Description: This poster discusses research on a comparison of the effects of comprehensive sex education programs and abstinence-based programs in high school. The purpose of this research is to compare abstinence-based programs to comprehensive programs.

Description: This presentation discusses research on depression in college students. The authors hypothesize that perceived stress and loneliness will be positively associated with depression and self-esteem will be negatively associated with depression. The authors predict that perceived stress, loneliness, and self-esteem will account for the majority of variance of depression.

Description: This article discusses how fat stereotypes influence beliefs about physical education. Abstract: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine college students' beliefs about youth obesity, the roles of schools and physical education in addressing obesity, and the training they receive to work with overweight youth. Methods and Procedure: Physical education-related (n=212) and nonphysical education-related (n-218) majors completed a demographic questionnaire, a Modified Fat Stereotypes Questionnaire (M-FSQ), and a Perceptions of Physical Education Questionnaire. On the basis of M-FSQ scores, participants were identified as endorsing stereotypes (n=360) or not endorsing stereotypes (n=70). Results: The importance of youth being normal weight was rated most highly among participants in physical education-related majors and among those who endorsed fat stereotypes. Participants who endorsed fat stereotypes, compared to those who did not, were more likely to believe that all school professionals should be involved in treating childhood obesity. Participants who endorsed fat stereotypes, compared to those who did not, more strongly agreed that physical educators should be role models by maintaining a normal weight and educating parents on childhood obesity, and PE classes should focus on lifelong fitness. No group differences in perceived competencies to develop exercise, weight loss, nutritional, and educational programs ...

Description: This article discusses Hispanic physicians' tobacco intervention practices. Abstract: Background: U.S. Hispanic physicians constitute a considerable professional collective, and they may be most suited to attend to the health education needs of the growing U.S. Hispanic population. These educational needs include tobacco use prevention and smoking cessation. However, there is a lack of information on Hispanic physicians' tobacco intervention practices, their level of awareness and use of cessation protocols, and the type of programs that would best address their tobacco training needs. The purpose of this study was to assess the tobacco intervention practices and training needs of Hispanic physicians. Methods: Data was collected through a validated survey instrument among a cross-sectional sample of self-reported Hispanic physicians. Data analyses included frequencies, descriptive statistics, and factorial analyses of variance. Results: The response rate was 55.5%. The majority of respondents (73.3%) were middle-age males. Less than half of respondents routinely performed the most basic intervention: asking patients about smoking status (44.4%) and advising smoking patients to quit (42.2%). Twenty-five percent assisted smoking patients by talking to them about the health risks of smoking, providing education materials or referring them to cessation programs. Only 4.4% routinely arranged follow-up visits or phone calls for ...

Description: This presentation discusses research on perceived stress as a mediator between self-efficacy and depression in human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV+) individuals. In persons living with HIV, treatment has shifted towards chronic illness management since the introduction of highly active retroviral therapy. Coping with life threatening illness is stressful. Stress occurs when environmental stressors (e.g., HIV+ stigma) overwhelm an individual's ability to handle them effectively. HIV+ individuals' inability to cope with stress is associated with increased depression, and worse treatment outcome (Remien et al., 2006). Self-efficacy is perceived feeling of control over a taxing situation. Behaviorally, HIV+ self-efficacious individuals adaptively manage stress (Colodro, Godoy-Izquierdo, & Godoy, 2010). Stress uses resources needed to deal with depression; managing stress may reduce psychological impairment (Scott-Sheldon, Fielder, & Kalichman, 2008). The authors hypothesize that higher self-efficacy is associated with decreased depression, and that stress mediates this relationship. Future longitudinal studies focusing on self-efficacious stress interventions may reduce depression in HIV+ individuals.