Biomedical subjects

Frances B Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Frances B Smith.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Rural African-American women who use cocaine: needs and future aspirations related to their mothering role.

The overall purpose of this ethnographic study was to understand the culture of rural African-American women who use cocaine, with this report focusing on their perceived mothering needs and future aspirations. Three semi-structured interviews and participant observations were conducted over four years with 30 respondents, of which 24 were mothers. Data for this article were derived from the 21 mothers who cared for dependent children. Four mothering-related needs (escape from boredom, others to help mother for them, not having others' children to mother, and having children to "keep them going") and two categories of mothering-related aspirations (child-focused or self-focused) were identified. Given the limited resources in the area, an unexpected finding was the absence of some needs and aspirations. Theoretical explanations for the themes identified as well as those not identified are posited, and practice and research implications are presented.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Place and space: the where and why of drug-use location among rural African American women.

Increasing drug use among rural African American women and its effect on children warrants investigation. This article describes drug-use locations of rural African American women who use cocaine and construct their lives to conceal it from children. During 4 years, a 30-respondent ethnography was conducted. Data from in-depth interviews and field notes were analyzed for recurrent themes and patterns of drug-use location using NVivo. Most respondents with children used most often outside their households. One third (n = 10) used within their households when children were away or in designated spaces off limits to children. More respondents (n = 11) without children at home used in non-designated spaces; in contrast, few respondents (n = 2) with children at home used in non-designated spaces within the household. Most respondents thought they were successful at concealing their cocaine use. Implications for choice of space and place of drug use for themselves and their children are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A tri-level HIV-prevention educational intervention.

Preventing HIV transmission is a major world health goal. The international nursing shortage and the cost of educational and healthcare require innovative approaches to meet this goal. The initiative described provided HIV education at three levels: to students in an R.N. to BSN program, lay health advisors (LHA's), and participants in a high-risk community. Students completed the traditional community needs assessment and teaching plans. Additionally, they contributed to funding proposals, implemented and evaluated their plan. They prepared LHA's as peer group educators. This was cost-effective and increased credibility in an African-American community. Using tested materials tailored to this population, six LHA's conducted 24 sessions in two months. Of the 168 community participants, 151 completed the pre-and post-test of HIV knowledge. Correct responses increased significantly overall from 81.9% to 88.3 (t = 4.88, df = 150; p = .001). The three items with the greatest change in correct responses related to African American HIV exposure, female condoms, and lubricants. Rationale for the project and recommendations for improvement are included.

Adult↗