The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of education on the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of breast self-examination (BSE) among adolescent females. The tool used to measure the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of BSE was based on the Health Belief Model. The design was a two group pretest, post-test, quasi-experimental design. Using 2X2 repeated measures revealed there was no significant difference between the control and experimental groups in attitudes and beliefs. However, there was a significant increase in the knowledge level of BSE for the group who received BSE instruction when compared to the group who did not receive BSE instruction. The researcher recommended that research be continued using a larger, heterogeneous sample. / School of Nursing

The problem addressed in the study concerned the lack of attraction of girls into professional Mining Industry (MI) careers. The study had four main objectives. The first was to review the literature to determine the reasons why there were so few women currently in MI careers, and then to describe strategies that have been successfully used to increase their participation. It quickly became apparent that while little research could be located relating directly to MI, the broader fields of science, engineering and technology (SET) could be reviewed to include the subset of mining-related careers.The second objective was to determine the attitudes towards MI careers of a select group of Year 10 schoolgirls, with the ability to proceed to the tertiary prerequisites for MI courses. This was accomplished through the development, implementation and statistical analysis of an instrument, the Mining Industry Attitude Survey (MIAS), designed specifically to focus on MI-related careers, rather than SET generally.The third objective was to develop and implement appropriate intervention strategies aimed at enhancing the attitudes of the group of girls, as determined through analyses of MIAS and related research. Under the auspices of the Western Australian School of Mines Engineering and Technology Camp, conducted annually in Kalgoorlie, a program of strategies was adapted and implemented over a period of five days at the residential camp.The final objective of the study was to determine if the intervention program did, in fact, enhance participating girls' attitudes. Using quasi-experimental research methods, quantitative data were collected and analysed from girls attending the camp, as the experimental group, and from applicants that did not attend as the control group. In addition, qualitative data were collected from select girls in the experimental group, during the camp ++ / program.The outcomes of the study are set out in terms of the main objectives, culminating in a discussion of the implications which the stated findings pose for researchers, practitioners of equity programs and employers of future MI graduates.

As obesity and related diseases become increasingly prevalent, there is a great need for programs for at-risk female adolescents that will encourage physical activity and other healthy behaviors. Enjoyment is one factor that has been associated with exercise participation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a physical activity program on at-risk female adolescents' enjoyment of physical activity. Participants (n= 50) from a residential treatment facility participated in a non-competitive, non-threatening physical activity program for ten weeks. Fifteen of the participants comprised a control group and did not participate in the structured program. Participants completed the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) at the beginning and end of the program. In addition, their exercise heart rates were obtained at each session. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze the PACES scores. Results indicated a significant group by time interaction between the three cottages (p= .002). Further analysis revealed PACES scores increased for one treatment cottage, but decreased for the other treatment cottage and the control group. The mean percent of time participants spent in their target heart rate zone (>140 bpm) was 53.5%. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

M.Ed. / Depression of adolescents is often misunderstood or misjudged. Depression is an universal disorder worldwide and there are more than 300 million people who are suffering from it (Star, 11 April 1999). Approximately nine percent of all children experience symptoms of depression. It increases from twenty two to forty percent among adolescents (Offord, 1987:10). On any given point of time there are as much as one out of every thirty three children and as many as one out of every eight adolescents suffering from clinical depression (Dubuque, 1998:64). Unfortunately depression has become part of our society and we shall have to learn how to handle it in order to render assistance to people who are suffering from this disorder. It is a shocking fact that more and more adolescents are trying to commit suicide. This is one of the findings that came to light in September 1999 during a Symposium of the South African Council for Child and Family Care. The following question arises: what is the experience of adolescent girls who are in a place of caring and who are suffering from depression and which guidelines could be provided to psychological educationists to accompany girls and to promote their mental health?A qualitative, describing and conceptual design was used to collect data and describe the adolescent girl in a place of caring and who is suffering from depression. The research took place in two phases. In Phase One in depth phenomenological interviews were conducted. In Phase Two logical inference was used to generate guidelines to psychological educationists to provide accompaniment to adolescent girls who are in places of care and who are suffering from depression.From the research it appeared that the following themes continuously came to the front amongst girls who are in places of care and who are suffering from depression: • need of acceptance and fear of loneliness; • a lack of hope and purpose in life; and • psychological coping mechanisms as a way of handling situations. The following sub-themes of adolescent girls who are in places of care and who are suffering from depression are identified: • a negative self concept; • poor self acceptance; • poor interpersonal relationships; • fear which is related to the girls' own helplessness and inability to escape from situations; and • defence mechanisms: rationalisation to make depression more acceptable; and suppression to suppress emotions in this way. From the research certain needs were identified by adolescent girls who are in places of care and who are suffering from depression: • the need of acceptance and the need of the addressing the fear of loneliness; • the addressing of feelings of lack of hope and purpose in life; and • the need of healthy coping mechanisms as a way in which situations could be handled. Guidelines to psychological educationists for the accompaniment of adolescent girls who are in places of care and who are suffering from depression are set out as follows: • guidelines to address the need of acceptance and the fear for loneliness; • guidelines to address the lack of hope and purpose in life; and • guidelines to develop healthy coping mechanisms.

The present study sought to answer the following questions: Is there a correlation between time spent watching rap music videos and and perception of the imagery of women in rap music videos shown? 2) Is there a correlation between the perception of the imagery of women in rap music videos and their attitudes toward women? There were a total of 53 AAFA who participated in the study. The participants completed the Background Questionnaire and Attitude Toward Women Scale for Adolescents (AWSA). They then viewed approximately 10 minutes of rap music videos that portrayed women negatively, and completed the Opinions on Music Videos survey and the General Questions about Rap Music survey. The data were analyzed with two crosstabs matching time spent watching rap music videos per week with feelings about images of women in rap videos shown, and acceptance of images of women in rap videos shown. A t-test was used to compare AWSA scores and acceptance of images of women in rap music videos shown. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare AWSA scores and feelings about women in rap music videos shown. The results of the study suggest that the more time spent watching rap videos, the less likely the participants would accept the negative images of women in these videos as negative and vice versa. No relationship was found between time spent watching rap videos and feelings about the images portrayed. Regardless of the participant's AWSA score, it did not correlate with her perceptions of the images of women in rap music videos shown. Implications for research and practice were then discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of the study was to investigate teenage girls' attitudes toward fashion advertising and media. The study also sought to determine the influence of class enrollment and employment on attitudes toward fashion advertising. The data were collected by questionnaires administered to 121 high school girls enrolled in child development and fashion design major study classes. Descriptive statistics were computed along with a t-test for the difference between means for independent samples. Teenagers were found to possess many positive attitudes toward fashion advertising and to view print advertising less negatively than broadcast advertising. A highly significant difference was found between attitudes toward fashion advertising and class enrollment. In addition, a significant difference was found between attitudes toward fashion advertising and employment.

This study explores the intrapersonal and interpersonal ecological factors that influence adolescent females' perceptions of sex and the extent to which their perceptions of sex impact onset of sexual intercourse as they mature. Particular attention is given to how depression influences individual, personal and social factors in an adolescent female's life, to shape her attitudes towards sex, and determine her engagement in sex as she reaches young adulthood. Ecological Systems Theory is used to examine the extent to which individual, family, and social factors impact adolescent females' perceptions of sex and onset of sexual intercourse. Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Multinomial logistic regression reveals that the factors associated with less positive perceptions of sex are age, self-esteem, sexual intercourse, religiosity and connection to mother and peers, as well as, depression in combination with religiosity and connection to one's peers. More positive perceptions of sex are linked with depression, connection to one's school, as well as, depression in conjunction with aging and sexual intercourse. Results from the logistic regression analysis determines that less positive perceptions of sex delay onset of sexual intercourse among adolescent females; however, adolescent females' attitudes towards sex vary greatly in determining onset of sexual intercourse as they mature. Furthermore, there is no association between depression and adolescent females' perceptions of sex in predicting onset of sexual intercourse as they progress into young adulthood. The findings from this study suggest that programs focused on shaping attitudes toward sex should assist young women in forming a definite opinion about their decision to have sexual intercourse or abstain from engagement in sexual intercourse. A female's age, sense of self-worth, emotional state, and religiosity as well as the strength of her relationships with parents, peers and school must be considered when addressing her sexual health. This investigation supports the use of Ecological Systems Theory as a useful theoretical framework for examining the factors that influence adolescent females' perceptions of sex and engagement in sexual intercourse. A more cognitive investigation of the relationship between depression and the factors in an adolescent female's life that influence her attitudes towards sex and how depression affects an adolescent female's perception of sex and her decision to engage in sexual intercourse is warranted as this study finds only minor support for the use of Ecological Systems Theory when exploring the association between depression and adolescent female sexual health. / Graduation date: 2006

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In this thesis, I explore and critique the content of the fashion teen magazine CosmoGirl. Through a bricolage of methods, I examine the magazine's representation of teen femininity and compare it to the editor's "pro-feminist" initial goal and intended social role for the publication. / Drawing upon previous studies, and linking my findings to established theories, I analyze the possible relationship between the publication's content and the influence this media genre has on the social development of young women. / My research findings show that CosmoGirl's portrayal of femininity is stereotypical, patriarchal and unrealistic and that such representation perpetuates negative and destructive feelings in young women. / In my discussion, I explore possible reasons for the lack of representation of the editor's goal for the magazine within the magazine's overall discourse. I also discuss the importance of media literacy in education as a means to alter today's media, so its representation of women becomes truthful.

The purpose of the study was to better understand nutrition knowledge, disordered eating and body dissatisfaction among middle school females, in hopes of disseminating this information to parents, teachers, and others with an interest in the well-being of young women. The design of the study determined prevalence of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, and the level of nutrition knowledge among middle school females. 134 subjects completed a 66-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics along with an independent t-test, chi square, and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Prevalence of disordered eating among 7th graders was 18.8%, and 15% for 8" graders. High levels of body dissatisfaction were observed in 35% of 7"' graders and 26% of 8t' graders. A significant relationship was found between nutrition knowledge and disordered eating (r=-.309). There was no statistically significant difference between 70' and 8th graders for either disordered eating or body dissatisfaction. / Department of Physiology and Health Science