 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Norm Constantine, PhD, Jana Kay Slater, PhD, and Julie Carroll, MSW. Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development, Public Health Institute, 2001 Addison Street, 2nd floor, Berkeley, CA 94704, 925-284-8118, nconstantine@phi.org
This qualitative study explored the attitudes, beliefs, and concerns of parents, school personnel, and other community stakeholders regarding adolescents' HIV/STD prevention needs and strategies to meet these needs. Hypotheses were developed for further study about how these attitudes, beliefs, and concerns might interact to influence stakeholders' commitments to, and actions taken in support of, adolescents' HIV/STD prevention needs. A grounded-theory approach was used to guide the collection and analysis of in-depth interview and focus group data from 21 parents, teachers, and other community stakeholders, and the development of a theoretical framework anchored in motivational systems theory. Goals found were consistent with promoting adolescent sexual health and providing effective sexuality education and HIV/STD prevention, however some discongruence was identified regarding views of teachers' versus parents' appropriate roles. The social emotions of embarrassment and discomfort appeared to influence personal agency beliefs, as did the instrumental emotion of discouragement. Coping rather than thriving, and reactive rather than active, goal orientations were observed. Several non-robust personal agency belief patterns were identified, including vulnerable, fragile, self-doubting, tenacious, antagonistic, and discouraged patterns. Discouraged behavioral episode schemata also were identified. A theoretical framework based in motivational systems theory has emerged to help explain the discongruity between consistent survey findings of widespread support for comprehensive school-based sexuality and HIV/STD prevention education, and the reality of nonexistent or suboptimal implementations in so many school districts and communities. This framework suggests the complexity of the factors involved, as well as directions for further research.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adolescents, School-Based Programs
Related Web page: crahd.phi.org/
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Handout (.ppt format, 307.0 kb)