Professional Networks Among Rural School Food Service Directors Implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

ABSTRACT Purpose/Objectives This study was designed to explore the professional networks of rural school food service directors (FSD), the resources they use for implementing the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), and their needs for information and support to continue to implement successfully. Methods Rural FSD participated in an in-depth telephone interview (n = 67) and an online survey (n = 57). The interview asked respondents about the resources and support they used and still needed to assist with implementing the HHFKA changes, while the online survey focused on professional networks and communication among FSD. The interviews were analyzed by thematic coding, while descriptive statistics were used to summarize survey data. Results Respondents reported making extensive use of professional networks by communicating with FSD in other districts. They both sought and gave advice during this communication, and the topic discussed most frequently was implementation of HHFKA requirements. Mapping of network nodes showed that networks of communication were often geographically bound. Respondents reported using a variety of resources to implement the HHFKA and disclosed that they often relied on their colleagues in other districts for support. Self-identified needs included staffing support, additional networking opportunities, and technology support. Perceived support varied and several responses indicated that rural FSD feel isolated when implementing the HHFKA requirements. Applications to Child Nutrition Professionals Rural FSD would benefit from enhanced professional networks that are tailored to their needs and constraints. It may be the case that rural schools need more support overall because existing challenges make HHFKA implementation more difficult than in larger, urban, or better-funded school districts

The Secondhand Effects of College Drinking: The Need For Media Relations

Heavy episodic drinking can lead to significant harmful effects for the drinker and others. Rates of heavy alcohol use on college campuses have remained high, despite increased educational interventions. This study examines the coverage of the negative consequences of drinking among college students. This content analysis looks at coverage from1996-2006 in 32 major US newspapers. Of the total 255 articles, 209 covered at least one negative consequence of college drinking. Consequences were framed as individual in nature and did not acknowledge the impact on other individuals and institutions. Those related to damage to self were covered most often in newspapers from this time period, appearing in nearly every article that mentioned a negative consequence. Damage to others and damages to institutions were mentioned very infrequently. In addition, in 2006, damages to self outnumbered damages to others 4:1 and damages to institutions 10:1. While a range of negative consequences of heavy episodic drinking are covered, the most common harm covered is death, which is severe but highly unlikely. Coverage of more commonly occurring negative consequences were far less frequent. Coverage varied by region and was not consistent with where the greatest college drinking problems are found. The focus on individual harms and particularly those that are uncommon could lead readers to inaccurately perceive the issue as episodic and unrelated to environmental determinants. The study concludes that public relations and public health professionals can use media advocacy to work with the media to illuminate the secondhand impact of episodic drinking beyond those affecting the drinker

The Relationship between Political, Economic, Social, and Cultural Vulnerability and Food Insecurity among Adults Aged 50 Years and Older

Individuals experience food insecurity when they worry about or have limited access to nutritious foods. Food insecurity negatively impacts older adults’ health. Social exclusion is a theoretical framework describing how unequal access to rights, resources, and capabilities results in political, economic, social, and cultural vulnerability, which leads to health disparities. We used the Health and Retirement Study to cross-sectionally examine associations between vulnerability and experiencing food insecurity in adults 50 years and older using the social exclusion framework. We tested the association between experiencing food insecurity and indicators of political, economic, social, and cultural vulnerability using logistic regression controlling for demographic and health-related factors. Analyses were performed with all respondents and sub-group of respondents with incomes less than 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Assets (OR = 0.97 in both samples), income (OR = 0.85, 0.80 in 400% FPL sub-sample), perceived positive social support from other family (OR = 0.86, 0.84 in 400% FPL sub-sample), and perceived everyday discrimination (OR = 1.68, 1.82 in 400% FPL sub-sample) were significantly associated with food insecurity. Perceived positive social support from spouses, children, or friends and U.S. citizenship status were not significantly associated with food insecurity. Further research is needed to define and measure each dimension of vulnerability in the social exclusion framework. Interventions and policies designed to prevent food insecurity should address these vulnerabilities

Lessons Learned From Human Papillomavirus Vaccination to Increase Uptake of Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccination

Uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among adolescents has been low and highly variable across the United States. As of July 2021, the most recently available national data, 42% of adolescents ages 12–17 had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but that percentage varied widely from state to state. Low vaccination rates threaten to prolong the pandemic and pose a health risk to unvaccinated adolescents as well as their families and social networks. To promote COVID-19 vaccinations for adolescents, it will be valuable to explore lessons learned about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in this population. In this commentary, we outline the similarities between the HPV and COVID-19 vaccines and offer three recommendations that can be applied to efforts for adolescent COVID-19 vaccination promotion and delivery

Cross-sectional associations between psychological traits, and HPV vaccine uptake and intentions in young adults from the United States

<div><p>Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection worldwide and can lead to the development of genital warts, and cancers throughout the body. Despite the availability of HPV vaccines for over a decade, uptake in the United States among adolescents and young adults remains well below national targets. While most efforts to improve HPV vaccine uptake have rightly focused on adolescents, there is still a tremendous opportunity to improve vaccination among young adults who have not been vaccinated against HPV. To that end, we report an exploratory examination of associations between HPV vaccination status and intentions with psychological traits that may impact HPV vaccine uptake with a national, demographically diverse sample of young adults (N = 1358) who completed an online survey. These psychological traits conceptually mapped onto motivations to: 1) understand health-related information, 2) deliberate, 3) manage uncertainty, and 4) manage threats. We found notable gender differences for the association of these motivations and vaccination status. For women, higher interest in and ability to understand health-related information seemed to distinguish those who reported receiving the HPV vaccine from those who did not. For men, less need to deliberate and greater needs to manage threat and uncertainty seemed to be the distinguishing motives for those who reported receiving the HPV vaccine compared to those who did not. Results for vaccination intentions were less consistent, but there was some evidence to indicate that, regardless of gender, greater health-related information interest and understanding and need to manage uncertainty and threats were associated with increased intention to receive the HPV vaccine, while greater need to deliberate was associated with decreased vaccination intentions. These results suggest that there are psychological differences that are associated with HPV vaccination decisions and that these motivations should be considered in efforts to improve HPV vaccine uptake.</p></div

Two-way ANOVAs testing associations and interactions of vaccination status and gender.

<p>Two-way ANOVAs testing associations and interactions of vaccination status and gender.</p