Stephen G. Jurs

The Effect of Experimental Mortality on the Internal and External Validity of the Randomized Comparative Experiment

Behavioral researchers are often faced with the problem of missing observations. Experimental mortali ty, the loss of Ss from treatment groups, can devastate the most carefuUy designed and controlled experimental research. Standard textbooks in research methods or experimental design give no help to the researcher who has experienced substantial experimental mortality. This paper proposes a method for empirically testing whether the experimental mortality is random or non-random both between and within treatment groups in the analysis of variance sense. The results of this test allow the researcher to determine whether the results of his study are susceptible to internal and/or external invalidity. Thus, proper interpretation of the experimental re sults can be made even when substantial numbers of the observations are missing.

Relationships among burnout, death anxiety, and social support in hospice and critical care nurses.

The present study was undertaken to compare the occupational stress, levels of burnout, death anxiety, and the social support of a national sample of 376 hospice and critical care nurses, t tests indicated that critical care nurses reported significantly more occupational stress, showed higher burnout, and experienced more death anxiety than hospice nurses. The two nursing groups differed significantly when the three components of the Maslach Burnout Inventory were compared: hospice nurses reported feeling less emotional exhaustion, utilized the technique of depersonalization less frequently, and experienced a greater sense of personal accomplishment. The two nursing groups did not differ in social support when both the quantity and quality of that construct were examined. Pearson coefficients indicated positive associations between burnout and occupational stress and between burnout and death anxiety, with a negative relationship between burnout and social support.

An Objective Counterpart to the Visual Scree Test for Factor Analysis: The Standard Error Scree:

Many methods have been suggested for determining the number of factors in factor analysis solutions, most of them trying to match visual solutions. Presented here is a linear regression approach providing objectivity while producing the same results as the visual scree test. The standard error scree is based on the standard error of estimate for a set of points in the plot of eigenvalues. The number of factors to retain corresponds to the point where the standard error exceeds 1/m, where m is the numbers of variables in the analysis. Experience with the method to date indicates that the results are consistent with visual solutions.

Utilizing the Health Belief Model to Predict Dieting and Exercising Behavior of Obese and Nonobese Adolescents

This study was undertaken to explain dieting and exercising behavior of obese and nonobese adolescents as measured by the elements of the Health Belief Model (HBM). An elicitation questionnaire was used to determine salient beliefs about dieting, exercising, and obesity for each of the major components of the HBM. The Health Belief Model questionnaire, developed from the elicited salicnt beliefs, contained items employed to measure attitudes towards obesity and exercise, knowledge of obesity and exercise, weight locus of control, and beliefs and evaluations about obesity and exercise. Discriminant analysis and stepwise discriminant analysis were employed in the data analysis of the 69 obese and 100 nonobese HBM respondents to determine the relative importance of the investigated factors in predicting obesity. It was found that benefits of dieting was the most powerful predictor of dieting behavior for the obese adolescents, whereas susceptibility to the causes of obesity best explained present dieting behavior of nonobese adolescents. Exercising behavior of obese teenagers was best explained by cues to exercising. No HBM variables were significant in predicting exercising behavior of nonobese adolescents.

Joggers versus Nonexercisers: An Analysis of Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about Jogging

Abstract The Health Belief Model was utilized to examine the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of individuals regarding regular jogging. Based on an elicitation procedure developed by Martin Fishbein, a questionnaire was developed according to the theoretical tenets of the Health Belief Model and was found to be valid and reliable. Responses from 124 joggers and 96 nonexercisers were analyzed, and significant differences were found. Factors which accounted for the largest portion of predictable variance (40%) were barriers to action such as lack of time, job or family responsibilities, or weather constraints. As a whole, the results provided support for the Health Belief Model in that 61% of the variance in jogging behavior was determined. The study suggests that physical and health educators might more effectively change the behavior of sedentary individuals by utilizing strategies which address perceived obstacles to jogging.

Priority Determination in Surveys: An Application of the Scree Test.

In a Delphi study of research needs in educational technology, 89 recognized leaders in educational technology suggested 163 research needs. A small number of high-priority needs was identified using an adaptation of the Scree test, a method that is usually restricted to factor analysis. The results indicated that the Scree test was a useful analytic tool for survey results. Its use should be extended to other applications.

The Effects of an Education Intervention Program for Juvenile Drug Abusers and Their Parents

The Juvenile Intervention Program represents an attempt to intervene in the development of juvenile drug dependence. The program involves the early identification of juvenile drug abusers followed by the recruitment of the juveniles and their parents into the program. The program utilizes the principles of family involvement and peer pressure throughout the program, while the basis of the program involves the education of the participants in such areas as family architecture, family communication patterns and drug knowledge. The results indicate that the program had a positive effect on the parents with no significant changes among the juveniles. It is hypothesized that the changes that have been initiated within the parents will have a positive effect on the juveniles at the six month follow-up.

Cost minimization analysis of various treatment options for surgical stage I endometrial carcinoma.

PURPOSEnThis study compares the payors cost of treatment for surgical Stage I endometrial carcinoma with results of published clinical studies to determine which treatment most efficiently uses available resources.nnnMETHODS AND MATERIALSnSix options for treatment of surgical Stage I endometrial carcinoma were selected for comparison. The treatment options were observation only, low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDRB) (nonremote afterloading), LDRB and external beam radiation (EBRT), EBRT only, high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRB) only (three applications), and EBRT and HDRB (three applications). The literature was reviewed to obtain disease-free survival (DFS) rates corresponding to the treatment options chosen in surgical Stages IA, IB, and IC. Metaanalysis and sensitivity testing were performed on the collected clinical data. A typical midsized city in Medicare region IV was used as our representative payor cost basis.nnnRESULTSnThirteen retrospective articles contained sufficient clinical information for analysis. Comparison of DFS between the observation, LDRB, and EBRT treatment groups was made for Stage IA; LDRB and EBRT for Stage IB; and LDRB, EBRT, LDRB +/- EBRT, LDRB + EBRT, and HDRB + EBRT for Stage IC. Meta-analysis failed to reveal statistically significant DFS between the respective treatment options within Stages IA, IB, or IC. The RVUs for each treatment option were LDRB, 21.7; EBRT, 117.1; EBRT + LDRB, 130.7; HDRB, 155.5; and EBRT + HDRB, 264.4. The DRG payment for LDRB is

A cost-benefit analysis of a smoking cessation program

2714.92. The calculated payors cost for each treatment option was: LDRB,

Noncognitive Long-Term Prediction of College Grades by the Academic Performance Scale

3466.62; EBRT,