scholarly journals Military Medical Students’ Intentions to Pursue Operational Medicine: Survey Design and Initial Validation

2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (11-12) ◽  
pp. e1992-e1998
Author(s):  
James F Schwartz ◽  
Anthony R Artino Jr ◽  
Ting Dong

Abstract Introduction The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences coordinates a 2-week Summer Operational Experience (SOE) during the first year of medical school. The SOE aims to provide students with operational context and enhance familiarity with service-specific operational environments, the services’ medical department capabilities, and/or general warfighter skills. One overarching goal of the SOE is to provide an experience that may motivate students to pursue an operational medicine assignment at some point in their military career. However, to date, little evaluation data have been collected regarding the effectiveness of the SOE in encouraging medical students to pursue operational medicine assignments. The purpose of this project was to develop and collect initial validity evidence for a survey instrument designed to assess various aspects of students’ attitudes and behavioral intentions to pursue an operational medicine assignment at some point in their military career. Materials and Methods Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, we developed a survey that focused on three distinct constructs: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. We followed a systematic, seven-step design process to develop the survey and collect initial validity evidence. Students completed the 20-item survey prior to their operational experience to evaluate their intentions to pursue an operational medicine assignment at some point in their military career. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis were performed to examine the internal structure of the instrument. In addition, bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between the identified factors and students’ intentions to pursue operational medicine. Results Results from the expert reviews and cognitive interviews suggested the instrument was clear and interpretable. We then invited the entire class of 2020 who participated in the SOE (149 students) to take the survey; in total, 122 students (response rate = 82%) completed the entire survey. Findings from the EFA suggested four underlying factors with satisfactory internal consistency reliability, and the regression analysis revealed that three factors statistically significantly predicted students’ intentions to pursue operational medicine: Attitude: Personal Growth (b = 0.67, β = 0.42, P < 0.001); Behavioral Control (b = 0.20, β = 0.15, P < 0.05); and Attitude: Career Progression (b = 0.36, β = 0.30, P < 0.001). The factor related to student’s perception of the importance that others placed on an operational medicine assignment was not a statistically significant predictor of intention. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest the developed survey yields scores that can reliably assess students’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions to pursue operational medicine. Using this survey, course leaders have a tool for evaluating the success of the SOE and identifying potential areas for improvement within the curriculum. More broadly, other educators can use the theoretical framework and instrument design process described here to evaluate students’ behavioral intentions in their own contexts.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuang-Chao Yu ◽  
Pai-Hsing Wu ◽  
Kuen-Yi Lin ◽  
Szu-Chun Fan ◽  
Sy-Yi Tzeng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Teaching engineering at a high school level has been a subject of substantial concern during recent curriculum reforms. Many countries are increasingly including engineering-focused subjects in their technology curriculum guidelines. However, technology teachers face challenges regarding the optimal implementation of an engineering-focused curriculum. It is essential to understand technology teachers’ perceptions of and behavior in classroom practices when teaching an engineering-focused curriculum. To explore the factors influencing the effective implementation of the curriculum, this study aimed to explore the association between technology teachers’ perceptions regarding curriculum guidelines (i.e., perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and beliefs) and their behavioral intentions. In addition, this study explored how these perceptions change for teachers who participated in a professional development program (PDP) for teaching an engineering-focused curriculum compared with those who did not participate in the program (NoPDP). Results In this study, structural equation modeling was used to investigate factors potentially influencing teachers’ behavioral intentions, including subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. The results showed that technology teachers’ behavioral intentions were influenced by their perceptions of the curriculum's usefulness. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were also significant determinants of behavioral intentions. Moreover, the results differed between the two groups. Perceived usefulness had direct and indirect effects on the behavioral intentions of the PDP and NoPDP groups, respectively. Conclusions We constructed a model of technology teachers’ behavioral intentions to implement an engineering-focused curriculum and identified factors influencing technology teachers’ behavioral intentions to implement an engineering-focused curriculum. Our conclusions are as follows: (1) the model was adequate for determining the factors influencing technology teachers’ behavioral intentions; (2) in the PDP group, perceived usefulness, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were significantly associated with behavioral intentions; and (3) in the NoPDP group, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were associated with behavioral intentions and self-reported behavior only via the mediating factor of beliefs. The above influencing factors should be taken into account when planning professional development programs for pre- and in-service teachers, as these programs will have implications regarding the successful implementation of an engineering-focused curriculum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ting Yang ◽  
Yungui Wang ◽  
Jun Deng ◽  
Chunji Huang

Graduate students have become the driving force of scientific research at Chinese universities. Therefore, further work is needed to understand what influences postgraduate students' academic integrity. Using the theory of planned behavior, this study investigated the relationships between postgraduates' attitude toward academic integrity, social norms (subjective, descriptive, and moral), perceived behavioral control, and intentions, and examined the moderating role of social identity in the relationship between social norms and intentions. We conducted a survey with 1,256 Chinese biomedical postgraduate students, and analyzed the data with structural equation modeling. The results show that attitude, subjective norms, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control influenced students' academic integrity-related behavioral intentions. The model explained over half of the variance in intentions, indicating that attitude, subjective norms, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control were the main variables influencing academic integrity-related behaviors. The theory of planned behavior can be applied in research on postgraduates' academic integrity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 981-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Yuen-Ha Wong ◽  
Norita Ruby Tang ◽  
Jessie Ho-Yin Yau ◽  
Anna Wai-Man Choi ◽  
Daniel Yee-Tak Fong

Dating violence prevention programs have been understudied in Asia, including China. The current study sought to evaluate the feasibility of the Dating Compassion, Assessment, reFerral, and Education (CAFE) Ambassador Programme in China. This program is designed to enhance the behavioral intentions of Chinese students to help peers who are experiencing dating violence and to compare students’ attitudes toward dating violence, students’ subjective norms about helping peers, and students’ perceived behavioral control in helping peers before and after attending the 7.5 hour program. A quasi-experimental design was used, including two student groups ( n = 85) assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Quantitative pre- and postintervention measurements, in conjunction with qualitative focus group interviews, were used to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. The findings indicated a significant enhancement in the behavioral intentions of participants in the intervention group to help peers experiencing dating violence, a stronger subjective norm regarding helping others, and an enhanced sense of perceived behavioral control to help, compared with the control group, over time. Focus group data revealed that students who participated in the program developed a more comprehensive definition of dating violence, increased awareness of dating violence in peers, a shift in their focus concerning the role of intention in dating violence and felt more responsible for helping their peers. The findings support the effectiveness of the Dating CAFE Ambassador Programme.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 6s-6s
Author(s):  
B. Koyabe

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading type of cancer in women worldwide (World Health Organization, 2015, Joshi et al, 2015). According to McFarland (2009) cervical cancer is the most common cancer leading to mortality and mobility among women in Botswana. Health Statistics Botswana (1995) noted that cervical cancer incidents continue to rise each year. It is even direr to have higher mortality and mobility among women in Botswana happening among a population that the HIV incidence and/or prevalence are humanly high. It is therefore crucial for developing countries like Botswana to take action just like the developed countries to determine the factors that predict screening for cervical cancer behaviors among Batswana women. These factors will be used to inform the design of the intervention that will lower the burden and associated morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer in Botswana. Aim: The major aim of this pilot study was to identify factors among Batswana women in going for screening for cervical cancer. The specific aims were to identify the norms and beliefs that influence cervical cancer screening among women in Botswana aged 25-49 years thus to identifying the attitudes, behavioral intentions, subjective norms, social norms, perceived power, and perceived behavioral control about cervical cancer screening among women aged 25-49 years in Botswana. Methods: In this research study, a qualitative research paradigm research approach was used to understand people's attitudes, behavioral intentions, subjective norms, social norms, perceived power, and perceived behavioral control. The study was guided by the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and its extension the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the social cognitive theory to conduct this elicitation phase. The study was then informed by this elicitation phase to design and administer, as the quantitative phase, the survey instrument to determine the predictors for going for cervical cancer screening among women in Botswana aged 25-49 years. This instrument was administered to 115 women among the targeted population at Mochudi and Moshupa. Results: Results of this study will reveal the knowledge about cervical cancer, the behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs and control beliefs held by Batswana women that contribute to their actions to go or not to go for cervical cancer screening. Conclusion: The findings will be used to design the intervention that will target to promote the going of cervical cancer screening among women aged 25-49 years in Botswana.


Author(s):  
Shumei Liu ◽  
Yi-Te Chiang ◽  
Chie-Chien Tseng ◽  
Eric Ng ◽  
Gwo-Liang Yeh ◽  
...  

Smog and air pollution have fast become significant environmental problems and are attributed to rapid global industrialization and urbanization. Emissions of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) increase smog and air pollution, with strong impacts on human health. Children are particularly vulnerable. While increasing studies are being conducted on the behaviors leading to PM2.5 toxicity from the perspective of environmental toxicants, there is a lack of research on factors influencing anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions. Thus, this study aims to narrow this gap by adapting the theory of planned behavior framework to investigate the effects of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on protective behavioral intentions against PM2.5. In total, 1277 online questionnaires were collected from parents of young children living in urban and rural areas of Beijing, and the data was analyzed using correlation, regression, and path analyses. Results revealed that there were significant differences between parents from urban and rural areas in terms of attitude (t = 4.727 > 1.96, p < 0.001), subjective norms (t = 5.529 > 1.96, p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (t = 6.155 > 1.96, p < 0.001), and anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions (t = 6.838 > 1.96, p < 0.001). Path analysis revealed that parents from urban and rural areas had different behavioral intention paths. For urban parents, the findings indicated that subjective norms (β = 0.73, t = 21.84 > 3.29) and perceived behavioral control (γ = 0.22, t = 6.12 > 3.29) had direct impacts on anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions. In contrast, the attitudes (γ = 0.39, t = 3.74 > 3.29) and subjective norms (β = 0.60, t = 8.55 > 3.29) of rural parents were found to directly influence anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Athaya Tsamara Zahra

This study specifically discusses the relationships between consumers’ environmental concern, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and their behavioral intention toward “green” restaurant. Such a study is important because behavioral intentions towards “green” practice in the restaurant industry is still an under-explored topic in the literature, despite the “green” trend. This study adopted Theory of Planned Behavior as the theoretical framework with additional environmental concern construct as antecedent. The findings from this research illustrate that customer’s environmental concern has a positive influence with behavioral intention toward “green” restaurant especially indirectly through attitude and perceived behavioral control. This study recommends that this topic of research needs to be explored more to understand the “green” restaurant customers and to develop marketing strategies to promote “green” restaurant in Indonesia.  


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1131-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radmila Prislin ◽  
Neda Kovrlija

Using Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, behavioral intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were assessed for 24 high and for 29 low self-monitors. In addition, behavior (attendance at class lectures) was unobtrusively recorded. Intentions were best predicted by attitudes of the low and by subjective norms of the high self-monitoring groups. Low self-monitors' overt behavior was predicted by intentions, and high self-monitors' behavior by the interaction of intention × perceived behavioral control.


2021 ◽  
pp. 109634802199416
Author(s):  
Shih-Chih Chen ◽  
Din Jong ◽  
Chia-Shiang Hsu ◽  
Chung-Hsuan Lin

By using Web 2.0, backpackers can easily collect travel information and plan their trips. In this study, the theory of planned behavior and the technology acceptance model were integrated with interpersonal influence, electronic word-of-mouth, flexibility, personal innovativeness, and critical mass to measure their effects on behavioral intentions toward self-service travel. A sample of 284 questionnaires was collected via an online survey. The results indicated that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control had significant effects on backpackers’ behavioral intentions. In addition, the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and flexibility of travel websites had significant effects on attitudes toward a given behavior. Moreover, the effects of electronic word-of-mouth, critical mass, and interpersonal influence on subjective norms, and those of self-efficacy and facilitating conditions on perceived behavioral control were significant. Based on these empirical results, theoretical and practical implications for promoting self-service travel websites are proposed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062110198
Author(s):  
Ronald Fischer ◽  
Johannes Alfons Karl

We examined the effectiveness of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of the theory of planned behavior on COVID-19 relevant behavioral intentions and behaviors. We conducted a meta-analysis of 335 effect sizes from 83 samples across 31 countries ( N = 68,592). We found strongest effects for PBC, but contrary to previous research also moderately strong effects of subjective norms. Focusing on systematic context effects: (a) norm–behavior associations at individual level were strengthened if population norms were stronger; (b) collectivism strengthened norm effects in line with cultural theories, but also attitude and PBC associations, suggesting that COVID-relevant behaviors show collective action properties; (c) in line with cultural theory, tightness–looseness strengthened normative effects on behaviors; and (d) contrary to post-modernization theory, national wealth weakened attitude and PBC associations. These analyses provide new theoretical and practical insights into behavioral dynamics during an acute public health crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Przymuszała ◽  
Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska ◽  
Patrycja Marciniak-Stępak ◽  
Łucja Zielińska-Tomczak ◽  
Martyna Piszczek ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) is a recognized tool for assessment of attitudes towards communication learning. In the original version, it consists of 26 items divided on theoretical assumptions into two subscales: Positive and Negative Attitudes Scales. However, the evidence for its structure seems unsatisfactory, and a simple division into positive and negative attitudes may be insufficient to describe attitudes of medical students towards communication learning. Moreover, the existing evidence of the test-retest reliability of the CSAS seems limited. Consequently, this study aimed to provide more evidence on its psychometric properties while validating the CSAS questionnaire in a cohort of Polish medical students. Methods The CSAS was translated, adapted into Polish, and validated in a cohort of 389 Polish medical students. Statistical analysis involved, among others, parallel analysis to determine the number of factors, confirmatory factor analysis to compare the proposed model with theory-based ones, and test-retest reliability analysis. Results Conducted analysis revealed that in the examined population, the CSAS should rather consist of four than two subscales. Proposed four subscales addressed perceived outcomes of communication learning, positive and negative attitudes towards it (affective components), and factors motivating students to learn communication (a cognitive component of attitudes). Results of test-retest reliability were satisfactory for individual items and subscales. Conclusions This study presented a valid and reliable version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale for Polish medical students and confirmed previous assumptions that CSAS may also be appropriate for assessment of affective and cognitive components of attitudes. Future research should, based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior, make attempts to develop a tool assessing not only attitudes but also subjective norms and perceived behavioral control.


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