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objectives: Examine the 1) prevalence of worries among US mothers of infants; 2) association between worries and American Academy of Pediatrics recommended infant care practices (breastfeeding, supine sleep, roomsharing without bedsharing); 3) association of maternal and household characteristics with worries. Methods: We analyzed a nationally representative sample of 3165 mothers who were surveyed regarding safe sleep and breastfeeding when infants were 2 to 6 months of age in 2011-2014. We examined the prevalence of 8 maternal worries (housing, job, income, neighborhood, family relationships, health, baby's health, family member health). We used multi-variable logistic regression to examine associations of A) both overall number of worries and individual worries with each infant care practice; and B ) maternal and household characteristics with worries. results: Twenty-six percent of mothers reported 0 worries, 26% reported 1-2 worries, 23% reported 3-4 worries, and 25% reported 5-8 worries. Compared to those with 0 worries. mothers with 5-8 worries had increased odds of bedsharing (adjusted odds ratio = 1.60 [1.19-2.14J) and non-supine sleep (aOR = 1.37 [1.07-1.74]). Specific worries associated with increased odds of bedsharing included: housing (aOR = 1.39 [1.09-1.78]), income (aOR = 1.35 [1.09-1.67]), neighborhood (aOR = 1.37 [1.05-1.78]), family relationships (aOR = 1.43 [1.10-1.86]), and health of a family member (aOR = 1.24 [1.06-1.46]). Maternal worries were not associated with infant feeding practices. Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of worries regarding basic needs, family relationships, and health among US mothers. Greater total worries and several individual worries were associated with higher odds of bedsharing. The "cognitive load" of maternal worries may impact adherence to safe sleep practices and requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: While early detection is an effective way to reduce mortality from colorectal cancer, screening rates are low. An underlying factor in screening completion failure may be experiences of disgust when learning about screening and/or dispositional disgust. Method: Participants recruited via Amazon MTurk (N = 296) read information about colonoscopy and completed an online survey assessing both dispositional forms of disgust (i.e. trait disgust and disgust sensitivity) and situational forms, including state disgust and disgust associated with colonoscopy. Participants reported intentions to discuss colonoscopy with a provider and to prepare for and complete screening. Results: Greater state disgust and the degree to which one associated disgust with colonoscopy predicted lower screening, preparation and provider discussion intentions. By contrast, neither trait disgust nor disgust sensitivity was associated with intentions. Both disgust sensitivity and trait disgust moderated the state disgust to intentions relation. Conclusions: This is one of few investigations of disgust examining the relation between specific types and colonoscopy intentions. Screening uptake may be improved by identifying specific components of disgust that have an effect on colonoscopy intentions. Future work focusing on the interplay between different disgust mechanisms as they relate to colonoscopy behaviour is important for intervention development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals sometimes report that they don't know their risk for a health problem, but many studies of illness risk perception do not provide a 'don't know' (DK) response option. We examined how providing versus not providing a DK option affected responding – either the number of DK responses when the option was provided or the number of skips when a DK option was not provided. We also examined whether it systematically affected perceived risk estimates. Participants (N = 960) reported perceived absolute and comparative risk for four health issues. They were randomly assigned to receive risk questions with or without a DK response option. In the DK Option condition, 'don't know' answers ranged from 3.5% to 12.7% of responses. For all absolute risk questions, perceived risk was significantly higher in the DK Option condition; all Fs (1, 932) < 3.79, all ps <.05. DK responding was issue-specific; more than 25% of the sample answered DK to at least once, but only 2.7% answered DK to more than half of the items. Substantial use of the DK response option and higher perceived absolute risk estimates were seen when a DK response was provided. These findings have implications for assessing the validity of measured risk estimates, of relations between constructs, and for survey design best practices. In addition, they suggest that DK responses are primarily knowledge-based – that individuals answer DK largely because of lacking sufficient knowledge or health literacy to form a risk perception rather than due to satisficing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lay illness risk beliefs are commonly held philosophies about how risk works. These include beliefs that one's personal illness risk is unknowable and beliefs that thinking about one's risk can actually increase that risk. Beliefs about risk may impact risk behaviors and thereby subsequent health status. However, limited research examines the relation between lay risk beliefs and health behavior. This paper explores this possible relation. A nationally representative sample of adults (N = 1005) recruited from an internet panel were surveyed about lay risk beliefs and risk perceptions regarding diabetes and colorectal cancer, psychosocial factors (i.e., health literacy, need for cognition, locus of control), demographics, and current health behaviors (i.e., cigarette smoking, red meat intake, physical activity). In separate sets of regressions controlling for either demographics, psychosocial factors, or risk perceptions, lay risk beliefs remained significantly related to health behaviors. It may be important to consider how to address lay risk beliefs in intervention content and targeting in order to increase adaptive health behaviors and thereby prevent chronic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The feelings and emotions individuals associate with health-related behaviours influence engagement in those behaviours. However, the structure and the content of these affective associations have not been examined. The studies reported here examined competing hypotheses about the structure (unidimensional or bidimensional) and content (generalised affect or specific emotions) of affective associations with two health-related behaviours: physical activity and fruit/vegetable consumption. Design:For each behaviour, participants (fruit and vegetable consumptionn = 149; physical activityn = 199) completed an assessment of the association of 40 positive and 51 negative affect concepts with the behaviour. Main outcome measures:Ratings of affective associations with each behaviour. Results:Confirmatory factor analyses comparing unidimensional and bidimensional affect structure models showed that the structure of individuals’ affective associations was bidimensional for both behaviours – positive and negative affective associations were shown to be separate and distinct constructs. Exploratory factor analyses supported a model of affective associations as generalised affect for both behaviours. Conclusion:Affective associations with both physical activity and with fruit/vegetable consumption consist of separate positive and negative dimensions of generalised affect. These findings lead to recommendations for research and intervention development based on the implications for how affective associations might operate to influence behavioural decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective:Negative feelings about condoms are a key barrier to their use. Using the behavioural affective associations model, we examined the joint effects of affective associations and cognitive beliefs about condoms on condom use. Design:In Study 1 (N = 97), students completed measures of their affective associations and cognitive beliefs about sex and condoms, sexual activity and condom use. In Study 2 (N = 171), a measure of behavioural intentions and condom selection task were added. Main outcome measures:Condom use measured in Study 1 as (1) current condom use, and (2) willingness to use condoms; in Study 2 as: (1) behavioural intentions, (2) number of condoms selected. Results:Affective associations with sex and condoms were behaviour-specific, were directly associated with the respective behaviour, and mediated the relations of cognitive beliefs to behaviour,ps < .05. In Study 2, affective associations were associated with behavioural intentions and the number of condoms selected,ps < .05; cognitive beliefs were indirectly associated with these outcomes through affective associations,indirect effects:ps < .05. Conclusions:Affective associations are a behaviour-specific and proximal predictor of condom use, mediating the effect of cognitive beliefs, suggesting they may be a particularly viable intervention target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.In some national surveys, African-Americans have had lower scores on perceived cancer risk items than whites. Our goals were to confirm low perceptions of cancer risk in an African-American community sample and explore participants' attributions for their perceived cancer risk. Design.Data were from three cross-sectional surveys. We report levels of perceived absolute and comparative cancer risk in a community sample of African-Americans (N= 88), and African-Americans (Ns = 655, 428) and whites (Ns = 5262, 1679) from two nationally representative Health Information National Trends Surveys (HINTS). We analyzed the content of spontaneously-provided explanations for perceived risk from the community sample. Results.Perceived absolute and comparative cancer risk were lower in the community and national samples of African-Americans than in the national sample of whites. Participants' spontaneous attributions for low or lower than average risk included not having family history or behavioral risk factors, classes of attributions noted elsewhere in the literature. However, participants also explained that they wanted to avoid wishing cancer on themselves (positive affirmations) and hoped their risk was low (wishful thinking), responses rarely reported for majority-white samples. Conclusions.Results provide further evidence that cancer risk perceptions are lower among African-Americans than whites. Some participant explanations for low perceived risk (wishful thinking, affirmations) are inconsistent with behavioral scientists' assumptions about perceived risk questions. Results reveal a need to expand cancer risk attribution typologies to increase applicability to diverse populations, and may indicate that perceived cancer risk questions have lower validity in African-American populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of demographic characteristics, breast cancer knowledge, fatalistic beliefs, health beliefs, and subjective norms on Jordanian women's intention to participate in mammography screening. Design: A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data at 14 comprehensive healthcare centers in Amman and Zarqa, Jordan. A convenience sample of 142 Jordanian women 40 years of age or older with no history of breast cancer and able to read and write in Arabic participated. Methods: Self-report surveys included a combination of researcher-designed and existing instruments to measure the study variables. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, t tests, and multiple logistic regression. Findings: Jordanian women surveyed lacked knowledge about breast cancer. Social norms and self-efficacy highly influenced these women's intention to engage in mammography screening. Younger women were more willing to indicate intention to engage in mammographic screening. Conclusions: Self-efficacy and the social connectedness of Jordanian society, but not religious beliefs or perceived barriers to screening, influence Jordanian women's intention to undergo mammography. Future research should examine cultural influences, rather than religious beliefs, and investigate Jordanian women's potentially unique perspectives on barriers to actual mammography screening behavior. Clinical Relevance: The prevalence of mammography screening may be enhanced by focusing interventions on Jordanian women's support systems and empowering women by providing knowledge and skills needed to engage in the procedure. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2012; 44:1, XXX-XXX. ©2011 Sigma Theta Tau International. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]