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U.S. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than non-Latino Whites. To raise awareness of and action around this rising public health issue, Salud America!, a nationa...

Background and Purpose: Activity trackers have grown increasingly popular, yet research grade accelerometers, like Actigraph, are still very expensive and must be worn on the waist. This study correlated the low-cost wrist-worn SQORD band to the Actigraph accelerometer to assess physical activity (PA) in youth from a low-income area. Methods: Forty-one participants (22:19 male:female; mean age= 10.7 years) in an after-school program participated. Participants wore a waist-worn Actigraph accelerometer and a wrist-worn SQORD for seven days. Abdominal, upper and lower body strength and endurance, and aerobic capacity were assessed through FITNESSGRAM tests. Bivariate correlations were used to analyze the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) via the Actigraph and SQORD and to examine relationships between physical fitness and MVPA. Results: At 8- and 10-hour wear-time, compliance with wearing the devices was higher with the SQORD than the Actigraph. A correlation was found between MVPA via SQORD and Actigraph (r=0.651). Neither the SQORD or Actigraph was associated with any fitness measures (r = -0.061; – 0.817). Conclusion: The SQORD appears to be successful in tracking MVPA in youth and was worn more than the Actigraph. Wrist-worn, consumer-grade devices may be a cost-effective alternative to traditional accelerometers for physical education programs and research in low-income populations.

Given how smart phones, internet services, and social media have shown great potential for assisting smoking cessation, we constructed a Facebook chat application based on our previous work with SMS texting services. This report summarizes findings from 2,364 Spanish-speaking young adults recruited through Facebook advertising in South Texas during the 2020 New Year holiday season. Among these service users, 926 (39%) were ready to make a quit attempt, and 26 (3.1%) of those users reported that they were tobacco free 1 month later. There were no responses to a chat question survey 72 days after the dates selected for quitting. Although more research with longer follow up is needed, these findings show that social media chat applications may be helpful for at least prompting quit attempts and short-term cessation among young adult Spanish-speaking smokers. There is no evidence of an impact on long-term cessation, and more research is clearly needed.

In South Texas, smoking rates among young Latino adults aged 18–29 are high (23.2%–25.7%). This is a serious public health problem, yet few are reached by services to help them quit smoking. Cellular phones have an extraordinary potential for assisting smoking cessation by providing access to peer modeling and social reinforcement for behavior change. Quitxt is a bilingual text-messaging and mobile media service designed at UT Health San Antonio to help young adults quit smoking. Text messages include links to web content and YouTube videos with peer modeling of reasons and skills to quit smoking. Quitxt was promoted in South Texas via social media advertising and other recruitment channels. An assessment of the program included 798 participants with a mean age of 29 years; 57% were males and 36% identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino. The mean number of cigarettes consumed per day was 11.5. Abstinence was assessed at 2, 4, and 7 months; at the 7-month follow up, 21% reported abstinence. This is consistent with high success rates found in studies of telephone counseling for young adults and confirms that text messaging services specifically designed for young adults are a feasible and cost-effective way to promote smoking cessation. Young adult smokers in South Texas can be reached via mobile media service. This highly scalable service makes mobile, personalized, smoking-cessation advice/support an affordable approach to reach disadvantaged population groups, affect public health, reduce health service costs, and reduce smoking-related health disparities.

Measures of correlates of youth smoking should be invariant. We examined the measurement invariance of smoking-related self-efficacy, beliefs, and intention across gender, race (White vs. Black), ethnicity (non-Hispanic vs. Hispanic), and grade level (9th/10th vs. 11th/12th grade) for 2767 high school current smokers. Strong factorial invariance was found in the factors across gender (NNFI:0.959; CFI:0.959; RMSEA:0.085), grade (NNFI:0.962; CFI:0.962; RMSEA: 0.079), race (NNFI: 0.967; CFI: 0.967; RMSEA: 0.074), and ethnicity (NNFI: 0.965; CFI: 0.965; RMSEA: 0.078). Smoking-related self-efficacy, beliefs, and intention measures may be confidently used to understand attitudinal differences across gender, race, ethnicity, and grade level for youth smokers.

Introduction: Smoking cessation research has demonstrated a link between social support and quitting, but interventions de- signed to enhance partner support have often failed. We adapt- ed and tested a measure of dyadic efficacy to assess smokers' confidence in their abilities to work together as a team with their partners to quit smoking and cope with quitting challenges. Our goal was to establish the psychometric properties of the dyadic efficacy instrument, including its associations with cessation outcomes. Methods: We recruited partnered smokers who called the American Cancer Society's Quitline and administered tele- phone interviews (N = 634, 59% female, average age = 40 years). Interviews included 8 dyadic efficacy items and a variety of sociodemographic, smoking history, and relationship variables at baseline and quit outcomes at 4 months. Results: Factor analysis of the dyadic efficacy items yielded a 1-factor scale with strong internal consistency (a = .92). Dy- adic efficacy was positively associated ( p < .0001) with smok- ing-specific support ( r = .51), relationship satisfaction (r = .44), and dyadic coping (r = .54). Dyadic efficacy was not asso - ciated with age, gender, race, relationship length, smoking quantity, or previous quit attempts. Respondents with smoking partners who were willing to quit with them had higher dyadic efficacy than those whose smoking partners were not ( p < .0001). Higher baseline dyadic efficacy was predictive of 7-day point prevalence quit rates at follow-up (odds ratio = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02-1.53). Conclusions: With further study, dyadic efficacy may enhance our understanding of the role of partner relationships in smok- ing cessation.

To address obesity and related morbidities, community-based participatory research (CBPR) strategies were employed to design and evaluate a Spanish-language media campaign promoting physical activity and healthful food choices among Mexican Americans. Process evaluation including content analyses on types and focus of media messages was conducted. Focus groups assessed appeal and trustworthiness of messages. All media campaign products featured role models and experts. Campaign messages primarily (91%) appeared in TV morning show segments. Newsletters presented individual and family role model stories. A majority of newsletters (68%) were distributed through churches and “promotora” outreach efforts. CBPR lends itself to the selection and tailoring of evidence-based media campaigns. Moreover, CBPR guidance resulted in media messages that were credible and appealing to audience. Process evaluation strategies that gather information from the community provide solid evidence for how to modify the campaign to best meet audience expectations.

Smoking-related self-efficacy and beliefs about the benefits of smoking are consistently related to intention to continue smoking, a common proximal outcome in youth smoking cessation studies. Some measures of these constructs are used frequently in national and state youth tobacco surveys, despite little evidence of validity for high school smokers. Further, the association of the constructs with intention has not been demonstrated in this group. The factorial validity of the measures and the cross-sectional correlations among self-efficacy, beliefs, and intention were examined among 9th–12th grade current smokers ( N = 2767, 13.8% reporting smoking > 1 cigarette in the previous 30 days; mean age 16.2; 61.2% white, 6.2% Black, 17.8% Hispanic, 5.0% Asian, 3.5% other; response rate 70%) from a convenience sample of 22 Texas schools. Confirmatory factor analyses supported evidence of factorial validity for the scales in this sample. Structural equation modeling analyses suggested youth smokers have low confidence in their ability to avoid smoking, believe smoking offers emotional or social benefits, and intend to continue smoking. The scales assess smoking-related self-efficacy, beliefs, and intention in this sample. Prospective studies are needed before intervention development implications are suggested.

The present study examined the relation between disengagement of moral self–sanctions and support of military force. The modes of moral disengagement included moral sanctioning of lethal means, disavowal of personal responsibility for detrimental effects accompanying military campaigns, minimization of civilian casualties, and attribution of blame and dehumanization of one’s foes. The respondents were drawn nationally through a random digit dialing interview system. Partway during this nationwide study the country experienced the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Sept. 11 terrorist strikes raised the level of moral disengagement for the use of military force compared to the pre–strike level. The higher the moral disengagement the stronger the public support for immediate retaliatory strikes against suspected terrorist sanctuaries abroad and for aerial bombardment of Iraq. Moral disengagement completely mediated

OBJECTIVES To test the effectiveness of a community intervention program to promote breast and cervical cancer screening. METHOD Low-income Mexican American neighborhoods located in 2 Texas cities were assigned to intervention or comparison conditions. A 2-year community intervention was delivered via local mass media and reinforced by indigenous volunteers. RESULTS There were higher Pap smear completion rates for women under 40 years of age in the intervention community. CONCLUSION Although it is important to address the cultural needs of all Mexican American women, it is also important to understand the tangible environmental barriers faced by the older women.

Through the cognitive process of moral disengagement, people make excuses for inflicting suffering on others while maintaining a clear conscience. The "Peace Test" scale to measure moral disengagement in support for war was tested in surveys of medical, university, and secondary school students in 21 nations. The scale showed acceptable reliability and was a valid predictor of opinions about specific military threats. Although the survey sites were not representative of nations, mean scale scores among high school students were related to national levels of defense spending. Moral disengagement is a valid tool for peace psychologists because it can help evaluate education efforts to increase support for peace.

This chapter reviews selected research on social psychological factors underlying the phenomenon of “war fever,” which is defined as dangerous ways of thinking that justify the unnecessary use of military force, evade responsibility, minimize perceived consequences, and dehumanize enemies, leading to popular support for national actions that are later regretted. Data from several studies show that the construct of moral disengagement, from social cognitive theory, explains both differences between populations and changes over time in their support for attacks on other nations, e.g., the increased support for military actions against Iraq by US forces following the September 11, 2001, terror attack there. Data from two studies show that persuasive communication about moral disengagement can provide psychological “inoculation” to induce resistance to war fever. Illustrations of how moral disengagement was lessened in the crisis surrounding proposed attacks by Western nations against Syria in 2013 are presented, followed by recommendations for future research and for systematic training of leaders in the fields of negotiation and reconciliation to help national populations resist war fever in the future.

To study how attitudes and social psychological processes influence decisions about war and peace, a 15-question scale was developed to measure moral disengagement in support for military action. In a survey of 128 secondary school students in the USA and Finland, the scale demonstrated acceptable reliability (0.85-0.90) in different gender and national groups. US students were less morally engaged than Finnish students and males were less morally engaged than females. Scale scores were strongly related to the students' support for US and NATO military actions in Iraq and Yugoslavia. In a second study, 73 US university students participated in a brief, randomized experiment comparing the effects of contrasting communications on moral disengagement in support for military action. After completing a pretest survey, the students were randomly assigned to persuasive communications favoring either moral disengagement or resistance to moral disengagement. Immediately after they received these communications, the students were given the opportunity to give new answers to the survey questions about moral disengagement and approval of specific military actions. Analyses of pretest data confirmed the reliability of the scale and its ability to predict opinions about the US and NATO bombing campaigns in Iraq and Yugoslavia. Analyses of change scores showed increasing moral disengagement in one group and decreasing moral disengagement in the other group, in accordance with the type of communication that was provided between surveys. The groups also differed significantly in their changes of opinions about the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and in their subsequent willingness to sign letters of praise or protest for their US Representative's congressional vote against the bombing.

Research teams in five cities used behavioral journalism to promote condom use and injection hygiene (use of bleach to clean shared injection equipment) among subpopulations at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. For three years, HIV-prevention campaigns were conducted in which newsletters containing stories about peer models were distributed in selected communities. We report exposure to the campaigns across time, the cognitive and behavioral effects of increasing degrees of exposure, and the degree to which other sources of HIV information reached these communities. After one year, campaigns reached approximately 40 percent to 80 percent of the intended audiences. The reported number of campaign exposures was associated with theoretical cognitive determinants of behavior change and with risk-reduction behavior in communities that were not being effectively reached by other HIV prevention messages.

The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between social skills/anxieties in HIV/STD prevention and actual and anticipated sexual behaviors in year 11 and 12 Indian college students. A quantitative questionnaire examining HIV and STD risk behaviors, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, and the AIDS Social Asser-tiveness Scale (ASAS) were administered to 1230 year 11 and 12 Indian college students. The 5 scales of the ASAS were scored and compared between three groups: those who had had sexual experience (HS), those who anticipated being unable to refuse sex (AS), and those who did not anticipate problems in refusing sex (DS). Those in the AS group had significantly greater anxieties about refusing sexual or other risk behaviors than the HS and DS groups, and there were also significantly greater anxieties about dealing with condoms in the AS and DS groups compared with the HS group. Confiding sexual or HIV/STD related problems to significant others was considered more anxiety-pr...

Behavioral journalism influences audiences by presenting peer modeling for cognitive processes that lead to behavior change. This technique was used in student newsletters promoting intergroup tolerance and moral engagement in a Houston high school with a diverse ethnic composition. Pretest (N = 393) and posttest (N = 363) cross-sectional comparisons of the student population in that school provided evidence of short-term (6 month) communication effects on attitudes and behavior. Tolerance and moral engagement increased among students in the school where behavioral journalism newsletters were distributed, and there was a corresponding reduction in hostile behavioral intentions and in reports of verbal aggression. Language: en

A field experiment studied the effect of extended contact through peer modelling for tolerance promotion among 1480 Finnish students (ages 13–15) in three pairs of middle schools that were matched on the proportion of foreign students (ranging from 3 per cent to 19 per cent) and randomised to control or experimental condition. In the experimental schools, printed stories of ingroup members engaged in close friendship with members of outgroups were presented in two sessions as examples of successful intergroup contact. In order to avoid subtyping, i.e. to ensure both inclusion of the ingroup member in the self and generalisation from the outgroup friend to the whole outgroup, the typicality of both the ingroup exemplar and the outgroup friend was enhanced. Intergroup attitudes were measured before and after the experimental intervention. A scale score measuring intergroup tolerance showed stability or favourable changes in experimental schools, while attitudes worsened or stayed the same in the control schools. The experimental effect was significant in four statistical tests (p

589 Black males reporting vaginal sex in the last 30 days recruited from 4 mainly African-American low-income inner-city communities in Dallas Texas participated in a study to identify the predictors of condom use in the sample. The men 16-70 years old of mean age 35 years responded to the Brief Street Intercept Interview comprised of 138 items on sexual and drug use behaviors attitudes toward risk reduction practices perceived norms self-efficacy and response efficacy perceived risk of HIV infection interventions to engage in risk reduction and exposure to HIV/AIDS information. In addition to vaginal sex the men reported engaging in oral sex (42.0%) and anal sex (17.3%) during the past 30 days. An HIV risk model a condom use attitudes model and a model combining HIV risk and attitudes were applied to compare the influence of HIV risk behaviors and condom use attitudes upon condom use in this heterosexual sample. The General Linear Test was used to test the ability of regression models to reduce error variance. Analysis of the data found that a model which measures only attitudes toward condom use suffices to explain variance in the frequency of condom use among Black men in this sample regardless of whether sex partners are primary or nonprimary. Condom use enjoyment social norms self-efficacy and social influence were the strongest predictors of condom use.

Purpose. To examine the factorial validity and measurement invariance of scales that measure smoking-related self-efficacy, beliefs, and intention between daily and intermittent adolescent smokers. Design. Cross-sectional survey design. Setting. Selected high schools in eastern Texas. Subjects. Subjects were 2888 high school current smokers; mean age 16.2 years; 53.5% male; 67.4% White, 17.8% Hispanic, 6.2% Black, 8.6% “other.” Daily smokers comprised 37.9% of the sample (i.e., smoked at least one cigarette every day 30 days prior to the survey). Measures. Smoking-related self-efficacy and intention were measured by three items; beliefs were measured by four items. Analysis. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the invariance of the measures between daily and intermittent smokers. Fit indices included comparative fit index (CFI), nonnormed fix index (NNFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Results. The three-factor measurement model had good fit for daily (CFI = .97, NNFI = .95, RMSEA = .09) and intermittent (CFI = .96, NNFI = .95, RMSEA = .09) smokers. Evidence of strong factorial invariance was found for the factors between the smoking subgroups (CFI = .96, NNFI = .96, RMSEA = .08). Conclusion. These measures may be used to capture and compare scores on self-efficacy to resist smoking, beliefs about benefits of smoking, and intention to smoke between daily and intermittent adolescent smokers.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of a violence prevention curriculum and of trained peer leaders on self-reported aggressive behaviors, knowledge about violence and conflict-resolution skills, self-efficacy, and attitudes among 223 6th graders. METHODS: The effect of two intervention groups (violence prevention curriculum taught by the teacher with or without the assistance of trained peer leaders) and one control group were compared. Ten 6th grade classes (four control and six intervention classes) of four middle schools participated in the study. Students were evaluated before and shortly after the implementation of the curriculum, as well as 3 months later. RESULTS: The intervention reduced self-reported aggressive behaviors among boys, but this reduction was significant only in two of the six intervention classes. Both interventions had an overall significant effect on increasing knowledge about violence and skills to reduce violence. After the intervention, students also developed a more negative attitude toward responding violently when provoked. Attitude change was stronger among students from the teacher plus peer leader group. No intervention effect was observed on self-efficacy nor on attitudes toward skills to reduce violence. Changes were not maintained over time. CONCLUSIONS: Results emphasize the need for continuous and comprehensive interventions, follow-up evaluations, and careful selection of peer leaders. Aggressive behaviors, not knowledge alone, should be used as the main dependent variable. VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study by Orpinas et al. was to evaluate the effects of a violence prevention curriculum and trained peer leaders on self-reported aggression, knowledge of violence and conflict resolutions skills, self-efficacy, and attitudes about aggression among children. METHODOLOGY: The authors employed a quasi-experimental design in this study. The study drew upon six intervention groups and four control groups. Each of these groups was a sixth grade class in Texas schools. Nonrandom criteria were used to select the participating schools (i.e. the principals' willingness to participate). Moreover, specific classes were identified by their teachers effectiveness and willingness to participate. However, each class was randomly assigned to either the control group or the intervention group. Some of the intervention groups were assigned peer leaders and others were not. The total number of students in these classrooms was 223. The largest proportion of students was Hispanic, followed respectively by African-Americans and finally Anglos. Most students were 11-12 years of age and half were eligible for free or reduced price lunches. The violence prevention curriculum involved fifteen 50 minute lessons. The first dealt with violence as a societal problem. The second set of lessons deal with empathy training. The third with anger control and interpersonal problem solving and the fourth applied the above skills to specific real-life situations. Teachers received some training as did peer leaders. The designated duty of peer leaders was to modify social norms about violence and reinforce nonviolent responses. Three interviews were conducted with students: one baseline pretest (one week before coursework), one posttest (one week after coursework), and one three month follow-up. Aggression was measured by a scale asking about teasing, pushing, name calling, hitting, encouraging fights, kicking, threatening to hurt or hit, and getting angry. Cronbach's alpha was estimated at .87. Violence prevention knowledge and skill was measured by thirteen multiple-choice and four open-ended questions about interpersonal violence, empathy, point of view, impulsiveness, anger cues, anger control, conflict resolution, alternatives to violence, and resistance to peer pressure. Attitudes toward violence, alternatives to violence, and self-efficacy for alternatives to violence were measured by responses to five stories. After each story opposite adjectives or sentences with a five point scale differentiating them were presented. Examples of these opposites included 'good-bad,' 'fair-unfair,' 'foolish-smart,' 'I know how to do-I do not know how to do,' and 'If I wanted, it would be hard to do-If I wanted, it would be easy to do.' Cronbach's alpha ranged from .64-.78. The authors hypothesized, albeit implicitly, that subjects exposed to the violence prevention curriculum would show significantly less aggression and significantly more violence knowledge and conflict resolution skills, as well as self efficacy. The authors also implicitly hypothesized that intervention groups with peer leaders would show similar, albeit more pronounced, effects. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: First, the authors examined baseline information on the sample subjects. They found no significant differences among the groups with regard to violence related variables. Results showed that boys were significantly more aggressive and more likely to have carried a weapon in the prior month. There were not significant differences among gender with regard to alcohol use or injuries. However, girls were significantly more knowledgeable and skilled with regard to violence prevention. Boys and girls had more negative attitudes about aggression when unprovoked and more positive attitudes about aggression when provoked. They also had more positive attitudes about alternatives to violence. Next, the authors examined the effects of the program. Results indicated that boys in intervention groups showed a reduction in aggressive behavior when compared to boys in control groups. However, this relationship was only marginally significant in two classes. Girls in intervention group also showed a reduction in aggressive behaviors compared to girls in the control group. However, girls from two intervention classes showed an increase in aggression. Neither difference was statistically significant. Overall, when comparing results from all three interviews, the authors found no significant intervention effects. Nevertheless, there was some overall reduction in aggressive behavior in intervention subjects -- aggression in control groups actually increased somewhat. The data from the follow-up survey found that aggression had significantly increased -- suggesting a time effect on aggression. The authors then turned their attention to violence prevention knowledge and skills. They found that knowledge and skills increased among intervention subjects, albeit not significantly. Analysis of follow-up data revealed an increase in knowledge and skills in intervention subjects and a decrease in control subjects. The authors also found no significant intervention or time effects for attitudes and self-efficacy. However, they did find a significant decrease in negative attitudes about aggression when provoked. Overall, examination of the follow-up data showed an increase in positive attitudes toward aggression when provoked. No significant differences were found regarding the use of peer leaders. However, the authors claimed that weak research design accounted for this. AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS: The authors made several recommendations for future program designers and evaluative researchers. First, they suggested that more thought be given to the logistics of such programs. Teachers in the programs complained that the class periods were too short for the lessons, the lessons were too advanced, and students had too much difficulty with self-disclosure. The authors also commented on the importance of the teachers in such programs. Future programs needed to consider the enthusiasm of the individuals who would implement the curriculum as well as design continuous monitoring procedures. Second, the authors suggested that more research needs to be done on the use of peer leaders and the selection of peer leaders. Third, they suggested that evaluative research on such programs use behavior rather than knowledge and attitudes as the dependent variable. They found that attitudes and knowledge had much too weak of an effect on behavior to use them as a proxy for program effectiveness. EVALUATION: Evaluative studies have long been plagued by problems such as weak research designs and a lack of significant findings. While the authors note the weaknesses in their design, it is as good as any can be. They do however suffer from a lack of significant findings, as is seemingly par for the course. However, they do note some significant findings. These findings are important less for their evaluative substance as for the directions they suggest for future work. The authors recognize this and use these findings to make sound and helpful suggestions for future program designers. In this regard, this study makes more of a contribution than many evaluative studies as it points to the light at the end of the tunnel. As such it will be of value for program designers. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) Junior High School Student Grade 6 Late Childhood Child Violence Violence Prevention Curriculum Prevention Program Prevention Education Education Program Program Effectiveness Program Evaluation Peer Led Program School Based Texas Child Aggression Conflict Resolution Child Attitudes Child Knowledge Child Perceptions Violence Perceptions Aggression Intervention Intervention Program Language: en

Attitudes toward smoking, self-efficacy to avoid smoking, and smoking intention, widely cited correlates of youth smoking prevention, are often measured in large-scale youth tobacco surveys. The psychometric properties of these scales have not been well studied among middle school youth. We examined the factorial, discriminate, and convergent validity of these scales among sixth to eighth graders from a convenience sample of 22 Texas middle schools (51.2% female; 51.21% White, 32.1% Hispanic, 16.9% African American, and 8.8% Other; 67.8% nonsmokers, 21.9% experimental smokers; 3.3% former smokers; and 7.6% current smokers). Confirmatory factor analysis and invariance testing suggest that smoking attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention have evidence of construct validity in this multiethnic sample, and the scales are appropriate to assess these constructs among middle school adolescents. Additional studies are needed to establish additional evidence of validity of these constructs in other middle school samples and other subgroups (e.g. current, experimental, and former smokers).

The stages-of-change model for smoking cessation was specified using interview and biochemical data from a sample of Mexican—American smokers in south Texas. Factor analysis of items measuring the processes of change for smoking indicated the stability of the structure of these constructs for this population. The scales discriminated among groups of smokers with different intentions toward smoking cessation. Intention to change was predictive of cessation category 1 to 2 years later and mediated the influences of three process-ofchange cognitions on behavior. Number of years of smoking was independently negatively related and age was positively related to cessation category. Our findings for Mexican—Americans showed that the stages and processes of change are generalizable to this population and that they predict cessation behavior prospectively.

Objectives: To test: (1) whether citation under the Minors in Possession (MIP) law, vicarious citation (knowing someone who was cited), and threat of driving licence suspension are associated with decreased intentions to smoke next year; and (2) whether the policy is differentially enforced. Subjects: 28 249 white, Hispanic, and African American students in grades 6-12 (11-18 years old) participated in the study. Method: The 86 item anonymous Texas Youth Tobacco Survey was completed by students attending 37 schools in 14 east and central Texas communities. Results: Hierarchical linear modelling showed that MIP citation was unrelated to the future smoking intentions of most youth. However, there was a negative association between citation and smoking intentions for ever daily smoking youth at four schools. Threat of licence suspension was associated with a lower likelihood of future smoking intentions among ever daily smoking youth and vicarious citation did not deter youth from future smoking. African American and Hispanic youth had a higher probability of being cited than their peers. Conclusions: Threat of driving licence suspension has the intended effect upon youth who are/were committed smokers and MIP citation has the intended effect upon committed smokers at only four schools. However, differential enforcement of the law based on ethnicity may be occurring. Before drawing firm conclusions, current findings must be replicated with longitudinal data to determine the consequences of citation on subsequent tobacco use.

In exploring the mechanisms of behavioral change for hypertension control, a study based on the transtheoretical model was carried out in Taiwan in 2000, with a sample of 350 hypertensive adults living in Taipei urban and rural areas. The relationships among stages of change, processes of change, and demographic factors were analyzed for six health behaviors: low-fat food consumption, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity, weight control and routine blood pressure check-ups. The results showed that rural populations had greater difficulty than urban populations in avoiding smoking and engaging in physical activity, and the processes of change being used by urban populations were significantly greater than rural populations for diet, physical activity and routine blood pressure check-up. Individuals who use more processes of change will be more inclined to move from the pre-contemplation stage to the maintenance stage. Social liberation, self-reevaluation and counterconditioning were very important processes for changing diet behavior, engaging in physical activity and checking blood pressure on a regular basis.

Mortality rates are much more favourable in Western European countries than in those of Eastern Europe. Health behaviour and psychosocial factors have been suggested to be important contributors to East-West differences in mortality and health status.To compare reported health status as well as health behaviours and psychosocial factors which may be related to unequal health status in different parts of Europe, standardised postal surveys of representative populations samples were conducted in six Eastern and Western European areas.Higher mortality in the eastern populations was associated with more reported morbidity and generally more negative health ratings. Health behaviours and psychosocial factors were also more negative in the East. Multivariate analyses suggested that the East-West difference in health status may be partly explained by differences in health behaviours and psychosocial factors.Efforts to promote health in Eastern Europe should concentrate both on the promotion of healthier lifestyles and on improvement of social and economic conditions.

Mirame!/Look at Me! is a substance abuse prevention program for low-income Mexican American youth 9 to 13 years of age. The theory-driven curriculum, developed for mass distribution via a satellite television network, features social models who demonstrate cognitive-behavioral skills and display conservative norms regarding substance abuse. An 18-session curriculum contains 5-minute videos that are assigned to be followed by discussion and social reinforcement from a teacher or volunteer. This case study reports the program development process and experiences in the initial dissemination of the program through national networks for schools and cable television subscribers.

There is some evidence, although conflicting, to suggest that socialization or acculturation into the gay community is associated with lower levels of unsafe sex. We attempted to determine the relationship between acculturation and sexual safety. We examined data from 282 men (from the Dallas AIDS Community Demonstration Project who had sex with men and were not in a monogamous relationship to determine the associations between safer sex and indices of acculturation. The indices of acculturation included regular reading of local and national gay newspapers and magazines, and belonging to an organization for gay men. The data indicated that there were significant relationships between acculturation, talking to sexual partners about HIV risk reduction and sexual identity, and the dependent variable of frequency of condom use for anal sex. A regression equation indicated that 21% of the variance of anal condom use was predicted by these variables. These data suggest that acculturation into the gay community is associated with safer sexual behaviour, and we discuss the implications of these data for using role models and normative beliefs in HIV prevention programmes.

We evaluated an 8- to 12-hour Health Belief Model-Social Learning Theory (HBM-SLT)-based sex education program against several community- and school-based interventions in a controlled field experiment. Data on sexual and contraceptive behavior were collected from 1,444 adolescents unselected for gender, race/ethnicity, or virginity status in a pretest-posttest design. Over 60% completed the one-year follow-up. Multivariate analyses were conducted separately for each preintervention virginity status by gender grouping. The results revealed differential program impacts. First, for preintervention virgins, there were no gender or intervention differences in abstinence maintenance over the follow-up year. Second, female preintervention Comparison program virgins used effective contraceptive methods more consistently than those who attended the HBM-SLT program (p less than 0.01); among males, the intervention programs were equally effective. Third, both interventions significantly increased contraceptive efficiency for teenagers who were sexually active before attending the programs. For males, the HBM-SLT program led to significantly greater follow-up contraceptive efficiency than the Comparison program with preintervention contraceptive efficiency controlled (p less than 0.05); for females, the programs produced equivalent improvement. Implications for program planning and evaluation are discussed.Between June 1986-August 19867, social scientists conducted 1 year controlled field trial of a pilot community or school based sexuality and contraceptive education program based on a Health Belief Model-Social Learning Theory (HBM-SLT) among 1444 adolescents from Texas and California. This program aimed to increase their knowledge of probability of conception, negative personal consequences of pregnancy, personal and interpersonal benefits of delayed and/or protected sexual intercourse, and to decrease misperceptions about abstinence and consistent contraceptive use. 60% of the youth were not lost to follow up. For preintervention virgins, no gender or intervention differences in maintaining virginity over the year existed between the HBM-SLT and programs other than the HBM-SLT program (comparison programs). Female preintervention virgins attending comparison programs tended to use an effective contraceptive at most recent intercourse and be more capable of using contraceptive than those who went to the HBM-SLT program (p.01). Yet they depended highly on condoms. For males, both programs proved to be equally effective at contraceptive use. Both programs significantly improved contraceptive efficiency for preintervention nonvirgins. For males, the HBM-SLT program resulted in a more significant improvement in contraceptive efficiency than the comparison programs (p.05). For females, both programs equally improved efficiency. The proportion of variance explained by the intervention programs and time 2 HBM-SLT programs was not as great for males and females as the researchers expected. Contributing factors to this included sexual activity was relatively low (52% of follow up participants remained virgins), HBM-SLT was assessed against other programs rather than a no treatment group, and the length of the HBM-SLT was shorter than the comparison programs.

A review of recent controlled, experimental research on the modification of cigarette smoking behavior led to conclusions that (a) activity in the field is still vigorous, (b) some progress in terms of treatment effectiveness, research methodology, and target conceptualizations has been made during the past 6 yr, particularly by those adopting a social-learning approach, and (c) certain methodological and conceptual problems remain and must be eliminated if knowledge in the area is to continue to advance.

The North Karelia Project in Finland illustrates the fundamental goals of health promotion. Specific activities of the project serve as examples of how concepts from the social and behavioral sciences can be applied to achieve estimated reductions in predicted risk of disease. The results in North Karelia are not conclusive, but they are encouraging, and the investigations conducted there is an essential reference for future research in health promotion and disease prevention.

Adolescent abuse of phencyclidine, also known as "ANGEL DUST" or "PCP," has increased dramatically in the past several years. Phencyclidine can be highly toxic, and efforts should be made to prevent its abuse. The authors advance one model of behavorioral intervention which utilizes peer group counseling to promote learning of practical skills for resisting pressures to use "hard drugs," especially phencyclidine.

Mass media are believed by many to hold great promise as educators and agents of positive social influence. The seeming simplicity of an extensive mass media campaign and the larger number of persons reached make it an attractive alternative for cost-effective intervention in social problems arising out of individual behaviors (e.g., eating habits, tobacco and alcohol abuse, failure to use safety restraints in automobiles). However, most research on public service media makes them appear to be ineffective.

Publisher Summary Adolescent alcohol use and abuse has received increased attention from the public and from policymakers over the past decade. Newspaper articles and research reports assert that drinking and associated problems have reached epidemic proportions among teenagers. The increased interest in adolescent drinking reflects an increase in community- and hospital-based treatment and prevention programs for teenage drinkers. However, adolescent drinking is not a new phenomenon, and most surveys have indicated that the prevalence of drinking among youth has not increased significantly over the past 10 to 15 years. Many surveys show that the best single predictor of the drinking habits of adolescents is the attitude and behavior of their parents with regard to alcohol use. Research shows that as the number of students using and abusing alcohol increases with age, the non-drinking adolescent feels more pressure to conform to the larger peer subculture rather than maintaining the values of the adult society with which they indentify regarding teenage drinking.

A structural equation model of the causes of adolescent cigarette smoking is presented. This model is derived from a general paradigm or "meta-theory" which proposes that the social environment influences behavior directly and through the mediation of beliefs about the consequences of behavior; these two factors are predicted to interact with personality in causing behavior. Five social environmental variables, four belieffactors, and three personality characteristics were analyzed in several large surveys of young adolescents. Siblings' smoking, friends' smoking, and enjoyment beliefs were found to affect cigarette smoking; a portion of the friends' smoking effect was mediated by enjoyment beliefs. The influence offriends upon beliefs and behavior was found to be partially dependent upon the adolescent's tendencies toward rebelliousness and disobedience. Implications are drawn for social psychological theory and public health action.