ABSTRACTS

Volume 11, Number 5
July-August 2006

Vol. 11, Number 5: Contents | Editorial | Abstracts

Tobacco Counteradvertisements Aimed at Bicultural Mexican American Youth: The Impact of Language and Theme
    Kathleen J. Kelly A1, Linda R. Stanley A1, Maria Leonora G. Comello A1, Gabriel R. Gonzalez A1

A1 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

The growing population of Mexican American youth and the increasing smoking rates in this population present a considerable public health challenge. Tobacco counteradvertisements have demonstrated their ability to shape attitudes, behavior, and public policy, but little is known about the most effective ways to adapt messages aimed at this audience. To explore key variables that can affect success, a study was conducted with 249 Mexican American middle-school youth from a U.S./Mexico border community to examine the effectiveness of language (English, Spanish, or a combination of English and Spanish) and theme (secondhand smoke, antitobacco social norms, and tobacco industry manipulation) in print tobacco counteradvertisements. Measures included ad preferences, acculturation, and tobacco-related attitudes and behavior. Results showed that although a large percentage identified with the Mexican American rather than the Anglo American culture and spoke Spanish in selected contexts, readability was greater for ads in English, and participants rated the English ads as most effective. The social norms counteradvertisement was preferred overall. Potential implications for health communication and policy are discussed.

Health Information Seeking in Context: How Women Make Decisions Regarding Hormone Replacement Therapy
    C. Nadine Wathen A1

A1 Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

This multimethod study explored women's information seeking behaviour and decision making regarding menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) during menopause. This research was underway during the mass media release of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) estrogen–progestin trial results, allowing an examination of the impact of this news on women's decisions. There were two studies: first, 20 women who currently were or previously had used HRT were interviewed about their experiences with menopause and HRT-related information seeking and decision making. Following this, 285 demographically representative Canadian women aged 45–65 who were current or former HRT users completed a questionnaire. Results indicate that women's information behaviour differed according to which decision they were making (starting versus stopping HRT, considering CAM), as did the sources they consulted. In general, there has been a paucity of good information to help women who are deciding to stop HRT. The types and sources of CAM information often are found to be less than credible and helpful. When information is lacking, women rely on informal sources, and on their own judgement, to make decisions. The results are discussed in the context of information behaviour and help-seeking theory.

The Portrayal of HIV/AIDS in Two Popular African American Magazines
     Juanne N. Clarke A1, Lianne McLellan A2, Laurie Hoffman-Goetz A3

A1 Department of Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
A2 Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
A3 University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Mainstream magazines and other media have been found to both reflect and influence existing values and beliefs regarding health and medicine. Little is known about how media directed toward specific cultural or other market groups may differ. The present study examined how HIV and AIDS are portrayed within a specific ethnocultural medium, the two highest circulating magazines directed toward African American and African Canadian readers. The portrayal of HIV/AIDS from January 1997 to October 2001 in Ebony and Essence magazines was examined through manifest and latent content analysis. African American people were described paradoxically both as powerless victims in the face of the disease and as members of a strong and identifiable community of “sisters” and “brothers” available to respond to prevent and cope with the disease. Polarization between Blacks and Whites was accomplished by frequent emphasis on the higher rates of HIV/AIDS amongst Black Americans. Both the church and spirituality were highlighted as means of prevention education and coping.

Interpreter Accuracy and Informed Consent Among Spanish-speaking Families with Cancer
    Christian M. Simon A1, Stephen J. Zyzanski A2, Ellen Durand A3, Xavier Jimenez A3, Eric D. Kodish A4

A1 Bioethics Department, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
A2 Department of Family Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
A3 Bioethics Department, Medical School, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
A4 Department of Bioethics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Language interpreters mediate a growing number of health care communication events, including the informed consent process, which underlies the ethical conduct of clinical research. This article explores a key interpretive outcome, accuracy, in 21 Spanish/English informed consent consultations. Discussions were transcribed, translated, and coded according to established techniques. Most (74%) discussion was accurately interpreted (range: 47%–98%; std. deviation: .137). Accuracy was lower in the more technical portions of the discussion when compared with nontechnical portions such as discussion of coping and quality-of-life issues (p = .024). The concept of “randomization” often was poorly communicated and interpreted. These differences may be due in part to the use of long, uninterrupted, and jargon-filled sentences by clinicians explaining research, among other factors. The article concludes that accuracy may be promoted if clinicians used less technical language and shorter sentences, and are more “process driven.” Interpreters may need to be better informed about research-related concepts such as randomization. Further research is needed to determine the effects of interpretive accuracy on the informed consent process, the decision to participate in research, and other outcomes.

On-Screen Portrayals of Mental Illness: Extent, Nature, and Impacts
    Jane Pirkis A1, R. Warwick Blood A2, Catherine Francis A1, Kerry McCallum A2

A1 Program Evaluation Unit, School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
A2 School of Professional Communication, The University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia

This article reviews the published literature on the extent, nature, and impacts of portrayal of mental illness in fictional films and television programs. The literature suggests that on-screen portrayals are frequent and generally negative, and have a cumulative effect on the public's perception of people with mental illness and on the likelihood of people with mental illness seeking appropriate help. The article concludes that there is a need for the mental health sector and the film and television industries to collaborate to counter negative portrayals of mental illness, and to explore the potential for positive portrayals to educate and inform, as well as to entertain.

Book Review

A Review of: “Save The Children. (2004). Effective peer education: Working with children and young people on sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.”: London: Save The Children.
Linda Kean