Browsing by Subject "Attitude to Health"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors influencing abstinence, anticipation, and delay of sex among adolescent boys in high-STI prevalence communities
    (Elsevier, 2014-05) Cummings, Teresa; Auerswald, Colette L.; Ott, Mary A.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    Purpose Abstinence is a core pregnancy and STI prevention strategy. We explore the attitudinal, behavioral, and family contexts relating to abstinence and the decision to delay sex among adolescent boys. Methods Adolescent boys ages 14–17 were recruited from community sites using a venue-based sampling method. All eligible boys at venues were invited to participate in an electronic survey. Question items included sexual behaviors, attitudes related to sex, relationships, masculine values, and family contextual items. Results We enrolled 667 participants, age 15.7 years, of diverse ethnicity. 252 (38%) were abstinent. Abstinent participants were younger, less likely to report non-coital behaviors, and reported lower conventional masculine values. Among abstinent participants, 62% planned to delay sex, while 38% anticipated sex in the next year. Participants with lower conventional masculine values, and more religious or moral motivations for abstinence were more likely to plan to delay sex. Discussion Abstinence among boys is common, even in high STI risk communities. For these boys, abstinence appears to be a complex behavioral decision, influenced by demographic, behavioral, attitudinal and contextual factors such as age, race, non-coital sexual behaviors and masculine values. Understanding the attitudes and contexts of abstinence, including plans to delay sex, can inform the development of public health programs for early fatherhood and STI prevention.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Integrating men's health and masculinity theories to explain colorectal cancer screening behavior
    (Sage Publications, 2014-01) Christy, Shannon M.; Mosher, Catherine E.; Rawl, Susan M.; Department of Psychology, School of Science
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States. Although CRC screening has been found to reduce CRC incidence and mortality, current screening rates among men are suboptimal due to various practical and psychosocial barriers. One potential barrier to CRC screening identified in qualitative studies with men is the threat to masculinity that endoscopic screening methods pose. Indeed, beliefs about masculinity have been predictive of other preventive health behaviors among men. In this review article, we propose a novel conceptual framework to explain men's CRC screening behavior that integrates masculinity norms, gender role conflict, men's health care experiences, behaviors, and beliefs, and social and background variables. This framework has the potential to guide future research on men's CRC screening behaviors and other health behaviors and may inform gender-sensitive interventions that target masculinity beliefs to increase preventive health behaviors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Measuring dispositional cancer worry in China and Belgium: a cross-cultural validation
    (Taylor & Francis, 2014) Bernat, Jennifer Kim; Jensen, Jakob D.; IU School of Nursing
    Dispositional cancer worry (DCW) is the uncontrollable tendency to dwell on cancer independent of relevant stimuli (e.g., diagnosis of the disease). Past research has suggested that DCW has two underlying dimensions: severity and frequency. Available measures of DCW severity and frequency were translated and validated in two countries: China and Belgium. Participants (N = 623) completed translated scales, as well as measures of general dispositional worry, cancer fear, and perceived risk. In both locations, DCW measures were reliable (Cronbach's alphas ranged from .78 - .93) and demonstrated strong convergent, divergent, and concurrent validity. Severity and frequency factors loaded as expected in exploratory factor analysis. Future research should pursue longitudinal tests of DCW's predictive validity and explore DCW in theoretical models predicting the relationship between worry and cancer prevention and early detection behaviors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item