Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Shot Talk: Development And Pilot Test Of A Theory Of Planned Behavior Campaign To Combat College Student Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Hannah Ball, Tayah Renea Wozniak, Cailin M. Kuchenbecker

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Among college students, evidence of relatively lower levels of concern of COVID-19 infection, rapid rates of transmission, and lagging vaccination rates substantiates a need to combat college student COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This two-phase study comprised formative research, development, and pilot testing of a campaign to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among college students. In phase one, focus group discussions with college students (N = 48) uncovered their specific attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Thematic analysis revealed concerns about vaccine safety, efficacy, cost, and politicization, as well as perceived barriers to accessing information and the …

The Student Athlete Wellness Portal: Translating Student Athletes’ Prescription Opioid Use Narratives Into A Targeted Public Health Intervention, Anne E. Pezalla, Hyejeong Choi, Francis Mckee, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objectives: The opioid epidemic has permeated all strata of society over the last two decades, especially within the adolescent student athletic environment, a group particularly at risk and presenting their own challenges for science and practice. This paper (a) describes the development of a web-based intervention called the Student Athlete Wellness Portal that models effective opioid misuse resistance strategies and (b) details the findings of a single-group design to test its effectiveness. Materials and Methods: Formative research included 35 student athletes residing in the United States, ages 14 to 21, who had been injured in their …

Positive Digital Communication Among Youth: The Development And Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Luca Carbone, Bojana Lobe, Laura Vandenbosch

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Research has extensively studied the negative effects of digital communication on adolescents’ well-being. However, positive digital experiences and behavior in adolescence are still poorly understood. The recently developed Digital Flourishing Scale addresses this gap and focuses on the positive perceptions of a user’s experiences and behaviors in digital communication among adults. In this paper, we developed an adolescent version of this scale. Study 1 demonstrated the internal consistency of the scale and the same factor structure for adolescence as for adulthood: connectedness, civil participation, positive social comparison, authentic self-presentation, and self-control. Study 2 confirmed the identified factor structure with a …

Men’S Stories: An Account Of Translating Vaccine Decision Narratives From Young Men In The U.S. Into A Targeted Public Health Intervention, Michelle Miller-Day, Erin S. Craw, Diana Harris, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Effective interventions to promote human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination are needed for all young adults across the globe. Yet, most public health efforts focus on HPV-related risks for females. Unfortunately, HPV-related cancers in men are also a concern, as is the potential for men to spread HPV to their partners. The HPV vaccine is highly effective in reducing risks related to these cancers. Yet, vaccination rates among young males are low and their vaccination concerns are not well understood. This project conducted 15 in-depth qualitative interviews with U.S. males aged 18–22 to hear their vaccine decision stories. Themes of HPV vaccination …

The Impact Of Hpv Vaccine Narratives On Social Media: Testing Narrative Engagement Theory With A Diverse Sample Of Young Adults, Amy E. Leader, Michelle Miller-Day, Rikishi T. Rey, Preethi Selvan, Anne E. Pezalla, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are highest in young adults, who can be vaccinated against HPV if they were not vaccinated as adolescents. Since young adults increasingly access health information on social media, we tested the impact of a social media campaign with narrative-based health information on intentions related to HPV vaccination. We also aimed to understand which ads resonated most with young adults and led to higher survey completion rates. We created social media posts featuring videos promoting HPV vaccination. We launched a sponsored ad campaign on Facebook to reach young women, ages 18–26, across the country. Participants …

Student Intentions To Engage Instructors In Mental Health-Related Conversations: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Allie White, Hannah Ball, Sara Labelle

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Considering that college students experience mental health issues and college counseling centers are overwhelmed, this study identifies instructors as a potential mental health resource for students. This study utilizes the theory of planned behavior to investigate the relationship between students’ attitudes, injunctive and descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control, and their intentions to engage their instructors in mental health conversations.

Participants

Participants were 311 undergraduate students at a small, private university in Southern California.

Methods

Participants were recruited through a Communication subject pool and completed an online survey about engaging instructors in these conversations.

Results

Results of a regression analysis …

Interpersonal Communication In Eye Care: An Analysis Of Potential Impacts On Cataract Surgery Candidates’ Expectations And Behaviors, Amy Hellem, Sara Labelle, Cynthia Matossian, Paul Karpecki

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: To identify cataract surgery candidates’ knowledge, beliefs, desires and emotions as they relate to cataract surgery generally as well as to their behavioral intent to adhere to a doctor-recommended pre-surgical ocular surface prep routine designed to improve refractive outcomes and prevent surgical complications.

Methods: This national, noninterventional, cross-sectional, mixed methods survey included 278 US adults ages 65 and older with no history of cataract surgery in either eye.

Results: Only 20% of participants said they want to have cataract surgery, and even fewer (8%) said they wish they could have cataract surgery right away. Fear was the predominant emotion …

“This Isn’T Just Busy, This Is Scary”: Stress, Social Support, And Coping Experiences Of Frontline Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erin S. Craw, Tess M. Buckley, Michelle Miller-Day

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Despite having previous experience and extensive trauma training, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for nurses working in hospital settings. During the pandemic, nurses struggle to care for patients and protect themselves from infection, while navigating ongoing organizational changes. Guided by prior literature on social support and coping, this study explores nurses’ experiences of coping with stress while treating COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 active staff nurses working in hospitals and one licensed practical nurse (LPN) at a rehabilitation center who treated COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. An inductive thematic analysis was employed …

Burnout In The Nursing Profession: Extant Knowledge And Future Directions For Research And Practice, Sara Labelle

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Burnout is a psychological state resulting from prolonged psychological or emotional job stress, and is a culmination of three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Due to the nature of the “people-work” they must constantly perform, along with a highly stressful and unpredictable work environment, nurses have alarmingly high rates of burnout among members of their profession. Given the importance of research on burnout to understanding the context-specific stressors and challenges of nursing, this review offers a synthesis of research published in the last decade in both nursing and communication journals, with an emphasis on discussing opportunities for …

Effects Of News And Threat Perceptions On Americans’ Covid-19 Precautionary Behaviors, Riva Tukachinsky Forster, Megan A. Vendemia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Our study examines the relationship between news exposure at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal threat beliefs, beliefs about others’ threat perceptions, and participation in precautionary actions. A survey of 377 U.S . adults revealed a significant main effect of news exposure on various precautionary behaviors (e.g., facial mask wear, physical distancing). Personal threat beliefs and beliefs about others’ threat perceptions serve as unique mechanisms mediating the effect of news on specific CDC-recommended and less socially desirable actions. These findings can guide news sources covering health crises in a socially responsible manner.

Identifying Behavioral Differences Between People With And Without Previous Cancer Diagnosis, Kyle Anderson, Lisa Sparks, Jianwei Zhang, Cyril Rakovski

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

We undertake a study to determine and assess the effects of the statistically significant predictors of the behaviors and notions that are associated with a cancer diagnosis using the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data. We implemented a new and extensive logistic regression modeling using stepwise variable selection and jackknife parameter estimation that identified the best explanatory model. Our results show that age, average time spent watching TV or playing games, usage of sunscreen, fruit intake intent, and the opinion-based variables for behaviors affecting high blood pressure, as well as the participant preference of not knowing the chance …

An E-Learning Adaptation Of An Evidence-Based Media Literacy Curriculum To Prevent Youth Substance Use In Community Groups: Development And Feasibility Of Real Media, Anne E. Ray, Kathryn Greene, Michael L. Hecht, Sarah C. Barriage, Michelle Miller-Day, Shannon D. Glenn, Smita C. Banerjee

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background: There is a need for evidence-based substance use prevention efforts that target high school-aged youth that are easy to implement and suitable for dissemination in school and community groups. The Youth Message Development (YMD) program is a brief, four-lesson, in-person curriculum that aims to prevent youth substance use through the development of youth media literacy. Specifically, YMD aims to increase understanding of advertising reach and costs, along with the techniques used to sell products; develop counterarguing and critical thinking skills in response to advertisements; and facilitate application of these skills to the development of youth-generated antisubstance messages. Although …

Promoting Support For Public Health Policies Through Mediated Contact: Can Narrator Perspective And Self-Disclosure Curb In-Group Favoritism?, Riva Tukachinsky, Emily Brogan-Freitas, Tessa Urbanovich

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

An online 2 × 2 factorial experiment (N = 203) examined the effect of parasocial contact on support for public health policies in the context of opioid addiction. We hypothesize that because of an intergroup dynamic, individuals are less likely to engage with an outgroup character than an in-group character featured in a news magazine article. Results support the in-group favoritism hypothesis. The study examines two narrative devices for overcoming this tendency: the narrator’s perspective and amount of insight into the character’s inner world through character self-disclosure. We find support for the narrator perspective but not for the self-disclosure effect. …

Designed Cultural Adaptation And Delivery Quality In Rural Substance Use Prevention: An Effectiveness Trial For The Keepin’ It Real Curriculum, Michael L. Hecht, Youngju Shin, Jonathan Pettigrew, Michelle Miller-Day, Janice L. Krieger

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined how cultural adaptation and delivery quality of the school-based intervention keepin’ it REAL (kiR) influenced adolescent substance use. The goal of the study was to compare the effectiveness of the multi-cultural, urban (non-adapted) kiR intervention, a re-grounded (adapted) rural version of the kiR intervention and control condition in a new, rural setting. A total of 39 middle schools in rural communities of two states in the USA were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (i.e., control, non-adapted urban kiR, and adapted rural kiR). Data included adolescent self-reported lifetime substance use and observers’ ratings of delivery quality …

Trends Of Parent-Adolescent Drug Talk Styles In Early Adolescence, Youngju Shin, Jonathan Pettigrew, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janice L. Krieger

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The present study seeks to understand how parents as prevention agents approach substance use prevention messages during the period of early adolescence. Students (N = 410) in a drug prevention trial completed surveys from 7th to 9th grade. Using longitudinal data, a series of latent transition analyses was conducted to identify major trends of parent–adolescent drug talk styles (i.e., never talked, situated direct, ongoing direct, situated indirect, and ongoing indirect) in control and treatment conditions. Findings demonstrate a developmental trend in drug talk styles toward a situated style of talk as youth transitioned from 7th grade to 9th grade. …

Differential Effects Of Parental “Drug Talk” Styles And Family Communication Environments On Adolescent Substance Use, Youngju Shin, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The current study examines the relationships among adolescent reports of parent–adolescent drug talk styles, family communication environments (e.g., expressiveness, structural traditionalism, and conflict avoidance), and adolescent substance use. ANCOVAs revealed that the 9th grade adolescents (N = 718) engaged in four styles of “drug talks” with parents (e.g., situated direct, ongoing direct, situated indirect, and ongoing indirect style) and these styles differed in their effect on adolescent substance use. Multiple regression analyses showed that expressiveness and structural traditionalism were negatively related to adolescent substance use, whereas conflict avoidance was positively associated with substance use. When controlling for family communication …

Taking An Hpv Vaccine Research-Tested Intervention To Scale In A Clinical Setting, Suellen Hopfer, Anne E. Ray, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day, Rhonda Belue, Gregory Zimet, W. Douglas Evans, Francis X. Mckee

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Research tested interventions are seldom ready for wide spread use. Successful intervention adaptation to clinical settings demands an iterative process with target audience feedback. We describe the adaptation process of implementing an NCI research tested HPV vaccine intervention, Women's Stories, to a community clinic context (Planned Parenthood). Five phases are described for the adaptation of content and the development of a health kiosk intervention delivery system: (a) informant interviews with the target audience of young adult, predominantly African-American women, (b) translating HPV vaccine decision narratives into prevention messages, (c) health kiosk interface design, (d) conducting a usability study of the …

Entertainment-Education Videos As A Persuasive Tool In The Substance Use Prevention Intervention "Keepin' It Real", Youngju Shin, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janice L. Krieger

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Based on social cognitive theory and narrative engagement theory, the current study examined hypothesized indirect effects of engagement with keepin’ it REAL (kiR) curriculum entertainment–education (E–E) videos on youth alcohol use via youth drug offer refusal efficacy. Students in 7th grade (N = 1,464) at 25 public schools in two Midwestern states were randomly assigned to one of the two versions of the kiR curriculum, the kiR urban version and the kiR rural version. Each version had their own set of five culturally-grounded E–E videos depicting communicative skills to refuse drug offers. Differential effects for engagement components …

Coming To The New D.A.R.E.: A Preliminary Test Of The Officer-Taught Elementary Keepin’ It Real Curriculum, L. Edward Day, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Desiree Fehmie

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The present study reports a preliminary evaluation of D.A.R.E.’s new elementary school keepin’ it REAL substance abuse prevention program. Given the widespread dissemination of D.A.R.E., this evaluation, even though of short term effects, has important implications for national prevention efforts. The new prevention curriculum teaches social and emotional competencies such as decision making and resistance skills. Social and emotional competencies and other risk factors were examined among students (N = 943) in 26 classrooms, 13 classrooms in the treatment condition (n = 359) and 13 classrooms in the control condition (n = 584) using a quasi-experimental matched group design. Pretest …

Rationale And Study Protocol For The Patient-Centered Outcome Aid (Pcoa) Randomized Controlled Trial: A Personalized Decision Tool For Newly Diagnosed Ovarian Cancer Patients, Lari Wenzel, Dana Mukamel, Kathryn Osann, Laura Havrilesky, Lisa Sparks, Joseph Lipscomb, Alexi A. Wright, Joan Walker, Ronald Alvarez, Linda Van Le, Katina Robison, Robert Bristow, Robert Morgan, Bobbie Rimel, Heather Ladd, Susie Hsieh, Aditi Wahi, David Cohn

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

"The purpose of this study was to develop and test the effectiveness of a Patient-Centered Outcome Aid (PCOA) compared to a control condition of usual care, as patients chose between IV or IP therapy for advanced ovarian cancer. We developed an internet-based decision aid to improve patient-centered outcomes and tested it within a randomized clinical trial. The purpose of this paper is to describe the clinical trial development and protocol."

A Longitudinal Study Of Parental Anti-Substance-Use Socialization For Early Adolescents’ Substance Use Behaviors, Youngju Shin, Michelle Miller-Day

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The present study examines the role of communication in shaping norms and behaviors with significant personal and societal consequences. Based on primary socialization theory and the general theory of family communication, parental anti-substance-use socialization processes were hypothesized to influence early adolescents’ substance use norms and behaviors. Using longitudinal data (N =1,059), the results revealed that parent-adolescent prevention communication about substance use in the media and parental anti-substance-use injunctive norms were positively associated with early adolescents’ personal anti-substance-use norms, which, in turn, led to decreases in recent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. It was also found that family expressiveness and structural …

Parental Messages About Substance Use In Early Adolescence: Extending A Model Of Drug-Talk Styles, Jonathan Pettigrew, Michelle Miller-Day, Young Ju Shin, Janice L. Krieger, Michael L. Hecht, John W. Graham

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study extends a typology of parent-offspring drug talk styles to early adolescents and investigates associations with adolescent substance use. Data come from a self-report survey associated with a school-based, 7th grade drug prevention curriculum. Mixed-methods were used to collect data across four measurement occasions spanning 30 months. Findings highlight frequencies of various drug-talk styles over time (i.e., situated direct, ongoing direct, situated indirect, ongoing indirect, never talked), messages adolescents hear from parents, and comparisons of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use by drug talk style. This study advances understanding of parent-adolescent communication about substances and holds practical implications for drug …

How Nurse-Led Practices Perceive Implementation Of The Patient-Centered Medical Home, Rosemary Frasso, A. Golinkoff, Heather Klusaritz, Katherine Kellom, Helen Kollar-Mcarthur, Michelle Miller-Day, Robert Gabbay, Peter F. Cronholm

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) promotes the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model as a way to improve healthcare quality, the patient experience, and has identified nurse-led primary care as a mechanism meeting the increasing demand for quality primary care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of a PCMH model in nurse-led primary care practices and to identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of this model.

Methods

Data were collected through in-depth interviews with providers and staff in nurse-led practices.

Results

These data suggest two categories of processes that facilitate the integration of PCMH in …

Parent Prevention Communication Profiles And Adolescent Substance Use: A Latent Profile Analysis And Growth Curve Model, Hye Jeong Choi, Michelle Miller-Day, Youngju Shin, Michael L. Hecht, Jonathan Pettigrew, Janice L. Krieger, Jeongkyu Lee, John W. Graham

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This current study identifies distinct parent prevention communication profiles and examines whether youth with different parental communication profiles have varying substance use trajectories over time. Eleven schools in two rural school districts in the Midwestern United States were selected, and 784 students were surveyed at three time points from the beginning of 7th grade to the end of 8th grade. A series of latent profile analyses were performed to identify discrete profiles/subgroups of substance-specific prevention communication (SSPC). The results revealed a 4-profile model of SSPC: Active-Open, Passive-Open, Active-Silent, and Passive-Silent. A growth curve model revealed different rates of lifetime substance …

“In Principle We Have Agreement, But In Practice It Is A Bit More Difficult": Obtaining Organizational Buy-In To Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation, Janelle Applequist, Michelle Miller-Day, Peter F. Cronholm, Robert Gabbay, Deborah S. Bowen

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a model of care that emphasizes the coordination of patient treatment among health care providers. Practice transformation to this model, however, presents a number of challenges. One of these challenges is getting the buy-in of all personnel to commit to making organizational changes in the journey to becoming a nationally recognized medical home. This study investigated internal messages of buy-in as communicated by practices transitioning to this type of care. Grounding itself in stakeholder theory, this study analyzed interviews with staff, administration, and practitioners from 20 medical practices in a mid-Atlantic state. The analysis …

Psychological Abuse, Mental Health, And Acceptance Of Dating Violence Among Adolescents, Jeff R. Temple, Hye Jeong Choi, Joanna Elmquist, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day, Gregory L. Stuart, Meagan Brem, Caitlin Wolford-Clevenger

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

Existing literature indicates that acceptance of dating violence is a significant and robust risk factor for psychological dating abuse perpetration. Past work also indicates a significant relationship between psychological dating abuse perpetration and poor mental health. However, no known research has examined the relationship between acceptance of dating violence, perpetration of dating abuse, and mental health. In addition to exploring this complex relationship, the present study examines whether psychological abuse perpetration mediates the relationship between acceptance of dating violence and mental health (i.e., internalizing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility).

Methods

Three waves of longitudinal data were obtained from …

Stakeholder Perspectives On Changes In Hypertension Care Under The Patient-Centered Medical Home, Alison J. O'Donnell, Hillary R. Bogner, Peter F. Cronholm, Katherine Kellom, Michelle Miller-Day, Heather F. De Vries Mcclintock, Elise M. Kaye, Robert Gabbay

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease, yet the proportion of adults whose hypertension is controlled is low. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a model for care delivery that emphasizes patientcentered and team-based care and focuses on quality and safety. Our goal was to investigate changes in hypertension care under PCMH implementation in a large multipayer PCMH demonstration project that may have led to improvements in hypertension control.

Methods

The PCMH transformation initiative conducted 118 semistructured interviews at 17 primary care practices in southeastern Pennsylvania between January 2011 and January 2012. Clinicians (n …

Teacher Narratives And Student Engagement Testing Narrative Engagement Theory In Drug Prevention Education, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janice L. Krieger, Jonathan Pettigrew, Young Ju Shin, John L. Graham

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Testing narrative engagement theory, this study examines student engagement and teachers’ spontaneous narratives told in a narrative-based drug prevention curriculum. The study describes the extent to which teachers share their own narratives in a narrative-based curriculum, identifies dominant narrative elements, forms and functions, and assesses the relationships among teacher narratives, overall lesson narrative quality, and student engagement. One-hundred videotaped lessons of the keepin’ it REAL drug prevention curriculum were coded and the results supported the claim that increased narrative quality of a prevention lesson would be associated with increased student engagement. The quality of narrativity, however, varied widely. Implications of …

Resisting Pressure From Peers To Engage In Sexual Behavior: What Communication Strategies Do Early Adolescent Latino Girls Use?, Anne E. Norris, Jonathan Pettigrew, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janet Hutchison, Kristi Campoe

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

A content analysis of early adolescent = 12.02 years) Latino girls’ (n = 44) responses to open-ended questions embedded in an electronic survey was conducted to explore strategies girls may use to resist peer pressure with respect to sexual behavior. Analysis yielded 341 codable response units, 74% of which were consistent with the REAL typology (i.e., refuse, explain, avoid, leave) previously identified in adolescent substance use research. However, strategies reflecting a lack of resistance (11%) and inconsistency with communication competence (e.g., aggression) were also noted (15%). Frequency of particular strategies varied depending on the situation described in the open-ended …

From Kids, Through Kids, To Kids: Examining The Social Influence Strategies Used By Adolescents To Promote Prevention Among Peers, Janice L. Krieger, Samantha Coveleski, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day, John W. Graham, Jonathan Pettigrew, Allison Kootsikas

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Recent technological advances have increased the interest and ability of lay audiences to create messages; however, the feasibility of incorporating lay multimedia messages into health campaigns has seldom been examined. Drawing on the principle of cultural grounding and narrative engagement theory, this article seeks to examine what types of messages adolescents believe are most effective in persuading their peers to resist substance use and to provide empirical data on the extent to which audience-generated intervention messages are consistent with the associated campaign philosophy and branding. Data for the current study are prevention messages created by students as part of a …