ABSTRACTS

Volume 14, Number 3
April 2009

Vol. 14, Number 3: Contents| Editorial | Abstracts

The Effect of an Internet-Based, Stage-Matched Message Intervention on Young Taiwanese Women's Physical Activity
      Sheu-Jen Huang a; Wen-Chi Hung b; Maiga Chang c; Janie Chang d

a Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
b Cardinal Tien College of Nursing, Taiwan
c Program Office of National Science and Technology Program for e-Learning, Taiwan
d Department of Information Management, Kainan University, Taiwan

A web-based, stage-matched message intervention was designed in order to see the effect on the physical activity of young Taiwanese women with regard to several variables. The intervention was guided by the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and was evaluated using a pre-post-test control group design. One hundred thirty female freshmen, enrolled in a nursing class in a university in Taipei, completed the survey at three different points in time. They were assigned to three groups: an experimental group with stage-matched messages on the website, a generic group with non-stage-matched messages on the website, and a control group that was given only lectures but had no access to the website.

Results indicated that the subjects in the stage-matched group improved most in terms of stage-of-exercise and amount of physical activity, followed by the generic group at immediate post-test; meanwhile, the control group had a tendency toward downward change. The effect did not persist, however, for the first two groups. A significantly higher level of exercise self-efficacy was found in the stage-matched group than in the other two groups immediately after the intervention. The results suggested that a website conveying theory-based messages can serve as a useful tool for improving young females' physical activity and exercise self-efficacy. Additionally, we need research that explores different degrees and dimensions of tailoring in order to find the optimal degree of audience segmentation.

Bridging the Digital Divide by Increasing Computer and Cancer Literacy: Community Technology Centers for Head-Start Parents and Families
      Peter Salovey a; Pamela Williams-Piehota a; Linda Mowad b; Marta Elisa Moret c; Denielle Edlund a; Judith Andersen a

a Health, Emotion, and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
b New England Office, Cancer Information Service, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
c Urban Policy Strategies, LLC, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

This article describes the establishment of two community technology centers affiliated with Head Start early childhood education programs focused especially on Latino and African American parents of children enrolled in Head Start. A 6-hour course concerned with computer and cancer literacy was presented to 120 parents and other community residents who earned a free, refurbished, Internet-ready computer after completing the program. Focus groups provided the basis for designing the structure and content of the course and modifying it during the project period. An outcomes-based assessment comparing program participants with 70 nonparticipants at baseline, immediately after the course ended, and 3 months later suggested that the program increased knowledge about computers and their use, knowledge about cancer and its prevention, and computer use including health information-seeking via the Internet. The creation of community computer technology centers requires the availability of secure space, capacity of a community partner to oversee project implementation, and resources of this partner to ensure sustainability beyond core funding.

The Role of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising in Shaping Public Opinion Surrounding Prescription Drug Use to Treat Depression or Anxiety in Youth
     Lourdes S. Martinez a; Nehama Lewis a

a Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

This study investigated the impact of exposure to prescription drug advertisements for antidepressants and antianxiety medications on public opinion regarding preferred treatment options for youth suffering from depression or anxiety. The study randomly recruited a nationally representative adult sample (N = 402) through the 2007 Annenberg National Health Communication Survey. The study examined the distribution of public support for the use of antidepressant drugs to treat depression and anxiety disorders in youth. The analysis adjusted for the effects of demographic characteristics, prior knowledge about prescription drugs, and personal and familial drug history. Attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA, for all products) moderated the effect of exposure to ads for these drug treatments on support for their use among youth as a preferred treatment. Among respondents with negative attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising (for all products), with increased exposure to ads for antidepressants and antianxiety medications, support for the use of these drugs to treat youth decreased. Among this group, with high levels of exposure to advertisements, the predicted probability of support decreased from 0.68 (95% CI: 0.61 to 0.76) to 0.46 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.56). No effect was found among respondents with positive attitudes toward DTCA (for all products). The implications of the findings are discussed.

Media Influence on Alcohol-Control Policy Support in the U.S. Adult Population: The Intervening Role of Issue Concern and Risk Judgments
    Michael D. Slater a; Frank Lawrence b; Maria Leonora G. Comello a

a The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
b The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Data from a national random-digit dial survey (N = 1,272) were analyzed to examine the influence of news media use on alcohol-control policy support, and to test whether risk judgments and concern about alcohol-related risks mediated effects of news media use variables on support for various types of alcohol-control public policies. In so doing, we test the proposition that perceptions influenced by routine coverage of events such as crime or accidents may in part explain news effects on public policy support in the domain of health policy. Analyses indicated that the (positive) influence of attention to news about crime and accidents on support for laws increasing server liability and limiting marketing of alcohol products was mediated by concern about risks of alcohol-related injuries and by perceptions of the alcohol-attributable fraction of homicides and unintended injury fatalities. Tests of model fit suggest that concern precedes the more cognitive risk judgment in the mediation model.

Kenyan in-School Youths' Level of Understanding of Abstinence, Being Faithful, and Consistent Condom Use Terms: Implications for HIV-Prevention Programs
     Tiffany Lillie a; Julie Pulerwitz b; Barbara Curbow c

a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA
b Horizons Program/Population Council, PATH, Washington, DC, USA
c Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, College of Public Health and Health Professionals, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

The HIV-prevention behaviors of “abstinence” from sex, “being faithful” to one sexual partner, and “condom use” (ABC) are the focus of many international HIV interventions. Kenyan in-school youth ages 13-19 years (N = 1,375) were surveyed before the intended HIV-prevention intervention was implemented. As part of the survey, students wrote their definitions of the terms in a space provided. These definitions were qualitatively analyzed by determining recurrent themes, developing a codebook, and having two coders code the responses. The entire definition was assigned an overall fully comprehended, partly comprehended, did not comprehend, or no response code in comparison to the conventional definition of the term. Overall, 48% fully comprehended abstinence, 20% fully comprehended being faithful, and 7% fully comprehended consistent condom use. This suggests that these terms, and the meanings behind them, need additional clarification and discussion if they are to be used appropriately in HIV-prevention programs.

Topics and Sources of Memorable Breast Cancer Messages and Their Impact on Prevention and Detection Behaviors
     Sandi W. Smith a; Samantha Nazione a; Carolyn LaPlante a; Michael R. Kotowski b; Charles Atkin a; Christine M. Skubisz c; Cynthia Stohl d

a Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
b University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
c University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
d University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Often, people are able to recall a message on a particular topic for a long period of time. These memorable messages have the ability to influence behavior when they are recalled from memory long after initial exposure. Knowing the topics and sources of the messages that are remembered about breast cancer can improve the efficacy of future breast cancer outreach. To this end, 359 women completed an online survey about memorable breast cancer messages. Most women (60%) recalled a memorable message, described it, identified its source, and noted whether it had resulted in prevention or detection behaviors. Four categories of message topics emerged: early detection (37.3%), awareness (30.9%), treatment (25.8%), and prevention (6%). Furthermore, five categories of sources of these memorable messages were found: media (35.5%), friends (22.2%), family (21.6%), medical professionals (15.2%), and others (5.5%). The media were a major source of all four topics of messages, although family members, friends, and the medical community were major sources for particular message topics as well. Memorable messages originating from medical professionals were substantially more likely to motivate detection behaviors than prevention behaviors. This research demonstrates that message topic and source both play roles in determining message recall as well as in determining how memorable messages impacted behavior.

Book Review

A Review of: “Vande Berg, L., & Trujillo, N. (2008). Cancer and death: A love story in two voices.” Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Elizabeth Gill