Barriers to Human Sexuality Education Survey Research Among Vermont Public School Administrators.

BACKGROUND: Health educators in public high schools can provide educational interventions to reduce teen unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Characteristics of teachers and schools influence their decision to provide condom education. Studies to determine characteristics must be conducted so HIV/sex education can be improved. If schools do not participate in these studies, barriers must be identified so researchers can collect sufficient data to produce information for curriculum reform. METHODS: A study was conducted to identify teacher characteristics that influence their decision and intention to provide appropriate condom education. Follow-up e-mails were sent to administrators who opted out of the study to request more information about their decision to not participate. All responses were submitted via e-mail correspondence. RESULTS: Six superintendents and 6 principals provided a reason for their decision to opt out. Superintendents cited being busy with district initiatives, time constraints, and lack of interest in participating in the study as reasons they did not wish to participate. Principals cited competing requests for participation in research, participation in other surveys, and time constraints. CONCLUSIONS: Securing administrative approval for human sexuality research is challenging. Administrators contend with many priorities, do not wish to overburden teachers, consider participation in voluntary research as a low priority, and may be more likely to respond to telephone requests. Administrators may not want to disclose that human sexuality or HIV education courses may not be taught by certified or qualified health educators.

Key questions for conducting role delineation research.

Role delineation research for the verification of professional competencies is essential in many professions to promote quality assurance and support capacity building and workforce development. In this article, guidance is provided about key aspects of role delineation research. The information contained in this article focuses on 13 key questions within three selected research phases when attempting to identify and verify the roles that are inherent within any given profession. The major sections in the paper include planning the research, collecting and analyzing the data, interpreting findings, and considering the future. Recommendations and examples related to each of the important questions are provided to assist others undertaking role delineation research.

Workforce development: using role delineation research findings for policy-making and professional practice.

For the health education profession in the United States, role delineation research has been ongoing to identify valid professional competencies as the basis for workforce development. During 1998-2004, a multi-phase national research study, the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP), was designed to re-verify the role of the entry-level health educator, and further define and verify the role of advanced level health educators. The CUP findings are the evidence that has influenced the professional preparation, credentialing, and professional development of health educators. The lessons learned include the importance of employing role delineation research with a discipline-specific representative sample to appropriately affect workforce development and sustainability through an empirically-based model.

A role delineation study of health educators in the United States: methodological innovations.

This paper focuses on methodological innovations used in the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP) in the United States. The CUP was a six-year research study designed to delineate the role of the health educator in the USA. Individuals who self-identified as health educators were included in the study. To provide context, the background for the research is presented, followed by a brief overview of the research process. Some of the key methodological innovations discussed are: selecting a representative sample when the total population of those working as health educators was not easily identified or readily accessible; assessing response methodology preferences through pilot studies; enhancing the response rate through accurate, up-to-date mailing lists and incentives; and exploring new approaches to large-scale data analyses. Insights gained are included for other researchers who may wish to undertake similar studies or draw from the CUP dataset for secondary analyses.

Smoking practices, risk perception of smoking, and environmental tobacco smoke exposure among 6th-grade students in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

This study assessed the smoking practices, risk perception of smoking, and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure among adolescents in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. We used a cross-sectional method to examine the smoking practices, risk perception of smoking, and ETS exposure of 6th-grade students (N=506), aged 11-13 years, attending six randomly selected middle schools. Schools were classified by school setting (i.e., public vs. private) and socioeconomic status (SES; i.e., low, middle, or high). The results indicated that 6th-grade students attending a public, low-SES school setting in Ciudad Juárez not only exhibited significantly higher rates of ETS exposure at home and in public places (p<.01) but also were more likely to have tried smoking (p<.01) and to be current smokers (p<.01), and were less likely to support a ban on smoking in public places (p<.01), compared with students who attended a private school or a public, middle- or high-SES school setting. These results provide further evidence that public health interventions to prevent initiation of smoking and to assist in smoking cessation among adolescents and to reduce their ETS exposure at home and in public need to target all school-aged students, especially those attending school in a low-SES settings.

Adolescents' smoking behaviors, beliefs on the risks of smoking, and exposure to ETS in Juárez, Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the smoking behaviors, beliefs about the risks of smoking, and exposure to ETS among adolescents in Juárez, Mexico. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with sixth-grade students (N=506), aged 11-13 years old, attending 6 randomly selected schools. Schools were classified by school setting and SES. RESULTS: Students attending a low SES school setting were more likely to have smoked (P < 0.01), be current smokers (P < 0.01), be exposed to ETS at home and in public (P < 0.01) than were students attending a middle or high SES school. CONCLUSION: Smoking interventions should target students attending school in low SES settings.

Overview of the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project, 1998-2004.

The National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP), conducted during 1998-2004, addressed what health educators currently do in practice, the degree to which the role definition of the entry-level health educator is still up-to-date, and the validation of advanced-level competencies. A 19-page questionnaire was sent to a representative sample of health educators in recognized practice settings in all states and the District of Columbia. A total of 4,030 health educators participated in the research (70.6% adjusted response rate) resulting in the largest national data set of its kind, with 1.6 million data points. The model derived from the research was hierarchical (7 areas of responsibility, 35 competencies, and 163 subcompetencies), with three levels of practice (Entry, Advanced 1, and Advanced 2) differentiated by degrees earned and years of experience. The findings affect professional preparation, credentialing, and professional development.