Peggy S. Meszaros

The Wired Family Living Digitally in the Postinformation Age

As a nation, we are supersaturated with technology and our families are truly wired. This article reviews what we know about the extent to which the newest communication technologies have become part of the family landscape and how these technologies may be altering aspects of family life. It examines who studies the effects of technology on the family; what we know and what is missing; why there may be a paucity of research on technology effects, especially empirical research; and why it is urgent we increase our focus on technologies and families. The article is divided into four sections that discuss (a) tracking the data and reports, (b) family effects of new media technologies, (c) children and media technologies, and (d) what the future holds.

A comparison of educational factors promoting or discouraging the intent to remain in engineering by gender

This study seeks to examine key extrinsic and intrinsic factors that encourage or discourage persistence in attaining an engineering degree and pursuing an engineering-related career among both male and female undergraduates. Quantitative and qualitative findings from nine participating undergraduate degree programmes reveal that career expectations formulated through educational experiences as undergraduates play a key role in motivating students. Among females, faculty interaction in the classroom, such as feedback received and the degree to which the faculty treat them with respect, is an important encouraging factor. For both males and females, discouraging elements of the undergraduate experience include the amount of time for coursework, competition in engineering classes and grades. The findings have several practical implications that faculty and administrators can employ in shaping the undergraduate experience to encourage short- and long-term interest in engineering among both male and female students.

Cutting the Wireless Cord: College Student Cell Phone Use and Attachment to Parents

To better understand the dynamics of cell phone use among a sample of college students and their attachment for their parents, our study investigated the attitudes toward cell phone use, distinguishing patterns of cell phone users, and user group and gender differences related to attachment to parents among college students. Findings of this study point to implications for further research in three areas: cell phone use and adoption of special functions, family studies, and measurement improvement.

Community and School Mental Health Professionals’ Knowledge and Use of Evidence Based Substance Use Prevention Programs

Youth with learning and behavioral problems are at elevated risk for substance use during adolescence. Although evidence-based substance use prevention and screening practices are described in the literature, the extent with which these are provided to these youth is unclear. Mental health professionals in schools and community mental health centers are in an ideal position to conduct substance use screening and prevention practices since they have frequent contact with this high risk group. In order to determine whether these mental health professionals were using evidence based substance use screening and prevention programs with these youth, we analyzed 345 completed surveys from mental health professionals in schools and community clinics throughout a mid-Atlantic state. Results indicated that a large portion of the respondents were unfamiliar with evidence based practices and they were infrequently used. Implications for the division of labor at schools and community mental health centers are discussed in relation to time allotment and priority for these procedures.

Female Adolescent Smoking: A Delphi Study on Best Prevention Practices

The present researchers used a multi-wave Delphi methodology to determine what 14 knowledgeable substance abuse professionals believe are the most appropriate smoking prevention practices for female adolescents. While there was some agreement with the emerging literature, particularly on weight control issues and parental involvement, there was also endorsement of items that appear to be equally salient for both males and females. While the panelists generally acknowledged differential risk factors for females, and the need for prevention programming around these risk factors, more research on gender specific programming is needed before prevention experts are ready to agree on clear and specific practices for adolescent females.

Mother-Daughter Communication: A Protective Factor for Nonsmoking Among Rural Adolescents

&NA; Rural adolescent females are at‐risk for smoking at rates nearly equal to those of boys, and girls are at increased risk for smoking related diseases, reproductive, and pregnancy problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate protective factors related to nonsmoking in African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) female adolescents residing in rural tobacco‐producing counties in Virginia. This qualitative study targeted rural female adolescent nonsmokers and their parents because of the importance of promoting tobacco‐free, healthy lifestyles into adulthood. Participants were 18 adolescent female nonsmokers 16–17 years of age (6 AA and 12 CA) and 10 mothers (5 AA and 5 CA). Semi‐structured questionnaires based on a health behavior framework and communication theory guided four in‐depth group interviews of female adolescents and two group interviews of mothers. Protective factors identified by youth and parent groups were: frequent and open communication about smoking dangers and risks, mothers’ intentionality in messages about nonsmoking; repeated patterns of oversight of daughters activities and friends; mothers’ pride in their daughters; close knit family of support; and daughters explicit desire not to disappoint their parents. Directions for future research include the nature and type of female adolescents’ communication with parents and a parallel study of protective factors of tobacco‐free rural male adolescents to design parent‐child communication interventions for tobacco prevention.

Measuring Walsh’s Family Resilience Framework: Reliability and Validity of the Family Resilience Assessment Among Women with a History of Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT Walsh’s family resilience framework presents a comprehensive and inclusive lens of family process that may assist clinicians, family service professionals, and health care providers with understanding the functioning of individuals and families in their care. A mechanism for using this framework is needed, as is empirical evidence of its cogency. This article reports on the development of the Family Resilience Assessment, a 29-item survey intended to assess dimensions of Walsh’s framework. The Family Resilience Assessment is presented as a reliable and valid mechanism for assessing the family resilience framework. Results of the use of the survey with women with a history of breast cancer demonstrate that it is a reliable instrument with content and construct validity.

Individual and environmental factors that significantly impact short- and long-term interest in engineering

This paper provides data and recommendations for best practices grounded in the argument that a set of individual qualities and elements of the educational setting that have been identified in the research literature as playing a significant role in promoting womens retention in engineering majors and interest in engineering as a career, have similarly significant effects on mens interests. Data from questionnaires completed by students in eight colleges or schools of engineering (N=1629) and from interviews conducted during nine campus visits demonstrated the importance of one individual quality-motivation-and one environmental quality — perceptions of support from family and friends-on both the short- and long-term interest in engineering of male and female undergraduate engineering majors. The perception that faculty members and peers cared about them and respected their ability to succeed in engineering was significant in predicting both mens and womens intent to remain in an engineering major. These finding underscore the importance of interactions that communicate the conviction that students have the ability and commitment to succeed in engineering.

Examining Ethnic Differences in Predictors of Female Adolescent Smoking in Rural Virginia.

ABSTRACT We examined the salience of multiple ecological factors (individual, family, peer, school, and community) as differential predictors of smoking for adolescent African-Americans and Whites in a sample of 2,029 7th–12th grade girls from a Mid-Atlantic southeastern state. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that significant predictors of smoking in the White female model included coping by taking drugs, grades, frequency of using alcohol, frequency of using marijuana, parent quality, and perceived availability of cigarettes. Significant predictors of smoking in the African-American female model included coping by taking drugs, attempted suicide, frequency of alcohol use, frequency of marijuana use, hours spent in club activities, hours spent in sports, and socioeconomic status. Implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.

Baccalaureate Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management Programs in Home Economics Units

This study investigates the current status of four-year hospitality education pro grams within home economics units. Using data from a 1987 national survey of 276 members of the Federation of Administrators of Home Economics, status was determined by analysis of variation in enrollment, characteristics of faculty, pro gram options offered, types of laboratory facilities, internship requirements, and student placement services. Programs surveyed varied significantly only in current and predicted enrollment, number of full-time faculty, number of faculty with Ph.D.s, and proportion of programs placing at least one graduate in mid-scale dining. Given the increased employment projections for hospitality managers and the fact that the current majority of these programs are within home economics units, hospitality education programs offer an opportunity for substantial home economics program growth.