Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Health Literacy And Self-Rated Health Among Homeless Adults, Chisom Odoh Phd, Jennifer I. Vidrine Phd, Michael S. Businelle Phd, Darla E. Kendzor Phd, Pooja Agrawal, Lorraine R. Reitzel Phd

Health Behavior Research

Poor health literacy reduces the efficacy of behavior change interventions, hampers management of health conditions, and attenuates understanding of the prevention and treatment of diseases. Poor health literacy has also been linked to fair/poor self-rated health in domiciled samples; however, there is a paucity of studies on the relation amongst homeless adults, who bear a disproportionate burden of disease and disability and require a high level of care and access to health services. Here, we examined the association between health literacy and self-rated health among a convenience sample of homeless adults. Participants were recruited from six homeless-serving agencies in Oklahoma …

What Determines Young Adults’ Attitudes, Perceived Norms, And Perceived Behavioral Control Towards Healthy Sleep Behaviors? A Reasoned Action Approach, Paul Branscum, Katie Qualls Fay

Health Behavior Research

A common limitation to the design of public health sleep interventions is the overall lack of using theory. Previous researchers have utilized the theory of planned behavior and the reasoned action approach (RAA) to predict healthy sleep behaviors, however much of this research was done using reflective (or generalized) measures, which alone is likely inadequate to equip health practitioners with tangible information they can use to translate theory into practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use formative (or belief-based) measures of the RAA to evaluate the determinants of attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of …

Negative School Experiences And Pain Reliever Misuse Among A National Adolescent Sample, Kelsi J. Wood, Keith A. King, Rebecca A. Vidourek, Ashley L. Merianos

Health Behavior Research

A recent public health concern is the nonmedical use of prescription drugs among U.S. adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between negative school experiences and lifetime and past year pain reliever misuse among adolescents enrolled in high school nationwide. A secondary analysis was performed using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2017 data. Participants included 8,337 adolescents enrolled in 9^th -12^th grades. A total of 6.0% of high school students reported they had misused pain relievers in their lifetime, and 3.9% reported they had misused pain relievers during the past year. …

Using The Theory Of Triadic Influence To Examine Correlates Of Positive Drug Expectancies Among Hispanic Adolescents, Wura Jacobs, Lauren Bartoszek, Jennifer Unger

Health Behavior Research

This study employs the Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI) which articulates the different variables that influence health-related behaviors into streams of influence—intrapersonal, social, and cultural—to better understand factors that influence positive drug use expectancies (PDE) among Hispanic adolescents. Data for the study came from Project RED, which included 1,963 high school students in Southern California. The relationships between participants’ drug expectancies and different streams of influence were examined using regression analysis. Participants were mostly females (54.2%); with a mean age of 17.13 years. Controlling for other covariates, there were no cultural stream variables associated with PDE (Model 1). Model 2, …

The Spread And Utility Of Social Network Analysis Across A Group Of Health Behavior Researchers, Megan S. Patterson, Tyler Prochnow Med, Patricia Goodson

Health Behavior Research

Social network analysis (SNA), both as theory and methodology, is a powerful framework for delimiting and studying health behaviors. Using SNA allows scholars to answer new research questions, innovatively investigate the social and systemic contexts of health and behavior, and collaborate on multi- or inter-disciplinary projects. As a result, SNA is growing in popularity within health behavior research and practice. Despite SNA’s contribution and appeal, few health behavior researchers and practitioners have access to formal SNA education; much of the current training efforts occur outside degree-granting curricula. Therefore, the aims of this paper were to: 1) assess the diffusion of …

Mentoring The Next Generation Of Health Professionals: A Mentor-The-Mentor Approach, Andrea L. Demaria, Stephanie Meier, Jaziel L. Ramos-Ortiz

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this commentary is to share team-based mentoring strategies used for successful interdisciplinary research team productivity and sustainability. This commentary lists and describes the top ten considerations for building a productive mentor-the-mentor approach, inspired by the train-the-trainer method. The approach promotes reciprocal training and individualized experiences, while producing positive professional and personal outcomes. We pinpoint how relationship-building rooted in passion and clear communication, explicit expectations and regular celebrations, and routine paired with a bit of play enhances productivity and encourages future health professionals to emerge as leaders in the field.

The Mechanism Of Theory-Based Hiv Behavioral Intervention On Condom Use Among Rural-To-Urban Migrants In China: The Mediating Roles Of Hiv Knowledge And Condom Use Self-Efficacy, Chengbo Zeng, Xiaoming Li, Hongfei Du, Danhua Lin

Health Behavior Research

Previous studies have suggested HIV knowledge and self-efficacy are important cognitive factors that might influence condom use behaviors. However, data were limited regarding their mediating effects on condom use during behavioral interventions. This study examined the mechanistic roles of these two factors on the effect of a community-based intervention aiming to increase condom use behaviors and intention among young rural-to-urban migrants in China. Data were derived from a community-based HIV behavioral intervention trial among 639 young sexually active rural-to-urban migrants in Beijing, China. Path analyses were used to examine the direct and indirect effects of the intervention program on condom …

Using Complex, Multi-Sectoral Data In A Needs Assessment To Inform Future Strategies In Childhood Asthma Management, Loren Raun, David Persse, Gwendolyn Johnson, Katherine Ensor, Elizabeth Stevenson, Melissa A. Valerio, Erin K. Caton, Laura Campos, Harold J. Farber

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this needs assessment was to study the current state of asthma management in high-risk children in Houston, Texas to inform a theory-based approach to improving asthma management. The mixed-method assessment included multi-sectoral survey, quantitative, and geospatial data that address a range of social and community factors in family, community, home, and medical contexts. Houston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provided ambulance-treated asthma data mapped by geographic area to identify where childhood asthma management was weakest. Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) provided medication compliance rates and counts of children by zip code that TCHP considered high-risk according to claims …

Examining Multiple Health Behaviors, Julie M. Croff, Ashleigh L. Chiaf, Erica K. Crockett

Health Behavior Research

Health behaviors have been extensively studied as predictors of disease; however, these behaviors may interact and intersect to amplify or ameliorate risks of predicted disease outcomes. Breadth of study is needed to examine how single antecedents may act to influence multiple health behaviors, and how multiple health behaviors may predict other behaviors and/or interact to influence the occurrence of disease outcomes. Better understanding of how behaviors interact and impact health is necessary to identify the appropriate leverage points for the evolution of health behavior theory, and the promotion of multiple health behavior change.

Evaluation Of A Peer-To-Peer Approach To Improve The Reach Of Farmers’ Markets Among Low-Income Populations, Darcy Freedman, Eunlye Lee, Susan Flocke, Rachael Sommer, Erika S. Trapl, Amanda Osborne, Elaine Borawski

Health Behavior Research

Farmers’ markets have been implemented to improve access to nutritious foods, yet use is low among people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This study’s objectives were to assess the feasibility of implementing the FreshLink Ambassador intervention to promote use of farmers’ markets located in high SNAP neighborhoods, describe information dissemination by Ambassadors, and evaluate intervention impact on SNAP use. The theory-based and data-driven intervention trained nine community residents as FreshLink Ambassadors in 2017; eight completed the study. Ambassadors conducted weekly outreach disseminating coupons to promote use of three intervention markets. Four comparison markets were selected to evaluate impact …

The Role Of Acculturation And Training In Personal Protective Equipment (Ppe) Use Among Hispanic Farmworkers: A Follow-Up From The ¡Protejase! Study., Shedra A. Snipes, Angela G. Campbell, Patricia Y. Miranda

Health Behavior Research

Hispanic farmworkers are at disproportionate risk of pesticide exposure. Moreover, new immigrant, Spanish-speaking farmworkers are least likely to receive safety training and protection from pesticides in the form of personal protective equipment (PPE). Provision is known to increase PPE use among farmworkers, but it is unclear whether provision helps new immigrant Hispanic farmworkers. Thus, this study examined the extent to which provision increases Hispanic farmworkers’ use of PPE. Additionally, we examined associations with English language acculturation since language barriers might influence training and use of PPE in a largely new immigrant, Spanish-speaking workforce. Farmworkers were provided three types of PPE …

A Culturally Adapted Diabetes Prevention Intervention In The New York City Sikh Asian Indian Community Leads To Improvements In Health Behaviors And Outcomes, Sahnah Lim, Laura Wyatt, Harmanpreet Chauhan, Jennifer M. Zanowiak, Rucha Kavathe, Hardayal Singh, Simona Kwon, Chau Trinh-Shevrin, Nadia S. Islam

Health Behavior Research

Sikh Asian Indians are an underserved, minority group demonstrating high rates of diabetes. Community health workers (CHWs) are effective in addressing health disparities by reaching socially and linguistically isolated populations. There are no culturally adapted programs for diabetes prevention among Sikh Asian Indians, thus, this study tests the efficacy of a culturally tailored CHW intervention to improve diabetes prevention-related outcomes among Sikh Asian Indians at risk for diabetes. A quasi-experimental two-arm intervention among Sikh Asian Indian adults at risk for diabetes and living in New York City (n = 160) was conducted in 2013-2014. The treatment group received six …

Applying The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Sedentariness And Stress, Shana M. Walsh, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Grant B. Morgan, Rodney G. Bowden, Eva Doyle, Paul M. Gordon

Health Behavior Research

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the sedentary behavior (SB) of young and middle-aged U.S. adults. Relationships between SB over a six-week period were examined using socio-demographic characteristics, TPB constructs, and a stress variable.

Methods: Participants (n=45, mean age=31 years, 70% female, 83% White) completed surveys that included sociodemographic information, TPB constructs, and the Weekly Stress Inventory. Participants wore an activity monitor for six weeks and completed the stress inventory once weekly over the study period. A longitudinal model was estimated to determine the relationship between …

Social Cognitive Models Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Moderate Physical Activity, And Sleep Behavior In Overweight And Obese Men, Adam P. Knowlden, Rebecca Robbins, Micahel Grandner

Health Behavior Research

Background. Approximately 35% of men in the United States are obese, though little theoretical work examining predictors correlates of obesity exists for this population. The purpose of this study was to test the capacity of Bandura’s social cognitive model of health behavior to account for variance in fruit and vegetable consumption, moderate physical activity, and sleep behavior in overweight and obese men. Methods. Data were collected from overweight and obese men using previously validated questionnaires. Structural equation models were built to examine the direct and indirect effects the social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy, outcome expectation, socio-structural factors, and goals …

Evaluating The Effects Of The Teen Outreach Program On Positive Youth Development Constructs, Rita Debate, Helen Mahony, Ellen Daley, Wei Wang, Stephanie Marhefka, Sarah B. Maness, Markku Malmi, Robert Ziemba, Charlotte Noble, Eric R. Walsh-Buhi

Health Behavior Research

Introduction: The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is a positive youth development (PYD) program that seeks to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, school dropout, and course failure. As TOP has not been evaluated for its impact on PYD constructs, our purpose was to assess this potential.

Methods: A pair-matched, cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate TOP among youth in 26 high schools was conducted in 2013-2014. Youth (N=3740) were surveyed at baseline and immediately following program completion. A linear mixed effects model compared scores of the Lerner’s Five Cs measure of PYD between treatment and control youth and by race/ethnicity …

Weight-Loss Treatment-Induced Physical Activity Associated With Improved Nutrition Through Changes In Social Cognitive Theory Variables In Women With Obesity, James J. Annesi, Nicole Mareno

Health Behavior Research

Behavioral weight-loss treatments have typically been unsuccessful and a theoretical. Even when treatments were scientifically derived, theory has rarely been used to decompose, and understand the bases of, their effects. This 2-year study evaluated mediation of the prediction of nutritional changes by changes in physical activity, through social cognitive theory variables. Data from women with Class 1–2 obesity, classified as “insufficiently active” (N = 50; Mage = 47.6 years), were extracted from 2 initial trials of a new cognitive-behavioral intervention. That treatment sought to improve self-regulation, mood, and self-efficacy through increased physical activity, to then induce improved eating …

Relationship Of Self-Determination Theory Constructs And Physical Activity And Diet In A Mexican American Population In Nueces County, Texas, Joan E. Cowdery, Jiawei Xing, Brisa N. Sanchez, Kathleen M. Conley, Ken Resnicow, Lewis B. Morgenstern, Devin L. Brown

Health Behavior Research

Due to disparities in stroke risk among U.S. Hispanics, the need for culturally tailored, theory based effective health behavior change interventions persists. The purpose of this study was to examine self-determination theory (SDT) constructs related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a predominantly Mexican American population. The Stroke Health and Risk Education (SHARE) project was a cluster-randomized, faith-based behavioral intervention trial that enrolled Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) from Catholic Churches in Nueces County, Texas. Data regarding SDT constructs and dietary and physical activity behaviors were collected via computer-assisted interviews using standardized instruments at the baseline assessment. …

The Future Of Health Behavior Research And Training: A Modified Delphi Study, Jay E. Maddock, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Adam Barry, Brian Colwell

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of the current study is to assess (1) health behavior researchers’ opinions on significant new foci emerging over the next 20 years, (2) disciplines that can serve as important partners, and (3) adjustments needed for doctoral training programs to prepare researchers for emerging trends. A two-wave modified Delphi procedure was employed to assess opinions and perspectives of current health behaviors researchers. Participants were recruited through email invitations sent to the membership listserv of the American Academy of Health Behavior. In Wave I, respondents generated up to three ideas for each of four prompts: (1) the biggest game changers …

The Future Of Health Behavior Research, John B. Lowe

Health Behavior Research

This commentary discusses the author's views of the future of health behavior research.