Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-09, Section: B, page: 5607. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-09, Section: B, page: 5603. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-02, Section: B, page: 0833. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1968.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-02, Section: B, page: 0837. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1968.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-03, Section: B, page: 1526. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 32-09, Section: B, page: 5424. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1971.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-12, Section: B, page: 5672. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

No description available.

Background. Although Cohen's convention regarding small (∼0.2), medium (∼0.5), and large (∼0.8) effect sizes (ES) that originated in the socio-behavioral sciences approximately 40 years ago has been used heuristically in medicine as well, the extent to which it characterizes the range of ES for various medical therapies remains unknown. Objectives. (1) To calibrate the robustness of current interventions in medicine using different ES indices as the underlying metric, and (2) to examine whether the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in medicine have changed over the years. Methods. Three complementary studies have been conducted. Study I, which provides an indication of the range of ES in medicine currently, is a meta-meta analysis that summarizes 91 different meta-analyses of various treatments, from medicine to surgery to psychology. Study II used a pool of 250 different ES computed from 52 original clinical trials published over the last 25 years to examine time trends associated with ES. Study III used traditional and cumulative meta-analyses of 76 trials representing 30 different treatments for sepsis. Number-needed-to-treat (NNT) was calculated and adjusted for different control death rates to assess systematically objectives (1) and (2). Results. Study I: The mean ES for continuous variables was d 0.50 (SD 0.35, 95%CI 0.32-0.69) and for dichotomous variables odds ratio 1.51 (SD 1.39, 95%CI 0.9-2.13; p > 0.05). Study II: A parsimonious theory-specified model accounted for 93.2% of the variance associated with ES estimates over the years. ES was statistically significant correlated with many design features but not with year of publication. Study III: Neither traditional meta-analysis nor cumulative meta-analysis found most treatment categories for sepsis to be effective. Whereas the pooled relative risk estimate for the entire cohort of almost 22,000 patients was statistically significant with very narrow confidence interval (RR 0.92; 95%CI 0.88-0.96; p = 0.00028), the NNT adjusted analysis had a wide range, including the potential for harm. Conclusion. Cohen's convention applies well to medicine. Most therapeutic interventions in this study had a small to moderate ES, indicating they have not changed dramatically over the years. These findings suggest that the ever-increasing biomedical knowledge does not result in ever-improving therapeutic efficacy.

This study evaluated the outcome and process of a peer education program for sex workers, with social support proposed as an organizing framework. Program outcomes were assessed through a pre-post design without comparison group. Sex workers naïve to peer education (N=273) were assessed on socio-cognitive and behavioral variables. At post-test 5.1 months later, a subsample (N=82) was reassessed; significant increases were found in perceived susceptibility, condom use skills, knowledge, self-reported sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms, and treatment seeking which doubled, but not in prescriptive and descriptive norms, self-efficacy, or condom use. Knowledge and condom use increased with number of peer educators seen. Process was assessed in terms of peer educator characteristics and content of peer education sessions. The same socio-cognitive and behavioral variables were assessed for peer educators (N=29) as for sex workers, with peer educators scoring higher on most. Peer educators resembled sex workers in educational level and work background but were older and more experienced, and 55% no longer engaged in sex work. Sex workers attending sessions (N=173) rated peer educators positively on credibility and closeness, more highly on the former than the latter. Closeness ratings were related to sex workers' condom use skills, treatment seeking, and condom use at post-test. Research assistants observed peer education sessions (N=173); older, more experienced peer educators no longer engaged in sex work were observed as better able to obtain audience's participation. Peer education sessions (N=171) were recorded and coded into percentages of social support types provided by the peer educator: informational (M=26%), instrumental (M=8%), appraisal (M=2%), emotional (M=12%), companionship (M=6%), non-support (M=45%). Peer educators were classified into three "social support profiles" based on average proportions of emotional and informational support they provided. Seeing more peer educators with a high informational support profile was related to higher sex worker self-efficacy, STI symptoms, and condom use at post-test; the same was true for the high emotional support profile and treatment seeking. Though overall program effects seemed limited, certain process measures were meaningfully associated to outcomes. Increased treatment seeking was a notable success of the program. Social support provided a useful framework, but needs further exploration. / Cette étude a évalué l'impact et les processus d'un programme d'éducation par les pairs auprès de travailleuses du sexe. Le cadre théorique proposé est le soutien social. Les travailleuses du sexe (N=273) ont été évaluées selon des variables socio-cognitives et comportementales. Un sous-groupe (N=82) a été réévalué 5,1 mois après l'intervention; l'étude ne comportait pas de groupe témoin. Parmi les facteurs mesurés il y a eu augmentation de la susceptibilité perçue au virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH) et aux infections sexuellement transmissibles (IST), la compétence technique dans l'utilisation du condom, la connaissance du VIH et des IST, des symptômes rapportés d'IST et du recours aux soins pour ces derniers symptômes, qui a doublé. Aucun changement n'a été noté dans les normes prescriptives et descriptives, l'auto-efficacité ou l'utilisation du condom. La connaissance du VIH et des IST et l'utilisation du condom ont augmenté avec le nombre de pairs-éducatrices rencontrées. Les processus du programme ont été évalués en termes des caractéristiques des pairs-éducatrices et du contenu des séances d'éducation. Les mêmes variables socio-cognitives et comportementales ont été mesurées chez les travailleuses du sexe que chez les pairs-éducatrices, ces dernières présentant des scores supérieurs dans la plupart des cas. Les pairs-éducatrices étaient comparables aux travailleuses du sexe en termes de profession et de niveau de scolarité mais elles étaient plus âgées, plus expérimentées et 55% d'entre elles ne travaillaient plus dans le commerce du sexe. Des travailleuses du sexe présentes aux séances d'éducation (N=173) ont évalué les pairs-éducatrices quant à leur crédibilité et leur proximité affective et sociale (closeness). Ces évaluations étaient positives, avec des scores plus élevés pour la crédibilité que pour la proximité. Ce dernier facteur était relié à la compétence technique dans l'utilisation du condom, au recours aux soins et à l'utilisation du condom par les travailleuses du sexe après intervention. Des assistantes de recherche ont aussi observé des séances d'éducation (N=173). Les pairs-éducatrices plus âgées et plus expérimentées ne travaillant plus dans le commerce du sexe ont été perçues comme plus en mesure d'obtenir la participation de leur auditoire. Les séances d'éducation ont été enregistrées et analysées quant aux différents types de soutien social fournis par les pairs-éducatrices: informatif ( M=26%), instrumental ( M=8%), évaluatif (M=2%), émotif (M=12%), de camaraderie (companionship) (M=6%), non-soutien (M=45%). Les pairs-éducatrices ont été classées en trois « profils de soutien social » selon la proportion moyenne de soutien informatif et émotif apporté durant les séances d'éducation. Les travailleuses du sexe ayant vu un plus grand nombre de pairs-éducatrices au profil élevé en soutien informatif ont augmenté leurs scores à l'auto-efficacité, au rapport de symptômes d'IST et à l'utilisation du condom après intervention. Un lien similaire a été trouvé entre les pairs-éducatrices au profil haut en soutien émotif et le recours aux soins. Bien que les effets du programme aient été limités dans l'ensemble, un lien significatif a été trouvé entre certains aspects du processus et l'impact du programme. L'augmentation du recours aux soins représente un succès important de l'intervention. Le soutien social offre un cadre théorique utile, mais qui demande plus d'exploration.