Effects of a prenatal care intervention on the self-concept and self-efficacy of adolescent mothers

The objective of this study was to examine changes in self-concept and self-efficacy during the childbearing year among adolescent mothers (defined as young mothers up to age 20) who were involved in a behavioral intervention. Subjects included a sample of 282 urban, pregnant adolescents (94% African American, 4% white, 2% other). The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) was used to measure self-concept. A scale to measure the self-efficacy of the adolescent mother during the childbearing year was developed and evaluated. Questionnaires were administered during intake for prenatal care and in the postpartum period. In the larger study, the intervention was a peer-centered, mastery modeling intervention designed to increase self-efficacy, improve self-concept, and improve long- and short-term perinatal outcomes. The results in this portion of the data showed that self-concept increased significantly for young women in the experimental group but did not change significantly for young women in the control group. Changes were noted in the TSCS for overall self-concept as well as for several subscores, including identity, self-satisfaction, behavior, the personal self, the family self, and the social self. However, differences between groups did not reach significance once age, parity, site, and time were accounted for, except on TSCS subscales of identity and personal self. Between intake for prenatal care and postpartum, self-efficacy changed significantly for both the experimental and the control groups. Both groups increased in self-efficacy for labor and delivery and decreased in self-efficacy for infant care. In this group of mostly African American teens, peer support and small group care demonstrated positive effects on self-concept. Professional and peer interactions were equally associated in intervention and nonintervention groups with regard to self-efficacy.     

The Meaning of Words: Teachers and Counselors

The semantic differential technique was used in this study for the purpose of discovering similarities and differences in the meaning of words between teachers in training and counselors in training. A number of differences were revealed which indicate that teachers in training and counselors in training are not in accord as to the connotations of certain concepts. These differences suggest that counselors and counselor educators must strive for a greater understanding of the counselor's role in the school setting on the part of other education professionals.     

A study on the glucose uptake,pyruvate and lactate formation in red blood cells of normal,sickle cell trait and sickle cell patients

The rate of glucose consumption and pyruvate and lactate production in red blood cells of normal, sickle cell trait and SS disease subjects were measured. Glucose consumption was found to be increased significantly (p<0.05) in red cells of sickle cell patients than the sickle cell trait and normal persons. There was also an increased rate (p<0.05) of pyruvate formation and a significant (p<0.05) increase in lactate formation in sickle red cells.