Etiology Beliefs About Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (EB-SGM): Validation with College Students, Community Adults, and Pediatric Healthcare Providers.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth are at risk for adverse health outcomes because of stigma and discrimination exposure. Individuals' beliefs about the biological origin of SGM identity are linked to their negative attitudes and biases against SGM populations, which can also apply to pediatric healthcare providers. The current study outlines validation of the Etiology Beliefs about Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (EB-SGM) scale, a 12-item measure designed to assess adults' beliefs about youths' biological versus environmental SGM etiology. College students (N = 285; study 1), community adults (N = 258; study 2), and pediatric providers (N = 104; study 3) completed the EB-SGM and other self-report measures. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in study 1 revealed a three-factor structure: beliefs about gender nonconforming behavior, beliefs about gender identity, and beliefs about sexual attraction/behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in study 2 suggested a bi-factor structure, which was replicated in study 3. The EB-SGM demonstrated adequate concurrent and discriminant validity. We also examined bivariate correlations between etiology beliefs and sociodemographic characteristics across samples. Findings indicate that EB-SGM is a psychometrically sound instrument to measure adults' etiology beliefs. The EB-SGM has the potential to be used as a screening measure to enhance pediatric healthcare providers' SGM training.

Motivational Interviewing Training Outcomes Among Providers in a Children's Hospital.

Motivational interviewing (MI) has proven a well-established psychotherapeutic intervention designed to enhance motivation for behavior change. While the benefits of MI have been established, little research has systematically evaluated dissemination of MI efforts to healthcare providers, especially among pediatric providers. The present pilot study evaluated whether healthcare providers gained valuable knowledge, confidence and desire to utilize MI, and skills in MI techniques and if these outcomes varied based on provider characteristics or duration and intensity of MI training. Twenty pediatric healthcare professionals in a large academic pediatric hospital completed an advanced 20-h MI training and 103 pediatric healthcare professionals completed a basic 4-h MI workshop. The study demonstrated no significant differences in post-workshop MI knowledge, confidence, or desire based on trainee demographics. We also found no significant change from post-basic workshop to post-advanced workshop for advanced MI trainees. However, the advanced training workshop participants evidenced significant growth in utilizing MI skills (via MITI coding) and self-reported confidence in using MI skills. We therefore conclude that while the basic workshop allows participants to gain valuable MI knowledge and confidence and desire to utilize MI, it is through the advanced training that providers have the opportunity to practice these skills, receive feedback, and ultimately gain the expertise necessary to be effective MI providers. Overall, results from this pilot study suggest MI training in pediatric hospitals represents an important area of opportunity for multidisciplinary training, dissemination, and practice.