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Objective: To assess college students' sexual and reproductive health (SRH) literacy experiences, specific to contraception use and STI prevention. Participants: In Spring 2015, participants (n = 43) from a large institution participated in six focus groups (two male and four females groups). Methods: Focus groups were guided by the health literacy domains (access; understand; appraise; apply); data were analyzed in MaxQDA using the constant comparative method. Results: The Internet was the most commonly "accessed" source for SRH information. Participants discussed facilitators (eg, use of visuals) and barriers (eg, medical jargon) to "understanding" information; and personal lifestyle, advice from family/friends, symptoms, and sexual partners as "appraisal" factors. Participants "applied" information by communicating with friends/providers and seeking healthcare. However, findings were not linear nor mutually exclusive, representing the interaction of health literacy skills. Conclusion: Findings suggest that a patient-centered intervention capitalizing on technology and trusted individuals (providers/peer educators) may facilitate college students' SRH literacy.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) can improve student skills, views toward research, and identity as a scientist. Many barriers exist for implementing program-wide CUREs, including assessment of these programs. This paper addresses the direct assessment of a required senior CURE in one high-volume (400+ students per year) academic program. Research groups (45-50 groups per semester, four-six students each) design, implement, and analyze data in a research study culminating in a poster symposium and paper write-up. This paper discusses the iterative process of developing the assessment procedures tied to program-level student learning outcomes, including suggestions for implementation at other institutions. Programs that wish to create an assessment of CURE should include the collaboration of key stakeholders in developing processes and tools to ensure findings guide course content and teaching strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of sexual assault varies based on the characteristics of the victim, perpetrator, and event. However, most studies focus on the individual characteristics of participants asked to classify the assault, the victims' characteristics, or the event; few have examined variations in the perpetrator. Therefore, this study examined whether the occupation of the perpetrator affected the classification of the event as sexual assault. Participants included a primarily White female sample of undergraduate students (n = 401) at a south-Atlantic university. They completed a paper-and-pencil survey containing an ambiguous sexual assault encounter where the occupation of the perpetrator (athlete, reporter, college student, or politician) was randomly varied. Participants were asked to classify whether the encounter was sexual assault and what an appropriate punishment might be. Additional measures included the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA) and questions about personal experience with sexual assault. Overall, most participants labeled the encounter as sexual assault, indicating that college students are aware of the legal parameters for providing consent. However, this classification occurred differentially based on the occupation of the perpetrator. Participants were most likely to label the athlete as committing sexual assault, followed by the college student, politician, and reporter, respectively. Females and those who reject rape myths were more likely to label the scenario as sexual assault. A "personal apology" and a "sexual rehabilitation program" were the most common punishments selected for the perpetrator. These findings highlight potential concerns and the need for additional training when college students adjudicate sexual assault reports and determine appropriate consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Oropharyngeal cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV) are on the rise. Dentists may be the next group of providers participating in the prevention of HPV. The aim of this study was to assess dentists' health literacy regarding the connection of HPV and oropharyngeal cancer. Methods. The authors conducted 4 focus groups with dentists (N ¼ 33) during a regional dental conference in 2016. Guided by the health literacy competencies (that is, access, understand, appraise, and apply), the authors used constant comparison methods for data analysis. Results. Dentists mentioned a variety of informational sources (for example, dental journals and colleagues). Knowledge about the link between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer varied among participants. Participants appraised multiple patient and practice factors when deciding to have the discussion with patients. Some dentists discussed the HPV and oropharyngeal cancer connection with patients, and most conducted secondary screenings. Conclusions. Findings indicate areas for intervention, including creating awareness of trusted informational sources, as well as increasing HPV knowledge and understanding the multiple patient (for example, age) and practice (for example, open operatories) appraisal factors. Moreover, enhancing the communication skills of dentists with patients is needed to improve HPV-related cancer prevention education. Practical Implications. Addressing dentists' HPV-related health literacy has the potential to improve dentists' HPV-related prevention practices, including expanding patient education about this topic and increasing HPV vaccination knowledge, ultimately contributing to the reduction of oropharyngeal cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]