Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Stress Management App Intervention For Cancer Survivors: Design, Development, And Usability Testing, Elin Børøsund, Jelena Mirkovic, Matthew M. Clark, Shawna L. Ehlers, Michael A. Andrykowski, Anne Bergland, Marianne Westeng, Lise Solberg Nes

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Distress is prevalent in cancer survivors. Stress management interventions can reduce distress and improve quality of life for cancer patients, but many people with cancer are unfortunately not offered or able to attend such in-person stress management interventions.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an evidence-based stress management intervention for patients living with cancer that can be delivered electronically with wide reach and dissemination. This paper describes the design and development process of a technology-based stress management intervention for cancer survivors, including the exploration phase, intervention content development, iterative software development (including design, development, and formative …

Care Transitions From Patient And Caregiver Perspectives, Suzanne E. Mitchell, Vivian Laurens, Gabriela M. Weigel, Karen B. Hirschman, Allison M. Scott, Huong Q. Nguyen, Jessica Martin Howard, Lance Laird, Carol Levine, Terry C. Davis, Brianna Gass, Elizabeth Shaid, Jing Li, Mark V. Williams, Brian W. Jack

Communication Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: Despite concerted actions to streamline care transitions, the journey from hospital to home remains hazardous for patients and caregivers. Remarkably little is known about the patient and caregiver experience during care transitions, the services they need, or the outcomes they value. The aims of this study were to (1) describe patient and caregiver experiences during care transitions and (2) characterize patient and caregiver desired outcomes of care transitions and the health services associated with them.

METHODS: We interviewed 138 patients and 110 family caregivers recruited from 6 health networks across the United States. We conducted 34 homogenous focus groups …

Using The Integrative Model Of Behavioral Prediction To Understand Gay Men’S Beliefs, Intention, And Behavior On Prep Uptake, Minhao Dai

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Antiretroviral treatment pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective daily prevention medicine to reduce risks of HIV infections in high-risk populations. The current study examined PrEP uptake among gay men using the integrative model of behavioral prediction (IMBP) as the theoretical framework. Briefly, the IMBP states that attitude, norms, and behavioral control predict intention, which then predicts behavior. The intention-behavior relationship is moderated by actual control variables: skills and environmental constraints. To examine how IMBP variables affect PrEP uptake among gay men, I first conducted formative elicitation interviews with gay men; then I used the results from the interviews to construct …

Quitting Together: Formative Research To Develop A Social Marketing Plan For Smoking Cessation Among Women In A Residential Treatment Facility For Substance Abuse Recovery, August D. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Both smoking addiction and illicit substance abuse are prevalent issues in the United States today. Furthermore, these are issues that have significant impact on women’s health and mental state. Despite research that shows that smoking cessation coupled with substance abuse recovery can decrease likelihood of relapse post-recovery, few substance abuse recovery facilities today offer smoking cessation programming options. To address the issue of smoking addiction on top of substance abuse recovery, formative research was conducted through this study to determine the underlying causes of smoking habits coupled with recovery efforts and the attitudes. Through focus group sessions with women in …

Not Your Grandma’S Iud: Identifying Memorable Messages About Larcs, Carina Mazariegos Zelaya

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Reducing the percentage of unwanted pregnancies has been one of the top objectives of the national health promotion "Healthy People" since the early 1980s. As the increase of unwanted pregnancies continues, research is necessary to uncover factors that influence the decisions women make about their contraceptive methods. The current study examines the topics and the sources of memorable messages regarding LARCs. To address the research questions, this study will analyze interviews conducted with young women about memorable messages regarding LARC methods. This study is a formative research of memorable messages in the context of contraceptive methods, specifically long-acting reversible contraceptives …

Identifying Perceived Risks To Environmental Pollutants And Needs For Risk Communication In A Rural Appalachian Community, Elizabeth H. Travis

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The goal of this study is to determine issues rural Appalachian residents consider most important, their perceived environmental health risk, and how community engagement can potentially improve those issues. The University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center held the Appalachian Community Health and Well-being Forum at the Letcher County Cooperative Extension Office in Eastern Kentucky. A four-member panel consisted of two local health officials, a nutrition expert, and a federal scientist; answered questions from community members. The expert panel and audience members shared concerns, success stories, and highlighted efforts to promote health in the region. Community members completed a questionnaire collecting …

Message Effects And The Communication Theory Of Identity: Does Making Message Recipients Mindful Of Identity Gaps Influence Their Health Behavior Decisions?, Jacob J. Matig

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Situated within the context of college students’ excessive drinking behaviors, the current study drew from dissonance theory, self-consistency theory, and hypocrisy induction methodology to evaluate the utility of the Communication Theory of Identity within persuasive health message design. Specifically, it examined whether hypocrisy induction manipulations that focused participants on salient identity layers made them mindful of corresponding identity gaps, which in turn caused them to experience cognitive dissonance that they sought to resolve by reporting intentions to change their excessive drinking behavior.

Participants (N = 279) completed an online experiment in which they were randomly assigned either to one …