marital status, their plans for marriage, as well as their perceived barriers regarding marriage. Using qualitative coding and analysis, implications and recommendations regarding how policy makers and programs can best encourage marriage, if it should be encouraged, among low-income African American couples, are also provided.

“We Make our Ends Meet Good”: Coping Strategies of Former Welfare-Reliant Women

In this paper we examine coping strategies used by women living in poverty in response to stressors in their lives. The stressors we examine are: (a) making ends meet: paying bills and supporting families; (b) employment and the desire for self-sufficiency; and (c) feeding families. Using a longitudinal, qualitative data set, we identify three major types of coping strategies: (a) internally directed strategies—things the women do within their own lives or households without relying on other people, to cope with the challenge of the stressor; (b) externally directed strategies—strategies the women use or resources the women tap into, outside of their own internal, psychological or physical resources, to cope with the challenge of the stressor; and (c) government supported strategies—public programs to which the women turn to cope with the challenge of the stressor. Implications for helping professionals in public and non-profit service agencies are suggested.

Focus Group Discussions: Three Examples from Family and Consumer Science Research

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the usefulness of focus group discussions (FGDs) in family and consumer sciences research. First, we briefly describe the FGD methodology in terms of question development, group composition and recruitment, interview protocol and logistics, and data analysis. Then, we show how we applied that methodology in three specific examples from our work with family and consumer sciences research projects. Our examples include (a) the consumer behavior of working female adolescents, (b) the work readiness of adult males with low educational attainment, and (c) the definition of parental involvement by mothers with young children. In recent years, research in the family and consumer sciences has evolved from a heavy reliance on quantitative methods toward the use of more qualitative ones. Many researchers are finding that a very useful qualitative method is focus group discussions (FGDs). A focus group is a distinctive type of group in terms of purpose, size,

Turning the Tide on Poverty: Documenting impacts through Ripple Effect Mapping

Abstract As practitioners expand their efforts to promote civic engagement and action through the use of dialog, one of the nagging concerns is how to effectively and successfully measure and document the outcomes associated with these local activities. The organic nature of citizen-led initiatives makes this a particularly challenging area in which to guage results. One promising method, Ripple Effect Mapping (REM), is an effective, easy-to-use, and cost-efficient method of evaluating participatory programs. Evaluators used REM to document the impact of Turning the Tide on Poverty in the southern US. Additionally, the method visually mapped the capacity-building work of communities participating in Tide. Representatives from each community that participated in REM were able to identify multiple accomplishments that resulted from Tide. These accomplishments were categorized using the Community Capitals Framework. REM was a useful evaluation method that documented how the Tide initiative affected the participating communities’ capitals.

Career Options in Public Policy for Family Scientists.

The policy process presents two competing characteristics that should be of interest to family scientists. First, it is a process which is open to the influence of scientific knowledge. Policymakers often want to be made aware of current research developments. At the same time, the policy process is value-laden and is as likely to be moved along by an emotionally charged opinion as by a rational argument. This article examines this paradox and presents information on how family scientists can meet both demands. The field of public policy is explored as a new career option for family scientists. The discipline of policy science is, like family science, relatively new. Each is still evolving, establishing an identity, and maneuvering for position with more established disciplines. Both disciplines deal with research problems made thorny by the fact that families and public issues seldom can be manipulated experimentally. Even if the research questions asked by family scientists and policy analysts cannot always be subjected to classic experimental designs, they can be subjected to the scientific scrutiny of a welltrained researcher. It is the purpose of this article to explore the exciting possibility of uniting the policy scientist and the family scientist into a single, broadly-trained professional, such as a policy analyst or committee staff person. There will be a brief examination of what public policy is, why it is (or should be) important to family scientists, and why it is an appropriate context for the practice of family science. Practical issues to be addressed include the academic preparation necessary for family science careers in public policy and the importance of retaining the professional identity of a family scientist. The information presented here is intended especially to introduce students, their professors, and young professionals to the career options for family scientists in public policy.