bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Contingency View of Problem Solving in Schools: A Case Analysis
Authors: Hanson E. Mark , Brown Michael E.
Published: March 2007

The objective of this research is to study the patterns of problem- solving activity found in a selected high school, and then to construct a problem-solving model that is rooted in a conceptual framework of contingency theory. Contingency theory, which is a derivation of open system theory, stresses that as conditions (e.g., political, economic, so cial) in the organization's environment become turbulent, the internal structures of the organization must be modified (changed) in order to develop an appropriate response capability. The contingency theory model derived from this study identifies problem solving as a cyclical process with several key stages. At each stage, a set of contingency forces converge on the problem and determine the course of events lead ing to the subsequent stage and finally to the ultimate resolution of the problem. The research represents a significant departure from that presented by classical bureaucratic theory with regard to how problems are solved in schools. An ethnographic research design was used to gather data for the case analysis.
School Management and Contingency Theory: An Emerging Perspective
Authors: Hanson E. Mark
Published: March 2007

Contingency theory is perhaps the most powerful current sweeping over the public and private sectors of management. An understanding of the "situational" characteristics of the organizational forces that influence the relationships between environmental, management, and performance variables is now coming to be seen as a key to under standing the management process itself. Unfortunately, the field of educational administration has yet to become extensively involved. Focus in this paper is given to an identification and analysis of (1) the basic assumptions underpinning contingency theory, and (2) the contin gent nature of organizational structure, leadership, and planning variables. The objective is to build a conceptual framework that will be a useful tool in providing greater facility for description, analysis, and prediction in educational organizations. The paper concludes with a series of research questions intended to establish lines of investigation for the field of school organization and administration.
Educational Administration, the Sociology of Science, and the Management of Knowledge
Authors: Bates Richard J.
Published: March 2007

This article deals with a number of the issues raised in the current debate over the status and nature of theory and research in educational administration. In particular, current corrtroversies and how these relate to similar debates within the philosophy and sociology of science. and ideas from the New Sociology of Education which allow an understanding of the importance of educational administration in the management of knowl edge, are discussed.
Reforms in Urban School District Policy Making: Comparing the "Watchdog" and the "Think Tank"
Authors: Hentschke Guilbert C.
Published: March 2007

Imbalances in the relationships between boards of education, school superintendents, and the school district bureaucracy are perennial problems in large urban school systems. This article describes two recent urban district reforms, in Chicago and Los Angeles. and argues that the reform mechanisms in these cities are reflective of the particular kinds of imbalances needing correction. An examination of these two reform efforts helps to indicate promising strategies for changing and improving urban school district decision and policy making systems.
Exposure to Instruction, Surplus Time, and Student Achievement: A Local Replication of the Harnischfeger and Wiley Research1
Authors: Daniels Abraham F. , Haller Emil J.
Published: March 2007

This study reports the results of what the authors term a "local replication" of Harnischfeger and Wiley's research concerning the effects of exposure to schooling on student achievement. Data were collected which covered a ten-year period surrounding a high school's deliberate reduction of the amount of classroom time available to its students. Both a time series analysis and a regression analysis suggest that the reduction affected mathematics but not English achievement. The utility of local replications for both practitioners and researchers is discussed.
Bibliography
Authors: Bergsma F.
Published: March 2007

Advertising p. 249 — Advertising research p. 249 — Art, literature, theatre p. 250 — Audience research p. 250 — Biographies p. 25I — Censorship p. 25I — Circulation and turnovers p. 25I - Commercial broadcasting p. 25I — Communication theory p. 252 — Content analysis p. 252 - Copyright p. 253 — Editorial methods p. 253 — Education for communicators p. 253 — Effect research p. 254 — Ethics p. 255 — Film p. 255 — Freedom of expression p. 255 — Free dom of information p. 255 — History p. 255 — Journalism research p. 256 — Labour condi tions p. 257— Legislation p. 257 — Leisure and popular culture p. 257 — Libraries, bibliogra phies, documentation p. 258 — Magazines p. 258 — Management p. 258 — Mass behaviour p. 259 — Mass media as means of education p. 260 — Motivation - and consumer - research p. 26I—News, flow, agencies p. 26I — Newspapers p. 262 — Organisations of journalists p. 262 - Pictorial journalism p. 262 — Pressures on mass media p. 262 — Production p. 262 — Pro paganda p. 262 — Public opinion and attitudes p. 262 — Public opinion and attitude - research p. 263 — Public relations p. 264 — Radio and television p. 264 — Readership research p. 265 — Reporting p. 265 — Research methods p. 265 — Research miscellanea p. 266 — Role of mass media p. 267 — Specials p. 267 — Structure of mass media p. 268. Sources p. 269
Christian broadcasting in the eastern mediterranean: The Case of Middle East television
Authors: Badran Badran A.R.
Published: March 2007

This study deals with the advent of televangelism in the Eastern Mediterranean and the uses viewers make of religious television. It is an audience survey of adult viewers of Middle East Television, a station that operates from south Lebanon and reaches audiences in parts of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, and Jordan. In addition to exposure levels and pattern, the study focuses on whether viewing religious television in northern Jordan is a ritualistic or instrumental activity. Moreover, it seeks to weigh the role of religious programs versus secular programs in audience behavior. The uses viewers have of Middle East Television are explained in relation to the station's policy and its programming.
Political efficacy and political ideology: the role of communication in a media-rich, underdeveloped country
Authors: Allen Richard L.
Published: March 2007

Borrowing from the literature of mass communication and development and its many variations over time, a model was formulated to explain the role of mass media and interpersonal discussion on two persistent communication concerns, namely, political efficacy and political ideology. These relationships were examined in light of their possible modification or refinement based on an individual's location in the social structure. Using survey data collected in an urban area of a media-rich underdeveloped country, eleven hypotheses were tested. A structural equation technique (LISREL) demonstrated that all the hypotheses were at least partially supported, furthermore the effects of the communication variables were all fully supported. We concluded that our model, developed from literature in the United States and Third World countries, appears to have substantial external validity.
Trade and international telecommunications policy
Authors: Mahoney Eileen
Published: March 2007

Development of trade rules for international telecommunications within the ongoing General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations and the recently- concluded North American Free Trade Agreement represent a significant shift in policymaking. Historically, telecommunication has been the responsibility of national governmental authorities, whether through public sector service provision or regulation. However, the increasing incorporation of communication and information resources into the transnational corporate economy in the past two decades has prompted efforts to shift control to the private sector. This study analyses the impact of a trade framework for telecommunications services on international and national policy-making.
Environmental issues, the Finnish major press, and public opinion
Authors: Suhonen Pertti
Published: March 2007

This paper reports some preliminary findings of the ongoing Finnish research project 'Mass Media, the Public, and Environmental Politics'. The present study experiments with macro-level methods by comparing developments of environmental attitudes with changes in the environmental coverage of the major Finnish daily paper Helsingin Sanomat. After the first peak at the beginning of the 1970's the environmental coverage dropped. Since the beginning of the eighties the coverage has grown rather consistently along with the growth and bringing to a head of environmental problems. Public opinion did not follow very systematically the development of media environmental coverage. In the 1980's public concern did generally increase parallel with coverage, but demands for protection of the environment and willingness to make personal sacrifices to that end did not. This is partly due to the fact that the 1980's saw globalization of environmental problems, and the means of preventing them and putting things right receded from peoples immediate grasp and political capability.
South African attempts to dominate political communication in Namibia through control of radio 1966-1989
Authors: Riddle Charles
Published: March 2007

South Africa's illegal occupation of Namibia after 1966 enabled it to exercise authoritarian rule in the country. The socio-political environment in what was to become "Africa's last colony" was dominated by a strategy of pro-South African disinformation. The aim of this strategy was to encourage Namibians to agree to a South-African - rather than United Nations' - sponsored solution for the country. This article concentrates on South African attempts to dominate the radio communications system in Namibia.
Radio and television broadcasting to Cuba: U.S. communication policy and the International First Amendment
Authors: Gallimore Tim
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the international legal, regulatory, and policy questions raised by U.S. government broadcasting over Radio and TV Marti. The paper also argues that the U.S. broadcasts to Cuba are the latest in America's attempt to establish a type of international First Amendment using Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

The U.S. attempt to use Article 19 to justify broadcasting to Cuba is based on that part of the international legal framework which has least support from the world community. Justification for the broadcasts is even more tenuous because they violate the legally binding and more widely accepted regulations of the International Telecommunications Union.
Communicating healthcare through forum theater: egalitarian information exchange in Burkina Faso
Authors: Morrison Joy F.
Published: March 2007

Development support communication currently employs mass media to transfer information to project beneficiairies The techniques employed are usually based on Western marketing theory, and the media used are often inappropriate. Traditional cultural forms of communication might be better employed to include people in decision making, by eliciting feedback, and engaging in dialogue. One such cultural form is performance. usually employed in schooling the young in the ways of the people. In Burkina Faso, a type of performance known as forum theater is used successfully for communicating new ideas to rural people who are accustomed to this more personal interaction as a way to solve community problems. Examining some of the theories of culture and performance, this article offers some insight into a form of communication which up till recently has not been considered by many development programs.
In search of journalistic excellence: A comparative study of American and Chinese news reporting awards
Authors: Ha Louisa
Published: March 2007

This study compares the standard of journalistic excellence between the news reporting awards in the United States and China from 1979 to 1984, under a newsgatherer-analyst-narrator framework. The manifest criteria of selection in the Pulitzer Prize emphasizes analytical excellence while its Chinese counterpart emphasizes narrative excellence. However, when the latent attributes of the prize-winning stories are analyzed by content analysis, both awards emphasize narrative excellence. Prize-winning stories in both systems are characterized by opinionated reports. Objectivity is not treasured as a criterion for journalistic excellence.
A quantitative approach to quality in Australian newspapers
Authors: Turner Geoff
Published: March 2007

The lack of an objective, universal measure of newspaper quality has led researchers to apply a wide range of criteria suited to their particular needs. But one commonly accepted starting point is that adequate editorial staff levels are a necessary though not necessarily sufficient condition to ensure newspaper quality. A basic industry guide of one editorial staff member for each 1000 circulation does not allow for the distortions imposed by economies of scale. This article adapts the 1:1000 model to produce a newspaper quality index which can be applied both comparatively and longitudinally, and tests it on Australia's metropolitan newspapers. The article concludes by arguing that such an objective indicator of newspaper quality is vital because of the economic and other forces in the community that militate against quality journalism, and the ramifications this has for all of society.
Foreign news and national interest: Comparing U.S. and Japanese coverage of a Chinese student movement
Authors: Lee Chin-Chuan , Yang Junghye
Published: March 2007

Mass media reflect, and thus reify, social consensus. Foreign policy concerns play a central role in defining media accounts of the political world in international communication. Focusing on media coverage of the Tiananmen movement in China, this case study argues that the vital interests of the United States in China were winning ideological victories in the cold war, whereas Japan's paramount concern was economic gains, hence Japan's reluctance to challenge the Chinese authorities. A content analysis of wire services reportage shows that the Associated Press tended to highlight the Chinese protesters' ideological yearnings for democ racy and freedom, and Kyodo tended to provide factual accounts of the daily development during the movement. Likewise, the Associated Press was more likely than Kyodo to quote protesters as news sources, to describe the movement as a challenge to the Communist sys tem, and emphasize the harsh treatment of protesters by the Chinese government. Alternative explanations were discussed.
The siren songs of consumption: An analysis of foreign advertisements in two mainland Chinese newspapers, 1985-1993
Authors: Jian Wang
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the content and form of foreign advertisements in two promi nent Chinese daily newspapers from 1985 to 1993.1 The study indicates that the quantity of foreign advertising in the Chinese newspapers remained constant during the period under study. With pleasure-seeking and consumption for modernity as their recurring themes, the foreign advertisements mainly focused on advertising consumer goods and employed more attention-getting tactics than Chinese domestic advertisements. This study argues that the rise of consumer culture in China, which involved foreign advertising, signaled the historical rever sal of the hyper-politicization of communist ideology during the pre-economic reform era, and that the presence of foreign advertising in China epitomized an increasing influx of Western cultural products in that country.
A comparison of measures of job satisfaction used in studies of social communicators
Authors: Pollard George
Published: March 2007

The availability of numerous operationalizations of job satisfaction fosters measure ment decisions based on inadequate information about the reliability, validity and expectations of available alternatives. This impedes theoretical development and practical understanding. To clarify the situation, a comparative analysis of three operationalizations using one data set was performed. Each operationalization explained approximately the same amount of vari ance and a common finding emerged: more rule enforcement means less job satisfaction. The single-item indicator offered a less comprehensive explanation of job satisfaction than did the four- and seven-item indicators. Concerns also emerged about the impact of a professional education on job satisfaction.
Television viewing patterns in the State of Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion
Authors: Al-Menayes Jamal J.
Published: March 2007

This research first traces the development of television in the State of Kuwait and the transformation it went through during and after the Gulf War. Then the author discusses the results of a survey done among a sample of Kuwaiti adults in late 1994. Data are pre sented showing television viewing amounts, program preferences, as well as the credibility of television compared to other mass media.
AIDS prevention and condom availability in an urban school system: facilitating factors and programme challenges
Authors: Rafferty Yvonne , Radosh Alice
Published: March 2007

This paper reports on a three-year evaluation of the implementation of the New York City AIDS Education and Condom Availability Program in the public high schools. Data were obtained in a sample of 12 representative high schools from surveys, interviews and focus groups with school administrators and students. The paper identifies and describes six key facilitating factors associated with variations in level of implementation: strength of the AIDS team, characteristics of AIDS team members, support of school principals, involvement of related school-based programmes, support of parents, and AIDS lessons. The paper also identifies and describes five major factors that inhibited programme use: programme quality, concerns about confidentiality, embarrassment, negative attitudes toward condoms, and relationship issues. Implications of these facilitating factors and programme challenges for con dom-availability programmes are discussed. Public high schools in cities with high HIV prevalence can play a key role in HIV prevention. By paying attention to the organisational factors that facilitate programme implementation, urban school and health officials may be able to increase the impact of these pro grammes.
The impact of class position on women's experience of receiving health education information whilst in hospital
Authors: Henshaw Lynne
Published: March 2007

Objective To explore the impact of class position on women's experience of receiving health education information whilst in hospital for elective surgery.

Design A qualitative methodology taking a feminist standpoint.

Setting Gynaecological units of three hospitals in divergent locations. Method In-depth interviews with a quota sample of 36 women who had undergone hysterectomy, drawn in equal numbers from each class position from three different centres.

Results Emerging themes indicate that women from differing class backgrounds have varied informational needs. Working class women accepted a passive role as patients and were satisfied with minimal information. In contrast, middle class women expected to take an active role and expressed a desire for more information. Neither group of women were entirely satisfied with the information provided for recovery.

Conclusion Women have demonstrated they are not a homogeneous group and have different informational needs. Health educators need to take a more differentiated approach, beginning with taking felt needs into account. Patient empowerment also needs to be addressed, as the notion of a free choice may be curtailed by unequal power relationships between patients and health professionals. Patient education should be viewed by both nurses and doctors as a necessity rather than a luxury.
Accident prevention activities: A national survey of health authorities
Authors: Watson Michael , White John
Published: March 2007

Objective To explore how health authorities in England are participating in the planning and development of accident prevention initiatives, particularly in relation to their partnership work.

Design Postal questionnaire.

Setting All health authorities in England.

Method A questionnaire was sent to the director of health promotion/ lead officer of all the health authorities in England. They were asked for information about priorities, strategies, data collection and joint working. Results A response rate of 93 per cent was achieved. Sixty-eight per cent of districts had accidents as one of their top five priorities. A quarter (25 per cent) of districts did not have an accident prevention strategy. The majority (81 per cent), of districts were dissatisfied with their current position in relation to the collection of data. Recent changes in national policy were seen as positive to accident prevention work. However, lack of resources was seen as an important barrier.

Conclusion There appears to be some considerable differences in the activities of health authorities, particularly in relation to partnership work and accident prevention strategies. Recommendations to emerge include the need for national action in relation to the collection of data, and the need for further investigation into the resource issue.
Measuring the incidence of injury among bicycle commuters on cycle networks and open roads: A pilot study
Authors: Nguyen Thao , Williams Brian
Published: March 2007

Background Government policy is to reduce motorised land travel. Nottingham has a system of segregated and unsegregated cycle pathways. Exposure to risk on these different types of cycle route and related injury rates are unknown.

Objective To develop simple, accurate methods of measuring distances travelled on different cycle pathways; to estimate the number of incidents (unexpected occurrences) per unit distance on different pathways, and the number yielding injuries.

Design Diary recording over two weeks by a random sample of cycle commuters.

Setting Nottingham city cycle routes used by hospital workers between home and work.

Method Four hundred bicycle storage area users at a National Health Service (NHS) hospital were asked to map their routes to and from work, to estimate the distance involved and to record the nature and location of any incidents occurring during cycle commuting over two weeks. Using a ruler, string and the map scale, the distances covered on each type of route were calculated. Calculated distances were compared with actual distances measured with a car mileometer. Incident rates were calculated for each type of pathway. The occurrence of any injuries sustained in these incidents was checked against Accident and Emergency (A&E) department records.

Results Only 267 proved eligible; 155 replied by the deadline; 87 agreed to participate, 68 declined. Eighty (44 males, 36 females) returned complete data. Cyclists' estimates of route distance, and the distances of the same routes calculated by measuring map lengths differed by 2.1 km on average (range -3.3 to +5.4 km). Distances calculated by measuring map lengths differed from actual distances measured by mileometer by only 0.5 km on average. We calculated that commuters covered 5368 km, averaging 4.6 km per journey (range 0.8 to 7.6 km), 57 per cent of it on roads. Twenty-eight cyclists reported 53 incidents (10 per 1000 km: 95%CI 7 to 13). Segregated cycle paths had the highest rates (43 per 1000 km: 95%CI 26 to 67). In 46 cases the incident involved taking action to avoid an obstacle, a pedestrian, another cyclist or a motor vehicle. No injuries were reported in these incidents and nobody involved in the incidents attended the hospital A&E department.

Conclusions It is feasible to record accurately over two weeks the exposure of commuting cyclists to travel on various types of urban cycle route, and the number and nature of potentially harmful incidents experienced. It is likely that the higher rate of injury on off-road cycle paths reported in other countries would be confirmed.
Why are children not being immunised? Barriers to immunisation uptake in South Devon
Authors: Lewendon G.J. , Maconachie M.
Published: March 2007

Objective To identify local factors contributing to poor immunisation uptake.

Design A multidesign study using quantitative and qualitative methods. Setting South Devon - a rural, relatively affluent area.

Method In addition to using routinely available data, postal surveys, semi- structured and focus group interviews were used as a means of gathering new data.

Results As well as highlighting different parental and health professional perceptions of the reason for low uptake, the study identified a number of factors such as consent, training of health professionals and the accuracy and timeliness of data collection that were contributing to the inadequate immunisation uptake.

Conclusion The study has shown a range of factors contributing to whether or not a child is immunised. There is a clinical governance issue to ensure improvement in the quality of the service provided for children and their families. Accredited training should be a mandatory require ment for everyone giving immunisations.
A quantitative nutritional evaluation of a healthy eating intervention in primary school children in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area - A pilot study
Authors: O'Brien Niamh , Roe Caroline , Reeves Sue
Published: March 2007

Objective To perform a pilot study that evaluates the nutritional and dietary habits of primary school children in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area prior to and following a healthy eating intervention programme.

Design A quantitative study whereby the food intakes of 20 boys and 20 girls aged 8 to 9 years old were recorded for five days prior to, and for five days after the intervention. Discussions with the children to ascertain their attitudes towards healthy foods were carried out and parental support was encouraged.

Setting A primary school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area in the city of Limerick, Republic of Ireland.

Method Food intake data was collected using food diaries and analysed using the computer package Diet 5 for Windows. Paired t-tests were performed to assess any significant changes in the dietary intakes.

Results Following intervention, there were significant increases in the consumption of energy ( P<0.001), protein ( P<0.001), fat ( P<0.01), and calcium ( P<0.0001). Whilst most of the nutrients were consumed in appropriate amounts, the percentage energy from fat was higher than recommendations, whilst iron intakes were below recommendations. Conclusion Although, the changes in food consumption were positive, future interventions should emphasise the need to monitor fat intakes, improve iron status and encourage discussion outside the classroom environment. Similar interventions based on this pilot study could also be used with respect to other areas of health promotion, for example, activity, anti-smoking and so on.
Self-management interventions for people with chronic conditions in primary care: Examples from arthritis, asthma and diabetes
Authors: Barlow J.H. , Sturt J. , Hearnshaw H.
Published: March 2007

The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions has implications for health care provision, particularly primary care which acts as the gatekeeper to other services and provides long-term support for patients with enduring needs. One means of coping with this increasing patient demand centres on enhancing the ability of patients to successfully self- manage the day-to-day realities of their condition in partnership with health care professionals. Hence, it is not surprising that the provision of self-management style programmes has seen a rapid growth in the past five years, primarily in relation to hospital-based programmes led by health professionals. There are exceptions such as the community-based self-management interventions that are organised and delivered by voluntary organisations using peer educators. The value of increasing self-management provision through primary care is discussed in relation to three conditions that form a large part of the primary care caseload: arthritis, asthma, and diabetes. The typical management tasks associated with each condition are considered in terms of differences and commonalities. The implications of such similarities and differences for implementation of self-management on a much wider scale in primary care are discussed.
Adolescent health promotion: The value of being a peer leader in a health education/ promotion peer education programme
Authors: Ochieng Bertha M N
Published: March 2007

Objective To explore the process of adolescent peer leaders and the benefits of being a peer leader in a sexual health HIV/AIDS peer education programme.

Design A qualitative study using the principles of grounded theory method.

Setting Individual interviews were carried out by the researcher in a room within the building where training of peer leaders took place.

Method Fifteen semi-structured in-depth interviews, followed by grounded theory investigation.

Results Findings indicated that the process of peer leadership although complex was largely beneficial. The peer leaders were able to identify areas where the experience had benefited them as individuals. Conclusion The peer leaders that participated in the study highlighted positive changes in attitudes and also discussed the effects on their personal lifestyles. From the findings a correlation framework emerged that could be used for studying the interrelationship of factors that determine the effects of being a peer leader.
The training experiences of older, volunteer lay leaders on an arthritis self-management course
Authors: Hainsworth Jenny , Barlow Julie
Published: March 2007

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the training experiences of a group of older volunteers in preparation for delivering an arthritis self-management course as a lay leader.

Design The study was a pre-test post-test design with data collected at three points in time: before attending training; 6 weeks, and 6 months after training.

Setting This study recruited participants from three training courses for lay leaders run in Leicester, Shrewsbury and Skipton.

Method Data were collected through a baseline questionnaire and interviews. The sample comprised 22 older people with arthritis. The majority of participants were women, with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Results Volunteering to become a lay leader was motivated by the need to fill the vocational void left by retirement, to feel a useful member of society by helping others and to find a peer group. Expectations included gaining a greater understanding of arthritis, peer support and the opportunity to meet similar people. At follow-up, identified training needs included team-working, presentation skills, and more time for personal discussion. The main benefits of training were social and skills based. The most disliked aspect of training was its intensity.

Conclusions Through training, volunteers felt that they had acquired a purpose to their lives. The group training experience had enabled volunteers to draw social comparisons with their peers.Volunteers thrived on feeling 'at home' in a training environment reminiscent of their past working lives. Disappointment was expressed regarding the long gap between training and delivering a self-management course.
Sexual health of women working aboard cruise ships
Authors: Thomas Michelle A.
Published: March 2007

Objective This paper reports on the sexual health of women working in the cruise sector of the shipping industry.

Design Data reported in this paper was collected as part of a larger study exploring company policies and practices relating to women seafarers, and the experiences of women seafarers in both the cruise and cargo . sectors of the shipping industry. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected for the study in over 30 countries worldwide.

Setting Data reported here was collected in major cruise ports in Florida, USA.

Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with women seafarers and cruise company officials exploring women's living and working conditions and their experiences working on board ship.

Results Data suggested that sexual relationships among crewmembers are a common feature of life aboard cruise ships. Women's sexual health was found to be at risk due to limited access to contraception and restricted, and frequently nonconfidential, access to ship's doctors. Conclusion Confidential access to the ship's doctor is vital to the consistent use of contraception and the prevention and diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Preboarding induction courses for crewmembers should include education on sexual health and sexual risk.
Predicting Alcoholics Anonymous Affiliation
Authors: Reigle Nancy , Dowd E. Thomas
Published: March 2007

Objective This study was designed to investigate nonpsychopathological personality factors that might predict various aspects of affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Design Forward Stepwise multiple regression was used to predict the ability of the five domain factors of the NEO-PI to predict the number of AA meetings attended, frequency of contact with an AA sponsor, number of close friends in AA, frequency of contact with close friends in AA, and frequency of reading AA literature 12 months after treatment.

Setting An archival data sample of 125 veterans who had completed substance abuse treatment at a large Department of Veterans Admini stration Medical Center was used.

Results High conscientiousness and low agreeableness predicted change in the number of AA Meetings attended. Low agreeableness predicted change in the frequency of contact with an AA sponsor. Low agreeableness and high neuroticism predicted change in the number of close friends in AA. High neuroticism predicted change in the frequency of contact with close friends.

Conclusion Certain nonpsychopathological personality characteristics may be predictive of who will use and affiliate with Alcoholics Anonymous activities.
Health Coaching: a Developing Field within Health Education
Authors: Palmer Stephen
Published: March 2007

The health promotion and health education literature has references to health counselling.Yet, beyond the field of health, coaching has become a popular method to enhance and facilitate individual and group performance in business, sports, and personal areas of life. This paper focuses on the recent development of health coaching by practitioners and organisations.
Knowledge of breast cancer and screening practices
Authors: Vahabi Mandana
Published: March 2007

Objective To assess young women's breast health knowledge and explore its relation to the use of screening mammography.

Methods A convenience sample of 180 women aged 25-45 residing in Toronto, Canada, with no history of breast cancer and mammography received an information brochure and four questionnaires which assessed their knowledge of breast health, sociodemographic/clinical character istics, and intended decision to use screening mammography.

Results Women's overall baseline knowledge score ranged from 0-18 with a mean of 10 and SD of 3.9. About half of the participants had a low score (0-9), 31 per cent did not know that the risk of breast cancer increases with age, 43 per cent did not know what was the appropriate age to start breast self examination (BSE), and 48 per cent did not know how frequently BSE should be performed. The overall knowledge score was significantly higher for those women who intended to use screening than those who did not (10.8 vs. 8.4, p<0.001). The intended use of screening was associated with women's knowledge ( p<0.001), self-perceived health ( p=0.02), perceived susceptibility to breast cancer ( p=0.04) and perceived usefulness of information ( p=0.001).

Conclusion The study demonstrates that breast health knowledge is limited even among highly educated young women. This finding suggests the need for providing breast health education to women at earlier stage in their life when they have ample time to go through a logical series of decision stages on their way to adopting a new behaviour.
Triggers to action
Authors: Eardley Anne
Published: March 2007

IN 1955, Aitken-Swan and Paterson's study on delay among cancer patients was pub lished, in which the now classic distinction was made between patients who "knew" their symptoms indicated cancer and those who were genuinely ignorant of the possible significance of their symptoms. Patients in the first category (mainly those with breast cancer) delayed visiting a doctor to a significantly greater degree than those in the second group, and tended to seek medical attention only when the severity of their symptoms left them with no alternative.
The role of the Community Health Education Specialist in the delivery of health care
Authors: Tones B.K.
Published: March 2007

THIS paper seeks to define a "model" role for a com munity health education specialist having due regard to the dictates of profession alism and to the potential of education and the behav ioural sciences for increasing effectiveness in the delivery of health care. It subsequent ly examines the "goodness of fit" between existing health education services and the "model" role by matching this latter with data from a postal survey of 152 health education officers collected just prior to the reorganisa tion of the NHS in April 1974.
Evaluating health education programmes
Authors: Sheiham Aubrey
Published: March 2007

HEALTH Education Officers constantly assess the pro grammes under their control though they may not call the process 'evaluation'. They gauge the rate of progress of a new programme, appraise personnel performance, esti mate the effectiveness of a particular technique, look at other programmes and com pare the results. This routine day-to-day process may not suffice, particularly now when we are in an era of account ability. As there are no current reviews on evaluation generally available, my brief is to review the current con cepts about evaluation and suggest some guidelines which Health Education Officers could apply.
Do patients read breast self-examination booklets?
Authors: Turner Joan , Blaney Roger , Irwin George , Odling-Smee William , Roy Douglas
Published: March 2007

IF A campaign to encourage women to examine their breasts for lumps is to succeed, it is necessary for women to read the literature produced. An attempt was made to estimate whether such literature was read, and in a group of women 90.6 per cent read the booklet, and 15.9 per cent altered their behaviour.

There were several other non- numerical indicators which strongly suggested that women read the literature. A large-scale study is now under way.
Glue-sniffing and the use of posters
Authors: Thomson William
Published: March 2007

A HEALTH education poster campaign in primary schools was launched as part of a strategy to combat glue-sniffing. Six different posters were commis sioned, and evaluation sought to discover which was most effective. Over 200 children and adults took part in the survey, which discovered a unanimity of view among both groups.
Measles vaccination: the 1983 Bedfordshire campaign
Authors: Ryan R.P.
Published: March 2007

A MEASLES vaccination campaign was initiated by the North Bedfordshire District Health Authority after a survey identified poor administration and a lack of commitment among health authority staff, as main causes of the low measles vaccine uptake in the area. The campaign ran for six months during the autumn and winter of 1983-84, reaching GPs, health visitors and schools, and attracting interest from the local press, radio and TV. The number of measles vaccinations rose from 760 between October 1982 and February 1983, to 1,656 during the same period the following year, while notifications of the disease fell from 169 to 23.
Young people's perception of smoking at work
Authors: Murray M. , Jarrett L.
Published: March 2007

FORTY NINE young adults were interviewed about their experience of smoking at work. Intensive analysis of their replies revealed that smoking has a valuable meaning when considered within the con text of work. On entry to work it provides a symbol of achieving adulthood: in boring jobs it allows the smoker to escape, even for a few moments, from the tedium or from fellow workers who seem to identify with that kind of work, and in relations with workmates it is of value in social exchange. The implications of these findings for the development of anti-smoking campaigns in the workplace are discussed.
Antenatal classes and the consumer: mothers' and fathers' views
Authors: Taylor Audrey
Published: March 2007

ANTENATAL classes are now a well-established feature of the services offered to mothers in prepara tion for childbirth and parenthood1. The provision of classes for fathers, other than on a very small scale, is a newer phenomenon: a response, perhaps, to the dramatic increase in the number of fathers attending the birth of their babies in the 1970s2. Although there has been a considerable amount of research into the effectiveness of classes for mothers3,4,5,6, there have been few studies looking at the impact of classes on fathers 7, or comparing the experiences of men and women consumers. This study sets out to explore: Patterns of attendance at antenatal classes; mothers' and fathers' evaluation of classes; ways in which attendance may influence parents' perceptions and behaviour at the time of birth.
Health in Mersey — an exercise in community diagnosis
Authors: Ashton John
Published: March 2007

THE process of producing a community diagnosis for the Mersey Region is described. Such an exercise is recommended for its potency in agenda-setting, and establishing a frame of reference for health promo tion within the context of the strategy of Health For All By The Year 2000.
Passive smoking
Authors: Linthwaite Peter
Published: March 2007

AS part of its current initiative on passive smoking, the Health Education Council commissioned an NOP poll to look into three areas: the attitudes, awareness and behaviour of the general public in relation to passive smoking, the feasibility of carrying out a public education campaign in this area, and possible strategies. The research consisted of both a quantitative element, using a sample of 835 smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers, and a qualitative element, involving small group discussions. An inter pretive report of the research is lodged in the HEC library.
Evaluation of a family-linked smoking programme in primary schools
Authors: Charlton Anne
Published: March 2007

BASED on the findings of a large-scale survey of chil dren's smoking habits, carried out in Northern Eng land in 1982, a three-phase intervention programme was designed. This paper describes the effects of the first phase, aimed at nine and ten-year-olds, and their families. The effect was measured by a con trolled trial, involving 370 boys and 370 girls in a random sample of 32 primary schools. As a result of the intervention, there were significant decreases in smoking among boys and their fathers, but less posi tive results among girls and their fathers. Mothers showed no swing away from smoking. It was con cluded that a simple intervention package of this type, which is brought from school by the child and studied together with the parents, could be effective in helping to check family smoking. However, girls and their mothers appear to be harder to reach and influence than boys and their fathers. It is suggested that an intervention package of this kind could be used in general practice, as well as in schools.
Working together — removing barriers to measles immunisation
Authors: Carter Harden , Jones Ian G.
Published: March 2007

IN SPITE of Fife Health Board's regular participation in the annual national immunisation campaign in Scotland, the uptake of measles vaccine by two-year- olds in our area in 1982 was only 56%, a level totally inadequate to achieve the eradication of the disease. By identifying the barriers to the uptake of vaccine and implementing a co-ordinated and comprehen sive health education programme to overcome these, we have been able to raise the level of measles immu nisation to 80%.
Using local radio in primary prevention
Authors: Hamlin Mark , Hamlin Moira , Johnson Sheila
Published: March 2007

THE study describes a local radio series and back-up leaflet designed to reach women during pregnancy. Effects were evaluated in terms of changes in knowl edge and attitudes about pregnancy and antenatal care. The results indicate that local radio can be a powerful educational medium if appropriate tech niques are employed. Implications for the way health promotion messages are delivered are discussed.
An adolescent smoking survey in Trent, and its contribution to health promotion
Authors: Gillies Pam , Elwood J. Mark , Pearson J.C.G. , Cust G.
Published: March 2007

A SURVEY of over 45,000 teenagers found that one in five of 15 to 16-year-olds, and more girls than boys, are smoking regularly in Trent Region. Differences in smoking prevalence were recorded between areas within the region and between schools. Immediate feedback of the survey results to all schools and health education units in the region increased awareness of the extent of the problem of smoking among young people. The process of feeding back relevant information may have a bearing on future health education and research practice in individual schools. The policy implications of the outcome of the survey are discussed.
Aids, Africa and education
Authors: Nunn Paul
Published: March 2007

It is now clear that the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) is a major health problem affecting almost all countries of the world and particularly those in parts of sub-Saharan Africa1,2. Whilst medi cal technology has made possible enormous advances in the knowledge of the agent responsible, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), it is clear that both a vaccine and an effective treatment are still years away3. The main avenues open for limiting the spread of the disease are, therefore, the screening of donated blood, and education. This article deals with the latter in the context of Africa, but the relevant epidemiological facts are outlined first since these must dictate the content of any educational programme.
Health and fitness in the physical education curriculum: regression or progress?
Authors: Williams Anne
Published: March 2007

IT has been argued that current health-related fit ness work is a revival rather than an innovation. This paper discusses the validity of such a claim.
Knowledge of infectious diseases and immunisation among Asian and white parents
Authors: Morgan Sarah , Aslam Mohammed , Dove Rosemary , Nicoll Angus , Stanford Rita
Published: March 2007

A STRUCTURED questionnaire concerning infectious diseases and immunisation was applied to Asian and white parents attending child health clinics in Not tingham. Both groups were found to be deficient in their knowledge, but Asian families were particu larly unaware of diseases that could affect their fam ilies both in the United Kingdom and on trips to the Indian sub-continent. Evidence is presented from Nottingham and elsewhere that this lack of knowl edge results in under-protection of first generation Asian immigrants and of Asian travellers, and that as a consequence disease morbidity is unnecessarily high. To meet these needs two leaflets were developed for Asians families explaining immunisa tions available in the United Kingdom and how to protect individuals travelling abroad.