Why fathers are too important to ignore: communication about sexuality between fathers and daughters.

This cross-sectional study examined perceptions of sexual communication between 38 dyads of fathers and daughters. Results indicate agreement about the 3 topics most and least frequently discussed but significant differences in perceived extent of sexual communication. These differences indicate that interventions may be needed to increase fathers' comfort with sexual communication.

Residential and outpatient treatment completion for substance use disorders in the U.S.: Moderation analysis by demographics and drug of choice.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the impact of residential versus outpatient treatment setting on treatment completion, and how this impact might vary by demographic characteristics and drug of choice, using a national sample of publicly funded substance abuse programs in the United States. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis using data extracted from the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS-D). A total of 318,924 cases were analyzed using logistic regression, fixed-effects logistic regression, and moderated fixed-effects logistic regression. RESULTS: Residential programs reported a 65% completion rate compared to 52% for outpatient settings. After controlling for other confounding factors, clients in residential treatment were nearly three times as likely as clients in outpatient treatment to complete treatment. The effect of residential treatment on treatment completion was not significantly moderated by gender, but it was for age, drug of choice, and race/ethnicity. Residential compared to outpatient treatment increased the likelihood of completion to a greater degree for older clients, Whites, and opioid abusers, as compared to younger clients, non-Whites, and alcohol and other substance users, respectively. CONCLUSION: We speculate that for opioid abusers, as compared to abusers of other drugs, residential treatment settings provide greater protection from environmental and social triggers that may lead to relapse and non-completion of treatment. Greater use of residential treatment should be explored for opioid users in particular.

Development and validation of a professional behavior assessment.

Allied health students must quickly socialize into a professional role as they transition from classroom to clinic. In addition to skill development, students must exhibit a host of professional behaviors that facilitate successful interaction with patients, families, and colleagues. There is a need for a valid, reliable assessment of professional behaviors that contribute to clinical competence. This study reports on the development and validation of a professional behavior assessment for occupational therapy students on a part-time clinical rotation (Level I). The Philadelphia Region Fieldwork Consortium (PRFC) Level I Student Evaluation was developed from an initial survey (n = 75) to generate an item pool, followed by a content review by a panel of experts (n = 5) to establish relevancy, clarity and content validity. This 12-item instrument was administered to 317 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students. A principal component factor analysis and item analysis was conducted. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.89, with intra-rater reliability for the 12 items ranging from 0.68 for "written communication" to 0.89 for "observation skills." The PRFC Level I Evaluation demonstrates discriminant validity, with students on their first clinical rotation scoring significantly (p < 0.001) lower than students on their third or fourth rotations, indicating a developmental process of professional socialization.

Step-count promotion through a school-based intervention.

The purpose was to determine the effects of a school-based pedometer intervention (SBPI) on daily accrued steps, academic performance, attendance, tardiness, and fitness performance in middle school students. Students from one, public middle school were assigned to a control (n = 46) or a 6-week SBPI (n = 46). Both groups recorded daily accrued pedometer steps. Grade point average (GPA), tardiness, absenteeism, and physical fitness scores were assessed. While baseline daily accrued step-counts were similar (p = NS), SBPI significantly increased daily accrued step-counts versus control (p < 0.05). During the study interval, academic performance increased in both groups, while SBPI had reduced tardiness (p < 0.05) and a tendency for reduced absenteeism (p = 0.06) postintervention. Shuttle and mile run performance decreased from pre- to postintervention in both groups. These data suggest that SBPI can increase physical activity levels and decrease tardiness in middle school students, without translating into short-term improvements in academic or physical fitness performance.

Parent/caregiver stress during pediatric hospitalization for chronic feeding problems.

This study examined changes in stress in 37 mothers/caregivers of children with chronic feeding problems. Stress was measured by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form at three specific stages during pediatric hospitalization for treatment of chronic feeding problems. The relationship between caregiver stress and stage of hospitalization as well as that between stress and various child and family variables were investigated. Repeated-measures analyses of variance and t tests found that stress related to social isolation and self-perception and total parenting stress changed significantly in relation to the stage of hospitalization. Correlational analyses indicated that caregiver stress was positively related to the presence of mental retardation, oral-motor dysfunction, tonal abnormalities, or a pervasive developmental disorder in the hospitalized child. Caregiver stress was negatively related to coping strategies that involved understanding the child's medical situation. These results provide a more comprehensive picture of families of children with chronic feeding problems, a population that has received little attention in the research literature. Information regarding parent/caregiver stress during a child's hospitalization can enhance nurses' understanding of the experiences of these families, thereby contributing to more effective treatment planning. In addition, the results emphasize the need to examine a variety of child and family factors that may influence parenting stress as well as family involvement in intervention services.

Development of a public health assessment tool to prevent Lyme disease: tool construction and validation.

This study involved the design and validation of a new Lyme disease risk assessment instrument. The study was funded in part by a research grant from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation on Research and Education (FORE). The resulting instrument measured theoretical constructs such as attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, skills, and knowledge relative to Lyme disease. The survey assessment tool is described here, and the tool development process, the validation and reliability process, and results are presented. The assessment tool was created by using a standard instrument development process that first involved constructing possible items (questions) based on several health behavior theories and known health risk behaviors. These items were then further refined by using focus groups, a small pilot study, factor analysis, and a large-scale pilot study. Validity and reliability indices were established with a test-retest reliability coefficient of .66, and finally the tool was used among a population living in a Lyme-disease-endemic area. Cronbach's alpha coefficients of .737 for behavioral items, .573 for cognitive items, and .331 for environmental items were established.