Attitude modification in health education through an interventive,antismoking program incorporated within traditional science curriculum

The effectiveness of a smoking-prevention program—incorporated within a traditional science curriculum—was assessed in terms of attitude modification in such categories as health, peer pressure, and social image as related to smoking. The study indicates that most relevant attitudes, the emotionally intense in particular, are modifiable in the desired direction, although the changes are small. Some gender differences in the recorded changes suggest a difference in the dynamics of the response to smoking intervention between male and female high school students. A desired change of attitude frequency distributions (e.g., from less extreme to more extreme responses) has also been found. In addition, the tendency of the experimental students to actively act against smoking within family circles increased, although not significantly. All the above was accompanied by a decrease in the number of smokers in the experimental group and a significant increase in the number of smokers in the control group. These results suggest that it is educationally possible to modify attitudes in health education in the desired direction by means of a properly designed interdisciplinary science curricular unit implemented within ongoing traditional science teaching.     

Psychological responses to blood vengeance among Arab adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the well being of Arab adolescents who live under the threat of ongoing blood vengeance, and to assess the impact of socio-demographic characteristics, cultural context, and family functioning as a mediators factors. METHOD: The sample consisted of 100 adolescents in grades 6-8. Self-reported standardized measures were used to assess the participants' level of self-esteem (Rosenberg's scale), mental health (the Brief Symptom Inventory BSI), and perceived family functioning (the McMaster Family Assessment Device FAD). RESULTS: The participants of this study demonstrated higher levels of distress and symptomatic behavior as compared to the Israeli norms. In a series of multiple regression, General Family Functioning emerged as the major predictor associated with mental health. Female participants reported a higher anxiety level than their male counterparts. Male participants, on the other hand, were more willing to continue the feud of blood vengeance. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that there are similarities among children and adolescents who live in war zones and those who live under a threatening blood vengeance. Family functioning appears as the major mediator of well being. Implications for practice are discussed.