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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Powerlessness, destiny, and control: the influence on health behaviors of African Americans.

This study assessed the extent to which a belief in fate or destiny might explain certain health behaviors among African Americans. A survey of 1,253 African Americans in Alabama churches was conducted. Fifty-nine percent of the total sample indicated that they believe in fate or destiny. The findings of this study suggest that fate/destiny may influence health decisions. The study found a statistically significant difference between men and women regarding their belief in fate or destiny. Women reported believing in fate and destiny more than men. Surprisingly people with more education (i.e., college or postgraduate) believed in fate and destiny significantly more than high school dropouts and high school graduates. A belief in fate or destiny also varied by income level. Respondents who made more in annual income were more likely to believe in fate and destiny than people who made less. One behavior, breast exam had a statistically significant association with a belief in fate and destiny. Women who reported never having a breast exam were more likely to believe in fate and destiny than women who did not have a belief in fate or destiny. These findings highlight the need for practitioners to examine more closely the definition of fate and destiny and determine how this belief influences or does not influence health behaviors as once believed. The research suggests a closer examination of the role culture plays in health decision making which may be independent of a belief in fate and destiny.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Preventive health behavior among black and white women in urban and rural areas.

The relationship of race to preventive health behavior among women is examined using data from the 1985 National Health Interview Survey. We find that black women are less likely to engage in primary prevention behaviors such as exercising, non-smoking and maintaining a favorable weight. However, black women are more likely to engage in secondary prevention behaviors such as receiving a Pap test or a breast exam. These findings are surprising as they indicate a change in secondary prevention behavior among black women. The racial differences in exercising, maintaining a favorable weight and receiving a Pap test or a breast exam cannot fully be explained by the differing levels of socio-economic status, measured by education and income. However, the higher percentage of smoking among black women is due to their lower levels of education. Urban/rural residence modifies the effect of race on smoking and receiving a Pap test. Black women in urban areas are most likely to be smokers. Almost no difference exists between white women in urban and rural areas concerning their likelihood of receiving a Pap test, we find that black women in urban areas are much more likely to be screened for cervical cancer than black women in rural areas.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2002

Problems in behavioral health care: leap-frogging the status quo.

A version of this paper was presented as a keynote address entitled "Strategies for Catalyzing Change" at the September 2001 Annapolis Conference on Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training. It explores some of the problems inherent in our present health care system and suggests that ultimately, revamping pre-professional training is the key to sustained system change. While the paper approaches the problems inherent in our behavioral health care system from a psychiatric perspective, it is believed that similar issues and concerns exist across disciplines and that ultimately the solution requires our ability to transcend narrower perspectives.

Behavioral Medicine↗
PubMed2006

Using narrative communication as a tool for health behavior change: a conceptual, theoretical, and empirical overview.

Narrative is the basic mode of human interaction and a fundamental way of acquiring knowledge. In the rapidly growing field of health communication, narrative approaches are emerging as a promising set of tools for motivating and supporting health-behavior change. This article defines narrative communication and describes the rationale for using it in health-promotion programs, reviews theoretical explanations of narrative effects and research comparing narrative and nonnarrative approaches to persuasion, and makes recommendations for future research needs in narrative health communication.

Health Behavior↗
PubMed2002

Ethnic-immigrant differentials in health behaviors, morbidity, and cause-specific mortality in the United States: an analysis of two national data bases.

This study examines the extent to which various ethnic-immigrant and US-born groups differ in their risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, morbidity, and health behaviors. Using data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study, 1979-1989, we estimated, for major US racial and ethnic groups, mortality risks of immigrants relative to those of the US-born. The Cox regression model was used to adjust mortality differentials by age, sex, marital status, rural/urban residence, education, and family income. Logistic regression was fitted to the National Health Interview Survey data to determine whether health status and behaviors vary among ethnic-immigrant groups and by length of US residence. Compared with US-born whites of equivalent socioeconomic and demographic background, foreign-born blacks, Hispanics, and Asians/Pacific Islanders (APIs), US-born APIs, US-born Hispanics, and foreign-born whites had, respectively, 48%, 45%, 43%, 32%, 26%, and 16% lower mortality risks. While American Indians did not differ significantly from US-born whites, US-born blacks had an 8% higher mortality risk. Black and Hispanic immigrants experienced, respectively, 52% and 26% lower mortality risks than their US-born counterparts. Considerable differentials were also found in mortality for cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious disease, and injury, and in morbidity and health behaviors, with API and Hispanic immigrants generally experiencing the lowest risks. Consistent with the acculturation hypothesis, immigrants' risks of smoking, obesity, hypertension, and chronic condition, although substantially lower than those for the US-born, increased with increasing length of US residence. Given the substantial nativity differences in health status and mortality, future waves of immigrants of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds will likely have a sizeable impact on the overall health, disease, and mortality patterns in the United States.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Application of Cox's interaction model of client health behavior in a weight control program for military personnel: a preintervention baseline.

This study represents a limited application of Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior in a weight control program for enlisted US Army soldiers. Relationships of client singularity variables (demographic characteristics, motivation, psychological distress, and designation as overweight or normal weight) to one another and to preintervention measures of client outcomes (health status, health risk) were examined in a sample of 154 soldiers. Hypotheses deduced from the model were tested using multiple regression. The Cox model received partial support, in that some client singularity variables were interrelated; they explained nearly half of the variance in health status, but less than 25% of the variance in health risk. Demographic characteristics were not effective predictors in the present study, perhaps because of the homogeneous sample. The model has potential utility for providing baseline information for preventive health programs in occupational settings.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Awareness, knowledge and perceived risk for toxic shock syndrome in relation to health behavior.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship of awareness, knowledge and perceived risk for toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in relation to health behavior. Female college students at a large urban university responded to an 18-item multiple choice questionnaire. The data obtained revealed a high awareness among the 306 subjects who participated in the study, yet many of these women lacked essential knowledge about TSS. Perceived knowledge and perceived risk for developing TSS were significantly related to: (1) menstrual product used before an awareness of TSS; (2) menstrual product presently used; and (3) changing menstrual products due to a concern for TSS. Actual knowledge was also found to be related to the subjects' changing menstrual products due to a concern for TSS. Twenty-one percent of the subjects in this study actually did change their health behavior due to a concern for TSS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Oral health status and oral health behaviors in Chinese Children.

The objectives of the study were to describe the oral health status and treatment needs of the 5- to 6-year-old and 12-year-old children in Southern China; to describe the patterns of oral health behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes among the 12-year-olds; and to assess the effects of socio-behavioral factors on the 12-year-old children's dental caries experiences. The study sample was comprised of 1,587 5- to 6-year-old and 1,576 12-year-old urban and rural schoolchildren living in Guangdong Province. Three calibrated dentists clinically examined the children, and trained interviewers interviewed the 12-year-olds. Caries prevalence of the 5- to 6-year-old children was high (urban 78% vs. rural 86%); the mean dmft of the urban and rural children was 4.8 and 7.0, respectively. The caries prevalence and mean DMFT score of the 12-year-olds were 41% and 0.9 (urban) and 42% and 0.9 (rural). Only 2% of the 12-year-olds exhibited no calculus or gingival bleeding, while more than 70% had calculus. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for establishing caries-preventive activities for preschool children. The prevalence of caries among the 12-year-olds was not high, but their periodontal condition was unsatisfactory. Knowledge about gum bleeding and the use of fluoride was low. More oral health education activities should be organized, especially for the rural children.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1993

Planning for the future of behavioral health services.

Psychiatric and chemical dependency services are increasingly being delivered through managed care with greater emphasis on ambulatory and outpatient treatments. Inpatient facilities can preserve their involvement in behavioral health services by actively developing a managed care product line. This article describes the nature of change in behavioral services, what competitive behavioral health providers will look like in the future, and the actions hospital administrators should be taking now.

Comprehensive Health Care↗
PubMed1992

Intrafamily influences on health behavior. A study of interdental cleaning behavior.

The purpose of this study was to assess quantified measures of intrafamily patterns of influence on interdental cleaning behavior based on a conceptual model of family influences on health behavior. Data stemmed from the Norwegian National Health Survey 1985, comprising 295 two-parent families with 2 children above 6 years of age. Analyses were performed with the family as the sampling unit. Logistic regression analyses were applied. The results showed that there were statistically significant associations of interdental cleaning behavior among all pairs of family members, the strongest association being between sibling (OR = 36.6). The multivariate analyses of interdental cleaning behavior of the children showed that the strongest explanatory factor was the interdental cleaning behavior of the mother (OR = 2.4). Thus, the mother seems to play an important rôle in the formation and maintenance of the elder child's interdental cleaning behavior. The highly correlated interdental cleaning behavior of the 2 siblings could be explained by correlated measurement errors as well as equity in rules and parental control and reinforcement of the behavior, in addition to substantive influential effect of the elder sibling's interdental cleaning behavior on that of the younger sibling.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

A comparison of risky health behaviors of sexually active, sexually abused, and abstaining adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To report on rates of sexual abuse among a normative sample of adolescents and identify psychosocial correlates associated with sexual abuse. METHOD: An anonymous self-report survey examining an array of psychosocial items to which 3448 grade 8 and 10 students from rural and metropolitan school districts in a southern state responded. RESULTS: There was a 105 rate of sexual abuse among this normative sample. Victims of forced sex were disproportionately female and African-American, and were more likely to reside in single-parent households. These sexually abused girls reported significantly higher levels of risky health behaviors and risky attitudes on 11 (P < .001) of the 12 comparisons. Sexually abused boys showed a similar pattern on eight (P < .001) comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Indications are that forced sex experiences are associated strongly with risky health behaviors in some adolescents, which should alert clinicians to the possibility of sexual abuse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Promoting the maintenance of health behavior change: recommendations for the next generation of research and practice.

This article highlights several broad themes that emerged from the series of papers presented at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute conference, "Maintenance of Behavior Change in Cardiorespiratory Risk Reduction," with a view to generating recommendations for the next generation of research and practice. Major recommendations center around the need for (a) new models of population health behavior change and maintenance that integrate individual-level with broader environmental and macro-level policy influences; (b) a fuller model of the maintenance process, which views maintenance more as a journey than as a destination; and (c) more theory-based and interdisciplinary research on the maintenance process and on strategies for assisting special populations and addressing more than one behavioral risk at a time.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed2004

Treatment effects from UPBEAT: a randomized trial of care management for behavioral health problems in hospitalized elderly patients.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Unified Psychogeriatric Biopsychosocial Evaluation and Treatment (UPBEAT) Program, an interdisciplinary mental health care management program, on the behavioral health symptoms of elderly veterans. Participants, 60 years and older, included 2637 veterans recruited from medical/surgical units who screened positively for significant depressive or anxiety symptoms and/or at-risk alcohol drinking. Participants were randomized to UPBEAT or to usual care. Primary outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months. Participant nonadherence to the protocol was common and is a major limitation. There were no differences between UPBEAT and usual care patients on symptom or functional outcomes at any follow-up point. Exploratory analyses suggested that among participants with more physical health problems, there were greater improvements in depressive symptoms in those assigned to UPBEAT care. Despite a theoretical and practically sound intervention, participation was low and treatment outcomes, while generally good, appeared unaffected by the addition of the program.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Behavioral health screening policies in Medicaid programs nationwide.

Under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) mandate, states are required to screen Medicaid-insured children for mental health and substance use disorders. This national study found that states vary considerably in their policies. Nearly half the states (23 in total) have not addressed behavioral health issues in their EPSDT screening tools at all. More states have screening tools that address mental health than substance use disorders. Most states have created their own screening tools, which suggests discomfort with or a lack of awareness of the standard tools available. Screening policy options to increase behavioral health screening rates are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Socio-demographic factors, health behavior and late-stage diagnosis of breast cancer in Germany: a population-based study.

Late-stage diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with poor survival. Identification of individuals at high risk of late-stage diagnosis could be an effective step to reduce breast cancer mortality. We examined the association of socio-demographic factors and health behavior with breast cancer stage in a population-based sample of 380 female breast cancer patients in Saarland, Germany. Overall, 182 women (47.9%) were diagnosed with late-stage (regional or distant) breast cancer. After control for potential confounding by multivariate logistic regression, an increased risk of late-stage diagnosis was observed for older age (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.0-3.2), foreign nationality (OR = 3.9; 95% CI 0.7-20.8), living in large households (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.0-2.9), non-participation in general health check-up (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 0.9-2.4) and low interest in health care (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.7). The proportion of late-stage cancer was clearly decreased when tumors were detected by screening (OR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.2-0.8). Certain socio-demographic factors and characteristics of health behavior seem to represent independent risk indicators of late-stage diagnosis.

Adult↗