The Effects of an Active Learning Intervention on Increasing Parental Efficacy Regarding Sexual Communication with Toddlers and Young Children

In the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 5 children will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. To reduce child sexual abuse more effectively and to increase positive sex attitudes and behaviors, a change is needed in how individuals and society view and discuss sexual health and sex education. Parents are in a powerful and readily available role to teach sexual topics in a positive way, but many are lacking sexual knowledge and confidence in their ability to address sexual topics with their children. This study looked at how personal and contextual factors relate to confidence in parental sexual communication and tested the effects of an active learning intervention to increase parental confidence regarding sexual communication with young children aged one- to five-years-old. Parents in the study were recruited mainly from social media, local non-profit agencies, and connections with USU Extension. Parents who took the pretest assessment were assigned into one of three groups: a control group (55 participants who received no additional information), a factsheet only group (58 participants who received a two-page factsheet of information on child sexual development), or an active learning group (56 participants who received a one-hour long interactive online presentation with information on child sexual development). Those who completed the pre- and post-test assessments were compared between assigned groups to examine increases in parental confidence regarding sexual communication, parental knowledge of child sexual development, and frequency of sexual communication with their children. Results from the pretest (n = 279) showed that parents’ experience of sexual trauma was related to greater sexual communication confidence. Pretest results also showed that parents who reported more general sexual knowledge and more child sexual development knowledge also reported greater parental confidence in sexual communication. Post-test mixed-design analysis of variance (n = 117) showed the information provided to the fact sheet and active learning group was not effective at increasing parental sexual communication confidence, however both groups showed gains in knowledge of child sexual development. This study was largely exploratory and should be built upon to attain the goals of promoting lifelong sexual health and healthy positive attitudes

Examining Effective Collaboration in Instructional Design

The purpose of this study was to examine the application of teamwork in instructional design to determine the frequency by which coordination, decision making, leadership, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and communication are applied in real-world instructional design teams. Instructional designers found on the social media network, LinkedIn, were asked to voluntarily complete the 36-item Teamwork Skills Questionnaire, which was distributed and returned electronically. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were calculated using Microsoft Excel. The most frequently applied teamwork skills in instructional design teams were interpersonal skills (M = 3.57) and communication (M = 3.26). Each of the six skills examined, however, were found to be applicable at least some of the time with the lowest mean being in leadership (M = 2.92). These findings indicate that the majority of the skills examined were relevant in instructional design teams at least some of the time. The findings in this study build on the professional knowledge and understanding of instructional design, specifically in relation to the teamwork involved in a design project

The 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Qualitative Report

Purpose: The purpose of the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey project was to use retrospective sexual behavior and education measures to gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors and perceptions of sex education of Utah youth by asking students aged 18-21 years old about their sexual behaviors as youth. This supplement provides additional qualitative research that aids in understanding our quantitative findings. Measures: The qualitative survey questions represented three topical areas. These areas included questions about consent, sex education satisfaction, and student’s parental preference when discussing topics about sex and health. Method: A one-time survey was disseminated to students aged 18-21 at three universities in Utah. We relied on a convenience sampling strategy to answer the research questions guiding this study. Analysis: Inductive coding was used. One member of the team created codebooks for each question and then received feedback from two other team members who examined interrater reliability to establish final codes and themes. Results: This report outlines the qualitative results from the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey. Results showed that students generally felt that a more comprehensive sex education was needed in Utah, that consent is easy to give and obtain, and that young adults thought their mothers were easier to discuss sex and health topics with

The 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Initial Findings Report

Purpose: The purpose of the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey project was to use retrospective sexual behavior and education measures to gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors and perceptions of sex education of Utah youth by asking students aged 18-21 years old about their sexual behaviors as youth. Measures: The survey questions represented ten topical areas. These areas included questions about: basic demographics; non-penetrative sex; penetrative sex; contraceptive use and pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention; communication and consent; sexting; sex education; attitudes about sex; current sex behavior; and university programming. Method: A one-time survey was disseminated to students at three Universities in Utah between the ages of 18-21. We relied on a convenience sampling strategy to answer the research questions guiding this study. Analysis: Univariate statistics were conducted to summarize characteristics of the data derived. Results: This report outlines the descriptive results from the 2022 Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey. Results showed that youth in Utah engage in non-penetrative and penetrative sex. Participants also reported wanting additional sex education, and rated friends and family among their most trusted sources of information related to sex education

Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Initial Findings Report

The purpose of the Utah College Sexual Behavior project was to establish the reliability and validity of the retrospective measures used in the survey and gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors of Utah youth by asking Utah State University (USU) students about their sexual behaviors as youth

Smoking during Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability in Newborn Infants

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests. OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking (n = 8) mothers. Participating infants were matched on sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, mother’s education, and family income. Smoking during pregnancy was determined by parental self-report and medical records. ERPs were recorded in response to six consonant–vowel syllables presented in random order with equal probability. RESULTS: Brainwaves of babies of nonsmoking mothers were characterized by typical hemisphere asymmetries, with larger amplitudes over the left hemisphere, especially over temporal regions. Further, infants of nonsmokers discriminated among a greater number of syllables whereas the newborns of smokers began the discrimination process at least 150 msec later and differentiated among fewer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the infant at risk for later developmental problems

Local brain connectivity and associations with gender and age

ABSTRACTRegional homogeneity measures synchrony of resting-state brain activity in neighboring voxels, or local connectivity. The effects of age and gender on local connectivity in healthy subjects are unknown. We performed regional homogeneity analyses on resting state BOLD time series data acquired from 58 normal, healthy participants, ranging in age from 11 to 35 (mean 18.1±5.0 years, 32 males). Regional homogeneity was found to be highest for gray matter, with brain regions within the default mode network having the highest local connectivity values. There was a general decrease in regional homogeneity with age with the greatest reduction seen in the anterior cingulate and temporal lobe. Greater female local connectivity in the right hippocampus and amygdala was also noted, regardless of age. These findings suggest that local connectivity at the millimeter scale decreases during development as longer connections are formed, and underscores the importance of examining gender differences in imaging studies of healthy and clinical populations

Smoking during Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability in Newborn Infants

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests. OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking (n = 8) mothers. Participating infants were matched on sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, mother’s education, and family income. Smoking during pregnancy was determined by parental self-report and medical records. ERPs were recorded in response to six consonant–vowel syllables presented in random order with equal probability. RESULTS: Brainwaves of babies of nonsmoking mothers were characterized by typical hemisphere asymmetries, with larger amplitudes over the left hemisphere, especially over temporal regions. Further, infants of nonsmokers discriminated among a greater number of syllables whereas the newborns of smokers began the discrimination process at least 150 msec later and differentiated among fewer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the infant at risk for later developmental problems

Online Divorce Education: Learning from Participants Who Want More

Divorce education is designed for divorcing parents with minor children, and in a growing number of states, participation has become court-mandated to finalize a divorce. To increase accessibility, some states have adopted brief, online formats for divorce education programming. Evaluations are encouraging; however, less is known about how opinions on course length relate to participants’ views on the benefits of their participation. This study analyzed qualitative data from parents (n = 41) who thought their mandated divorce education course was too short. Results indicate that participants thought the course increased their knowledge of divorce-related matters. They also suggested improvements related to course content priorities. These findings may inform Extension specialists, family life practitioners, and program planners working to improve the delivery of online divorce education programs