Health Behavior: Evolution of Two Paradigms

Public health nursing is a synthesis of professional nursing and public health science. To assist people effectively to determine and enhance their health capabilities, it is essential that public health nurses have a sound understanding of the behaviors that improve or jeopardize health. This concern arises from the profession's increased emphasis on health behavior and from nursing's stated goal of health promotion. To examine the topic from the perspectives of public health and professional nursing, we examine several issues related to the concept and its definition. We hope that the discussion will stimulate analysis both to clarify the concept and to contribute to the development of public health nursing science.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73194/1/j.1525-1446.1986.tb00474.x.pd

Really Underage Drinkers: Alcohol Use Among Elementary Students

Despite the current societal concern with underage drinking, little attention has been paid to alcohol use within the preadolescent population. This article presents the proceedings of a symposium held at the 2003 Research Society on Alcoholism meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that was organized and chaired by John E. Donovan. The intent of the symposium was to kick start research on alcohol use among elementary school children by reviewing what is known regarding drinking in childhood. Presentations included (1) The Epidemiology of Children's Alcohol Use, by John E. Donovan; (2) The Validity of Children's Self-Reports of Alcohol Use, by Sharon L. Leech; (3) Predicting Onset of Drinking From Behavior at Three Years of Age: Influence of Early Child Expectancies and Parental Alcohol Involvement Upon Early First Use, by Robert A. Zucker; and (4) Parent, Peer, and Child Risk Factors for Alcohol Use in Two Cohorts of Elementary School Children, by Carol J. Loveland-Cherry. Presentations indicated the need for better nationwide surveillance of children's experience with alcohol; suggested that children's reports of their use of alcohol tend to be reliable and valid; supported children's alcohol use schemas and parental drinking and alcoholism at child age three as independent predictors of early onset drinking; and showed that onset of drinking before fourth or fifth grade, peer pressure, and parental norms and monitoring predict elementary student alcohol use and misuse.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65944/1/01.ALC.0000113922.77569.4E.pd

Integrating evidence-based clinical and community strategies to improve health

Multiple and diverse preventive strategies in clinical and community settings are necessary to improve health. This paper (1) introduces evidence-based recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Community Task Force sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2) examines, using a social-ecologic model, the evidence-based strategies for use in clinical and community settings to address preventable health-related problems such as tobacco use and obesity, and (3) advocates for prioritization and integration of clinical and community preventive strategies in the planning of programs and policy development, calling for additional research to develop the strategies and systems needed to integrate them

Behavioral counseling to prevent sexually transmitted infections: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement

Description: New U. S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations about behavioral counseling of adolescents and adults to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Methods: The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the benefits and harms of counseling. The review included studies evaluating behavioral counseling interventions conducted in primary settings, those judged feasible in primary care, and those to which patients might be referred from primary care. Recommendations: The USPSTF recommends high-intensity behavioral counseling for all sexually active adolescents and for adults at increased risk for STIs. ( B recommendation) Current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of behavioral counseling to prevent STIs in non-sexually active adolescents and in adults not at increased risk for STIs. (I statement)

Older Women and Mammography Screening: Do Possible Selves Contribute?

This study sought to explore the contribution of the self-concept to older women’s adherence to regular ammography screening behavior. The PRECEDE and health belief model concepts were incorporated with a easure of the women’s future selves to determine whether the self-concept adds to our ability to predict creening.Aself-administered questionnairewas completed by 210 community-dwellingwomen ages 50 to 75 years, recruited from urban and rural women’s groups. Logistic regression analyses revealed that predictors of dherence were clinical breast examination, physician recommendation, age, barriers, benefits, feared ealth-related possible self, and self-efficacy in the feared domain. The addition of the self measures significantly mproved the overall fit of the model. Implications for theory development, practice, and future research re discussed.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69211/1/Older Women and Mammography Screening Behavior.pd