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What Now: The Role Of Attitude And Communicative Actions When Making Decisions During A Disease Crisis, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Lauri Baker, Angela B. Lindsey, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations often communicate about a risk to encourage people to take particular protective actions, and the decision-making process about protective actions can be especially complex. It is important to determine how organizations can encourage specific behaviors and, as such, this study sought to investigate how attitudes and communicative actions influenced behavior related to recommendations from the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the purpose of this study, an online quantitative survey was distributed to United States residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from this study reveal that attitude and transmission and …

Examining The Relationship Between Health Literacy And Preventive Care Use, Xuewei Chen, Guofan Luo, Ming Li, Gary Kreps

Health Behavior Research

We examined the role of health literacy on preventive care among college students and assessed individual health literacy skills from a theory-based multidimensional perspective using both subjective and objective measures. Methods: Participants (n=561) completed our online survey with valid responses. Data collection was conducted from April to June 2020. We assessed participants’ health literacy using different measures, including Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM), eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), All Aspect of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS), and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). The first three were subjective measures. The last one was an objective test. Preventive care included annual flu vaccinations, annual …

Associations Of Essential Worker Status, Sex, Lifestyle Behaviors, And Moods: Findings From A Sample Of Working Adults In The United States During The Early Stages Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ali Boolani, Joel Martin, Erica Jansen, Nelson Cortes, Shane Caswell, Jeremy Lackman, Staci Drewson, Matthew Lee Smith

Health Behavior Research

COVID-19 profoundly impacted the world by causing disruptions in the global job markets due to business closures to support physical distancing in the earliest stages of the pandemic. To maintain basic societal function in the early stages of the pandemic, workers were classified based on the nature of their employment responsibilities as essential (i.e., continued working outside the home) and non-essential (i.e., required to work from home). Using a cross-sectional design, this study identified the lifestyle behaviors (sleep, diet, physical activity) and mood among US workers. An internet-based survey was used to collect data from US adults from April 13 …

Class Standing Differences In Bystander Intervention Intentions To Prevent Sexual Assault: A Reasoned Action Approach, Sarah E. Rush Griffin, Christine Hackman, Paul Branscum, Neha Gautam

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in determinants of bystander intervention (BI) participation based on undergraduate students' year in school using the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA). Students (n = 291) were recruited from general education courses at two universities in the United States and completed an online survey evaluating intentions, attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) associated with engaging in BI. Next, attitudes, perceived norms, and PBC were used to predict intentions using separate linear regression models – one model with upper-level students and another model with first-year students. Both models significantly predicted intentions, with …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Current Cannabis Use Among U.S. Young Adults, Afolakemi C. Olaniyan, Keith A. King, Laura A. Nabors, Ashley L. Merianos

Health Behavior Research

Cannabis use is a significant public health issue among U.S. young adults. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and current cannabis use among U.S. young adults. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, which involved 498 U.S. young adults 18-24 years old who had data available for analysis on ACEs and current cannabis use. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were fitted to examine the associations between ACEs and current cannabis use. Adjusted models included participants’ sex, race/ethnicity, education level, and household income …

Psychometric Properties Of The Adolescent And Young Adult Men – Health Indicators Scale (Ayam-His), Michael J. Rovito, Shari Dworkin, Keri Allen, Kathy E. Rovito, Sydney Martinez

Health Behavior Research

The goal of this current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the AYAM-HIS among a select sample of AYAMs, a priority population experiencing disparate health outcomes compared to women. These preliminary results indicate that AYAM-HIS yielded reliable and valid data, thus providing a means to measure indicators of health behaviors and possible outcomes within this population. The AYAM-HIS can provide the necessary information to assess current health behaviors so as to provide a foundation from which interventions can be designed. Future research into reducing survey fatigue related to AYAM-HIS and testing with diverse populations are warranted.

Strategy For Expanding Nutrition Professionals’ Competency: A Pilot Case Study In Dissemination And Implementation Science Training, Ayron E. Walker, Elizabeth A. Claydon, Samantha E. Scarneo-Miller, Daniel Totzkay, Melissa D. Olfert

Health Behavior Research

Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science trainings are essential to build knowledge among a variety of current and future health professionals.

The objective of this study was to pilot-test and assess implementation of a nutrition-specific D&I science training.

Participants (students enrolled in nutrition and public health programs) completed pre/post surveys and exit interviews. Descriptive statistics and a qualitative thematic analysis used deductive coding; in which coding and theme development are directed by existing concepts. Initial coding was completed by one researcher and validated by an additional researcher to describe and provide examples of the categories the Kirkpatrick Model and Implementation Outcomes …

Alcopops Disproportionately Consumed By Minors In Sexual Assault Cases, Matthew E. Rossheim, Kwynn M. Gonzalez-Pons, Kayla Tillett, Ryan D. Treffers, Pamela J. Trangenstein, Jennifer Lerch, Faye Taxman, Kaylin Greene, Cassidy Loparco, David H. Jernigan

Health Behavior Research

Alcohol is present in a large proportion of sexual assault cases. However, research largely overlooks the role that providing alcoholic beverages – particularly those with high-alcohol- content and/or whose flavors mask the taste of alcohol – may have in making young people more vulnerable to being assaulted. This research is especially important given the rise in the availability of sugar-sweetened alcopops and their high-alcohol-content counterparts “supersized alcopops,” which contain up to 5.5 standard alcoholic drinks. In the current study, we examined whether alcopops and supersized alcopops, relative to beer, were involved in disproportionately more sexual assault cases involving victims who …

“We Have To Improve Our Culture About This”: Family Planning Decision-Making Among Women And Men Living In Florence, Italy, Alyssa Amidei, Taylor Raff, Andrea L. Demaria

Health Behavior Research

The male condom is the most widely used family planning method in Italy and Southern Europe. Most family planning research is focused on women and, therefore, could be missing significant gender differences in behavior, as male partners play a critical role in decision-making and pregnancy prevention. This study aimed to explore attitudes toward contraceptive methods, including decision-making and desired improvements related to family planning in Italy. Semi- structured interviews with 42 men and women aged 18–50 years (29.1±7.9) living in or near Florence, Italy, were conducted between May and June 2019. Techniques from thematic analysis allowed for a constant comparative …

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renée M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

International Journal of School Social Work

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e-learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). Moreover, …

An Exploratory Model Of Shared Decision-Making In Women's Reproductive Health In Indiana: A Cross-Sectional Study, Stephanie Meier, Alfu Laily, Laura Schwab Reese, Monica Kasting, Andrea L. Demaria

Health Behavior Research

Ecological approaches to shared decision-making (SDM) are underexplored in women’s reproductive health. The purpose was to identify ecological factors important to women in contraceptive and prenatal care SDM. In this cross-sectional study, women (18-45 years) living in Indiana who had sought reproductive healthcare completed an online survey (N=432). Multiple linear regression was utilized to identify predictors of SDM. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were conducted to explore ecological factors associated with SDM in contraception and prenatal care. Healthcare professional type was associated with decreased contraceptive SDM scores, but not prenatal care SDM scores. Access, …

Investigating Moderation In The Prospective Relationship Of Marijuana Use To Subsequent Illicit Substance Use: Evidence From Add Health, Radhika Prasad, Ming Wen, Zobayer Ahmmad, Daniel Adkins

Health Behavior Research

Whereas socially normalized substances (e.g., marijuana) may increase the probability of subsequent progression to more harmful illicit substances, previous empirical research on the topic has yielded inconsistent results. Few studies have prospectively examined whether age of first documented current marijuana use is related to later harmful illicit substance use over multiple life course stages, or considered potential moderation of the process by age of first documented current marijuana use, gender, or race/ethnicity. To investigate this topic, data from five waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult (N=20,774), spanning ages 12-42, were used to analyze the prospective association …

Potentially Misleading Weight Loss Advertisements Targeting Men: Examining Influence Of Celebrity Athlete Endorsement On Ad Believability And Purchase Intentions, Andrew C. Pickett, Katie M. Brown, Zack J. Damon, Natasha T. Brison

Health Behavior Research

Given the prevalence of false or exaggerated claims in advertisements for weight loss products, as well as risks associated with use of unproven dietary supplements and exercise plans, they are subject to heightened scrutiny from regulators. However, celebrity athlete endorsers are increasingly featured in advertisements promoting weight loss products targeting men. This study employed a 2x2 (athlete endorser vs. non-celebrity; plausible vs. unrealistic advertising claim) experimental design, whereby participants (n= 292) were exposed to one of four ad conditions. Results suggest the athlete endorser was perceived as more credible than a non-celebrity, being rated as more expert. Significant …

Rural Redemption: A Model To Help Understand The Perspectives Of Rural Americans Related To Vaccine Science, Lauri Baker, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Chen-Xian Yang, Audrey E. H. King, Shelby Thomas, Kristina Boone

Journal of Applied Communications

Rural communities are vital to the foundation of American agriculture and are currently disproportionately affected by health and environmental challenges that will require broad scientific solutions. Cooperative Extension professionals and agricultural communicators are increasingly tasked with communicating about the science surrounding these topics and need effective tools for determining strategic communication tactics to influence personal behaviors. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of community-based social marketing (CBSM) concepts and trust in science on rural Americans’ intentions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. A hypothesized model was developed that included concepts of CBSM, trust in science, intentions, …