Risk-taking behaviors engaged in by early adolescents while on school property

PURPOSE

This longitudinal study was guided by a Youth Resilience Framework. The study purpose was to examine the influence of protective resources, contextual factors, and risk factors in middle childhood (grades 4-6) on health-risk behaviors (e.g., smoking cigarettes, using marijuana, drinking alcohol, carrying a weapon) engaged in on school property by early adolescents (grade 7) who live in rural central Texas.

METHODS

Students in grades 4 to 6, a majority of whom were Mexican American (54.3%) and male (56.4%), completed surveys annually until the 7th grade. Generalized estimating equations were run to determine predictors of 7th graders' health-risk behaviors on school property.

RESULTS

Engaging in healthy behaviors, knowing others cared about them, and having a sense of competence in middle childhood (grades 4-6) were found to be protective factors, while having a large family size and the expectation that they would not complete school were found to be risk factors for engaging in health risk behaviors in 7th grade.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

These findings show the influence of family and schools as environments that can offer protection from health-risk behaviors in early adolescence.

Changes in stress and coping during late childhood and preadolescence

PROBLEM

Little is known about what produces stress in preadolescents.

METHODS

Secondary data analysis using hierarchical linear modeling was performed to determine how stressors and coping changed over time in 1,568 preadolescents (51% Hispanic) in 28 public schools.

FINDINGS

Over time, participants experienced most stressors less intensely, but intensity varied by gender. Children in lower grades and girls found that coping strategies used were more effective compared with those in upper grades or boys. There were several interactions of grade level, sex, and ethnicity.

CONCLUSION

Changes in stress and coping among preadolescents have implications for nurses concerned with mental health.

From Course Assignment Paper to Publishable Manuscript

Both undergraduate and graduate nursing students are expected to write numerous papers in their educational programs; however, most of these papers are never published. Many students and faculty lack the skills needed to convert a course assignment paper to a publishable manuscript. The purpose of this article is to describe 10 steps that can transform a course assignment paper into a publishable manuscript. These steps include outlining, clarifying the topic, clearly stating the purpose, identifying an appropriate audience, revising with faculty’s feedback, querying journal editors, revising to conform to journal’s author guidelines, requesting and responding to peer feedback, and finally editing and proofreading prior to submitting the manuscript. Faculty members are encouraged to make writing assignments that students can then convert to publishable manuscripts. Such publications form an essential cornerstone of professional holistic nursing.

Older adolescents' perceptions and intentions regarding Do-It-Yourself Genetic Assessment services

PURPOSE

The purpose of this research was to investigate older adolescents' perceptions of Do-It-Yourself Genetic Assessment (DIYGA) services online and factors that influence their intentions to utilize DIYGA services.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A convenience sample of 111 undergraduate students completed an online survey based on the Theory of Planned Behavior.

RESULTS

Most respondents (80.4%) had not heard of DIYGA services. Predictors of intentions to use DIYGA services included attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived risk of developing a genetic disorder.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses are in a unique position to provide much-needed education and guidance to adolescents about genetic testing, particularly given mass media sources were the primary sources of information among these adolescents.

The systematic review of literature: synthesizing evidence for practice

PURPOSE

With current emphasis on evidence-based practice, nurses are searching for answers to questions generated at the bedside. One method to identify and evaluate the existing evidence is to conduct or read a systematic review of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of conducting a systematic review of literature.

CONCLUSION

Defining attributes, rationale for, and steps in conducting systematic reviews are presented. Examples from published reviews on pediatric nursing are included.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Pediatric nurses may consult professionally prepared systematic reviews, such as The Cochrane Collection, or conduct their own reviews with the help of electronic search engines.

Cool, but is it credible? Adolescents' and parents' approaches to genetic testing

Advances in genomic science create both opportunities and challenges for future generations. Both adolescents and adults may benefit or be harmed by decisions they make in response to this new science. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the authors interviewed 22 adolescents (11 who were aged 14-17 years and 11 who were 18-21 years) and 11 parents to determine levels of knowledge and approaches to decision making. It was found that younger adolescents and their parents have very limited knowledge about genetics and genetic testing. Older adolescents have more complete information and consider a broader range of points in making decisions about hypothetical situations involving genetic testing. Adolescents and parents need much more information to enhance their ability to make decisions about using genetic services. These findings have implications for developing interventions and public health policy highlighted by the need for improved education about the benefits and harms of genetic testing.

Systematic review of psychosocial benefits and harms of genetic testing

Genetic testing can help individuals and families by giving them a sense of control over their futures; however, results of some types of testing cause individuals and their families great distress and anxiety. The purpose of this paper is to report findings from a systematic review of literature about perceived benefits and harms associated with genetic testing. A second purpose was to determine if perceived benefits and harms varied by age and gender. We reviewed a sample of 30 articles published between 1997 and 2009. Most of the articles were other literature reviews. We summarized the benefits and harms associated with each type of genetic testing and made recommendations for future study. As technologies increase, genetic testing will expand and psychiatric mental health nurses must be prepared to meet the challenges of psychosocial disorders that may develop in response to genetic testing.

A mentoring program for the promotion of sexual health among Korean adolescents

The purpose of this pilot study was to develop a mentoring program for the promotion of sexual health among Korean adolescents and to explore the effects of the program. A nonequivalent control group pre-test-post-test design was used. The mentoring intervention was conducted by eight nursing students who participated in the program as mentors using various methods such as formal group sessions and informal individual contacts. At the 12-week post-intervention, the interaction between time and group was statistically significant on both sexual knowledge and sexual attitude of the 17 adolescent mentees. The mentoring program demonstrated potential as a developmentally appropriate intervention for the sexual health promotion of adolescents and promises to enable nursing students to gain confidence in their professional capability.

Mexican American youths' and mothers' explanatory models of diabetes prevention

PURPOSE

To describe Mexican American mothers' and youths' explanatory models of promoting health and preventing diabetes in 12-14 year olds.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In this descriptive study, interviews produced mothers' (n= 21) and adolescents' (n= 20) explanatory models.

RESULTS

Mothers' and youths' views of causes of diabetes were mostly concordant with the biomedical model. They saw shared responsibility for health promotion and prevention.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Mothers and youths want help to promote health and prevent diabetes. Providers can apply explanatory models in interventions.

Nursing student participation in mentoring programs to promote adolescent health: practical issues and future suggestions

The purpose of this study was to explore the practical issues encountered by nursing students who participated in three mentoring programs to promote adolescent health as well as to suggest future mentoring program options for promoting healthy adolescent behavior. The principal investigator and the nursing students recorded practical issues as they arose and prepared memos on these issues offering suggestions for future programs. The written records and memos were reviewed and analyzed using a content analysis process. The content analysis revealed a number of issues and suggestions for future mentoring programs. These issues included the general advantages of mentors, growth in professional capability, progress in professional socialization, and the acquisition of health promotion strategies. Discussion on these issues allows us to assess the potential of nursing students as mentors in a mentoring program to promote adolescent health. Future program development includes program delivery within longer, more regularly structured periods of time while using a multifaceted collaborative approach that can then be evaluated with an appropriate scale to maximize the effects of the program.

Social Estrangement: Factors Associated with Alcohol or Drug Dependency among Homeless, Street-Involved Young Adults

Substance use is highly prevalent among homeless, street-involved young people. Societal estrangement is often associated with substance use, particularly among this population. The current study utilized a descriptive correlational design to identify four domains of social estrangement: disaffiliation, human capital, identification with homeless culture, and psychological dysfunction. These domains were tested to determine their association with alcohol or drug dependence. Interviews utilizing self-report instruments were conducted with 185 young adults aged 18–23 years of age who were receiving homeless services from a community drop-in center. In this sample, the vast majority reported high levels of alcohol and drug use with more than half being identified as dependent on alcohol and/or drugs. Polysubstance use was highly prevalent and most reported marijuana as their drug of choice. Findings indicate that identification with homeless culture was the most highly predictive domain of social estrangement for both alcohol and drug dependency. Implications for services to this population are discussed.

A systematic review of literature about the genetic testing of adolescents

PURPOSE

Mapping of the human genome raises interest in and concern about the genetic testing of adolescents. Our purpose was to determine the attitudes and knowledge adolescents and their parents have about genetic testing.

DESIGN AND METHOD

This paper is a report of a systematic review of the research literature (n = 56) about the attitudes and knowledge adolescents and their parents have about genetic testing.

RESULTS

The majority of studies, which were descriptive in design, focused on a specific heritable disorder, were conducted in the United States, and over-sampled well-educated White females.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Results suggest that adolescents and their families have relatively positive attitudes about genetic testing and may experience both harms and benefits from testing. Nurses may be in positions to assist adolescents and their families in making decisions about genetic testing, remaining sensitive to family dynamics and issues of privacy and autonomy.

Eating Behaviors Among School-age Children Associated With Perceptions of Stress

Eating has been theorized to be useful as a coping strategy in response to stressful situations. However, investigation of this behavior in children is limited. The present study is a secondary cross-sectional analysis of longitudinal data that were collected from cohorts of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grader students. Perceived stress was correlated with unhealthy eating behaviors (r = .13, p < .001), as well as with the use of eating as a coping mechanism (r = .24, p < .001). Hispanic children reported using eating as a coping mechanism most frequently, followed by African-American and Caucasian children. School-age children who experience high levels of stress may be at risk for developing unhealthy eating habits in order to cope; continued examination of these relationships is suggested. Future research should focus on the development of interventions to encourage positive coping mechanisms and healthy eating behaviors.

Older Adolescents' Perceptions of the Social Context, Impact, and Development of their Spiritual/Religious Beliefs and Practices

Religious and spiritual beliefs and practices develop in the context of social relationships, influenced primarily by family and peers. Among older adolescents, such beliefs may shape important decisions. As part of a mixed method preliminary study of 28 university students, participants were asked to write about how similar or different their beliefs were from those of their parents and closest friends, how these beliefs influenced major decisions, and how their beliefs changed since attending the university. Most participants held similar beliefs to those of their parents and friends, one-half said these beliefs influenced major decisions, and one-half said their beliefs were unchanged since attending the university. Findings add to the description of how religious and spiritual beliefs develop during adolescence.

A Linguistic Investigation of Mediators Between Religious Commitment and Health Behaviors in Older Adolescents

Social scientists are beginning to take an interest in the role that religiosity plays in the development of health behaviors throughout adolescence. Although there is mounting evidence of a relationship between these constructs, how and why such relationships exist is not well understood. In this exploratory study of 28 racially diverse university students, we examined whether the relationship between religious commitment and health behaviors could be detected through written language. The results indicated that religious commitment and various indices of healthy lifestyle practices were strongly correlated, that healthy lifestyle practices were related to use of causal words (representing cognitive attempts at understanding causes and effects) and first person plural words (representing social connectedness). The results were consistent with a model in which participants' use of causal words partially or fully mediated the relations between religious commitment and healthy lifestyle practices. Implications of findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Childhood maltreatment among community dwelling adult Latinas

There is a lack of research about childhood maltreatment among adult Latinas in the United States. The aim of this secondary analysis was to explore the occurrence and co-occurrence of maltreatment during childhood in a community-dwelling sample of adult Latinas. Participants were 62 women ages 18-45 who read and spoke English, attended work or school on a regular basis, and had no health or functional interferences with daily living. On average, participants were 29 years of age (M = 29.08, SD = 9.30), high school graduates (n = 36, 58.1%), married (n = 36, 58.1%), and employed (n = 27, 43.5%). Over three quarters of participants (n = 49, 79.0%) reported at least one form of childhood maltreatment: emotional abuse (n = 24, 38.7%), physical abuse (n = 29, 46.8%), sexual abuse (n = 29, 46.8%), emotional neglect (n = 27, 43.5%), and physical neglect (n = 23, 37.1%). Maltreatment severity increased with the number of maltreatment forms. Women sexually abused during childhood were more likely than women without this history to be employed and high school graduates. These Latinas may have developed more adaptive coping mechanisms than other Latinas.

Three intervention models for exploring oral health in pregnant minority adolescents

PURPOSE

Maintaining oral health is important for pregnant minority adolescents and their offspring's present and future well-being. The purpose of this article is to identify the scope of oral health problems and describe three models to guide pediatric nursing research and interventions related to oral health in pregnant minority adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying and understanding the risks of poor oral health in pregnant minority adolescents will assist those who plan and provide care for this vulnerable population.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Utilizing more than one model or a combination of models may be necessary for improving oral health outcomes in this population.

Interaction of duration of homelessness and gender on adolescent sexual health indicators

PURPOSE

The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effects of duration of homelessness and gender on personal and social resources, cognitive-perceptual factors, and sexual health behaviors among homeless youth.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline from 461 homeless adolescents who participated in a sexual health intervention study was done.

METHOD

Data were collected via laptop computers from homeless adolescents (mean age=19.52+1.91 years) in both comparison and intervention groups before the initiation of the intervention.

FINDINGS

Significant interaction effects were found for personal and social resources F (4, 426)=2.83, p<.05. Male participants who had been homeless<6 months had significantly higher scores on social connectedness than did male participants who were homeless>1 year. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that both boys and girls who had been homeless>1 year had greater AIDS knowledge, F (1, 441)=7.91, p<.01, reported significantly more sexual risk-taking behaviors, F (1, 396)=9.93, p<.05, and engaged in fewer safe-sex behaviors, F (1, 396)=12.05, p<.05, than did those who had been homeless<6 months. Univariate ANOVA indicated that female participants had significantly lower levels of perceived health status, F (1, 429)=12.08, p<.01, significantly greater sexual self-care behaviors, F (1, 396)=16.29, p<.01, and significantly higher levels of assertive communication F (1, 396)=4.03, p<.05 than did male participants, regardless of duration of homelessness.

CONCLUSIONS

The duration of homelessness and gender has both direct and interaction effects on cognitive-perceptual and behavioral outcomes associated with sexual health.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Nurses and other healthcare providers working with homeless youth recognize the need to develop brief interventions that address health-risk behaviors. Findings from this study indicate that gender-specific interventions should be provided to youth soon after they become homeless.

Health educators' perceptions of a sexual health intervention for homeless adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of health educators in providing a brief, street-based intervention to homeless adolescents.

METHOD

Qualitative data were collected via e-mail from a purposive sample of 13 male and female health educators who provided the intervention and analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis techniques.

RESULTS

Five categories with two or more subcategories were identified in the data and included how the educators' views changed, how they felt homeless youth were similar to and different from other adolescents, positive aspects and challenges of providing the intervention, and suggestions for future interventionists working with this population.

CONCLUSIONS

The health educators' practice was strengthened over the course of providing the intervention through their positive experiences, changes in their perceptions, some of which were biased, and ability to confront the challenges that accompany working with this vulnerable population.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Health educators who work with this population should learn about the culture of homeless youth and characteristics of homeless youth that may influence their participation in a sexual health intervention. Moreover, they need to be non-judgmental, practice the intervention, be aware of their biases, and remain flexible.

Outcomes of a brief sexual health intervention for homeless youth

Homeless youth face various health challenges. The effectiveness of a short intervention to promote sexual health in 572 homeless 16-23-year-olds (M = 19.467+1.89) was conducted using a quasi-experimental repeated measures design. Data collected at three time points (pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and follow-up) via laptop computers were analyzed using multivariate general linear mixed models. A significant condition by time interaction was found for self-reported AIDS/STD knowledge; intervention participants had higher scores at first post-test. Females scored significantly higher on cognitive and behavioral outcomes while males reported significantly more sexual risk-taking behaviors. Findings support gender-specific interventions.

Protecting youth from early and abusive sexual experiences

School-age children and adolescents often are exposed to explicit sexual messages and activities that are confusing and that may be detrimental to their health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that place youth at risk for abusive sexual experiences and early sexual activity (sexual debut) and to discuss strategies that can protect them from these potentially harmful experiences. A resilience framework guides the discussion of risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels. Nurses working with individuals, families, and communities can thus lead others in creating a protective environment in which American youth can thrive. This protection includes comprehensive sex education and access to other sources of accurate information.

Caring for and connecting with homeless adolescents

Adolescents from a variety of backgrounds are among the growing number of homeless Americans. Although they lack maturity and various skills, they manage to survive in dangerous and stressful environments. This article asserts that social policy that leads to services such as housing, education, and healthcare should be based on a philosophy, ethic, and theory of caring and connectedness, which have been shown to protect adolescents as they mature. The article includes brief descriptions of theories of caring, pathways to homelessness for adolescents, survival needs of homeless youth, and characteristics of service programs that incorporate caring and connectedness.

Sexual health of adolescents with chronic health conditions

Adolescents with various chronic health conditions face the same challenges associated with physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that are characteristic of this developmental stage. Many of these adolescents face unique challenges related to their health conditions that add to the complexity of sexual maturation and reproductive function. This article is an overview of the health risk behaviors of adolescents with chronic health conditions and how these conditions relate to various aspects of sexual health. Suggestions for anticipatory guidance of these young people are also addressed.

State of the science: intuition in nursing, a generation of studying the phenomenon

A systematic review of nursing literature was conducted to determine the state of the science with respect to the use of intuition in nursing practice and nursing education. The Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health database was used to identify the priority population. From this database, 45 research articles that were written in English, published in nursing journals, and that contained the word intuition in the title and/or abstract and in which intuition was a major term were analyzed. Findings show that, to date, most studies are descriptive, exploratory in design. Nurses affirm that intuition is salient to expertise in clinical practice and should be carefully taught to students and novice nurses.

Attachment and sexual health behaviors in homeless youth

PURPOSE

To explore relationships and group differences in attachment-related constructs (social connectedness and social support) and sexual health behaviors in a sample of homeless youth.

DESIGN AND METHODS

An exploratory design, this study analyzed baseline data from an ongoing intervention study. Survey data were collected by audio, computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) from a nonprobability sample of homeless youth (n = 176).

RESULTS

Social connectedness was positively correlated with period of time homeless, while social support was positively related to sexual self-concept and to self-efficacy and intention to use condoms.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The street group that homeless youth identify with may be a potential resource for peer-mentoring and skill-building regarding healthy sexual behavior.

Comparison of Three Modes of Measuring Stress, Coping, and Humor in School-Age Children

Computer-assisted administration of surveys is gaining popularity among many researchers, but the equivalence of this method to more traditional approaches such as using paper and pencil has not been determined for many commonly used questionnaires, particularly among school-age children. This study examined systematic differences in the responses of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to measures of stress, coping, and humor among three modes of assessment: paper-and-pencil questionnaires, computer-assisted self-interviewing (CASI), or a combination of paper-and-pencil and CASI. Participants were 1,245 ethnically diverse children enrolled in public schools in the central region of the United States. Psychometric and score distribution characteristics were examined using item analyses and analyses of mean and covariance structure as a function of mode of assessment. Differences in response patterns, primarily at the scale score level, were documented on some of the key measures. In general, CASI medians and means were higher and correlations among CASI measures tended to be lower than those obtained with paper-and-pencil and mixed mode assessment, and CASI variances were lower. This study suggests the importance of the continued examination of the impact of mode of questionnaire administration when assessing these and other domains of well-being in school-age children.

A systematic review of associations among religiosity/spirituality and adolescent health attitudes and behaviors

PURPOSE

To systematically review and synthesize literature concerning the relationships among religiosity, spirituality, health attitudes, and health behaviors in adolescents.

METHODS

Forty-three studies between 1998 and 2003 were systematically reviewed to (a) determine if the studies were based on conceptual or theoretical frameworks, (b) identify the types of religiosity and spirituality measures used as well as their effects on health attitudes and behaviors, (c) evaluate the quality of these measures, (d) determine categories and frequency of measures of health attitudes and behaviors, (e) evaluate the quality of the research designs, and (f) determine the effects of religiosity or spirituality on adolescent health attitudes and behaviors.

RESULTS

Over half (n = 26) the studies were atheoretical or had an unclear framework and the other half were based on a wide variety of conceptual and theoretical models. A total of 37 distinct religiosity/spirituality variables were identified and varied in specificity. Less than half (n = 21) reported reliability of the measures and only seven contained information about validity of the measures. All 43 studies included measures of health-risk behaviors and/or attitudes but only seven addressed health-promoting behaviors. Most studies (84%) showed that measures of religiosity/spirituality had positive effects on health attitudes and behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

The variety of studies and measures indicate that religiosity and spirituality may be important correlates of adolescent health attitudes and behaviors. Although the majority of the studies reviewed were well designed, there was no consistency in the theoretical bases and operational definitions of religiosity/spirituality phenomena.

Enhancing intervention fidelity: a means of strengthening study impact

PURPOSE

Intervention studies that address the goals of the Healthy People initiative are increasing, and many focus on health concerns of children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to present strategies and discuss the rationale for including intervention fidelity in study design.

CONCLUSION

Researchers need to verify that their interventions were delivered as designed (intervention fidelity), and that variations from the design can be assessed. Infidelity can result in non-significant findings that are not due to the study design but rather to elements that affected the intervention delivery.

IMPLICATIONS

Addressing intervention fidelity in study design supports the researcher's conclusion about associations between intervention and outcomes and helps reduce premature abandonment of potentially useful interventions.

A systematic review of recent research on adolescent religiosity/spirituality and mental health

There is accumulating evidence that religiosity/spirituality (R/S) are important correlates of mental health in adult populations. However, the associations between R/S and mental heath in adolescent populations have not been systematically studied. The purpose of this article is to report on a systematic review of recent research on the relationships between adolescent R/S and mental health. Twenty articles between 1998 and 2004 were reviewed. Most studies (90%) showed that higher levels of R/S were associated with better mental health in adolescents. Institutional and existential dimensions of R/S had the most robust relationships with mental health. The relationships between R/S and mental health were generally stronger or more unique for males and older adolescents than for females and younger adolescents. Recommendations for future research and implications for mental health nursing are discussed.

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and sexual health practices of homeless adolescents

This study explored the gender differences in sexual self-concept, personal resources for sexual health, safe sex behaviors, and risky sexual behaviors among homeless adolescents with and without histories of sexual abuse. Data for this secondary analysis were collected in 2003 to 2004 in the first phase of a larger repeated-measures sexual health intervention study; 371 homeless youth between 16 and 23 years of age (M = 19.26, SD = 1.83) were recruited from a street outreach center. The majority (64.6%) of participants were males. Self-report instruments were completed at the outreach center via audio computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) format. It was found that female participants were better off than males on numerous measures of sexual health behaviors and attitudes. Sexually abused participants had significantly less future time perspective (p = .05), fewer sexual self-care behaviors (p = .04), and less social support than nonabused participants (p = .01) and almost significantly more sexual risk-taking (p = .08). However, no significant differences were found between abused and nonabused participants on sexual self-concept, self-efficacy or intention to use condoms, safe sex behaviors, AIDS knowledge, assertive communication, or self-efficacy to perform testicular/ breast self-exams. Overall, participants who did not report a history of sexual abuse had significantly more sexual health resources and engaged in fewer sex-risk behaviors than those who reported having been abused. These differences have notable implications for screening adolescents for a history of sexual abuse. Adolescents who report sexual abuse should receive risk counseling and be screened regularly for the development of sexual risk behaviors.

Sexual health promotion in adolescents with chronic health conditions

Sexual health promotion is essential to the health and well-being of adolescents, including those with chronic health conditions. The purposes of this article are to define sexual health and to describe the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and spiritual domains of adolescent development, with special focus on the sexual health needs of adolescents with various chronic health conditions. The article concludes with several suggestions for healthcare professionals, parents, and teachers in addressing sexual health promotion in this vulnerable population.

Gender differences in victimized homeless adolescents

Most of what we know about sexual abuse comes from efforts to examine female children victimized by men. Although some researchers have identified similarities between male and female victims of sexual abuse, few studies have examined gender-specific factors associated with sexual health practices among homeless adolescents. The aim of this study was to explore how gender and history of sexual abuse influence cognitive-perceptual and behavioral factors associated with sexual health practices of homeless adolescents. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected for a cross-sectional study of the sexual health practices of homeless adolescents. The sample consisted of 414 youths (104 males who reported sexual abuse and 124 who did not; and 95 females who reported sexual abuse and 75 who did not; 16 did not provide these data). Homeless adolescent females with a history of sexual abuse scored higher (indicating a shorter perspective) on a measure of future time perspective than females with no sexual abuse. Males who reported no sexual abuse scored higher than abused females on perceived health status and higher than abused males on assertive communication. With respect to perceived health status, males who reported no sexual abuse scored significantly higher than females who reported sexual abuse (p = .04). Males with no sexual abuse had significantly higher assertive communication scores than did males who had experienced sexual abuse (p = .015). We found that male and female abuse victims differ in terms of their cognitive-perceptual and behavioral factors associated with sexual health practices. Early identification of those who have been abused is critical so that interventions can be developed. Effective short-term interventions are needed for the adolescent victims of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), particularly those who are homeless and prone to further sexual victimization.

The relationship between prayer, health behaviors, and protective resources in school-age children

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) the relationship between children's use of prayer as a coping strategy and other protective resources, and (2) whether children who prayed frequently and those who never prayed exhibited different levels of perceived stress and health behaviors. Prayer was found to be positively related to the protective resources of social connectedness and sense of humor. In addition, children who prayed frequently reported significantly higher levels of positive health behaviors than children who never prayed. These two groups of children did not significantly differ in their levels of perceived stress.

Development of the self-efficacy for testicular self-examination scale

BACKGROUND

Men between the ages of 20 and 34 years are at highest risk for testicular cancer yet many lack knowledge and confidence in performing self-examination. The Self-Efficacy to Perform Testicular Self-Examination Scale (SEPTSES) is a 7-item questionnaire to be completed by men, which is designed to measure their confidence in self-examining their testicles. The purpose of this methodological study was to determine the validity and reliability of this self-report measure.

METHODS

Content validity of the scale and clarity of items were established with a panel of experts. The SEPTSES and three valid scales of related constructs were completed by two samples of men (homeless [n = 150] and non-homeless [n = 156]) aged 18-34 years.

RESULTS

A single factor explained 51.5% of the variance of the scale and Cronbach's alpha was satisfactory (a = 0.84). Construct validity was further supported by significant correlations with the other three scales; further support was established by a significant difference in mean scores between the two samples [t (303) = -5.44, p < 0.001].

CONCLUSION

The SEPTSES is a valid, unidimensional scale and it can be used in further research and in clinical practice as an assessment of this aspect of men's health.

Sexual health risks and protective resources in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual homeless youth

ISSUES AND PURPOSE

To compare sexual health risks and protective resources of homeless adolescents self-identified as gay (G), lesbian (L), or bisexual (B), with those self-identified as heterosexual, and to determine the differences between these two groups and the differences within the GLB group.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A secondary analysis of survey data collected from a nonprobability sample of 425 homeless adolescents between 16 and 20 years of age.

RESULTS

Sexual health risks and protective resources differed between those self-identified as GLB and those self-identified as heterosexual. More G/L youth reported a history of sexual abuse and being tested and treated for HIV, and more scored lower on the assertive communication measure than did bisexual or heterosexual youth. Moreover, there were gender differences within the GLB group; more males than females self-identified as homosexual and more females than males self-identified as bisexual.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Sexual health interventions for this population should be both gender- and sexual orientation-specific.