Educational Level Of Participants Research Articles

Protecting children: a survey of caregivers’ knowledge of Georgia’s child restraint laws

IntroductionThe leading cause of injury and death among children in the United States is motor vehicle crashes. Even though restraint laws are in place and public awareness campaigns and educational interventions have increased, many children are still improperly restrained or not restrained at all. When correctly used, child restraints significantly reduce risk of injury or death.MethodsThe purpose of the study was to elicit caregiver baseline knowledge of car seat installation and regulation before receiving car seat education from certified technicians at Inspection Station events. Inspection Station is a program whereby staff assists parents in correctly positioning car seats in participants’ vehicles. Over an 8-week period, Safe Kids Cobb County Car Seat Technicians distributed a 16-item survey, with 10 knowledge-based questions and six demographic questions to Inspection Station participants. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were conducted to assess relationships between participant age, ethnicity, and gender with overall knowledge scores. Regression analysis was run to determine the association between participant education level and total child restraint knowledge.ResultsOne hundred sixty-nine surveys were completed. Participant knowledge of vehicular child restraint ranged from 0% to 90% on all items. Only 29.6% of caregivers understood the proper tightness of the harness system. Less than half of the caregivers (43.8%) were aware of the Georgia law requiring children aged 6 years and younger to be in some type of child restraint. Only 43.2% of caregivers surveyed knew that children need to ride in a rear-facing child restraint until 1 year of age and 20 pounds. No significant correlations between participant knowledge and age were found. Statistically significant associations were found between total knowledge scores and education level, ethnicity, and gender.DiscussionThe results from this study describe baseline knowledge among a sample of participants at Inspection Station activities held in Cobb County, Georgia. These results can help inform tailoring of future programming so that the impact of enhanced health education/prevention messages for intended populations can be maximized and health child injury risk related to improper restraints can be minimized.

Community perception of biodiversity conservation within protected areas in Benin

Commitment of local communities to protected areas is essential for conserving biodiversity. However, in many developing countries like Benin, former management strategies kept human from protected areas using coercion. Fortunately, more recent regimes attempt to give local populations more control on the management but little is known about local residents' perceptions, beliefs and attitudes toward the management of these areas. This study, carried out around the Pendjari National Park, determined factors which support local communities' positive perceptions towards biodiversity conservation in the park, analysed their assessment of current park management activities compared to former management approaches and draw the implications for effective participatory management of protected areas. We collected socio-demographic data from 164 residents on their awareness of conservation methods. We used Stepwise Discriminant Analysis to differentiate the variables that had the greatest power for discriminating between local residents' perception to conserve or not biodiversity and to manage the park. The findings indicated that the positive behavior of local communities towards conservation of biodiversity within Pendjari National Park was highly correlated with the current management strategy that involved more effectively local communities, the educational level of participants and their geographical origins. Participants' perceptions of biodiversity conservation were strongly related to locally perceived benefits. Although 89% of participants were favorable to the concept of biodiversity conservation within the park, the decision to ban encroachments due to agricultural activities increased negative opinion on this park management option. Our results suggested that understanding local residents' perceptions and using them as a starting point to improve the park–people relationship could help park management staff to involve more effectively local communities and improve their awareness about biodiversity conservation within the park.

Effectiveness of Stroke Education in the Emergency Department Waiting Room

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of stroke education provided to patients and their significant others in the emergency department (ED) waiting area. Our focus was on the 4 main aspects of stroke: signs and symptoms, risk factors, behavior modification, and the urgency to seek medical attention. We hypothesized that showing educational videos, providing one-on-one counseling, and distributing literature would result in greater stroke knowledge and positive behavioral modification. In this pilot, randomized controlled trial, our research team enrolled patients and visitors in the fast-track waiting area of the ED. After obtaining informed written consent, participants were randomly assigned to the control group or to the intervention group. The intervention group received an educational video program, one-on-one counseling, and stroke education materials, and completed a 13-question test after receiving the education. The control group completed the same test without receiving any education. Both groups completed the same test again at 1 and 3 months to assess stroke knowledge retention. There were a total of 329 participants: 151 in the control group and 178 in the intervention group. Gender, age, and educational level of participants did not differ between groups. At all time points of the study, participants receiving stroke education demonstrated better test scores than those in the control group. However, knowledge retention in the intervention group gradually declined during the follow-up. Individuals enrolled in the intervention group appeared to be more motivated to reduce their smoking habits, compared with control subjects; however, the number of cigarettes they smoked per day did not dramatically decrease in comparison with their own baseline. Receiving the education session did not result in positive diet or physical activity changes. ED stroke education, which includes video program, one-on-one counseling, and written educational materials, is able to significantly increase stroke knowledge. Modification and reinforcement of education is needed to achieve better knowledge retention and favorable lifestyle modifications.

Normative Data for the Pyramids and Palm Trees Test in the Quebec-French Population

Semantic memory tests assess long-term memory for facts, objects, and concepts as well as words and their meaning. Since it holds culturally shared information, the development of normative data adjusted to the cultural and linguistic reality of the target population is of particular importance. The present study aimed to establish normative data for the Pyramids and Palm Trees Test, a commonly used test of semantic memory, in the French-Quebec population. The normative sample consisted of 214 healthy French-speaking adults and elderly persons from various regions of the province of Quebec. The effects of participants' age, gender, and education level on test performance were assessed. Results indicated that participants' level of education and age, but not sex, were found to be significantly associated with performance on this test. Normative data are presented as means and standard deviations. Overall, the present norms are consistent with those of previous studies with Spanish samples.

Family of origin, age at menarche, and reproductive strategies: A test of four evolutionary-developmental models

Four evolutionary-developmental models within a life history theory framework were compared as to their predictions of the influences of family of origin on age at menarche and differences in reproductive strategies. Predictions of paternal investment theory (Draper & Harpending, 1982), psychosocial acceleration theory (Belsky, Steinberg, & Draper, 1991), polygyny indication model (Kanazawa, 2001), and child development theory (Ellis, 2004) were tested by structural equation modelling in an internet study of 439 women between the ages of 18 and 30. Results show that the existence of a father figure has an impact on the age at menarche, which influences the age at first sexual intercourse. The directions of influences confirm the predictions of paternal investment theory (Draper & Harpending, 1982), psychosocial acceleration theory (Belsky et al., 1991), and child development theory (Ellis, 2004), but not the predictions of the polygyny indication model (Kanazawa, 2001). No significant associations could be found between age at menarche and other reproductive strategy markers; this supports one of the central assumptions of child development theory (Ellis, 2004). Instead, it was the age at first sexual intercourse, influenced by the age at menarche, the existence of a father figure, and participant's educational level, that was most critical for the future reproductive strategies.

The unique contribution of attitudes toward non-alcoholic drinks to the prediction of adolescents' and young adults' alcohol consumption

Attitudes toward alternative behaviors, such as drinking soda instead of alcohol, might contribute to the prediction of young people's drinking behavior. The current study explored the associations between late adolescents' and young adults' attitudes toward alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and their alcohol consumption, and whether these associations were moderated by participants' sex, age and education level. Cross-sectional data were collected among 1012 15 to 25-year-olds. Participants completed an online questionnaire on attitudes toward alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, binge drinking and monthly alcohol consumption. Data were analyzed by employing structural equation modeling in Mplus. After controlling for the shared variance in both attitudes, attitudes toward alcoholic drinks were positively related and attitudes toward non-alcoholic drinks were negatively related to participants' monthly alcohol use and binge drinking. Relations between attitudes towards alcoholic drinks and monthly alcohol consumption were stronger for boys than for girls and stronger for participants with intermediate education background. Relations between both attitudes and binge drinking were strongest for high educated participants. According to our data, non-alcohol attitudes provide a unique contribution to the prediction of alcohol use.

Older adults’ perceptions of mentally ill older adults

Objectives: Many mentally ill older adults are stigmatized, which reduces quality of life and discourages help-seeking. This study's goal was to identify factors associated with stigma. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 101) were asked to indicate their attitudes toward and reactions to three hypothetical older women with depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Results: The results suggest that schizophrenic persons are viewed as most dangerous and dependent, while anxious persons are seen as most responsible for their illness. Age, gender, and educational level of participants were associated with desired social distance and differing perceptions of the hypothetical persons. Conclusion: These findings can be used to improve educational efforts that seek to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness in older adults.

Coitus interruptus as a contraceptive method: Turkish women’s perceptions and experiences

This paper is a report of a study conducted to determine the perceptions and experiences of coitus interruptus as a contraceptive method used by married women in Turkey. Various factors affect women's choice of contraceptive methods. One of these factors is socioeconomic status, which may have an effect on the practice of coitus interruptus by women. Socioeconomic status refers to the relative position of a family or individual in a hierarchical social structure based on their access to or control over wealth, prestige and power. The study population consisted of married Turkish women from two different socioeconomic status groups in Turkey who were currently using coitus interruptus. Structured interviews on their demographic characteristics and perceptions and experiences of coitus interruptus were carried out between August 2004 and August 2005 with a convenience sample of 422 women (response rate 97.2%). Most participants were satisfied with the practice of coitus interruptus. Conception was the most common reason for discontinuing practice of the method. Age and educational level of participants did not affect failure in coitus interruptus practice in women of either socioeconomic status. The majority of the women of both socioeconomic statuses began practising coitus interruptus again after having stopped. Women generally favoured coitus interruptus, believing in its efficacy and safety, and stated that both women and their husbands preferred to use it. Nurses and midwives should promote knowledge of all effective methods for fertility regulation while women are in the fertile ages.

A Survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Knowledge among Health Educators in the United States

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular among U.S. health care consumers, but no study has examined how much health educators know about CAM. Purpose: To examine the knowledge of basic CAM concepts and common CAM therapies among health educators in the U.S. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 1,299 health educators with valid e-mails on a professional listserv. The response rate was 39%. The 16-item CAM knowledge scale yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of .71. Results: Participating health educators were most knowledgeable about chiropractic and massage therapy, familiar with the general definition of CAM, understood whether acupuncture is beneficial in treating a variety of health conditions, and whether there is sufficient scientificevidence regarding CAM safety and effectiveness. Participants were unclear about the difference between complementary medicine and alternative medicine. CAM knowledge appeared to be influenced by the participants' sex, education level, race/ethnicity, and employment setting. Discussion: Similar to other studies, participating health educators were more familiar with the concepts of commonly used CAM therapies than those of less widely practiced ones. Translation to Health Education Practice: CAM education should be implemented as part of a professional preparation curriculum and in the form of continuing education for health educators in the U.S.

Impact of socioeconomic status on longitudinal accumulation of cardiovascular risk in young adults: the CARDIA Study (USA)

Our objectives were to describe the trajectories of biological risk factors of cardiovascular disease in young adults, and to study the association of socioeconomic status (SES) with aggregate risk scores that summarize longitudinal risk accumulation from multiple risk factors. We used data from a prospective, bi-racial, cohort study of 18–30-year-old adults in the USA, initiated in 1985, with 10-year follow-up. SES was measured by parental education level, financial hardship during the study, and the participant's education level by the end of the study. We studied growth patterns of seven biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease using a semi-parametric, class-mixture model to identify clusters of individuals with distinct growth trajectories. Risk scores that summarize risk from all seven risk factors were created to reflect risk at baseline, longitudinal risk change over 10 years, and total accumulated risk. Multivariable regression was used to study their associations with SES within each race/gender group. We found tracking of all seven risk factors: in each case, the cluster with the highest baseline value maintained its position as the highest-risk cluster over the next 10 years. After adjustment for age, lifestyle, and healthcare access, SES was associated inversely with baseline risk score in women (black and white), with risk change score in all four race/gender groups, and with accumulated risk score in women (black and white) and in white men. Our findings suggest that individuals with high overall cardiovascular risk in midlife can be identified by their relatively higher values of risk factors in younger ages and that socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular risk start accumulating early in life.

Contribution of adolescent and early adult personality to the inverse association between education and cardiovascular risk behaviours: prospective population-based cohort study

The role of early personality in socioeconomic inequalities in health is not well understood. We investigated the extent to which type A components in adolescence and early adulthood contributed to the inverse association between education and behavioural cardiovascular disease risk factors in adulthood. Prospective cohort study with a population-based random sample of 477 men and 648 women, aged 12-21 years at baseline. Baseline data included information on pathogenic and protective components of type A behaviours (impatience, aggression, hard-driving, and engagement-involvement) and parental education. The 9-year follow-up data included information on the participant's educational level and health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, butter use). After adjustment for parental education, high levels of impatience and low levels of hard-driving in adolescence and early adulthood predicted low educational level in adulthood (Ps < 0.01 for men, Ps < 0.001 for women). Adulthood education was inversely associated with smoking in women and men (odds ratios [OR] = 8.5 and 7.9, 95% CI: 3.4-18.4 and 3.1-23.9, respectively), and with physical inactivity in women (OR = 5.4, 95% CI: 2.6-11.4). In men, components of type A behaviour explained 28.5% of the inverse association between education and smoking, even after controlling for parental education. In women, the corresponding proportions were 20.5% and 17.7% for smoking and physical inactivity, respectively. The inverse associations of adulthood education with smoking in men and women and physical inactivity in women may be partly rooted in personality-related factors present earlier in life. Our evidence suggests that personality should be studied as a potential contributor to socioeconomic differences in health behaviours.

Color Consciousness and African American Adults: Self Perception, Trait Ascription, and Interpersonal Experiences

The purpose of the following study was to expand the knowledge base on color consciousness in African American life. The settings included 2 large cities, one in the Midwest and the other in the Southeast. 37 African Americans completed surveys on self-esteem, ethnic identity, intra-racial perceptions of skin color and a demographic sheet to assess color consciousness. Participants then participated in a semi-structured focus group. Bivariate regression analysis revealed darker skinned participants’ preference for darker skin (r = .43; p=.01). Paired t-test analyses reflected skin tone biases and correlation analyses suggested relationships between participant education level and ethnic identity and participant education level and parental income. Focus group analyses indicated color consciousness and the significance of skin tone in life experiences. Implications for mental health professionals are discussed.

The neurodevelopmental hypothesis in schizophrenia: Defining a composite phenotype

Cognitive remediation in people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) that interfere with work, but less research has evaluated its effects in those who have not benefitted from vocational services. Participants with SMI (83% schizophrenia) who had not benefitted from vocational rehabilitation were randomized to vocational services enhanced by training vocational specialists in recognizing cognitive difficulties and providing job-relevant cognitive coping strategies (Enhanced Vocational Rehabilitation: E-VR), or similarly enhanced vocational services and cognitive remediation (Thinking Skills Work: TSW). Cognition and symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-treatment (9 months), and follow-up (18 months), with work tracked weekly for 3 years. Fifty-four participants were randomized to E-VR (N = 26) or TSW (N = 28). Participants in TSW had high rates of exposure to the program (89%) and improved more than those in E-VR on cognitive functioning post-training, with attenuation of some gains at the 18-months. Participants in TSW and E-VR did not differ significantly in competitive work (57% vs. 48%) or paid employment (61% vs. 48%) over the 3-year study, although those in TSW were more likely to be engaged in any work activity, including paid or volunteer work (75% vs. 50%, p = 0.057), and had more weeks of work activity (23.04 vs. 48.82, p = 0.051), and improved marginally more on the clinical symptoms. The significantly higher education level of participants in E-VR than TSW at baseline may have obscured the effects of TSW. This study supports the feasibility and potential benefits of cognitive remediation for persons who have not benefited from vocational rehabilitation.

Location Negative Priming May Be Abolished in Older Age

The present study highlights with the example of location negative priming (LNP) a considerable problem in ageing research, namely the lack of consistent replication of age-related effects on measures of cognitive inhibition. Only a few studies have investigated the effects of ageing on LNP with the overall conclusion that LNP remains largely intact in older adults. In contrast, the two experiments presented here demonstrated a significant abolition of LNP in older relative to younger participants. LNP was a robust effect over early and middle adulthood (19 years - 59 years) but declined from the age of 60 years onwards. Moreover, this effect could not be accounted for by psychometric variables that have been associated with impaired negative priming (dementia, depression, schizotypy, cognitive failure). Thus, the present data provide evidence that LNP can be severely diminished in older adults. It is suggested that discrepancies to previous studies might have arisen due to differences in the educational level of participants in different studies.

Sociodemographic factors in Health Psychology research: 12 years in review.

The article provides a 12-year review of health psychology research through a content analysis of the journal Health Psychology. Empirical studies of adults (n = 490) and children (n = 103) published between 1985-1996 were assessed with respect to information reported on race, income, education level, gender, and age characteristics of study participants. Although gender and age were usually reported, several studies did not provide race, income, or education information. However, time-trend analyses revealed significant improvements over the past few years in reporting of race, education, and age in articles on adults and in race reporting in articles on children.

Analiza delovanja študijskih krožkov v Sloveniji

Študijski krožki so ena izmed neformalnih oblik učenja. Najdaljšo tradicijo imajo na Švedskem, kjer so jih začeli uvajati že na začetku stoletja. V Sloveniji so se začeli razvijati leta 1992. Vsako leto se v njih vključi približno 830 Slovencev, to pa pomeni kar 0,4 promila vsega prebivalstva. V štirih letih delovanja se je v Sloveniji vanje vključilo 2500 ljudi. Razveseljivo je, da se študijski krožki širijo po vsej Sloveniji. V letih 1993-1994 so potekali v 21 slovenskih krajih, v letih 1995-1996 pa že v 56 krajih. Udeleženci študijskih krožkov imajo v povprečju najmanj srednjo izobrazbo.

Training administrators for improved service delivery to small farmers: experiences from somalia

Effective training must be properly conceived and relevant and therefore based on identified performance problems or gaps in the organization. It is also crucial to distinguish those needs which may be addressed by training from those which have their root causes in other factors such as inappropriate policies or exogenous factors arising from the international economic environment. The objective of the FAO's project “Training Administrators of Agricultural Development for Small Farmers” was to bring about improvements in the administration of small farmer agricultural development, particularly relating to the performance of the Ministry of Agriculture and constituent agencies. A key strategy to achieving this objective was a series of training programmes, on a pilot basis including: (a) an analytical assessment of the effectiveness of the delivery system to small farmers, based upon a sample survey at the village level; (b) taking the latter into account, preparation of case study material which suggeste...

Socioeconomic status and electrolyte intake in black adults: the Pitt County Study.

Although the inverse association between socioeconomic status (SES) and blood pressure has often been observed, little is known about the relationship between SES and dietary risk factors for elevated blood pressure. Therefore, this study described the distribution of dietary intakes of sodium, potassium, and calcium and examined the association between electrolyte intake and SES among 1784 Black men and women aged 25 to 50 residing in eastern North Carolina. Household interviews were conducted in 1988 to obtain information on psychosocial and dietary correlates of blood pressure. Electrolyte intake (mg/day) was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire adapted to reflect regional and ethnic food preferences. SES was categorized into three levels defined by the participant's educational level and occupation. After adjustment for age and energy intake, potassium and calcium intake increased with increasing SES for both sexes. Sodium intake was high for all groups and did not vary markedly with SES, but sodium to potassium and sodium to calcium ratios decreased with increasing SES. In addition, high SES individuals were more likely to believe that diet affects risk for disease and to report less salt use at the table and less current sodium consumption than in the past. These data indicate that nutritional beliefs as well as the consumption of electrolytes are associated with SES in Black adults.

Attitudes of Rehabilitation Professionals Toward Aging And Older Persons

Relationships among information on aging, fear of aging, and involvement with older persons were examined in private rehabilitation facilities in Alabama. A questionnaire including the Facts on Aging Quiz, a fear index, and hours of involvement was used to assess the variables. The demographic variables of age, sex, race, and educational level of participants were also examined. Relationships among the three instrument variables and among the instrument and demographic variables were tested at the p .01 level by Pearson product moment correlations and attendant t-tests. The following relationships were found to be significant. Greater information was associated with being white, having less fear, and higher education. Greater involvement was associated with lower education and being nonwhite.