Health behavior

Breast cancer affects one in eight women in the United States. Estimated new
breast cancer cases for 2012 in the U.S. are 229,060 women (American Cancer Society, 2012). For all women it is important to be informed regarding all current treatment options. For women in high-risk categories of breast cancer it is even more important. Risk-reducing strategies for women at high-risk of breast cancer include surveillance, chemoprevention, and bilateral prophylactic mastectomy. Prophylactic mastectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer by excision of most breast tissue. Breast cancer among those initially diagnosed as high-risk is 90-94.3% (Hartmann et al., 1999). This procedure entails serious surgeries with numerous physical, social, and emotional ramifications and is not without side effects. The patient has the right to be informed and base her decision-making on the suitability of the procedure for herself. This research describes six (6) woman’s experiences, focusing on the role of transformational learning and self-efficacy, as these women progressed through the stages. Prophylactic mastectomy is radical, irreversible, and costly at the onset. The procedure may preclude a whole lifetime of surgeries, radiation, and chemical treatments. If this treatment is the right fit, and has been fully researched, balanced with options, family history, genetic predisposition, personal concerns, and anxiety levels, along with physician recommendations, a woman should consider pursuing it.

Little is known about breast health behaviors in Afro-Caribbean women (ACW) residing in the United States, as they are often included in the collective group of African American women (AAW). The objective of this study was to determine the influence of a spiritually-guided intervention on breast health self-care (BHSC) attitudes in ACW residing in southeastern Florida using a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design. One hundred and seventeen women were recruited from three local south Florida Caribbean churches. Inclusion criteria included: (a) self-identification as Afro-Caribbean, (b) female aged 30 years or older, (c) living in the United States for at least 1 year, (d) able to provide informed consent, (e) able to speak and read English at the 8th grade level, and (f) no previous history of breast cancer.

This study explored the healthy aging process by: (a) examining the selected
demographics of older adults in South Florida; (b) examining technology use of older
adults in South Florida; (c) examining the health literacy levels of older adults in South
Florida; (d) determining whether a relationship exists between older adults living in
South Florida use of technology and their health literacy levels; and (e) evaluating the
effects of health literacy as it relates to technology use in older adults in South Florida.
Variables explored included health literacy, education, ethnicity, and technology use.
The sample study included 102 older adults (age > 60) living in South Florida that
had completed profiles on the South Florida Quality Aging Registry, a part of the Healthy Aging Research Initiative (HARI). The sample size represented 22.3% of the total South Florida Quality Aging Registry population. The ethnicities of the participants among the South Florida Quality Aging Registry were African American (17%); Afro Caribbean (7.8%); Hispanic (10.7%); and European American (63.7%). The education
mean was 15, indicating that the majority of participants had an education level
equivalent to completing high school. The mean health literacy score was 3.88,
demonstrating that the majority of the participants had moderate levels of health literacy. The mean technology use score was 7.5 on a scale of one through ten, indicating that the majority of the participants had a moderate level of technology use.
Analysis of variance, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis
was used to explore the variables that may influence health literacy. There was a
statistically significant difference among Afro Caribbean and African American, Afro
Caribbean and European American, European American and Hispanic ethnicities related to their health literacy skill level (p < .01). Additionally, there was a statistically
significant difference among Afro Caribbean American and European American
ethnicities and technology use (p. < .01).

Objective. This study examined the association between commuting time and/or distance and body mass index (BMI), and dietary and exercise behaviors in college students. Methods. Behaviors were assessed using self-report, dietary screeners, and an exercise questionnaire in 400 college students ages 18--35 taking classes on a commuter campus. BMI was determined through measurement of height and weight. Results. Pearson correlations revealed no relationship between commuting time and/or distance and BMI, and dietary and exercise behaviors. However, total meals eaten out the week prior and number of meals obtained from any away-from-home food vendors was related to total, saturated, and percent fat in the diet, as well as cholesterol. Conclusion. Commuting distance nor time were related to BMI, dietary or exercise behaviors. Regardless of commuting behaviors, better dietary behaviors should be recommended among college students.

Dietary supplement use influences and effects of gender and grade by 184 adolescent athletes in ten Broward County high schools, grades nine through twelve, were examined in this study. A survey (Survey to Predict Adolescent Athletes Dietary Supplement Use) based on the Theory of Reasoned Action was used to predict how the supplement group users/non-users demonstrated a relationship with the theory components. Results yielded supplement group differences with regard to gender and grade. Regarding behavioral intention, supplement group users (current, past, or experimental) had a stronger intention to use supplements in the future than did non-users. Main effects emerged with male athletes having a stronger intention to use supplements than did females. The health risks that accompany supplement products show evidence of the need for health educators to understand more about the issue in order to establish intervention strategies.