Digital Commons Network^™

Emergency Contraception In Zambia: Setting A New Agenda For Research And Action, Yusuf Ahmed, M. Ketata, John P. Skibiak

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes the activities and findings of the first phase of the operations research study, “Enhancing Access to Family Planning Services through the Introduction of Emergency Contraception.” Launched in September 1997, the study was designed to explore a broad range of issues relating to emergency contraception within a developing country context. With financial and technical support from the United States Agency for International Development, the World Health Organization, the Canadian Public Health Association, and the British Department for International Development (DFID), the study consists of an initial exploratory exercise and a subsequent research phase. The report is divided into …

Introduction Du Traitement Médical D'Urgence Ainsi Que Les Services Et Conseils Ultérieurs En Planification Familiale Pour Les Femmes Qui Souffrent De Complications Suite À Un Avortement Au Burkina Faso, Population Council, Jpiego

Reproductive Health

Cette étude de recherche opérationnelle a examiné la faisabilité et l'acceptabilité de la mise en place de services de soins après avortement (SAA) pour améliorer les soins cliniques et le suivi des patientes post-avortement dans deux sites pilotes au Burkina Faso. Une étude pré-test / post-test, sans groupe témoin, a été utilisée pour mesurer les effets d'une intervention qui a amélioré les compétences de communication clinique et interpersonnelle des médecins et des sages-femmes pour les soins aux patientes après avortement, y compris le conseil et la planification familiale. Les résultats de cette étude démontrent que l'introduction d'une approche plus globale …

The Relationship Between The Intensity And Duration Of Extracurricular Activities And Teenage Pregnancy, Rhonda L. Drilling

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Extensive research has been done in the area of adolescent pregnancy prevention. One possible means of prevention that has not been adequately explored is involvement in extracurricular school activities. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between the intensity and duration of participation in extracurricular school activities and the incidence of teenage pregnancy. In the study, 200 female high school students who had never been pregnant and 36 females who had become pregnant as teenagers were surveyed. All females were from Fayette County, Iowa. A 33-item questionnaire was used to survey the two groups regarding …

Needs And Risks Facing The Indonesian Youth Population, Desti Murdijana

Reproductive Health

Youth are the leaders of tomorrow, but right now they face a formidable collection of problems that will determine the quality of their future lives and the lives of us all. Education, jobs, substance abuse, violence, sexuality, and marriage are examples of adolescent issues that demand special attention from researchers, youth activists and advocates, parents, and policymakers. In attempting to address these complex issues, we must be willing to confront ignorance, controversy, and cultural obstacles. Clear and focused policy and strategies must play a basic role in tackling these issues facing Indonesian adolescents. This paper provides a concise situation analysis …

Incentive Schemes For School Attendance In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Gilda Sedgh

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper examines the impact of two incentive schemes on school attendance in rural Bangladesh: a food-for-education program for poor primary school children and a female secondary school scholarship scheme. The data come from an in-depth village study, before and after the programs went into effect. Both programs provide direct financial incentives to families to send their children to and keep them in school. The data also allow for an assessment of an informal school program sponsored by BRAC, a national non-governmental institution, at the study sites. School enrollment in the target population increased more rapidly than would have been …

The Uncharted Passage: Girls' Adolescence In The Developing World, Barbara Mensch, Judith Bruce, Margaret E. Greene

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescence is a formative time of transition to adulthood. What happens between the ages of 10 and 19 shapes how girls and boys live out their lives as women and men—not only in the reproductive arena, but in the social and economic realm as well. Yet, despite its impact on human development, adolescence has been sidelined as a research and policy subject in developing countries. While all adolescents deserve our attention, the needs of adolescent girls in the developing world are particularly pressing. This monograph focuses on these girls, presenting statistics to examine the social and economic context of their …

Social Networks And The Diffusion Of Fertility Control, Mark R. Montgomery, John B. Casterline

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Theories of the fertility transition now routinely reserve a place for diffusion effects. Two fundamental behavioral mechanisms account for such effects: social learning and social influence. Social learning refers to the acquisition of information from others. The information might have to do with a new technology or with the health, social, and economic consequences of decisions. In the case of fertility, individuals might learn from others about the availability of a new contraceptive, or about health side effects of certain contraceptives, or about the apparent gains and losses from having fewer children and investing in their schooling. Social influence refers …

Advances And Challenges In Postabortion Care Operations Research: Summary Report Of A Global Meeting, Dale Huntington

Reproductive Health

The Global Meeting on Postabortion Care: Advances and Challenges in Operations Research was held at the Population Council’s New York office on January 19–21, 1998, to review progress made by three regional operations research (OR) projects in improving delivery of postabortion care. The resources of the three OR contracts were pooled, and, in collaboration with Ipas and the Ebert Program, approximately 65 researchers, senior program managers, and government officials from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia were convened. Three objectives guided the planning of the meeting: review progress in the development of OR methodologies pertaining to postabortion …

Workshop On Youth Across Asia, John Townsend, Ann P. Mccauley, Kokila Agarwal

Reproductive Health

The issues facing youth across Asia are as diverse as the cultures they represent. Issues involving schooling, employment, sexuality, and marriage take on increased significance for young people aged 10–24 in every country. Decisions made by youth and their families will dramatically affect their individual welfare. Few programs outside of public education systems exist at a sufficiently large scale to assist youth. Decisions to stay in school, opportunities to learn skills and manage resources, the exercise of sexual responsibility, and the process of family formation all impact both personal welfare and community development. Gender-equality issues compound many of the problems. …

Introduction Des Soins Obstétricaux D'Urgence Et De La Planification Familiale Pour Les Patientes Présentant Des Complications Liées À Un Avortement Incomplet, Population Council, Jpiego

Reproductive Health

En 1997, le Centre de Formation et de Recherche en Santé de la Reproduction en partenariat avec la Clinique Gynécologique et Obstétricale du CHU Le Dantec ont entrepris une étude de faisabilité sur l’introduction des Soins Après Avortement dans trois structures sanitaires de référence de la région de Dakar. Cette expérience pilote a été appuyée par le Population Council dans le cadre du projet de Recherche Opérationnelle et d’Assistance Technique (RO/AT II) en Afrique et par JHPIEGO qui a appuyé le volet Formation/Prestations de service. Elle s’inscrit dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre des recommandations issues des conférences …

Getting Men Involved In Family Planning: Experiences From An Innovative Program, Directorate Of Family Planning, National Institute Of Population Research And Training, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This study was designed to determine the effect of interventions on accelerated proactive male involvement in family planning (FP) and factors influencing acceptance of male contraceptive methods. It was observed that a program can be successful if management cadres can be motivated and involved in the process. Other findings suggest the importance of education and communication materials, supply of information, orientation of fieldworkers, and mobilization of resources including hands-on refresher training. Misconceptions about male contraception (particularly vasectomy) are rampant in traditional Bangladeshi society, thus ideas should be positively expressed through visual aids. Among the various communications materials, at least one …

Family Planning Operations Research: A Book Of Readings, James R. Foreit, Tomas Frejka

Reproductive Health

For as long as there have been family planning programs, there has been family planning research. At the theoretical level, researchers examine the effect of fertility on health and socioeconomic development and study the determinants of fertility for individuals and populations. At the policy level, studies explore the role of family planning programs in modifying fertility and health. The development of new contraceptives is accompanied by clinical and pre-introductory trials in program settings. Surveys measure changes in contraceptive use and fertility, and the results are used to make decisions affecting programs. Finally, programs themselves carry out operations research (OR) to …

Integrating Rti Case Management Within Lgu Health Centers: An Intervention Study, Marilou P. Costello, Carmeli Marie Chaves, Chona R. Echavez, Jesus Encena, Jocelyn Ilagan, Orlando Pagulayan

Reproductive Health

In 1994, the Philippines’ Department of Health began assessing the feasibility of syndromic management—utilizing flowcharts and algorithms—for reproductive tract infections (RTIs) in the country’s public health facilities. This intervention, in seven primary health care clinics, trained service providers on RTI case management, improved clinical facilities and laboratories, provided supportive supervision and TA, along with developing training materials. Clinical case management was observed for a six month period. The project also included a cost analysis.

Towards Safe Womanhood: Supporting Safe Motherhood Initiatives And Women's Participation In Development, Meiwita B. Iskandar

Reproductive Health

Improvement in a woman’s quality of life is a prerequisite for development of human resources, because the quality of children’s physical and mental development is inextricably tied to the health and welfare of women as future mothers. If a mother is well protected during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period, the risk of illness and other problems in fetuses and newborn babies will be reduced. On the other hand, if a woman does not survive the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period, her fetus or newborn will also be threatened. This paper provides a situation analysis of pregnant women, women in …

Improving Quality Of Care In Fp/Rh Of Selected Communities Of Pangasinan Province: An Intervention Study, Zelda C. Zablan, Josefina V. Cabigon, Luzviminda Muego, Marilou P. Costello, Chona R. Echavez

Reproductive Health

This intervention study was designed to improve the quality of family planning (FP) services within the Integrated Family Planning and Maternal Health Program of the Pangasinan Population and Family Planning Program in the Philippines. It addresses high unmet need and studies the feasibility of enhancing quality of services by training service providers in fixed clinics and orienting outreach workers on the method of identifying women who have unmet need for FP. Four municipalities were chosen from the 47 municipalities comprising the province of Pangasinan and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Four indicators were used to match the chosen …

Alcohol Related Violence And Unwanted Sexual Activity On The College Campus, Mary E. Nicholson, Min Qi Wang, Dolores Maney, Jianping Yuan, Beverly S. Mahoney, Daniel D. Adame

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among alcohol consumption, sexual assault and rape, and nonsexual violence in a college population at a large Northeastern university. A 49-item questionnaire was designed to elicit responses from both victims and perpetrators. Of the 1,084 respondents: 518 were male, 566 were female, the majority were White (91.8%), and in the 18-21 age range. Unwanted sexual activity, rape, and violence were significantly related to alcohol consumption on the college campus studied. These data indicated that alcohol was involved in: a) unwanted sexual activity--both from the victim's perspective (85.7%) and from the …

Proceedings Of The Women's Health: Women's Lives Conference: May 3rd 1998, Lynne Hunt (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

The Women's Health: Women's Lives Conference was held on 3 May 1998, at Joondalup Campus, Edith Cowan University. The principal aim of the Conference was to celebrate 10 years of the teaching of Women's Health and Women's Studies at ECU, by drawing together past and present students, university staff and members of the Western Australian community interested in women's issues.

Corporate Executive Perspective Of Worksite Health Promotion Programs, Barbara E. Gay

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Health promotion programs at the workplace are increasing in popularity for both large and small businesses across the United States. The workplace has been recognized as a favorable setting for health promotion programs because it provides a captive audience for promoting health. The workplace also provides the employee with an opportunity for support in making healthy lifestyle changes. Numerous studies have documented that worksite health promotion programs will improve employee health and morale, increase productivity, and decrease absenteeism. Comparing the cost to the benefits is often the basis for making business decisions, including the decision to implement a health promotion …

Collegiate Activities That Influence Adult Physical Fitness Habits, Linda L. King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive/correlational study analyzed the perception of recent graduates regarding the effectiveness of the college environment at Milligan College in influencing adult fitness habits. Graduates were divided into five activity level groups through a self-report of physical activity. The purposes of the research were to determine if significant differences existed between the dependent variable, activity level, and the independent variables such as: (a) participation in specific college activities, (b) preferences for types of exercise, (c) social influence, (d) influence of a required freshman fitness course, and (e) environmental barriers. A profile of the student most likely to exercise after graduation …

The General Well-Being Of Recreational Drug Users: A Sub-Analysis Of The Drugnet Survey, Jennifer Reneau

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Issues related to substance use/abuse and mental health are significant public health concerns. Substance abuse is considered an individual and community mental health problem. The relationship between substance use and positive mental well-being, however, is less well understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the mental well-being of a sample of occasional, recreational drug users. Drugnet was an on-line survey of recreational drug use by non-deviant adults via the WWW. Volunteer subjects completed the survey over the internet between March and September 1997. Mental health was assessed utilizing the General Well-being Schedule (GWBS). A complete demographic profile of …

Attitudes Toward Sexuality And Sexual Behaviors Of Asian-American Adolescents: Implications For Risk Of Hiv Infection, Connie S. Chan

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Until 1990, Asian Americans represented an ethnic minority group that was perceived to be at lower risk than African Americans or Hispanics/Latinos for HIV infection, the presumed causal agent for AIDS. Reasons cited for this perception include behavioral differences in intravenous drug use, sexual behavioral habits, and underidentification of AIDS cases. However, in urban areas such as San Francisco, Toronto, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle, where Asians have immigrated and settled in large numbers, cases of HIV infection and AIDS have begun to increase dramatically, perhaps reflecting the rise in the number of AIDS cases in Asia. In …

The Place Of Persons With Disabilities In Rotuman Society, Jan Rensel, Alan Howard

Pacific Studies

In Rotuma, as in many other small, face-to-face societies, persons with disabilities are treated not as members of categories based on their conditions, but as individuals having whole constellations of characteristics and interpersonal histories. Their roles are not scripted on the basis of disabilities, but patterned by a number of key cultural principles that guide all relationships, including notions of immanent justice for wrongdoing, expectations of generosity and reciprocity, personal autonomy, and concern for family honor. Case studies and analyses of exchange interactions are presented to illustrate these points.

Consumer Debt, Alcohol Use, And Domestic Violence In Guam, Thomas K. Pinhey, Daniel A. Lennon, Nicholas A. Pinhey

Pacific Studies

Using community-level economic and crime data derived from secondary sources, this brief study explores the relationships between consumer debt, alcohol use, and domestic violence in Guam for the years 1982 through 1993. The results of the analysis indicate that higher levels of consumer debt are strongly related to greater alcohol consumption and domestic violence, thus suggesting that “financial strain” may be an important variable for understanding patterns of substance abuse and family violence in Guam. The implications of these results for theory and future research on substance abuse and domestic violence are also discussed.

Variation In Environmental Risk Perceptions And Information Sources Among Three Communities In El Paso, Theresa L. Byrd, James Vanderslice, Susan K. Peterson

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors report the results of a pilot study of environmental risk and sources of environmental information in three socio-economically and culturally distinct communities in Texas.

Condom Availability In New York City Public High Schools: Relationships To Condom Use And Sexual Behavior, Sally Guttmacher, Lisa D. Lieberman, David Ward, Nick Freudenberg, Alice Radosh, Don Des Jarlais

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the impact of the condom availability program in New York City public high schools by comparing rates of sexual activity and condom use for New York students and similar students in Chicago. METHODS: A total of 7119 students from 12 randomly selected New York schools and 5738 students from 10 Chicago schools participated in a cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: New York students, compared with Chicago students, reported equal rates of sexual activity but higher rates of condom use at last intercourse (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36). For higher-risk students (those with three or more sexual partners in …

A Preliminary Analysis Of Health Lifestyles Between International Students And American Students At Western Kentucky University, Mei Zhu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess the lifestyle of international students at Western Kentucky University (WKU) and to compare the lifestyles of international and American students and subgroups of international students. The Lifestyle Questionnaire (LSQ), was a 26-item personal health lifestyle test, which had six sections (nutrition, exercise, smoking, alcohol and drugs, safety, and stress). The test-retest reliability of LSQ was evaluated by Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) and was .89. During October and November 1997, 55 international students and 64 American students at WKU finished the LSQ. Significant differences were found between the American student group and the …

The Relationship Between Meaning In Life And The Occurrence Of Drug Abuse: An Epidemiological Retrospective Study, Ben Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative consequences related to drug abuse have occurred in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between individuals receiving inpatient treatment for drug abuse and a group of non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the inpatient drug abusing subjects were …

Pregnancy Outcomes: A Study Testing A Model For Predicting Health Outcomes In Pregnancy, Tamera Ann Hart-Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

There is a persistent relationship between socioeconomic status and physical health outcomes found in the literature; however the variables mediating this relationship are many, and ways that they interact with each other are complex. The goal of understanding this relationship is to decrease the disparity in health by socioeconomic status.

This study tested a biopsychosocial model proposed by David Williams (1990) to explain the relationship between socioeconomic status and physical health outcomes. The model included the following latent factors: demographics, socioeconomic status, biomedical risk, medical care, psychosocial variables, and health outcomes. The model was tested through a secondary data analysis. …

An Administrative View Of Model Uncertainty In Public Health, Clark D. Carrington

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Carrington reviews several ways to deal with model uncertainty, including those failing to acknowledge any use of models. He then evaluates six such methods with regard to, e.g., transparency and cost of execution.

Risk Factors In Adolescents For Engaging In Sexual Behaviors, Dolores Calderon Castellano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Teenage sexuality has become a social concern, because of its impact on teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, government aid and school drop-out. In an effort to better predict risk of early sexual activity, a secondary analysis was conducted on data collected from 413, 11-14 year old students attending the 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels in Hidalgo County, in south Texas. Parent-child Communication, Children's Religiosity, Educational Goals, Educational Grades, Self-Esteem, and Congruency of Sexual Values between children and parents were used as predictor variables. Multiple regression analysis revealed Congruency of Values, Educational Goals, Educational Grades and Religion as the …