Search

BackgroundThe current “Millennial Generation” of college students majoring in the health professions has unprecedented access to the Internet. Although some research has been initiated among medical professionals to investigate the cognitive basis for health information searches on the Internet, little is known about Internet search practices among health and medical professional students. ObjectiveTo systematically identify health professional college student perspectives of personal eHealth search practices. MethodsQ methodology was used to examine subjective perspectives regarding personal eHealth search practices among allied health students majoring in a health education degree program. Thirteen (n = 13) undergraduate students were interviewed about their attitudes and experiences conducting eHealth searches. From the interviews, 36 statements were used in a structured ranking task to identify clusters and determine which specific perceptions of eHealth search practices discriminated students into different groups. Scores on an objective measure of eHealth literacy were used to help categorize participant perspectives. ResultsQ-technique factor analysis of the rankings identified 3 clusters of respondents with differing views on eHealth searches that generally coincided with participants’ objective eHealth literacy scores. The proficient resourceful students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.56-0.80) described themselves as using multiple resources to obtain eHealth information, as opposed to simply relying on Internet search engines. The intermediate reluctant students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.75-0.90) reported engaging only Internet search engines to locate eHealth information, citing undeveloped evaluation skills when considering sources of information located on the Internet. Both groups of advanced students reported not knowing how to use Boolean operators to conduct Internet health searches. The basic hubristic students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.54-0.76) described themselves as independent procrastinators when searching for eHealth information. Interestingly, basic hubristic students represented the only cluster of participants to describe themselves as (1) having received instruction on using the Internet to conduct eHealth searches, and (2) possessing relative confidence when completing a search task. ConclusionsSubjective perspectives of eHealth search practices differed among students possessing different levels of eHealth literacy. These multiple perspectives present both challenges and opportunities for empowering college students in the health professions to use the Internet to obtain and appraise evidence-based health information using the Internet.

The National Commission of Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) created the Category 1 COVID-19 Claim Form Opportunity to document how Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) assisted communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data submitted by CHES®/MCHES® (n = 3,098 claim forms), the purpose of this study was to (a) describe the settings where CHES® and MCHES® completed their pandemic work and (b) assess differences in the type of pandemic work completed by CHES® compared with MCHES® based on specific Areas of Responsibility (AOR) for Health Education Specialists. Findings showed that CHES® and MCHES® engaged in seven AOR during the pandemic, with the largest proportion of CHES® (n = 859; 33%) and MCHES® (n = 105; 21.9%, documenting COVID-19-related activities in health departments. CHES® reported higher engagement than MCHES® in activities such as COVID-19 reporting/tracking, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 27.3, p <.001; outbreak response, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 4.3, p =.039; and vaccination, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 5.2, p =.023. Conversely, MCHES® reported higher participation than CHES® in screening/testing, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 174.2, p <.001; administration of budgets/operations, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 30.1, p <.001; and adapting educational activities at college/universities, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 46.1, p <.001. CHES® were more likely than MCHES® to indicate working in all AOR except for Area 2—Plan Health Education/Promotion. Results support that employer-verified health education skills in all AOR were transferable during COVID-19, especially for CHES® employed within state/county health departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor tanning continues to grow in popularity even though empirical investigations denounce the behavior. Various reports have illustrated the detrimental health effects of ultraviolet (UV) exposure including increased risk for skin cancer. According to some physicians, the risk may be especially high for adolescents whose skin cells are dividing and changing rapidly. Persistent use of tanning facilities has become especially apparent within adolescent female populations. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to assess pertinent, empirical studies to answer the question, "What are the determinants of indoor tanning behavior among adolescent females?" Assessment of the methodological quality of each study is also presented. Consistent results from all studies demonstrated that girls were 2-3 times more likely to tan indoors than boys. Age, skin type, attitudes, beliefs, demographics, and social factors were among the determinants identified throughout the literature. Suggestions for future research and intervention are also included. (Contains 1 table.)

The purpose of this study was to replicate the Notaro, O'Rourke, and Eddy study to rank doctoral programs in health education, incorporating comments from professionals in health education to enhance the ranking study methods. This study used a multiple set of variables weighted by scholars and leaders in the field of health education. These variables included articles published; journal editorships; external funding of research; student activity; student/faculty ratio; mentoring and placement of doctoral students; and student support. Twenty-four of the 39 doctoral programs in health education participated in this study. Seventeen programs had at least 1 variable ranked in the top 10, and all but 1 program had at least 2 variables ranked in the top 20. Correlation analysis of the 7 variables provided additional insights. As in the Notaro, O'Rourke, and Eddy study, the faculty variables were not statistically significantly related to the student variables. Consistent with the literature, programs with a larger number of faculty tended to have a higher ranking than programs with a smaller number of faculty. Implications of the ranking for administrators, faculty, students, and the health education profession are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)

Health education researchers have continued to explore creative new ways to leverage the Internet and diverse new media applications to increase the efficacy of their interventions. The number of new media and health education studies continues to grow, as does the number of manuscripts related to new media that are submitted to "Health Education & Behavior." In this issue, five articles were selected to be published together as a "theme section" on the topic of New Media for Health Education. These articles explore many of the most popular new media channels available for health education research and practice today, including smartphone apps, mobile-based text messages, web-based tailored messages, and video games. Together, these articles provide a state-of-the-art snapshot of health education and new media in 2013. These articles are: (1) "Apps of Steel: Are Exercise Apps Providing Consumers with Realistic Expectations? A Content Analysis of Exercise Apps for Presence of Behavior Change Theory," Cowan et al. (2013)); (2) "Design, Development, and Formative Evaluation of a Smartphone Application for Recording and Monitoring Physical Activity Levels: The 10,000 Steps 'iStepLog'," Kirwan, Duncan, Vandelanotte, and Mummery (2013); (3) "User Preferences for a Text Message-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention," Bock, Heron, Jennings, Magee, and Morrow (2013); (4) "Can a Website-Delivered Computer-Tailored Physical Activity Intervention be Acceptable, Usable, and Effective for Older People?" Ammann, Vandelanotte, de Vries, and Mummery (2013); and (5) "Using Active Video Games for Physical Activity Promotion: A Systematic Review of the Current State of Research," Peng, Crouse, and Lin (2013). In sum, the first three articles demonstrate the growing emphasis on mobile phone--based health interventions (also known as mHealth) through the use of apps and SMS, whereas the last two articles focus on the significant,but not yet realized promise, of web-based tailored interventions and video games for health promotion. (Contains 1 figure.)

Background: Truancy and alcohol use are quality indicators of academic achievement and success. However, there remains a paucity of substantive research articulating the impact these deviant behaviors have on an adolescent's educational aspirations. The purpose of this study is to assess whether recent alcohol use and truancy impact students' educational aspirations among a nationally representative sample of US high school seniors. Methods: This study conducted a secondary data analysis of the Monitoring the Future project data, 2006. Logistic regression was conducted to assess how alcohol use and truancy affected educational aspirations. Subsequent interaction effects were assessed in the final multivariable model. Demographic variables such as age, sex, race, and father and mother's educational level were included as covariates in the regression model. Results: Results indicate that as students engage in increased alcohol use and/or truancy, educational aspirations decrease. Thus, students who indicated a desire to attend a 4-year college/university were less likely to engage in high-risk drinking behavior and/or truancy. Moreover, in testing the interaction between truancy and alcohol use, as it relates to educational aspirations, the logistic regression model found both of these independent variables to be statistically significant predictors of the likelihood students would attend a 4-year college/university. Conclusions: To ensure that adolescents further their education and maximize their potential life opportunities, school and public health officials should initiate efforts to reduce alcohol consumption and truancy among students. Furthermore, future research should examine the risk and protective factors that may influence one's educational aspirations. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that individuals reporting healthy lifestyle behaviors would also report better self-rated mental health. Logistic regression analyses were conducted utilizing SUDAAN on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data set. This descriptive analysis suggests that persons reporting poor mental health were more likely to report unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. This set of findings encourages careful design of experimental studies of empirically based associations of mental health and life style, using psychometrically sound measures. Then public health programs focused on change of health-related behaviors might be more suitably devised.

Many people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have low general health literacy; however, there is little information available on these patients’ eHealth literacy, or their ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise online health information and apply this knowledge to address or solve disease-related health concerns. A nationally representative sample of patients registered in the COPD Foundation’s National Research Registry (N = 1,270) was invited to complete a web-based survey to assess socio-demographic (age, gender, marital status, education), health status (generic and lung-specific health-related quality of life), and socio-cognitive (social support, self-efficacy, COPD knowledge) predictors of eHealth literacy, measured using the 8-item eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS). Over 50% of the respondents (n = 176) were female (n = 89), with a mean age of 66.19 (SD = 9.47). Overall, participants reported moderate levels of eHealth literacy, with more than 70% feeling confident in their ability to find helpful health resources on the Internet. However, respondents were much less confident in their ability to distinguish between high- and low-quality sources of web-based health information. Very severe versus less severe COPD (β = 4.15), lower lung-specific health-related quality of life (β = −0.19), and greater COPD knowledge (β = 0.62) were significantly associated with higher eHealth literacy. Higher COPD knowledge was also significantly associated with greater knowledge (ρ = 0.24, p = .001) and use (ρ = 0.24, p = .001) of web-based health resources. Findings emphasize the importance of integrating skill-building activities into comprehensive patient education programs that enable patients with severe cases of COPD to identify high-quality sources of web-based health information. Additional research is needed to understand how new social technologies can be used to help medically underserved COPD patients benefit from web-based self-management support resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that a large percentage of Americans go online to seek health information, literature pertaining to online health information (OHI) seeking among college men in Latino fraternities (CMLF) has been nonexistent. Thus, the purpose of this study was to (a) identify the types of OHI that CMLF seek and (b) to determine the factors motivating OHI seeking among CMLF. Four 1- to 1.5-hour focus groups were conducted in two public universities in Florida with 41 college-aged Latino males in an established Latino fraternity. E-mails were used to recruit fraternity members. Qualitative analysis of the focus group transcripts identified that CMLF search for a variety of OHI types including searches on symptoms, diagnoses, weight loss, and treatments for conditions or diseases among other types of OHI. Factors motivating OHI seeking included informational needs of others and concerns for others, worries due to lack of health insurance, preoccupations with health condition, concerns over physical appearance, and clarification through social media. CMLF may be elicited to serve as information conduits to increase access to health information on chronic diseases for older non-English-speaking Latino adults. Lack of health insurance along with other factors in this segment of the population have led to self-diagnosis and self-treatment of illness. Thus, empirical research and health promotion on the potential risks due to self-diagnosing and self-treatment of illness is warranted among CMLF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, job opportunities for health education and health promotion specialists have consistently increased. In light of the potential integration utility of technology in the public health setting, the purpose of this manuscript is twofold: (1) to provide current examples and scenarios of technology applications in various health education settings, and (2) to provide a futuristic view of the health education field. The authors urge health education specialists to embrace the digital age, and apply health education process skills to identify appropriate technological mediums for delivering health education programs and materials to identified populations who might be underserved otherwise. It is the authors' view that the health education professional of the future is not one who can simply contrive or operationalize the newest, most expensive technology for health promotion purposes; the health educational professional of the future must smartly design, implement and evaluate health education technologies that to meet the increasing needs of priority populations in the United States and around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide readers with information on various techniques to improve future health behavior EFA research. Methods: Data from a health education questionnaire development study are analyzed to make the discussion of techniques concrete. Results: There are numerous strategies to use when making a factor retention decision. Conclusions: The Informed health-behavior researcher should use sophisticated factor retention techniques during EFAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a year where most U.S. citizens have embraced the motto of "change," health educators find themselves in a good place to advocate for causes dear to them; it is time to advocate for health education programs and practices that work to change behavior and prevent disease to audiences outside the health education field. The purpose of this article is to provide information on technological applications, available through Web 2.0, that can be utilized to improve health education and public health advocacy efforts. This paper provides ideas on how to use this technology to better mobilize the profession, and reach out to spread the news of 'what health educators do' to key policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regression analyses are frequently employed by health educators who conduct empirical research examining a variety of health behaviors. Within regression, there are a variety of coefficients produced, which are not always easily understood and/or articulated by health education researchers. It is important to not only understand what these coefficients are, but also understand what each represents and how each is interpreted. By correctly interpreting regression coefficients (Pearson r, Pearson r², Multiple R²,a, b,β rs,r², partial correlation and semi-partial correlation), the informed health behavior researcher can better understand the dynamics of his/her data. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe and explain some of the coefficients produced in regression analysis. Specifically, the manuscript will describe (at why and when each regression coefficient is important, (b) how each coefficient can be calculated and explained, and (c) the uniqueness between and among specific coefficients. A data set originally used by Holzinger and Swineford (1939) will be referenced throughout the manuscript to tangibly illustrate how coefficients should be calculated and interpreted in both simple and multiple regression analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights three noteworthy distance education program approaches to the delivery of health education courses, insights into The University of Alabama Masters in Health Studies, now in it's second decade delivering a complete degree program via distance technologies, will be shared as well as Texas A&M University's efforts at both graduate and undergraduate health education distance offerings, and lastly, the evolution of the Health Education and Promotion Network (HEPNetwork), the first profession wide opportunity for health educators to gain educational credit by distance. Each program will be discussed, followed by a thoughtful discourse on the challenges each program faced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has brought about a rapid growth of distance education (DE) courses and programs: this is particularly evident in the field of health education and promotion. This article provides an overview of strategies utilized in designing DE courses and programs. The process of designing DE courses, called Instructional Systems Design (ISD), mirrors the process used by health educators and promoters in their everyday practice. The authors take the reader through each step of the ISD. as it relates to the health education process, and provides additional resources for DE course and program development for interested readers. The past decade has brought about a rapid growth of distance education course offerings and programs (Moore & Anderson, 2003, Zheng & Smaldino, 2003). Such interest and growth in distance education is particularly evident in the field of health education and promotion (Chancy, et al., 2006). This explosion of interest in distance education programs has emerged in response to the need to provide time-bound and location-bound students with access to educational opportunities that would not have been afforded to them if only offered in a traditional, face-to-face format (Belderrain, 2006). Due to this need, and demand, for alternative instructional methods, academicians are called to revise and re-think pedagogical strategies and delivery methods. Distance education courses and programs provide a mechanism of distributed learning, in which the learner and instructor are physically separated during the learning process (Keagan, 1986). Communications technology has been the primary vehicle used for delivering instruction and facilitating communication between the learner and the teacher; however, as new technologies emerge, and the current and old technologies change, course and program developers must put forth an exhaustive effort to integrate the technologies that meet the needs of students and foster collaboration and interaction among learners. To do this, developers must organize the collaborative work of a team of professionals, who create the content and pedagogical strategies, to ensure it is suitable to meet the needs of all stakeholders (i.e. students, instructors, administrators, academic departments, and institutions). To an individual or institution just beginning to think about engaging in distance education offerings, this may appear to be a daunting task, with many unpredictable outcomes: however, approaching the design process with a plan for developing, implementing, and evaluating the courses and programs (as with any health education and promotion program), will help to reach course and program success. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of strategies utilized in designing distance education courses and programs. The process of designing distance education courses mirrors the process used by health educators and promoters in their everyday practice; it is all about thorough planning, following the plan through implementation, and evaluating the short-term and long-term results. Only, in this case, the measured results are centered on the educational objectives and learner outcomes desired by the instructor, learner, and learning organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the establishment of a comprehensive program to prevent school violence in the United States. Concerns on school shootings, school crime and safety; Strategies for preventing crime; Emphasis on the behavioral and environmental factors in education.

Background: College students actively seek online health information and use Instagram, an image- and video-based social networking website, to build social networks grounded in trust and behavioral norms (social capital), which have the potential to prevent chronic disease., Purpose: This study aimed to: (1) examine how intensity of Instagram use moderates the relationship between eHealth Literacy and online social capital in college students, and (2) discuss how Instagram can be used as a social awareness platform for chronic disease prevention among college students., Methods: Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to analyze web-based survey data from a random sample of college students ( N =327)., Results: Online bridging social capital was associated with greater eHealth Literacy ( P <.05) and intensity of Instagram use ( P <.001), when controlling for socio-demographic variables. The relationship between eHealth Literacy and online bridging social capital was strongest among respondents' with average ( P <.01) and high ( P <.01) intensity Instagram use, as compared to low Instagram intensity., Discussion: High intensity of Instagram may strengthen college students' low eHealth Literacy, especially when interacting with heterogeneous connections with weaker ties., Translation to Health Education Practice: Health education specialists should continue to explore how college students' intensity of Instagram use can be strengthened to build bridging online social capital, and ultimately prevent chronic disease.

Through the use of multi-modal methods, the purpose of this study was to develop and assess measurement properties of an instrument evaluating specific sexual behaviors of college students and the role alcohol intoxication plays in one's intention to participate in these behaviors. A modified version of N. Krause's instrument development process was applied to create a behavior-specific instrument assessing oral, vaginal, and anal sex behaviors. The process included a review by expert scholars in relevant fields, cognitive interviews with the target population using screen-capture program Camtasia, piloting to assess measurement scales, and a formal investigation. The applied instrument development process employed screen capture software and web-based surveying in a cost-effective format suitable for mixed-method measurement development. The development and application of the instrument provides a clearer understanding of the relationship between alcohol use and sexual activity and aids in the development of effective public health interventions and policies.

Background: Employees commonly report feeling stressed at work., Objective: Examine how employees cope with work and personal stress, whether their coping strategies are adaptive (protective to health) or maladaptive (detrimental to health), and if the manner in which employees cope with stress influences perceived stress management., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a random sample of 2,500 full-time university non-student employees (i.e. faculty, salaried professionals, and hourly non-professionals) were surveyed on health related behaviors including stress and coping. Approximately 1,277 completed the survey (51% ). Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess the ability of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies to predict self-reported stress management, while controlling for multiple demographic variables., Results: Over half of employees surveyed reported effective stress management. Most frequently used adaptive coping strategies were communication with friend/family member and exercise, while most frequently used maladaptive coping strategies were drinking alcohol and eating more than usual. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies made significant (p < 0.05) contributions to predicting employee's perceived stress management. Only adaptive coping strategies (B = 0.265) predicted whether someone would self-identify as effectively managing stress. Use of maladaptive coping strategies decreased likelihood of self-reporting effective stress management., Conclusions: Actual coping strategies employed may influence employees' perceived stress management. Adaptive coping strategies may be more influential than maladaptive coping strategies on perceived stress management. Results illustrate themes for effective workplace stress management programs. Stress management programs focused on increasing use of adaptive coping may have a greater impact on employee stress management than those focused on decreasing use of maladaptive coping. Coping is not only a reaction to stressful experiences but also a consequence of coping resources. Thereby increasing the availability of resources in the workplace to facilitate the use of adaptive coping strategies is necessary for successful stress management and, ultimately, healthier employees.

A pilot study (n = 41) was conducted to test the effects of three educational treatments (DVD vs. Pamphlet vs. DVD + Pamphlet) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), COPD information needs and self-efficacy among a referred sample of Certified Federal Rural Health Clinic patients (mean age = 61.51 years ± 6.29 years; ~61% female) suffering from COPD using a randomly-assigned, multiple-group pretest-posttest design with a control group. A MANCOVA testing planned multivariate contrasts determined patients receiving a DVD reported statistically significant higher levels of lung-specific physical functioning as compared to patients receiving a Pamphlet. Additionally, DVD patients reported clinically significant improvements on two dimensions of lung-specific HRQoL. No such improvements occurred within the Pamphlet and Control groups. The provision of self-management education as compared to usual care, however, did not improve the outcome variables examined.