Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 00926230290001457, Jan 19, 2011
The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate... more The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate whether assessment of sexual health behaviors are uniquely difficult to report, 185 college women were asked to answer behavioral frequency questions about sexual and non-sexual health behaviors for an 8-week interval. Women took part in either a face-to-face interview or completed a selfadministered questionnaire. One week later the women returned and responded to the same questions in the same mode of assessment conditions. The test-retest intraclass correlations showed that all health behaviors, sexual and non-sexual were reported reliably. There was a trend for lower frequency reports to yield more stable estimates of behavioral frequency. These findings converge with other methodological investigations to indicate that socially sensitive health behaviors are not more difficult to assess reliably.
Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports ... more Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports of sexual behavior remain uncertain. To evaluate these influences, 190 young women completed measures of erotophilia and social desirability and then monitored their health-related behaviors with a diary for 8 weeks. They returned on two occasions to complete either a face-to-face interview (FTFI) or a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) regarding their behavior over the same interval. To check the apparent accuracy of participants' retrospective self-reports, a difference score was calculated by subtracting responses obtained on the FTFI or SAQ from the diary card. Results indicated that both modes of assessment were reliable; reliability did not differ as a function of mode of assessment. However, SAQs elicited less discrepant responses for protected vaginal sex; SAQ and FTFI reports for unprotected sexual behaviors were equivalent. Situational and person variables did not predict accuracy scores, which were impaired at higher frequencies of behavior. Results suggest that both modes of assessment were reliable and SAQs may be more accurate for some sexual behaviors.
Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports ... more Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports of sexual behavior remain uncertain. To evaluate these influences, 190 young women completed measures of erotophilia and social desirability and then monitored their health-related behaviors with a diary for 8 weeks. They returned on two occasions to complete either a face-to-face interview (FTFI) or a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) regarding their behavior over the same interval. To check the apparent accuracy of participants' retrospective self-reports, a difference score was calculated by subtracting responses obtained on the FTFI or SAQ from the diary card. Results indicated that both modes of assessment were reliable; reliability did not differ as a function of mode of assessment. However, SAQs elicited less discrepant responses for protected vaginal sex; SAQ and FTFI reports for unprotected sexual behaviors were equivalent. Situational and person variables did not predic...
Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine, 1999
Our objective was to determine the priorities of low-income women regarding health, relationship,... more Our objective was to determine the priorities of low-income women regarding health, relationship, and social concerns. Street-intercept surveys were conducted with 161 low-income urban women (mean = 27 years, 85% African American, 80% single mothers) regarding their perceptions of the threat associated with 48 health and social problems. Women rated acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) as their most important health, social, or relationship concern. Nearly one half of all women indicated that they would attend risk reduction programs to learn how to avoid infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS is perceived as a serious threat to women's health, and interventions to reduce risk are welcomed.
This study examined the effects of anonymity, gender, and erotophilia on the quality of self-repo... more This study examined the effects of anonymity, gender, and erotophilia on the quality of self-reports of socially sensitive health-related behaviors. A sample of 155 male and 203 female undergraduate students was randomly assigned to an anonymous and a confidential (i.e., nonanonymous) assessment condition. Gender, erotophilia, self-reports (of substance use, sexual behaviors, illegal activity), and perceived item threat were assessed by questionnaire. Data quality was strongly affected by experimental condition and gender. Thus, terminations were more frequent in the confidential condition and among women. In the confidential condition, women were significantly more likely to "prefer not to respond" to sensitive items compared to men. Both female gender and confidential condition were associated with lower frequency reports of sensitive health behaviors, and greater perceived threat of the assessment questions. Self-reported engagement in sensitive behaviors was positively...
The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate... more The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate whether assessment of sexual health behaviors are uniquely difficult to report, 185 college women were asked to answer behavioral frequency questions about sexual and non-sexual health behaviors for an 8-week interval. Women took part in either a face-to-face interview or completed a selfadministered questionnaire. One week later the women returned and responded to the same questions in the same mode of assessment conditions. The test-retest intraclass correlations showed that all health behaviors, sexual and non-sexual were reported reliably. There was a trend for lower frequency reports to yield more stable estimates of behavioral frequency. These findings converge with other methodological investigations to indicate that socially sensitive health behaviors are not more difficult to assess reliably.
This randomized clinical trial evaluated an HIV-risk reduction (HIV-RR) intervention based on the... more This randomized clinical trial evaluated an HIV-risk reduction (HIV-RR) intervention based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model. At baseline, 102 women (M age = 29 years; 88% African American) completed a survey regarding HIV-related knowledge, risk perceptions, behavioral intentions, and risk behavior. Participants were then assigned to either the HIV-RR intervention or a health-promotion control group. Postintervention and follow-up data indicated that women in the HIV-RR program enhanced their knowledge and strengthened their risk reduction intentions relative to controls. Moreover, HIV-RR women who expressed "imperfect" intentions also increased their condom use, talked more with partners about condom use and HIV testing, and were more likely to have refused unprotected sex.
There is increasing interest from a social learning perspective in understanding the role of pare... more There is increasing interest from a social learning perspective in understanding the role of parental factors on adult health behaviors and health outcomes. Our review revealed no studies, to date, that have evaluated the effects of parental substance abuse on reports of chronic pain and coping in adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We explored the effects of parental substance (alcohol or drug) abuse on reports of the sensory, affective and summary indices of pain in 67 adult patients, mean age 38.9 (13.5), with SCD. We also explored the effects of parental substance abuse on psychopathology associated with pain and active coping. Twenty-four percent of patients reported that their parent(s) abused substances. Patients whose parent(s) were characterized as substance abusers reported greater sensory (p=0.02), affective (p=0.01) and summary (VAS; p=0.02) indices of pain as compared to their counterparts, whose parent(s) were not characterized as substance abusers. Patients...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 00926230290001457, Jan 19, 2011
The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate... more The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate whether assessment of sexual health behaviors are uniquely difficult to report, 185 college women were asked to answer behavioral frequency questions about sexual and non-sexual health behaviors for an 8-week interval. Women took part in either a face-to-face interview or completed a selfadministered questionnaire. One week later the women returned and responded to the same questions in the same mode of assessment conditions. The test-retest intraclass correlations showed that all health behaviors, sexual and non-sexual were reported reliably. There was a trend for lower frequency reports to yield more stable estimates of behavioral frequency. These findings converge with other methodological investigations to indicate that socially sensitive health behaviors are not more difficult to assess reliably.
Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports ... more Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports of sexual behavior remain uncertain. To evaluate these influences, 190 young women completed measures of erotophilia and social desirability and then monitored their health-related behaviors with a diary for 8 weeks. They returned on two occasions to complete either a face-to-face interview (FTFI) or a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) regarding their behavior over the same interval. To check the apparent accuracy of participants' retrospective self-reports, a difference score was calculated by subtracting responses obtained on the FTFI or SAQ from the diary card. Results indicated that both modes of assessment were reliable; reliability did not differ as a function of mode of assessment. However, SAQs elicited less discrepant responses for protected vaginal sex; SAQ and FTFI reports for unprotected sexual behaviors were equivalent. Situational and person variables did not predict accuracy scores, which were impaired at higher frequencies of behavior. Results suggest that both modes of assessment were reliable and SAQs may be more accurate for some sexual behaviors.
Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports ... more Effects of mode of assessment, person, and situational variables on the accuracy of self-reports of sexual behavior remain uncertain. To evaluate these influences, 190 young women completed measures of erotophilia and social desirability and then monitored their health-related behaviors with a diary for 8 weeks. They returned on two occasions to complete either a face-to-face interview (FTFI) or a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) regarding their behavior over the same interval. To check the apparent accuracy of participants' retrospective self-reports, a difference score was calculated by subtracting responses obtained on the FTFI or SAQ from the diary card. Results indicated that both modes of assessment were reliable; reliability did not differ as a function of mode of assessment. However, SAQs elicited less discrepant responses for protected vaginal sex; SAQ and FTFI reports for unprotected sexual behaviors were equivalent. Situational and person variables did not predic...
Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine, 1999
Our objective was to determine the priorities of low-income women regarding health, relationship,... more Our objective was to determine the priorities of low-income women regarding health, relationship, and social concerns. Street-intercept surveys were conducted with 161 low-income urban women (mean = 27 years, 85% African American, 80% single mothers) regarding their perceptions of the threat associated with 48 health and social problems. Women rated acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) as their most important health, social, or relationship concern. Nearly one half of all women indicated that they would attend risk reduction programs to learn how to avoid infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS is perceived as a serious threat to women's health, and interventions to reduce risk are welcomed.
This study examined the effects of anonymity, gender, and erotophilia on the quality of self-repo... more This study examined the effects of anonymity, gender, and erotophilia on the quality of self-reports of socially sensitive health-related behaviors. A sample of 155 male and 203 female undergraduate students was randomly assigned to an anonymous and a confidential (i.e., nonanonymous) assessment condition. Gender, erotophilia, self-reports (of substance use, sexual behaviors, illegal activity), and perceived item threat were assessed by questionnaire. Data quality was strongly affected by experimental condition and gender. Thus, terminations were more frequent in the confidential condition and among women. In the confidential condition, women were significantly more likely to "prefer not to respond" to sensitive items compared to men. Both female gender and confidential condition were associated with lower frequency reports of sensitive health behaviors, and greater perceived threat of the assessment questions. Self-reported engagement in sensitive behaviors was positively...
The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate... more The accuracy of self-reports regarding sexual health behavior has been questioned. To investigate whether assessment of sexual health behaviors are uniquely difficult to report, 185 college women were asked to answer behavioral frequency questions about sexual and non-sexual health behaviors for an 8-week interval. Women took part in either a face-to-face interview or completed a selfadministered questionnaire. One week later the women returned and responded to the same questions in the same mode of assessment conditions. The test-retest intraclass correlations showed that all health behaviors, sexual and non-sexual were reported reliably. There was a trend for lower frequency reports to yield more stable estimates of behavioral frequency. These findings converge with other methodological investigations to indicate that socially sensitive health behaviors are not more difficult to assess reliably.
This randomized clinical trial evaluated an HIV-risk reduction (HIV-RR) intervention based on the... more This randomized clinical trial evaluated an HIV-risk reduction (HIV-RR) intervention based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model. At baseline, 102 women (M age = 29 years; 88% African American) completed a survey regarding HIV-related knowledge, risk perceptions, behavioral intentions, and risk behavior. Participants were then assigned to either the HIV-RR intervention or a health-promotion control group. Postintervention and follow-up data indicated that women in the HIV-RR program enhanced their knowledge and strengthened their risk reduction intentions relative to controls. Moreover, HIV-RR women who expressed "imperfect" intentions also increased their condom use, talked more with partners about condom use and HIV testing, and were more likely to have refused unprotected sex.
There is increasing interest from a social learning perspective in understanding the role of pare... more There is increasing interest from a social learning perspective in understanding the role of parental factors on adult health behaviors and health outcomes. Our review revealed no studies, to date, that have evaluated the effects of parental substance abuse on reports of chronic pain and coping in adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We explored the effects of parental substance (alcohol or drug) abuse on reports of the sensory, affective and summary indices of pain in 67 adult patients, mean age 38.9 (13.5), with SCD. We also explored the effects of parental substance abuse on psychopathology associated with pain and active coping. Twenty-four percent of patients reported that their parent(s) abused substances. Patients whose parent(s) were characterized as substance abusers reported greater sensory (p=0.02), affective (p=0.01) and summary (VAS; p=0.02) indices of pain as compared to their counterparts, whose parent(s) were not characterized as substance abusers. Patients...
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Papers by Lauren Durant