Alcohol Use, Hooking-Up, Condom Use: Is There a Sexual Double Standard?

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of the study were to: (1) identify judgments college students make of peers based on descriptions of drinking, hooking-up, and condom use behaviors; and (2) determine whether participants' judgments differed based on the sex of the person described. METHODS: Participants (N = 574 college students) completed an online questionnaire that included one of 8 different vignettes (4 vignette types, female or male model). Participants evaluated statements, comprising 3 scales (likability, positive character, negative behavior) relative to the model depicted in the vignette. RESULTS: For female participants, significant effects for vignette type for all 3 scales and significant effects for model sex (negative behavior) were revealed. Male participants only showed significant effects for vignette type for positive character traits. CONCLUSIONS: Results should be of value to college level health educators and considered by those involved in drinking behavior and sexual health programming on college campuses.

Factors associated with discrimination among minority college students.

OBJECTIVES: To assess minority college undergraduate and graduate students' self-reported stress, ethnic identity, and skin complexion as predictors of perceptions of racial discrimination. METHODS: The participants (N = 172) were college-aged minority students. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictive relationship of the study variables on perceived racial discrimination. RESULTS: Skin complexion (ß = .34, p < .05) and ethnic identity (ß = .25, p < .05) had a positive (increased frequency) relationship with racial discrimination. When separated by sex, stress was a statistically significant predictor ß = .24, p < .05) of racial discrimination for males only. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the predictors of perceived racial discrimination may allow for the development of interventions that alleviate the stress associated with discrimination.

Area specific self-esteem, values, and adolescent substance use.

The use of illicit and licit drugs continues to be a major public health concern. Many prevention and drug education programs address this issue by attempting to enhance self-esteem. The idea is that increased levels of self-esteem will serve as a protective factor in decreasing the motivation and increasing the resistance to use drugs. This study explored the relationship between area specific self-esteem and adolescent substance use. Participants (n = 700) completed a self-report questionnaire which included items measuring the use and expected use of selected substances. Results indicated significant differences in home and school self-esteem scores between users/expected users and non-users of a given substance for all 14 behavioral measures. Additionally, the peer, home, and school sub-scales as a set were found to distinguish between users and non-users for all 14 behavioral measures. Results should be of value to those designing prevention programming.

Epidemiology of exercise equipment-related injuries to young children.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe and identify the type, cause, and epidemiology of injuries related to exercise equipment to children younger than 5 years reported to US emergency rooms. METHODS: A retrospective review of data for children 4 years old and younger from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for the years 1994 to 2001 was conducted. A total of 1679 children were identified obtaining treatment at a participating emergency room. RESULTS: There were an estimated 46,440 exercise equipment-related injuries (95% confidence interval, 38,081-55,079 injuries) to children 4 years old and younger treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States during the 8-year study period. The annual rate of injury among children was 28.32 per 100,000. Most injuries involved the head, foot, and hand regions. Injury diagnosis included lacerations (49%), soft tissue injuries (29%), and fractures and dislocations (9%). Most hospital admissions were for amputations (36%), fractures (34%), and lacerations (20%). CONCLUSIONS: Injuries can result from children's exposure to exercise equipment in the home. Parental awareness of the dangers of home-based exercise equipment and the potential hazards of exercise equipment-related injuries on the limbs and head region is recommended.