A randomized trial of skin cancer prevention in aquatics settings: the Pool Cool program.

Skin cancer is increasing, and prevention programs are essential. This study evaluated the impact of a skin cancer prevention program on sun-protection habits and swimming pool environments. The intervention included staff training; sun-safety lessons; interactive activities; providing sunscreen, shade, and signage; and promoting sun-safe environments. A randomized trial at 28 swimming pools in Hawaii and Massachusetts tested the efficacy of this program (Pool Cool) compared with an attention-matched injury-prevention control program. Results showed significant positive changes in children's use of sunscreen and shade, overall sun-protection habits, and number of sunburns and improvements in parents' hat use, sun-protection habits, and reported sun-protection policies and environments. Observations corroborated the positive findings. Pool Cool had significant positive effects at swimming pools in diverse audiences.     

Sustainable antibullying program implementation: School profiles and predictors

We examined the sustainability of the KiVa antibullying program in Finland from its nationwide roll-out in 2009 to 2016. Using latent class analyses, we identified four different patterns of implementation. The persistent schools (43%) maintained a high likelihood of participation throughout the study period. The awakened (14%) had a decreasing trend during the first years, but then increased the likelihood of program participation. The tail-offs (20%) decreased in the likelihood of participating after the third year, and the drop-offs (23%) already after the first year. The findings suggest that many schools need support during the initial years to launch and maintain the implementation of evidence-based programs; yet a large proportion of schools manage to sustain the program implementation for several years. The logistic regression analyses showed that large schools persisted more likely than small schools. Lower initial level of victimization was also related to the sustainability of the program. Finally, persistent program participation was predicted by several school-level actions during the initial years of implementing the program. These results imply that the sustainability of evidence-based programs could be enhanced by supporting and guiding schools when setting up the program during the initial implementation.     

Disseminating a sun safety program to zoological parks: the effects of tailoring.

Previous research found that a sun safety program for visitors at 1 zoo increased sun safety behaviors. This randomized study compared the effects of tailored dissemination materials plus 2 brief follow-up phone calls (tailored group) versus generic materials (basic group) on implementation by other zoos of the previously evaluated sun safety program. Education directors of 126 zoos completed surveys several months following initial dissemination and 1 year later. During Summer 1, 40% of tailored group zoos and 24% of basic group zoos offered visitors at least 1 sun safety activity (odds ratio=2.2, 95% confidence interval=1.0-4.8). During Summer 2, these rates were 34% and 44%, respectively (ns). The pattern of findings suggests that tailoring had no incremental long-term impact and that the generic materials produced a good level of dissemination.     

Effectiveness of mentoring programs for youth: a meta-analytic review

We used meta-analysis to review 55 evaluations of the effects of mentoring programs on youth. Overall, findings provide evidence of only a modest or small benefit of program participation for the average youth. Program effects are enhanced significantly, however, when greater numbers of both theory-based and empirically based best practices are utilized and when strong relationships are formed between mentors and youth. Youth from backgrounds of environmental risk and disadvantage appear most likely to benefit from participation in mentoring programs. Outcomes for youth at-risk due to personal vulnerabilities have varied substantially in relation to program characteristics, with a noteworthy potential evident for poorly implemented programs to actually have an adverse effect on such youth. Recommendations include greater adherence to guidelines for the design and implementation of effective mentoring programs as well as more in-depth assessment of relationship and contextual factors in the evaluation of programs.     

Enhancing Social Responsibility and Prosocial Leadership to Prevent Aggression,Peer Victimization,and Emotional Problems in Elementary School Children

Testing the theories that form the basis of prevention programs can enhance our understanding of behavioral change and inform the development, coordination, and adaptation of prevention programs. However, theories of change showing the linkages from intervention program components to risk or protective factors to desired outcomes across time are rarely specified or tested. In this 2‐year longitudinal study, we test the theory that increases in two protective factors (i.e., children's prosocial leadership and their teachers’ expectations of social responsibility) targeted by the WITS Programs (Walk Away, Ignore, Talk it Out, and Seek Help) would be associated with declines in peer victimization, aggression, and emotional problems. Participants included Canadian students, in grades 1–4 at baseline (n = 1329) and their parents and teachers. Consistent with our theory of change, variability in program implementation (adherence and integration) and in children's use of program skills (child responsiveness) are related to increases in both protective factors. Increases in these protective factors are associated with subsequent declines in children's aggression, victimization, and emotional problems. We discuss how enhancement of these protective factors may operate to improve child outcomes and the need for theory‐based research to refine and improve the effectiveness of intervention strategies and to improve program scale‐up.     

Preschool children's development in classic Montessori, supplemented Montessori, and conventional programs

Research on the outcomes of Montessori education is scarce and results are inconsistent. One possible reason for the inconsistency is variations in Montessori implementation fidelity. To test whether outcomes vary according to implementation fidelity, we examined preschool children enrolled in high fidelity classic Montessori programs, lower fidelity Montessori programs that supplemented the program with conventional school activities, and, for comparison, conventional programs. Children were tested at the start and end of the school year on a range of social and academic skills. Although they performed no better in the fall, children in Classic Montessori programs, as compared with children in Supplemented Montessori and Conventional programs, showed significantly greater school-year gains on outcome measures of executive function, reading, math, vocabulary, and social problem-solving, suggesting that high fidelity Montessori implementation is associated with better outcomes than lower fidelity Montessori programs or conventional programs.     

THE CLASSWIDE PEER TUTORING PROGRAM: IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS MODERATING STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT

We conducted a study designed to assess implementation of the classwide peer tutoring program and the relationship between implementation variation and student outcome. A clinical replication design was used. Five volunteer elementary teachers were trained to implement the program; their implementation was monitored for 19 consecutive weeks during 1 school year. Overall, the results indicated that specific variations in program implementation were associated with students' responses to treatment. It was also demonstrated that different teachers' applications of the program produced differential levels of student outcome. Implementation factors related to lower spelling achievement were (a) reduced opportunities to receive program sessions, (b) reduced probabilities of students' participation in program opportunities, (c) too many students assigned unchallenging spelling words, and (d) reduced rates of daily point earning reflecting lower levels of spelling practice during tutoring sessions. The implications of these findings and methods of preventing these implementation problems are discussed in the context of quality assurance and social validity.     

Employee fitness and wellness programs in the workplace

Worksite fitness and health promotion programs have grown exponentially in the past 15 years. To examine the impact of these programs, the literature through 1988 was reviewed. In general, fitness and wellness programs result in increased levels of fitness and a reduction in the risk factors for coronary heart disease. Recent research using control groups has found relations between reduction in health care costs, absenteeism, and turnover and implementation of comprehensive health promotion programs. Issues related to participation rates, program implementation, and evaluation are also addressed.     

‘On-the ground’ strategy matrix for fostering quality participation experiences among persons with disabilities in community-based exercise programs

ObjectiveThe purposes of this paper are to (1) document the generation and refinement of a quality participation strategy list to ensure resonance and applicability within community-based exercise programs (CBEPs) for persons with physical and intellectual disabilities, and (2) identify theoretical links between strategies and the quality participation constructs.MethodsTo address purpose one, a list of strategies to foster quality participation among members was extracted from qualitative interviews with providers from nine CBEPs serving persons with physical disabilities. Next, providers from CBEPs serving persons with physical (n = 9) and intellectual disabilities (n = 6) were asked to identify the strategies used, and examples of their implementation, within their programs. Additional strategies noted by providers and in recent published syntheses were added to the preliminary list. A re-categorization and revision process was conducted. To address purpose two, 22 researchers with expertise in physical and/or intellectual disability, physical activity, participation and/or health behaviour change theory completed a closed-sort task to theoretically link each strategy to the constructs of quality participation.ResultsThe final list of 85 strategies is presented in a matrix. Each strategy has explicit examples and proposed theoretical links to the constructs of quality participation.ConclusionsThe strategy matrix offers a theoretically-meaningful representation of how quality participation-enhancing strategies can be practically implemented “on-the-ground” in CBEPs for persons with disabilities.     

Designing an effective worksite smoking cessation program using self-help manuals,incentives, groups and media

Pilot studies indicate that the workplace is a successful site for the implementation of smoking cessation programs (Jason et al., 1987a; 1987b;). Cessation efforts using monetary incentives have had yielded increased success in abstinence (Kleges & Cigrang, 1989). This article provides an overview of previous efforts at worksite cessation programs and outlines a new study that will use self help manuals, incentives, and group support sessions in a multilevel intervention in an attempt to identify successful components of worksite programs. The four year project will attempt to develop a comprehensive worksite program that is capable of being implemented by individual companies. To this end, sixty corporations will receive one of three programs and a week long television newscast on WGN-TV will be aired to accompany the interventions. An overview of the project is presented.The authors appreciate the financial support from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (Grant Number 42987).     

Exemplary multicultural training in school psychology programs

This study examined the characteristics of school psychology programs noted for training students from a multicultural perspective. The program characteristics and training environment at 17 programs were studied through semistructured interviews with faculty and students, and reviews of prospective student application materials for multicultural content. Findings suggest that students at all programs were exposed to minority clients during applied fieldwork, 94% of the programs required a diversity issues course, 59% of the programs specialized in training with specific minority group populations, 31% of the students and 25% of the faculty represented a racial-ethnic minority group member, and 24% of the faculty were bilingual. Most programs used multiple multicultural curriculum models and employed a wide variety of recruitment and retention strategies specifically aimed at minority students. Faculty and students characterized their overall university training environment as supportive of programmatic initiatives regarding diversity issues, yet several reported uneven experiences with implementation.     

How do room and apparatus cues control navigation in the Morris water task? Evidence for distinct contributions to a movement vector

The present study compared the relative influence of location and direction on navigation in the Morris water task. Rats were trained with a fixed hidden or cued platform, and probe trials were conducted with the pool repositioned such that the absolute spatial location of the platform was centered in the opposite quadrant of the pool. Rather than swimming to the platform location, rats swam in the direction that was reinforced during training, resulting in navigation to the relative location of the platform in the pool and search at the appropriate distance from the pool wall. Pool relocation tests revealed disruptions in cued navigation if the cued platform remained at the absolute location, whereas no disruption was observed if the platform remained at the relative location (same direction). The results indicate that direction holds greater influence than does location and further demonstrate that this observation is not altered by the amount of training or time on the platform. The authors propose that navigation in the water task involves a movement vector in which the distal cues and apparatus provide direction and distance information, respectively.     

Engagement in After-School Programs as a Predictor of Social Competence and Academic Performance

Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes associated with after‐school programming. First, does the quality of experience in after‐school programs mediate the effect of program participation on social competence and academic performance? Second, among program participants, is the difference in quality of experience when in programs versus other settings after school related to higher social competence and academic performance? Middle school students (N = 196) attending eight programs in three Midwestern states reported a total of 4,970 randomly sampled experiences in and out of after‐school programs during 1 week in the fall and spring of the 2001–2002 academic year. Engagement during after‐school hours partially mediated the relationship between participation in after‐school programs and social competence. In addition, relative perceptions of engagement, challenge, and importance when in after‐school programs compared to elsewhere after school predicted higher English and math grades. Results suggest that the quality of experiences in after‐school programs may be a more important factor than quantity of experiences (i.e., dosage) in predicting positive academic outcomes.     

MEASURING CLIENT GAINS FROM STAFF-IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMS

Confidence in the adequacy with which staff implement training programs requires an analysis of the impact on the client. In two experiments, measures were devised to reflect this impact. In the first, a measure of the consistency with which clients participated in a toilet-training program revealed their participation to be erratic. Consistent participation occurred after a public display of the consistency of participation was introduced. In Experiment II, detailed measures were devised to reflect the client's performance during the implementation of two physical-therapy programs: range-of-motion and ambulation. Additionally, standardized measures of the benefits that accrued from their participation in these programs were devised. Improvements in both measures were slight and unstable during a condition of immediate feedback (supervisor praise) to staff but substantial improvements were obtained with the addition of a public display of the client's performance.     

Culturally Congruent Mentoring: Predicting Asian American Student Participation Using the Theory of Reasoned Action1

Predictors of Asian American first‐year college students’ intention to participate in a culturally congruent mentoring program was empirically documented using Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) theory of reasoned action (TRA). Intention to participate was predicted by the belief that participation eases transition to college. Also, attitude toward participation was positively related to students’ beliefs that participation will strengthen ethnic identity and combat model‐minority myth. With 78% of students who intended to participate, results suggest that Asian American college students need programming that addresses issues as first‐year college students and those related to their cultural experience. The use of the TRA to better understand issues related to peer mentoring is illuminated. Wider implications for implementing culturally congruent mentoring programs in educational settings are discussed.     

Examination of individual differences in participation in outplacement program activities after a job loss

This study investigated the relationship among age, gender, and race relative to participation in self‐awareness, action‐oriented, and training activities after a job loss. The 156 respondents in this study were part of a larger, longitudinal study that collected data using questionnaires from outplacement program participants at 6 months and at 1 year following a company closing. Main effects were found for gender and for Age × Employment status. Implications of the study for outplacement programs, along with study limitations and future research directions, are discussed.     

PROGRAM COMMITMENT: A MULTI-STUDY LONGITUDINAL FIELD INVESTIGATION OF ITS IMPACT AND ANTECEDENTS

Increasingly, human resource professionals are being challenged to manage organizational programs that have proliferated in the wake of continual pressure to respond to competition and environmental change. This research examines program commitment, that is, an employee's commitment to an organizational program, and investigates its association with important organizational outcomes and a set of potential antecedents in 2 longitudinal field studies. In the first study, program commitment was positively related to participation in the program and program-related performance. In the second study, organizational commitment, change efficacy, and teamwork orientation were supported as antecedents to program commitment.     

Aboriginal perceptions of social and emotional wellbeing programs: A systematic review of literature assessing social and emotional wellbeing programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians perspectives

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been targets of social and emotional wellbeing programs for many years. However, the few health-care programs and services that are evaluated rarely provide insight into the participants' perspectives of program success or failure. This systematic review assessed 33 social and emotional wellbeing programs across Australia to better understand what Aboriginal community members think about the programs and how they could be improved. Results highlighted the interesting and valuable insights provided by Aboriginal participants, including what kinds of program activities and approaches are most suitable, what program characteristics are successful or desired, and their experiences of wellbeing change before and after program participation. They likewise voiced opinions about poorly received programs, culturally inappropriate services and negative experiences. This review highlighted how health and wellbeing programs must better engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients to ensure that services are culturally safe, holistic, integrate appropriate staffing, include culturally relevant activities and value patient/participant experiences. These findings have significant implications for the health and wellbeing sector; specifically, research, policy, program design and implementation, evaluation methods, and self-determination.     

Preparing children to cope with earthquakes: Building emotional competence

Natural disasters, including earthquakes, can have a traumatic impact on children's psychological wellbeing and development. The efficacy of interventions aimed at enhancing children's socio-emotional learning has been documented in the literature. At the same time, these techniques are the key for training children for possible future disasters by enhancing their knowledge about behavioural preparedness and emotional competence. However, research on evidence-based training programs on earthquakes combining digital and traditional activities is scarce. We tested the efficacy of a 10-unit training program for primary school children, developed within the Emotional Prevention and Earthquakes in Primary School (PrEmT) project. The program aimed at increasing knowledge of and metacognition about earthquakes, safety behaviours, emotions, and coping strategies, through digital (using the web-application HEMOT^®, Helmet for EMOTions, developed ad-hoc) and traditional activities (completing paper-and-pencil tasks). The participants were 548 second and fourth-graders from Italian schools. They were divided into an experimental group (participating in the training program) and a control group. Both groups participated in pretests and posttests to evaluate changes in their knowledge of training-related contents. For ethical reasons, we also measured children's wellbeing. Generalized linear mixed models indicated an improvement in the experimental group's knowledge and metacognition about earthquakes, safety behaviours, emotions, and coping strategies after the training program, compared to the control group. Children's general wellbeing did not deteriorate during participation in the project. The results documented the efficacy of the evidence-based training program developed within the PrEmT project. The program provides a preventive method for enhancing earthquake-related resilience that could be generalized to other kinds of disasters.