Developing a database of behavioural medicine interventions

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of the Cochrane Behavioral Medicine Field database of interventions and its contribution to the knowledge base of this field. METHODS: A list of behavioural medicine interventions was solicited from content experts. The resulting list of index terms was used to generate a comprehensive search strategy to retrieve relevant records, and a thesaurus of terms with which to index them. The records are included in a register. A subset of records have been coded for study design, health condition, intervention, study participants, setting and provider and made available in a public online database. RESULTS: The Cochrane Behavioral Medicine Field database consists of over 3500 records of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials for public educational use. CONCLUSIONS: The register provides a comprehensive listing of studies relating to behavioural medicine interventions. The public online database enables easy access to the evidence base and provides enhanced details of the studies included on it. These databases are a valuable resource for the behavioural medicine community. Other fields are encouraged to duplicate these methods in the design of content-specific databases.     

Brief Report on PROSPER Academic Outcomes: Extended Model of Crossover Effects on Young Adult College Success

This study examines crossover effects of adolescent substance misuse preventive interventions on academic success in college. It evaluates pathways of influence on college grades, via effects on school engagement, problem-solving skills, and substance misuse in high school. Data were collected as part of an Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluating a multicomponent intervention conducted in 28 school districts with middle school students. At age 19, study participants (N = 1,488) enrolled in college reported on college grades. The model fit the data, supporting hypothesized pathways of intervention impacts. Inclusion of a significant direct effect on college grades further improved model fit. Results support the potential for universal substance misuse preventive interventions delivered by community partnerships during middle school to yield effects on long-term academic success.     

Narrating a Critical Indigenous Pedagogy of Place: A Literary Métissage

This essay responds to a persistent paucity of narrative and Indigenous perspectives in scholarship related to a critical pedagogy of place. In it Gregory Lowan‐Trudeau explores interrelated concepts such as diasporic indigeneity, identity, and critical, place‐based education and research through a literary métissage that weaves together Western and Indigenous narratives to reflect upon recent experiences of (re‐)visiting sites of great personal and familial significance.     

The Role of Campus Traditions in Campus Life at Christian Colleges and Universities

This article presents the preliminary findings of an ongoing Traditions Research Project (TRP) study on the impact of campus traditions on campus life within the context of Christian postsecondary institutions. In this initial phase, the researchers conducted 63 interviews with faculty, student development educators, and staff members, in addition to gathering data from 12 student focus groups at three institutional members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. In the future, the researchers intend to identify several additional colleges that have tradition-rich environments in order to expand the qualitative database related to this topic. The initial process of data analysis identified three major themes, along with several subthemes, regarding the role of traditions in contributing to campus life. These themes provide valuable information regarding the characteristics of campus traditions, the important role they play in creating and maintaining campus culture, and the role of these events in the lives of participants and institutions. In addition to presenting and discussing the themes and subthemes, the authors provide implications for practice that may be helpful to higher education leaders as they seek to provide meaningful campus traditions that foster students’ holistic development.     

Underprivileged urban mothers' perspectives on science

The purpose of this article is to report our findings from a qualitative study intended to develop our understandings of how inner‐city mothers perceive science. Using qualitative methodologies, our analysis reveals that the mothers' perceptions can be grouped into four categories: perceptions of science as (a) schoolwork/knowledge, (b) fun projects, (c) a tool for maintaining the home and family, and (d) an untouchable domain. After we present these categories we compare our findings across categories to argue that those mothers who had spent time doing science with their children were more likely to have a more personal, dynamic, and inquiry‐based view of science. We also argue that mothers' perceptions of science were more dynamic when they spoke about situations and contexts that were familiar to them, such as food, nutrition, and child care. We conclude the article with a discussion of the implications our findings have for science education reform. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 688–711, 2001     

Applying the PROSPER prevention delivery system with middle schools: Emerging adulthood effects on substance misuse and conduct problem behaviors through 14 years past baseline

This study evaluated emerging adult effects of the PROmoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) universal prevention delivery system implemented in middle schools. Twenty-eight rural school districts were randomized to intervention and control conditions, with 1985 nineteen-year-old participants (90.6% White, 54.1% female) evaluated through age 25. Intent-to-treat, multi-level, point-in-time analyses of covariance and growth analyses were conducted. Outcomes were assessed with self-report measures of substance misuse (lifetime, current, frequency) and conduct problem behaviors. Analyses showed very limited point-in-time effects; there were growth pattern effects on measures of illicit drugs, non-prescribed drugs, cigarettes, and drug problems. When risk moderation was observed, it favored higher-risk participants. These emerging adult effects concerning slower growth of lifetime misuse combine with more robust adolescent stage findings to support PROSPER’s public health value.