bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Fatherhood: Myths and Realities
Authors: Hall Wendy A.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Despite evidence for the existence of nurturing fathers, little is known about how and why men increase their involvement with their children. The qualitative study from which these findings were taken explored the experience of 10 Canadian fathers in dual‐earner families after the birth of their first infants. The constant comparative method was used to generate a grounded theory explicating the men's process of redefining their roles as spouses, workers, and fathers. Findings from 20 semi‐structured interviews conducted with a purposive sample of fathers in their homes revealed that the fathers' experiences consisted of coping with many demands from children, partners, and jobs. These men redefined their roles as fathers after their partners returned to full‐time employment. Two stages of monitoring role strain and limiting role strain captured the variation in behavior. This study contributes to community health nurses' understanding of how men respond to the lack of concurrence among societal expectations, others' expectations, and their own realities of fatherhood.
Writing to Learn in Community Health Nursing: The Aggregate
Authors: Baumann Linda Ciofu , Schmelzer Margaret O.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Writing to learn is a strategy that can be used to develop competencies of undergraduate students for the practice of community health nursing. It provides an opportunity for students to apply community health theory in a paper that integrates health status indicators, primary prevention, and aggregate‐focused nursing interventions. It also develops students' writings abilities and creative approaches to community health nursing practice in a clinically applicable manner, thereby facilitating synthesis of professional principles and practices.
The Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Nursing Problems in Home Health Care
Authors: Glick Doris F.
Published: May 2007

Abstract The delivery of home health services that are accessible and cost effective is contingent on understanding the characteristics and needs of the aggregates who use the services. This study examined the relationship between socio‐demographic characteristics and nursing problems among a sample of home health patients. Data were gathered by retrospective record review of all 209 patients with medical‐surgical problems who were discharged from home health services during a six‐week period. Nursing diagnoses were identified by nurses at the time of the admission assessment. Impaired mobility, the most frequent nursing diagnosis, occurred in 73% of the sample, cardiovascular problems in 52%, and respiratory problems in 48%. Analysis of the data revealed a relationship between source of payment and age with nursing diagnosis. No significant relationship was found between nursing diagnosis and gender, although a weak relationship was identified with living arrangement. Results have important implications for the planning, delivery, and reimbursement of home care services that equitably address populations with the greatest nursing needs. If patients with specific predisposing characteristics have different needs, it may be possible to evaluate patients more accurately early in care delivery so that these needs can be more effectively met.
Teaching Students to Become Active in Public Policy
Authors: Thomas Patricia A. , Shelton Carol Reagan
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Nurses as professionals and as individual consumers are affected by health policy and bear a responsibility for participating in the health policy arena. Nursing's growing recognition of the importance of public policy issues is increasingly being translated into action by various groups within the profession. Persuading student nurses of the importance of health policy provides a special challenge to faculty. A clinical practicum was designed that requires senior baccalaureate students in various community settings to identify, analyze, and challenge health policy issues. The course design, integration into the curriculum, and evaluation can be models for faculty considering the challenge of stimulating student interest in health policy issues.
Integrating Informatics into the Graduate Community Health Nursing Curriculum
Authors: Reinhard Susan C. , Moulton Patricia J.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Advanced practice of community health nursing is enhanced if the nurse is able to identify, create, and use databases to support nursing assessments of communities and to manage and evaluate community health programs. The College of Nursing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has revised its curriculum for community health nursing graduate students to include a strong focus on nursing informatics. This paper summarizes the integration of theoretical content and practice exercises into a pre‐course workshop and four‐course sequence. A focal point of this effort has been the “Healthy People 2000 Nursing Informatics Project,” in which students develop an automated community‐assessment tool and database related to the Year 2000 objectives. The use of this database and related national, state, and local databases to document community needs is emphasized. Students also evaluate nursing information systems and use information technologies to design and evaluate community health grant proposals. Curriculum development, evaluation, and modification are detailed in relation to student learning needs, faculty preparation, and equipment and consultation requirements.
Preterm Infant Follow‐up Project: A Multi‐Site Field Experiment of Hospital and Home Intervention Programs for Mothers and Preterm Infants
Authors: Kang Rebecca , Barnard Kathryn , Hammond Mary , Oshio Sachiko , Spencer Claudia , Thibodeaux Becky , Williams Judy
Published: May 2007

Abstract This study was designed as a multi‐site field experiment to test the efficacy of hospital and home visit interventions to improve interaction between mothers and preterm infants. Hospital intervention consisted of State Modulation (SM) treatment, which focused on teaching mothers to read the behavioral cues and modulate the states of consciousness of preterm infants during feedings. Home visit intervention was a field‐tested program, Nursing Systems for Effective Parenting‐Preterm (NSTEPP), implemented during the first five months after the infant's hospital discharge. A hospital program on car seats (CS) and standard public health nursing home visits (PHN) served as comparison treatments. The sample consisted of 327 mothers and their preterm infants who were less than 36 weeks of gestational age at hospital discharge. Mothers were randomly assigned to intervention groups on the basis of their education. High education (HE) was ≤ 13 years of education, while low education (LE) was ≥ 12 years of education. HE mothers were only assigned to hospital programs, while LE mothers were assigned to combinations of hospital and home visit programs. Evaluations were conducted at 40 weeks conceptual age (expected date of birth), at 46 weeks conceptual age (1.5‐months‐corrected age), and 60 weeks conceptual age (5‐months‐corrected age).

Comparisons were made within each educational group. For HE groups, SM infants gave significantly more clear cues during observations of feeding interactions at 1.5‐months‐corrected age and teaching interactions at 5‐months‐corrected age than infants in the CS group. During the teaching interaction, well‐educated SM mothers provided significantly more social‐emotional and cognitive stimulation than CS mothers. For LE groups, infants in the SM group combined with either PHN or NSTEP‐P exhibited significantly more responsive behavior during feeding observations than those infants in the CS/PHN group at 1.5‐months‐corrected age. LE mothers in the SM/NSTEP‐P group demonstrated more sensitivity and more stimulation during teaching interactions at 5‐months‐corrected age than mothers in the SM/PHN or CS/PHN groups. Findings suggest that State Modulation treatment is effective in influencing positive social interaction of infants regardless of the level of maternal education. State modulation treatment combined with NSTEP‐P is most effective in improving the social interaction between preterm infants and mothers with limited formal education. Such treatment‐specific
Community Nursing Competencies: A Comparison of Educator, Administrator, and Student Perspectives
Authors: Nickel Jennie T. , Pituch Martha J. , Holton Janet , Didion Judy , Perzynski Kathy , Wise Jean , McVey Betty
Published: May 2007

Abstract Perceptions of functioning levels of baccalaureate students nearing graduation were assessed, comparing views of 15 educators, 15 health department administrators, and 185 students. A modified list of the 47 essential public health nursing competencies identified through the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Nursing served as the basis for data collection and analyses. Student competencies in individual skills were ranked higher than group and community competencies by all three groups surveyed. Students ranked competencies at higher levels than educators and educators at higher levels than administrators. Although administrators continue to advise new graduates to work in acute care before entering community health, support for continuation of this practice was not observed based on administrator ratings.
Childhood Sexually Transmitted Diseases: One Consequence of Sexual Abuse
Authors: Anderson Cheryl
Published: May 2007

Abstract Numerous sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of both viral and bacterial origin exist. Nursing and medical literature typically focuses on adults with STD, with vague regard for the epidemiology of STD among prepubertal children. This article focuses on childhood sexually transmitted disease as a consequence of sexual abuse. Nurses are encouraged, however, to assess both for STDs among child victims of sexual abuse and for sexual abuse among child victims of STDs. Some of the more common sexually transmitted diseases among adults, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachmatis, Treponema pallidum, genital herpes simplex Virus, human papillomavirus and HIV/AIDS are discussed as they occur in children between the ages of 1 and 12 years. Suggestions are provided for nurses regarding assessment and protocols (interviews and examinations) and interventions.
Adequacy of Prenatal Care of Urban High School Students
Authors: Chen Shu‐Pi C. , Telleen Sharon , Chen Edwin H.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Relationships of five selected variables to the adequacy of prenatal care of pregnant students in urban public high schools were studied. These five variables were: the age of the baby's father, mother's education, parity, living arrangement, and functional areas of support. From 1986 to 1989, a convenience sample of 244 African American, unmarried, pregnant students completed a prenatal questionnaire. The Resource Size scale, a subscale in the questionnaire, was tested on pregnant students, and its coefficient alpha for internal consistency was 86. Additional data were obtained from the state's live birth certificate tape. Results showed that the age of the baby's father was significantly associated with adequacy of prenatal care. Because 51% of the babies' fathers are age 15‐19 and most likely in school, the community and school health nurses may encourage them to get involved in the care of pregnant students. Other implications are also drawn.
Kansans' Perceptions of Health Care Reform: A Qualitative Study on Coming to Public Judgment
Authors: Smith‐Campbell Betty
Published: May 2007

Abstract The purpose of this study was to analyze the discussion of participants from three Kansas town meetings on health care reform. Yankelovich's process of “coming to public judgment” was used to guide the research. In this study participants were in the process of the first two stages of public judgment: consciousness‐raising and working through. Health care reform was described in six themes: access, bureaucracy, distribution, expectations, futility, and prevention. Health care needs and reform were described within the context of personal meaning for those attending the town meetings.
Participatory Action Research for Community Health Promotion
Authors: Rains Joanne W. , Ray Dixie Wiles
Published: May 2007

Abstract Community participation is an important feature of community health promotion. One form is participatory action research. This article describes the process and outcomes of participatory action research conducted by a Healthy City in rural Indiana and public health nurse faculty. The community was integrally involved in the entire process, including framing of research questions, construction and distribution of survey tools, analysis of findings, and taking action on the results. Combining local insights of the community with technical assistance from public health nursing yielded multiple benefits. The role of participatory action research is appropriate for public health nurses because it is consistent with the goals and characteristics of the profession.
Women's Beliefs Concerning Condom Acquisition and Use
Authors: Libbus Kay
Published: May 2007

Abstract Condoms are a time‐honored and reliable method of protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. However, their use, and thus their effectiveness, is determined by individual behavior. The purpose of this paper is to report attitudes and salient beliefs related to condom use in a sample of adult women. The study used Ajzen and Fishbein's Theory of Planned Behavior to identify modal, salient beliefs regarding condom acquisition and use as intentional behaviors. The study sample consisted of 58 community women who reported using condoms for contraceptive purposes within the last five years. In face‐to‐face, audiotaped interviews, open‐ended questions were used to solicit beliefs regarding condom acquisition and use. All subject narratives were content‐analyzed for recurrent themes. Women cited accessibility and effectiveness in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases as both advantages and as factors contributing to the ease of acquisition and use. Disadvantages and factors that might deter condom acquisition and use included embarrassment, objections by male partner, and effect on spontaneity. Overall, subjects exhibited accurate knowledge regarding the benefits of condom acquisition and use. However, it is possible that expressed negative beliefs could take precedence in decision‐making and reduce the probability of consistent condom use.
Characteristics of Pregnant Women, Utilization, and Satisfaction with Prenatal Services in St. Petersburg, Russia
Authors: Dennis Louise Ivanov , Flynn Beverly C. , Martin Joanne B.
Published: May 2007

Abstract A descriptive study with a convenience sample of 47 subjects drawn from two birthing houses was conducted in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the auspices of the World Health Organization Healthy Cities Project. Data were collected with a self‐administered questionnaire given to women in birthing houses after delivery and prior to discharge. Subjects ranged in age from 16 to 38 years. Sixty‐one percent of women began prenatal care within the 1st trimester, 35% within the 2nd trimester, and 2% received no prenatal care. Younger women were more likely than older women to start prenatal care in the 1 st trimester, but received less teaching by health care providers. Younger women also expressed more stress and need for counseling. In addition, 83% of low‐birthweight babies were born to younger women. These findings indicate a focus by health care personnel on older pregnant women, although younger pregnant women were at higher risk for poor pregnancy outcome. The strongest statistically significant correlations were found among the patient satisfaction variables, indicating that satisfaction with prenatal services may influence when women begin prenatal care services.
Diversity in the Rural Poor: Differences between Households with and without Telephones
Authors: Selby‐Harrington Maija L. , Tesh Anita S. , Donat Patricia L. N. , Quade Dana
Published: May 2007

Abstract Differences between households with and without phones in the United States as a whole are well documented, but these differences, and their implications for nursing practice and research, have received little attention in nursing publications. This article 1) reviews findings from national studies of these differences and 2) reports on a nursing study that examined such differences specifically in a random sample (N= 2,053) of lowincome families having children eligible for but not using the well‐child services of the Medicaid program in rural North Carolina. The study was part of a randomized trial of nursing interventions to encourage parents to use these services. The analyses reported herein focus on how families with and without phones differed in health‐related characteristics and in responses to the interventions. The findings have relevance for public health nurses conducting outreach or research with similar low‐income families, even when the outreach or research methods do not involve phone contact.
Indicators of Differences in Immunization Rates of Mexican American and White Non‐Hispanic Infants in a Medicaid Managed Care System
Authors: Moore Patricia , Fenlon Nancy , Hepworth Joseph T.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Immunization levels of Mexican American and white non‐Hispanic infants enrolled in Arizona's Medicaid managed care demonstration project, a prototype of the model proposed for a reformed health care system, were compared and the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, acculturation levels, health beliefs of the mothers, and infant health status on immunization levels were assessed. The study used data collected from office records, birth certificates, and household interviews. The random sample included 292 white non‐Hispanic and 274 Mexican American infants. White non‐Hispanic infants received more immunizations by age 1 than the Mexican American infants. However, after controlling for a full set of explanatory variables in a multiple regression analysis, ethnicity was no longer a significant predictor of immunization levels. Significant predictors of a higher number of immunizations included fewer siblings, older maternal age, and higher maternal education. Health insurance and enrollment in a managed care plan were not sufficient to ensure adequate immunization of these Medicaid enrolled infants. Results are discussed in terms of previous research and the essential functions of public health as outlined in the Institute of Medicine's Report on the Future of Public Health.
Aggregate/Community‐Centered Undergraduate Community Health Nursing Clinical Experience
Authors: Flick Louise H. , Reese Cordie , Harris Ann
Published: May 2007

Abstract Debate continues about the appropriateness of clinical experiences targeting aggregates in undergraduate community health nursing education. This paper describes a practical model to teach, through experience, the concepts of aggregate/community‐centered practice at the baccalaureate level. As a voluntary alternative to the usual community assessment paper, groups of students worked in partnership with community groups to define health needs and to address one need. Sequential student groups focused the assessment and implemented a plan. The required time for each project varied. One project is described to illustrate the model. While independent community‐centered practice is not expected of the B.S.N. graduate, the model described here develops comprehension of the concepts and process of such practice.
Older Adults' Experience of Health Promotion: A Theory for Nursing Practice
Authors: Frenn Marilyn
Published: May 2007

AbstractUnderstanding older adults' experience of health promotion is essential in effectively preserving health and functional ability and thereby reducing health care costs among members of this rapidly expanding group. During 5 months of participant observation of 80 older adults (ages of 62‐88), data from 31 semistructured interviews, as well as the Health Self‐Determinism Index (HSDI) designed to measure intrinsic motivation for health (Cox, Miller, & Mull, 1987), were analyzed using methods common to grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Patterns central to maintaining health that provide essential theoretical grounding for health promotion practice with older adults were discovered.
Of Lillian Wald, Community Health Nursing Education, and Health Care Reform
Authors: Jossens Marilyn O. R. , Ferjancsik Patricia
Published: May 2007

Abstract A pilot project is described that was initiated to provide a comprehensive clinical experience for community health nursing (CHN) students despite local cutbacks in field nursing services. The project, entitled the Nursing Elementary Education Outreach Project (NEEOP), is used as a basis for discussion on the CHN role in community‐focused health care reform. One‐third of the CHN students in one school of nursing during one academic year (n= 16) participated in the NEEOP. One salaried CHN faculty member assumed primary responsibility, and equipment funding was granted by a local corporation. Collaboration was established with the county's proactive school nurses' association. CHN students developed and conducted health education presentations in elementary schools, worked with school nurses, and participated in other community health activities. Three levels of evaluation were utilized: elementary students to nursing students, nursing students to nursing faculty, and school nurses to nursing faculty. The NEEOP was a success by all evaluation criteria, and plans are currently in progress to expand its focus. Innovative clinical placements such as the one described can promote student understanding of CHN practice with its broad‐based emphasis on the promotion of healthier communities.
The Partnership Model
Authors: Courtney Reni , Ballard Elaine , Fauver Shawn , Gariota Margaret , Holland Linda
Published: May 2007

Abstract Increasingly, health professionals must learn to work in new partnership relationships with clients and community to promote health effectively. A partnership requires a transformation of the professional role from chief actor to partner, and the client role from passive recipient to partner. A partnership approach has particular merit in a reformed health care system that increasingly emphasizes active involvement and self‐care actions of individuals and families to maintain health and prevent disease. A partnership approach is also important to professionals working with underserved, vulnerable, and/or minority populations. For too long professionals and policymakers have relegated these groups to passive roles in health decision making and action. This article will provide a description of the partnership process as it has been developed and implemented by nurse practitioners in an urban Hispanic community with emphasis on a community partnership. A partnership model is described and compared to the more traditional professional model. A definition and essential criteria for partnership are presented. Finally, a specific example of how the partnership process was implemented at the community level is discussed.
ACTION
Authors: Russell Cynthia K. , Gregory David M. , Wotton Donalda , Mordoch Elaine , Counts Mona M.
Published: May 2007

Abstract GENESIS (General Ethnographic and Nursing Evaluation Studies In the State) is a tested and proven community analysis strategy that integrates ethnographic and epidemiologic data to arrive at a comprehensive, holistic description of the health of a community and its residents. Communities analyzed in most project GENESIS studies have been rural or semirural. ACTION (Assessing Communities Together in the Identification Of Needs) is an extension of the GENESIS community analysis model that was developed to meet the unique needs of community‐level research and analysis in an urban, multicultural setting. Significant differences in the context in which the ACTION projects took place necessitated extensions in specific components of the GENESIS model. Application of the GENESIS model by the ACTION team is described. Based on the experiences with ACTION, recommendations are offered for future urban, multicultural community analysis projects.
Daily Symptoms and Responses in Adults: A Review
Authors: Burman Mary E.
Published: May 2007

AbstractHealthy adults experience a variety of symptoms and health problems each day and the responses to these symptoms and problems vary significantly from doing nothing to consulting professional help. Patterns of daily symptoms for well adults, the symptom experience, and responses to daily symptoms are reviewed. Nurses and other health care professionals must be aware of the dynamic process of symptom identification, monitoring, lay and professional consultation, and decision making to facilitate client's health promotion and disease prevention efforts.
Correlates of Participation in Adult Day Care and Quality of Life in Ambulatory Frail Elderly in Japan
Authors: Hashizume Yumi , Kanagawa Katsuko
Published: May 2007

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the correlates of participation in adult day care programs and the quality of life (QOL) of ambulatory frail elderly in Japan. The study was conducted through questionnaires administered to 95 elderly participants at two adult day care centers in a prefecture in Japan. Participation in adult day care had positive correlations with QOL for female participants. However, for male elderly subjects, there was no significant correlation between participation and QOL. Results imply the need for additional research on factors influencing negative self‐esteem in the male elderly, including an identification of the mechanisms by which their self‐esteem was affected. The reliability of the Graham Global Well‐Being Scale was supported for the first time in a domestic study in Japan.
Parental Concerns of Mexican American First‐Time Mothers and Fathers
Authors: Niska Kathleen J. , Lia‐Hoagberg Betty , Snyder Mariah
Published: May 2007

Abstract The purpose of the study was to identify the parental concerns of Mexican American first‐time mothers and fathers using an ethnographic approach. The study was conducted for 10 months in Hidalgo County, Texas. Twenty‐six families were followed longitudinally during their first 6 months of parenting with an average of eight (SD= 1.8) home visits per family. Audio‐taped conversations with participants were transcribed verbatim in their entirety in either Spanish or English. Spanish transcripts were translated and checked for accuracy by a local consultant. Salient parental concerns derived from content analysis were infant illness, providing for the material needs of the infant, threats infants face in the future, knowing how to rear an infant, and facing job loss. Public health nurses can collaborate with parents by working from expressed concerns to enhance family health and the health of the local community.
The Client‐Nurse Relationship as Experienced by Public Health Nurses: Toward Better Collaboration
Authors: Paavilainen Eija , Åstedt‐Kurki Päivi
Published: May 2007

Abstract This article presents the findings of a study concerned with the client‐nurse relationship in public health nursing settings. The purpose was to look at the ways the client and public health nurse cooperate and to see what makes for efficient collaboration. A phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach was adopted. The data consisted of essays written by the public health nurses and focused interviews, which were analyzed by phenomenological method. The outcome is an interpretive description of public health nurses' experiences of collaboration with their clients. Successful collaboration requires an active and committed involvement on both sides and a joint effort to help the client cope with his/her situation. This means there has to be not only a shared understanding of the ultimate goal of nursing, but also open and sincere confidence‐building interaction for the creation of a sense of confidentiality and trustworthiness. The results suggest that the contents of the client‐nurse relationship are extremely important to both sides of the dyad: both the client's well‐being and the public health nurse's feeling of succeeding on the job will depend to a great extent on the kind of relationship they construct. Future research should also look at how clients experience their relationship with the public health nurse.
“Bridging the Information Gap” for Virginia Public Health Nurses
Authors: Self Phyllis C. , Sayed Ellen N. , Henry JoAnne K.
Published: May 2007

Abstract This project was designed to increase the public health nurse's knowledge and use of health science information resources available from the National Library of Medicine's databases through the use of the Grateful Med software program. In 1994, the Tompkins‐McCaw Library located on the Medical College of Virginia Campus (MCV) of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was awarded a Nursing Information Access Grant from the Southeastern/Atlantic Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). This project was a collaboration of the Tompkins McCaw Library, the VCU School of Nursing, and The Virginia Department of Health. Sixty public health nurses received Grateful Med training. Session evaluations were conducted and indicate that although public health nurses received training and had access to health science information resources through Grateful Med, subsequent use of the resources was very limited. Similar to reports on information‐seeking behaviors of physicians, public health nurses seek information from colleagues, personal collections, and other resources locally available. Reasons for the project's limited success in changing the health science information seeking and utilization practices of public health nurses are discussed, and potential solutions are proposed.
Lead Poisoning and Associated Risk Factors Among Preschoolers Enrolled in a Head Start Program
Authors: Singer Lori , Uphold Constance R. , Graham Mary Virginia , Hernandez Betsy
Published: May 2007

Abstract Despite the fact that lead poisoning is one of the most common pediatric health problems in the United States today, little is known about the prevalence and correlates of this disease among nonurban preschool children living in the southern United States. The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of abnormal lead levels and to explore the relationships between lead levels and gender, weight, hemoglobin, and ethnicity. Using a chart review protocol, data were collected from 81 charts of children enrolled in a Head Start program in Florida. The prevalence rate of elevated lead levels was 18.5%, a rate higher than that found in most previous research. No relationship was found between lead levels and gender, weight, hemoglobin, and ethnicity. The results highlight the importance of local screening efforts. Controversies in screening are discussed in this article in some detail with the aim of assisting health care providers make decisions about whether universal screening for lead levels in children is appropriate and whether use of the Centers for Disease Control questionnaire has sufficient value. Further study is needed regarding prevalence rates in different geographic areas in the United States, and factors associated with elevated lead levels.
Effects of Parity and Weaning Practices on Breastfeeding Duration
Authors: Hill Pamela , Humenick Sharron S. , Argubright Trudy M. , Aldag Jean C.
Published: May 2007

Abstract The purpose of this project was to examine (a) patterns of breastfeeding and (b) duration with parity and breastfeeding experience, and (c) mothers' reasons for termination of breastfeeding. A convenience sample of 120 breastfeeding mothers was followed by home visits and telephone for 20 weeks after delivery. The sample consisted of 69 primiparas, 40 multiparas with previous breastfeeding experience, and 11 multiparas with no prior breastfeeding experience. Parity was not significantly associated with the continuation of breastfeeding but there was a trend toward a difference made by breastfeeding experience. Inadequate milk supply and employment were the two most common reasons reported for weaning. Implications for support in the workplace and for first‐time breastfeeding mothers are discussed.
Resource Use by Abused Women Following an Intervention Program: Associated Severity of Abuse and Reports of Abuse Ending
Authors: McFarlane Judith , Soeken Karen , Reel Sally , Parker Barbara , Silva Concepcion
Published: May 2007

AbstractAlthough violence against women is recognized as a major public health problem, little is known about the effectiveness of interventions. To evaluate severity of abuse and use of community resources following an intervention program, 132 pregnant abused women received three counseling sessions in a prenatal setting. A comparison group of 67 abused women were offered a wallet‐sized card listing community resources for violence. Resource use, severity of abuse, and reports of the abuse ending were measured for both groups at 6 and 12 months after delivery. Resource use was significantly (p≤ .001) related to severity of abuse, irrespective of whether the woman had received the intervention. Women using resources at 6 months were also users at 12 months. These findings indicate a “survivorship model” whereby abused women assertively and persistently seek a variety of community resources to end the abuse. The recommendation that primary care providers go beyond traditional identification and referral for abuse to coordination and evaluation of service delivery is discussed.
Cervical Cancer Screening Practices Among Latino Women in Chicago
Authors: Peragallo Nilda P. , Alba Melinda L. , Tow Berenice
Published: May 2007

Abstract Previous studies have determined that Latino women, especially Mexican women, have the lowest rates of cancer‐screening practices of any racial and ethnic group in the United States (L. S. Caplan, B. L. Wells, & S. Haynes, 1992; L. C. Harlan, A. B. Bernstein, & L. G. Kessler, 1991). The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify factors associated with irregular Papanicolaou (Pap) screening among Latino women. The convenience sample consisted of 111 Mexican and Puerto Rican women ages 40 and older, recruited through two innercity clinics, located in two major Latino communities in Chicago. The women were interviewed face‐to‐face by trained bilingual interviewers, using a structured questionnaire. Mexican ethnicity and older age were found to be associated with irregular cervical cancer‐screening practices. These results suggest that interventions need to be developed for educating Latino women about the purpose and importance of Pap test‐screening practices. Further research is needed to examine other barriers that impede these women from using cervical cancer‐screening services.
Issues in the Integration of Standardized Nursing Language for Populations: A Study of Drug‐Exposed Infants' Records
Authors: Kane Anne T. , Mahony Deborah L.
Published: May 2007

Abstract This study investigates nursing documentation thereby illustrating issues in the integration of standardized nursing language for vulnerable populations. The records of 145 drug‐exposed infants referred to a VNA for home care services from 1988‐94 were reviewed to determine the most frequent nursing problem statements, interventions, and outcomes. When adjustments were made using key words, the most frequent nursing problem statements involved “caretaking/parenting.” Intervention language did not describe nursing actions which could be linked to standard language, even by key words. Outcomes did not appear to be attributable to nursing interventions. The discussion section considers issues which must be resolved before standardized labels can ethically be applied to populations.
Nursing and the New Deal: We Met the Challenge
Authors: Pollitt Phoebe , Reese Camille N.
Published: May 2007

Abstract The years of the great depression were marked with unemployment and economic ruin for many people. Americans were left feeling helpless and hopeless. After the 1932 presidental election of Franklin Roosevelt, his administration embarked on a course of government known as the New Deal. Many new and innovative programs were established to create jobs and a sense of hope for the public. This article will examine four programs that were of particular interest to nursing: the Federal Emergency Relief Act, the Civil Works Act, the Works Progress Act, and the Social Security Act. Nurses of the time embraced these programs. They participated in their development and implementation and made a difference in the lives of many desperate Americans.
Communication Types and Sexual Protective Practices of College Women
Authors: Cobb Brenda K.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Sexually transmitted disease, such as the fatal HIV disease, continues to threaten the health of young women. Adolescents have typically been inconsistent users of effective strategies that prevent the spread of disease during sexual activity. Communication practices related to disease‐related sexual protection have received little attention as a variable separate from sexual protection. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among different types of interpersonal communication of young women and their new sexual partners and their implementation of disease‐related sexual protection. A sample of 163 young women who had experienced sexual intercourse completed the Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire. Interpersonal communication was explored using the general‐information‐seeking (getting to know a partner), sexual self‐disclosure, and specific‐disease risk‐information‐seeking scales. These scales were combined; factor analysis revealed three subscales closely related to the original scales. Findings suggest that young women who seek specific information about their new sexual partner's disease risk status are more likely to implement sexual protective practices. These findings provide guidance to nurses who work with adolescent women in advising on aspects of interpersonal relationships that need to be enhanced to protect one's health status.
Child‐Focused Single Home Visiting
Authors: Byrd Mary E.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Home visiting is a central, long‐standing, and yet theoretically underdeveloped public health nursing process. The general aim of this study was to expand and refine a preliminary model of home visiting A stylized field research investigation was conducted in the area of maternal‐child health with one nurse in a visiting nurse association in New England. A specific type of home visiting, identified as child focused, emerged, with phases labeled as surveying and designating; selling and scheduling; approaching the home and the visit; entering the home; gaining permission to ask questions and access the infant—starting with the mother's expressed concerns; making the caregiving judgment—asking questions and weighing and examining the infant; and ending the visit. “Haunting and telling” was an additional phase for certain visits. The nurse conducted child‐focused home visiting in three patterns. The single pattern is described in this article. Potential maternal, child, interactive, and environmental consequences were identified, as were factors influencing the process of maternal‐child home visiting. Social exchange theory emerged as useful in describing how the nurse initiated, maintained, and ended the home visiting process, and in describing attendant client consequences.
Adolescent Females' Attitudes, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Intentions to Use Latex Condoms
Authors: Rannie Katherine , Craig Dorothy M.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Guided by I. Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior, the authors of this descriptive correlational study explored adolescent females' attitudes, subjective norms (social pressure), perceived behavioral control, and intentions with regard to latex condom use. An elicitation study was initially conducted (n= 16) to ascertain salient beliefs related to condom use. These beliefs were then used to develop a questionnaire administered during the main study to 60 sexually active adolescent females attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Global attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted 50% of the variance of intentions to use condoms. Perceived behavioral control contributed the highest proportion of variance in the equation for both global and belief‐based measures in stepwise regression analyses. Implications for community health practice, research, and theory are reported.
Rural Mobile Health Unit: Outcomes
Authors: Alexy Betty B. , Elnitsky Christine
Published: May 2007

Abstract The Mobile Health Unit was implemented to increase access to nursing services, to improve and/or maintain functional status and health status, and to increase health promotion behaviors of rural elderly residents experiencing difficulty obtaining health care due to illness, transportation problems, or financial factors. For 222 project participants 1,773 encounters were completed, with a mean number of visits per individual of 7.9. Participants in the project demonstrated increased breast and cervical cancer screenings, increased immunization rates for influenza, pneumonia and tetanus, and decreased utilization of the emergency room. This project represents an alternative model of health care delivery in a rural area with limited resources and health care providers.
Meeting the Needs of Women Living with HIV
Authors: Metcalfe Kelly A. , Langstaff Julie E. , Evans Sheila J. , Paterson Heather M. , Reid Julie L.
Published: May 2007

Abstract HIV research, treatment, and support programs in North America have been based on the premise that HIV is a gay man's disease. HIV also affects women. The purposes of this study were to: (1) examine the feelings, concerns, and needs of HIV infected women in a mid‐sized Canadian city; and (2) determine whether a community agency for HIV positive persons was adequately supporting women. With informed consent, HIV positive women attending the community agency or a regional medical care facility were interviewed using qualitative research methods to elicit their lived experience. Eight women were interviewed (20% of the women who are HIV positive in this center). Four areas of concern were identified: (1) the impact of diagnosis on women and their children; (2) need for supports specific to HIV positive women; (3) differences in needs and supports available to men and women; and (4) lack of comfort with, or knowledge about, currently available facilities. These results are consistent with previously reported research. HIV positive women who are neither drug‐users nor promiscuous feel stigmatized and less supported than HIV positive males. Recommendations for practice included: formulation of self‐help groups for women, a more female friendly atmosphere, presence of female staff and other HIV positive women to support these women, and improved inter‐agency cooperation. Many recommendations have been implemented and exceeded. The community agency now includes a child's play area, the hiring of a female social worker, and the establishment of an off‐site support group for HIV positive women.
Home Visitors' Beliefs and Practices Regarding Childhood Injury Prevention
Authors: Pratt Lara K. , Runyan Carol W. , Cohen Lisa R. , Margolis Peter A.
Published: May 2007

Abstract Injuries are the leading cause of death for children under age 19. Prevention efforts focus on eliminating hazards or changing individuals' behavior. Few interventions address psychosocial factors that contribute to injuries. Home visiting programs target families' functioning and help parents overcome barriers that inhibit their readiness and ability to address injury prevention. This study, a telephone interview with 87 public health nurses and social workers, assessed home visitors' preparedness to address childhood injury prevention, their practices and factors influencing their ability to undertake injury prevention activities. Results showed that 41% of home visitors talked to parents about injury prevention during visits. To identify hazards, most visitors (81%) assessed the home environment as they did other things: 51% never used a home safety checklist. Most home visitors discussed hot water temperature (82%). smoke detectors (76%), and firearms (50%). To respond to hazards, most relied on verbal education. Other priorities and time constraints were major barriers to injury prevention activities. Home visitors' beliefs in the importance of injury prevention and willingness to implement strategies suggest that home visiting can be an effective delivery strategy for injury prevention. It is imporatant to consider how to include, in a systematic manner, injury prevention in home visitor training.
Reframing The Quest: Health For All
Authors: Downing Diane V.
Published: May 2007

Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.
An Arabic Language Version of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile
Authors: Haddad Linda G. , Al‐Ma'aitah Rowaida M. , Cameron Sheila J. , Armstrong‐Stassen Marjorie
Published: May 2007

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile instrument in Jordan, whose society and culture differ from that of North America, where the instrument was developed. The instrument was translated into Arabic, back‐translated, and pilot tested to ascertain cultural sensitivity. The Arabic version was then evaluated using a convenience sample of 950 adults in the northern part of Jordan using a principal components factor analysis. The order of factors was not entirely identical to those isolated previously during the psychometric assessment of the English language version. Only the structure of three factors—self‐actualization, health responsibility—and exercise were the same as those obtained in the English version. The forced, six factor solution explained only 39.3% of the variance in the measure. The alpha reliability coefficients were 0.89 for the total scale and ranged from 0.85 to 0.60 for the subscales. It was concluded that the Arabic version of the Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile has demonstrated initial reliability and validity. Further testing is recommended.
Interorganizational Collaboration: A Cautionary Note for Tribal Health Nurses
Authors: Smith Debra M.
Published: May 2007

AbstractAs the Indian Health Service restructures and more Indian tribes assume control for their health care services, more collaborative initiatives between Indian tribal health and other organizations may be anticipated. This paper addresses the topic of interorganizational collaboration and tribal health care. There are unique issues related to Indian tribal healthcare, and this paper provides a cautionary note to public health nurses who work with and for Indian tribes. Interorganizational collaboration and tribal health care will be of interest not only to the public health nurses working for a tribe, but also to the county and state public health nurses who may be entering into a collaborative effort with a tribal health care agency.