The Search for Values: Young Adults and the Literary Experience

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Preparing Students for Success on Examinations: Readiness Assurance Tests in a Graduate-Level Statistics Course

Formative feedback is one way to foster students' readiness for statistics examinations. The use of Readiness Assurance Tests was examined as an educational intervention in which feedback was provided for both correct and incorrect responses in a graduate-level statistics course. Examination scores in the intervention group ( n = 56) were compared with those in a control group ( n = 42). Intervention group examination scores significantly improved from 75.92 ± 14.52 on the Readiness Assurance Test to 90.06 ± 7.06, p < .001, on the midterm, and final examination scores improved from 78.23 ± 17.29 to 85.6 ± 6.98, p = .002. Intervention group midterm scores were significantly higher than those of the control group (90.06 ± 7.06 versus 79.7 ± 11.6, p < .001); however, no differences were found between the groups on the final examination (85.35 ± 9.46 versus 85.6 ± 6.98, p = .91). Use of Readiness Assurance Tests was an effective modality to increase student self-efficacy, learning experience, and, relative to a control group, midterm examination performance in statistic

An introduction to key event mapping: A primer for nurse researchers

To fully understand the events leading to a diagnosis, retrospective recall can help nurse researchers reconstruct important health behavior-related events. However, retrospective recall can be a challenge. Key event mapping offers nurse researchers a method beyond retrospective chart review to elicit date data to explore the pre-diagnosis time frame of an illness. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the key event mapping method to nurse researchers in search of a method of eliciting date data from participants when designing research studies that include a retrospective recall component

Lung cancer stigma as a barrier to medical help-seeking behavior: Practice implications

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of perceived lung cancer stigma and timing of medical help-seeking behavior in symptomatic individuals. Data sources A convenience sample was recruited from an academic thoracic oncology clinic and community hospital-based outpatient radiation center in a large city in the southeastern United States. This descriptive, cross-sectional study used survey methodology and semi-structured interviews to examine the relationship of perceived lung cancer stigma and delayed medical help-seeking finding a statistically significant positive correlation. Additional examination revealed positive correlations between the stigma and shame, social isolation, and smoking-related stigma subscales and delay. The discrimination-related subscale was not associated with delay. In addition, smoking status was not related to perceived lung cancer stigma. Conclusions Findings support an association between lung cancer stigma and delayed medical help-seeking behavior. Therefore, lung cancer stigma is a potential barrier to timely medical help-seeking behavior in lung cancer symptoms, which can have important patient outcome implications. Implications for practice As primary care nurse practitioners, awareness that lung cancer stigma exists for patients is essential regardless of smoking status and efforts to decrease this barrier to timely healthcare are important

Influential variables on the timing of help-seeking behavior in lung cancer patients.

Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer worldwide primarily because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. One factor that can influence advanced stage lung cancer diagnosis is delayed help-seeking behavior in individuals with symptoms suggestive of lung cancer. Delayed help-seeking behavior has been investigated in acute cardiovascular events and breast cancer, but there is little evidence on specific factors that influence the timing of help-seeking behavior in lung cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of healthcare system distrust, lung cancer stigma, and smoking status on the timing of help-seeking behavior in individuals with symptoms suggestive of lung cancer. This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design with 93 participants using the Revised Healthcare System Distrust Scale, Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale, and investigator-developed Timing of Help-Seeking Behavior and Demographic Questionnaire to assess the variables of interest. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the ability of healthcare system distrust, lung cancer stigma, and smoking status to predict greater time to seek help in lung cancer patients, after controlling for annual income, perceived financial status, ethnicity, and social desirability. In Step 1, ethnicity and perceived financial status explained 10% of the variance in time to seek help. After entry of healthcare system distrust, lung cancer stigma, and smoking status at Step 2, the total variance explained by the model as a whole was 23% of the variance in the time to seek help in individuals with symptoms suggestive of lung cancer. Significant findings from this study include the effect of healthcare system distrust, lung cancer stigma, and ethnicity on help-seeking behavior in individuals with lung cancer symptoms. The findings indicate a critical need for public health awareness that targets increasing awareness of lung cancer symptoms, decreasing lung cancer stigma and healthcare system distrust, recognizing the significant proportion of lung cancer patients whom have never smoked, and decreasing delays in help-seeking behaviors in individuals with symptoms suggestive of lung cancer

B-R Colors of Globular Clusters in NGC 6166 (A2199)

We have analysed new R-band photometry of globular clusters in NGC 6166, the cD galaxy in the cooling flow cluster A2199. In combination with the earlier B photometry of Pritchet \& Harris (1990), we obtain B$-$R colours for $\sim$ 40 globular clusters in NGC 6166. The mean B$-$R is 1.26 $\pm$ 0.11, corresponding to a mean [Fe/H] = $-$1 $\pm$ 0.4. Given that NGC 6166 is one of the most luminous cD galaxies studied to date, our result implies significant scatter in the relationship between mean cluster [Fe/H] and parent galaxy luminosity. We obtain a globular cluster specific frequency of S$_N$ $\sim$ 9, with a possible range between 5 and 18. This value is inconsistent with the value of S$_N$ $\leq$ 4 determined earlier by Pritchet \& Harris (1990) from B-band photometry, and we discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy. Finally, we reassess whether or not cooling flows are an important mechanism for forming globular clusters in gE/cD galaxies.Comment: 8 pages, uuencoded, gzipped tar file with latex file, 6 figures (Fig 1 omitted because of size), and mn.sty file. Figures will be embedded into the postscript file. Accepted (March 1996) for publication in MNRA

FRESH FROM THE FIGHT: THE TRANSITION INTO CIVILIAN LIFE

While research regarding stigma in mental health can be found and studied with ease in today’s research, the specification on how stigma impacts the population of athletes is not as heavily researched. Through this research project the question of how stigma impacts an athlete’s willingness to receive mental health services was answered. There are not many athlete specific programs, services, or even questions on assessments for athletes in the field today. This study shows the ways athletes are impacted from mental health issues, and provide some light on ways stigma impacts these struggles. This was found through the use of a snowball sampling descriptive study using a cross sectional survey to determine the relationship between stigma and this population’s willingness to receive mental health services. This strategy was used to target current and past athletes over the age of 18 to assess their beliefs and perceptions about social workers, with a goal of seeing how these beliefs do or do not impact their ability to receive services. The findings in this study showed that while there was no direct correlation between stigma and a willingness to receive mental health services, there is still an existing problem with athletes not receiving the care they need for their mental health issues. The results of this study identify this issue and give a foundation for further research to follow. This information is needed to ensure this population is not ignored, and that the quality of care for them is up to standard in the future

Stigma, Smoking and Social Influence in Health Beliefs about Lung Cancer Screening

poster abstractBackground: Lung cancer is the leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the United States. 158,080 people are expected to die from lung cancer in 2016. Most people are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Lung cancer screening, a recent recommendation by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, is associated with a 20% decreased relative mortality risk secondary to finding lung cancer at an earlier stage. Lung cancer screening is affected by patient, provider, and healthcare system variables. From the patient perspective, individual health beliefs have been shown to predict cancer screening participation in other cancers and are likely associated with lung cancer screening participation. In order for lung cancer screening to be effective, we must first understand what factors affect individual health beliefs about screening. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of social influence and cigarette smoking on individual health beliefs related to lung cancer screening and identify variables associated with stigma in screening-eligible current and former smokers. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional design using survey methodology (N=497). Convenience sample of lung cancer screening-eligible smokers. Data collected online measuring sociodemographic variables and lung cancer screening health beliefs. Results: We tested for associations between various variables and perceived smoking-related stigma, along with associations between number of cigarette pack-years, social influence and individual health beliefs (perceived risk, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy). Higher number of cigarette pack-years was associated with perceived barriers to lung cancer screening (p=.022). Higher levels of social influence were associated with perceived benefits of (p<.001) and self-efficacy for (p<.001) lung cancer screening. Conclusions: Results from this study indicate higher pack-year cigarette smoking history, social influence, and stigma may be important components to health beliefs and lung cancer screening participation. Future research is needed to explore the relationships more fully

Development of a Short Version of the Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale

Lung cancer stigma is an important phenomenon experienced by many lung cancer patients that can be a barrier to medical help-seeking behavior. The purpose of this study was to shorten the Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale (CLCSS). The original 31-item scale had excellent internal consistency reliability but item redundancy. The majority of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and patient burden with survey completion may be higher in this population. To reduce patient burden with participation in lung cancer stigma-related research, a psychometrically sound short measure of lung cancer stigma is valuable. Factor analysis was used to evaluate the dimensionality of the CLCSS. Results were used to shorten the measure to 21 items. The shortened scale showed strong evidence of internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha =.93). Results also indicate the scale is three dimensional with reliable subscales: stigma and blame, social isolation, and discrimination