The Role of Implied Motion in Engaging Audiences for Health Promotion: Encouraging Naps on a College Campus

Abstract

Objective: Lack of sleep among college students negatively impacts health and academic outcomes. Building on research that implied motion imagery increases brain activity, this project tested visual design strategies to increase viewers’ engagement with a health communication campaign promoting napping to improve sleep habits. Participants: Participants (N = 194) were recruited from a large southwestern university in October 2012. Methods: Utilizing an experimental design, participants were assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: an implied motion superhero spokes-character, a static superhero spokes-character, and a control group. Results: The use of implied motion did not achieve the hypothesized effect on message elaboration, but superheroes are a promising persuasive tool for health promotion campaigns for college audiences. Conclusions: Implications for sleep health promotion campaigns and the role of implied motion in message design strategies are discussed, as well as future directions for research on the depiction of implied motion as it relates to theoretical development.     

Working parent friendly schools: the role of school instrumental support in work–family conflict

Instrumental support can foster or ameliorate parent experiences of work–family conflict. Based on theories relating social support to stress, a framework for considering how school support affects work–family conflict is proposed and tested. Parent experiences of instrumental support (school schedules, school service provision, and staff accessibility) and school demands on parents (volunteer and homework involvement) were investigated in relation to levels of work–family conflict. Work demands were related to both family-interference-with-work and work-interference-with family; family demands related only to time-based family-interference-with-work. Perceptions of school scheduling as supportive were related negatively to both time- and strain-based work-interference-with family, whereas perceptions of school transportation services were related to both time- and strain-based family-interference-with-work. No buffering effects of these types of support were found. Implications for how community organizations can play a role in ameliorating work–family conflict are discussed.     

A simple algorithm for the adaptation of scores and power behavior of the corresponding rank test

The purpose of this paper is twofold:On one hand we want to give a very simple algorithm for evaluating a special rank estimator of the type given in Behnen, Neuhaus, and Ruymgaart (1983) for the approximate optimal choice of the scores-generating function of a two-sample linear rank test for the general testing problem H_o:F=G versus H₁:F ≤ G, F ≠ G, in order to demonstrate that the corresponding adaptive rank statistic is simple enough for practical applications. On the other hand we prove the asymptotic normality of the adaptive rank statistic under H (leading to approximate critical values) and demonstrate the adaptive behavior of the corresponding rank test by a Monte Carlo power simulation for sample sizes as low as m=10, n=10.     

Work status, benefits, and financial resources among people with HIV/AIDS

With the advent of more advanced treatments and therapies, people with HIV/AIDS are experiencing significant improvements in their health, making many of their ongoing employment and career goals more realistic. However, people with HIV/AIDS continue to have major concerns regarding the impact of working on their benefits and entitlements, including apprehensions about potential economic hardships related to loss of financial supports and health insurance coverage. This article focuses on factors related to employment status, sources of health benefits, and entitlements among people with HIV/AIDS. In addition, results of the study demonstrate differences in employment status, benefit types, and the amount of financial support individuals receive based on gender.     

Women's acceptance of the diaphragm: the role of relationship factors

The vaginal diaphragm is a candidate for a female-controlled method of reducing risk of HIV/STI acquisition. We examined the association between relationship and partner factors and three measures of diaphragm acceptability: current use, consistency of use, and satisfaction with use. We conducted a telephone survey with 448 female members of a managed care organization, aged 18-49, who currently used contraception (including 140 diaphragm users, 187 pill users, and 121 male condom users). Use of a specific contraceptive was significantly associated with relationship length, condom-use negotiation self-efficacy, importance of covert use, perceived motivation of partner to prevent HIV/STIs, and perceived satisfaction of partner with current method. In addition, among diaphragm users, communication about HIV/STIs and perceived partner motivation to use a diaphragm were related to consistent use. These results suggest that acceptability of contraceptive methods among women is influenced by their perceptions of their male partner and relationship factors.     

Career Counseling With Persons Living With HIV: An Ecological Approach

Advances in medical treatment have greatly extended the life span and quality of life of persons living with HIV, with the nature of the disease evolving from causing an early death to chronic, manageable illness. Career counselors will increasingly be called upon to assist persons living with HIV. This article provides an overview of HIV disease and of career‐related issues unique to persons living with HIV. Career counseling interventions are discussed from an ecological perspective.     

Devolution and Patient Choice: Policy Rhetoric versus Experience in Practice

Background: market reforms in England have been identified as making a clear distinction between English health policy and health policy in the devolved systems in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Patient choice is a high profile policy in the English National Health Service that constitutes significant changes to the demand side of health care. It is not clear what national differences this has led to regarding implementation of policy. This article presents the findings from a large UK‐wide study on the development and implementation of policies related to patient choice of provider. The findings reported here relate specifically to the policy development and organizational implementation of choice in order to examine the impact of devolution on health care policy. Aim: this study examines patient choice of provider across all four countries of the UK to understand the effect of differences in national policies on the organization and service how choice of provider presented to patients. Methods: at the macro‐level, we interviewed policymakers and examined policy and guidance documents to analyze the provenance and determinants of national policy in each UK nation. At the Primary Care Trust or Health Board level, we interviewed a range of public and private health service providers to identify the range of referral pathways and where and when choices might be made. Finally, we interviewed ear, nose and throat, and orthopaedics patients to understand how such choices were experienced. Findings: while we found that distinct rhetorical differences were identifiable at a national policy level, these were less visible at the level of service organization and the way choices were provided to patients. Conclusion: historical similarities in both the structure and operation of health care, coupled with common operational objectives around efficient resource use and waiting times, mediate how strategic policy is implemented and experienced in the devolved nations of the UK.     

A Storm in a Tea‐Cup? ‘Making a Difference’ in Two Sure Start Children's Centres

Sure Start Children's Centres were central to the last UK Labour government in improving outcomes for children and families. Yet, participation by those who ‘ought’ to attend was and remains a focus of concern. Using the work of Foucault, this paper explores parental participation in two Centres to examine how ‘government operates at a distance’, through the everyday interactions of those who inhabit these spaces. In exploring micro‐practices, the humble cup of tea can be seen, not only as a small act of caring but a site of power and struggle over what these spaces meant to parents and practitioners.