Browsing by Author "Bruce, Franklin A."

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    Factors Associated with Diabetes Control Among Low-income Adults in Virginia
    Carpenter, John Paul (Virginia Tech, 2002-07-24)
    The incidence of type 2 diabetes has greatly increased in the U.S. population over the last decade and continues to increase each year. Over 90% of those with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, for which obesity, diet, and inadequate physical activity remain the strong nongenetic determinants. In Virginia between 1994 and 1996, the estimated number of people with diabetes was 220,000 and another 75,000 were estimated to have the disease, but did not know it (http://www.vahealth.org accessed 7/10/01). A study has been conducted that involves two separate surveys. The Community Diabetes Education Survey (CDES) was an interview questionnaire or mailed questionnaire for assessing community diabetes education resources and was completed by Extension Nutrition and Wellness Specialty Agents and five Area EFNEP/FSNEP coordinators located throughout Virginia. The Diabetes Patient Survey was a client interview questionnaire assessing the attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of persons with diabetes. This survey was conducted by FSNEP Program Assistants. More than 150 low-income adults who have type 2 diabetes and were enrolled in FSNEP at the time of data collection were interviewed. The results from this study showed hospitals were the main health agency to fill out CDES-II. Most diabetes education done by extension is delivered through a combination of methods like group classes, individual counseling sessions, phone or e-mail, and providing handouts. Almost all of the health agencies offer diabetes diagnosis and treatment for adults. Results from this study showed on gender, age, and race, the study sample was similar to the total FSNEP population, except that the percentage of African Americans was higher among the diabetes patients than among the general FSNEP population. The African American subjects also had diabetes longer (12 years vs. 8 years), although their current mean age was the same as Caucasians. The study did not reveal substantial differences in African Americans and Caucasians regarding recommendations they had received on dietary practices. Forty-nine percent of study's participants were physically active. Most participants exercised two to three times per week, for only 15 to 30 minutes at a time. The purpose of this research was to assess the extent to which diabetes education is available and easily accessible to the low-income adult population in Virginia and to assess FSNEP clients regarding attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge that may affect their management of diabetes.
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    Factors influencing grades awarded by teachers: why don't grades reflect achievement only?
    Bruce, Franklin A. (Virginia Tech, 1995-01-14)
    The purpose of the study was to identify the relative influence nonachievement factors have on secondary school teachers' grading practices. Specifically, an attempt was made to predict on the basis of non-achievement related factors the discrepancy between the grades teachers actually award to hypothetical student profiles and the grades that would result if based on academic achievement alone. Teachers learn in their professional training to base grades on student achievement, however in actual practice they do not always follow such an approach. They openly acknowledge including non-achievement factors in awarding students grades, explaining that there are psychosocial consequences in grades that must be considered. The study involved 192 secondary school teachers from twelve school districts who taught high school academic subjects. Teachers were asked to award grades to hypothetical student profiles in simulated grading situations. Each simulation, or vignette, presented a hypothetical student profile and included a unique combination of factors which had been shown in previous research to influence teachers' grading decisions. A technique referred to as policy capturing was used to evaluate the extent to which assigned grades reflect student gender, effort, behavior, ability, and test score improvement. In predicting the grade discrepancies of teachers, it was judged necessary to restrict the number of grade discrepancies for teachers to five or more, which represented approximately one-sixth of the possible 32 discrepancies provided by the vignettes, reducing the number of teachers in the sample to 99. Regression models predicting the 99 teachers' grade discrepancies, which were differences between the letter grade awarded by teachers and the grade implied by the test scores in the vignettes, and policy capturing analysis revealed that student test score improvement and student behavior influenced teachers most in their grading. However, teachers seemed to place more importance on students' quiz average grades as a measure of academic performance, than on students' six-week test grades. In addition, secondary analyses of the data revealed that in predicting the importance placed by the 99 teachers on students' test score improvement and on behavior, teachers with more years of experience placed less importance on either of the factors in grading than their less experienced colleagues.
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    An Instrument for Measuring Behavior Change Among Low-Income Youth
    Dunham, Angela Wood (Virginia Tech, 1999-10-26)
    The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and its youth component, 4-H EFNEP, were established nationwide by the Cooperative Extension Service in 1969. 4-H EFNEP provides nutrition education to low-income youth, aged 5 to 19 years; however, there has been no standard instrument to evaluate behavior change among participants in Virginia or nationwide. A 24-item Youth Food Behavior Checklist (YFBC) was developed based on 13 topics and food-related behaviors taught in 4-H EFNEP. Data were collected on 47 youth enrolled in 4-H EFNEP in the summer of 1998. The YFBC was tested for test-retest reliability and ability of each item and the total instrument to detect change from pre- to post-intervention. The YFBC demonstrated good test-retest reliability with a Pearson Correlation of 0.81. Overall, the YFBC demonstrated sensitivity to detect change in nutrition behaviors, by showing positive change for some items and negative change for other items in all but nine of the participants. The YFBC also appeared to successfully measure behaviors taught in 4-H EFNEP lessons, as questions regarding only two topics did not demonstrate change from pre- to post-intervention. Since not all checklist items showed significant positive change from pre- to post-intervention, the YFBC should be tested again with a larger sample and in situations where the intervention and the administration of the instrument are better controlled. This would increase the power of the study and the credibility of the YFBC as an assessment instrument for wider use in 4-H EFNEP.