Susan M. Radius

Parental and Child Health Beliefs and Behavior

Personal interviews concerning health beliefs and behav iors were conducted with a parent and child in each of 250 households. Index scores were constructed for parental and child health beliefs, and these scores were entered, along with demographic variables, in a series of multiple regression analyses predicting child health beliefs and behaviors. The age of the child was the variable most highly associated with three of four child health behaviors and four of six child health beliefs. The childrens snacking between meals and cigarette smoking were related to several parental behaviors and, to a lesser extent, parental health beliefs. The childrens health beliefs were less predictable than were their health behaviors, and the observed significant relationships were with parental health beliefs and demographics. The implications for the design of health education programs are discussed.

Understanding adolescent mothers' feelings about breast-feeding: A study of perceived benefits and barriers

This study was designed to assess the benefits and barriers accruing to breast-feeding as perceived by pregnant adolescents, and to establish whether these perceptions distinguished between adolescent mothers who chose to breast versus bottle feed. Surveys were completed by 254 young women attending prenatal clinics. Overall, 19.3% indicated their intent to breast-feed. When categorized by intended method of infant feeding (breast versus bottle), breast-feeding mothers cited more benefits and fewer barriers associated with that method of infant feeding. Overall, perceived benefits were more successful than perceived barriers in distinguishing between the groups of respondents. For those interested in promoting breast-feeding among adolescent mothers, our data support an emphasis on the diverse benefits of this method of infant feeding. Our results also suggest the usefulness of peer role models in correcting misinformation and encouraging breast-feeding among adolescent mothers.

Barrier versus Oral Contraceptive Use: A Study of Female College Students

Although they provide birth control and are easier to use, oral contraceptives (OCPs) are not the preferred approach to preventing sexually transmitted disease (STD). Do the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of oral contraceptive users place them at greater risk for STDs than those who employ barrier methods? This study examined differences between sexually active female college students (ie, those who reported ever having had vaginal intercourse) who used OCPs and those who employed barrier methods of contraception at the time of their most recent intercourse. The authors analyzed HIV- and other STD-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors from three consecutive annual health surveys of young women about to begin their first year of college. Findings showed barrier and OCP users to be comparable in knowledge about the effectiveness of various contraceptive methods in protecting them against STDs, perceived personal susceptibility to HIV, and experiences with alcohol before sexual intercourse. Oral contraceptive users, compared with those in the group who used barrier methods, reported a greater number of recent partners (p less than .03) and greater perceived vulnerability to STDs (p less than .03). Student healthcare providers must develop creative educational strategies to encourage simultaneous use of both oral contraceptives and barrier methods to protect students against STDs and pregnancy.

Perfect Pitch A Turbo Training Technique for Self, Issue, and Profession Advocacy

Though college/university faculty members, our profession, and employers expect health education graduates to be able to advocate for themselves, their profession, and their health issues, precious little time in academia is spent developing students’ advocacy skills. However, to successfully compete for work, to succeed on the job, and to communicate professionalism, students first must be competent advocates for themselves. How can we quickly and efficiently begin to help students develop a personal sense of self and to “sell” themselves and their profession (Mertz, 2004)? The same way many people meet, establish a connection, and go on to build a relationship . . . dating! After all, isn’t dating really a process of developing a personal sense of self and then trying to “sell” it to others? Because we see a strong connection between these two developmental tasks—dating and advocating—it occurred to us that “speed dating”— a successful dating technique—might successfully be applied to a dynamic and entertaining mentoring process that would, in turn, help students develop basic advocacy skills (Murray, 2001). This Tool is the outcome of our successful experience doing precisely that. Following the speed dating model, we developed a Fieldwork Seminar speed mentoring experience for our entry-level community health education students. We feel this model could be applied in almost every health education professional preparation program and offered, if not exactly as is, as a jumping off point for creating a dynamic, interactive advocacy skills development experience (Allen, Eby, Poteet, & Lima, 2004). At our institution, all graduating seniors complete a full-time internship in their last semester. During that experience, students return to campus for periodic seminars. At one of those seminars, we convene a panel of diverse community health practitioners to mentor students and help students develop their advocacy skills. We hope this tool will prove useful to supervisors, managers, and mentors, as well as faculty and teachers, in helping students develop the “perfect pitch” for themselves, their health issue, and/or their profession. Give it a try and let us know how it works for you!