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Smith, Dennis W.; Bibeau, Daniel L.; Altschuld, James W.; Heit, Philip
doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1988.tb05812.xpmid: 3236829
ABSTRACT: This survey identified and described health characteristics of selected school principals — leaders and role models for teachers and students. A questionnaire assessing multiple areas of well‐being collected data on principals' health in seven areas including attitudes, behavior, illnesses, and life experiences. Results indicated a higher‐than‐average group well‐being score and a range of healthful behaviors practiced over the seven areas. Principals reported little involvement with drugs, relative comfort in their employment, and healthful patterns of coping behaviors. Changes that might contribute to increased well‐being were indicated in physical exercise, diet, and stress and time management. Implications for these results include using the principal's interest in health and role modeling behaviors to promote the school health program.
Murphy, Nancy Twitchell; Price, Cynthia J.
doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1988.tb05814.xpmid: 3236830
ABSTRACT: Selected antecedents of smoking initiation among 1,513 eighth grade students in an urban tobacco producing county of North Carolina were studied using the Tobacco Cigarette Smoking Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale. Fifteen percent of students reported currently smoking, and 17.2% indicated an intention to smoke upon graduation from high school. Self‐esteem and parental smoking behavior related significantly to adolescents' smoking behavior and future intention to smoke. Significantly more females intended to smoke and had lower self‐esteem than males. Family involvement in the tobacco industry related significantly to adolescents' intention to smoke but not their smoking behavior. Overall, low self‐esteem and parental smoking models may be important to developing the smoking habit among young adolescents. Prevention of smoking initiation should involve promotion of children's self‐esteem and avoidance of parental smoking modeling prior to the eighth grade.
McFadyen, Susan C.; Boyce, W. Thomas; Sobolewski, Sue; Phillips, Linda R.
doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1988.tb05815.xpmid: 3236831
ABSTRACT: Previous research suggests ecological and programmatic characteristics of schools may influence the health and health behavior of schoolchildren. In particular, schools with alternative educational programs, such as “magnet” curricula and extended school hours, have been found to have a higher incidence of student injuries. To examine further the health correlates of alternative educational programs, the authors studied injuries, health office visits, and school absences of 983 elementary schoolchildren during the 1983–1984 academic year. The study population comprised students attending three elementary schools — two with magnet programs and one with a regular primary curriculum. All three had an option for extended school hours. The frequency of school absences was related significantly to school hours, with fewer absences found in schools with extended hours (p < .01). Enrollment in a magnet school was associated positively and significantly with rates of both health office visits and injuries, even after adjustment for the effects of age, gender, and extended school hours (p < .001). Finally, an interaction effect was identified in which children enrolled in both a magnet curriculum and an extended day program had substantially higher rates of health office visits than did children enrolled in either program alone (p < .001). These findings confirm a disproportionate use of school health services for injuries and other health concerns among students attending alternative educational programs. Possible explanations include differences in student characteristics, adult supervision, or the family lifestyles of children in alternative schools.
Gerber, Ruth Wenzl; Newman, Ian M.; Martin, Gary L.
doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1988.tb05816.xpmid: 3236832
ABSTRACT: Beliefs and social norms elicited from adolescents were employed in the theory of reasoned action to predict early adolescent males' intention to chew tobacco. About 50% of males had chewed tobacco. Responses of chewing intenders and nonintenders differed in response direction and in response strength. Response differences regarding physical effects (cancer, yellow teeth, habit forming) as well as psychosocial effects (look cool, relax, have a good time with friends) suggested specific educational strategies. Intenders and nonintenders both reported not believing chewing causes cancer, an erroneous belief. Nonintenders reported belief carry over from smoking: chewing will “make my clothes smelly” and chewing will “give me shortness of breath,” both unfounded. Nonintenders reported less referent support for chewing. Both groups reported a general unwillingness to comply with their significant others.
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