The Safe Dates program: 1-year follow-up results

OBJECTIVES: An earlier report described desirable 1-month follow-up effects of the Safe Dates program on psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence. Mediators of the program-behavior relationship also were identified. The present report describes the 1-year follow-up effects of the Safe Dates program. METHODS: Fourteen schools were in the randomized experiment. Data were gathered by questionnaires in schools before program activities and 1 year after the program ended. RESULTS: The short-term behavioral effects had disappeared at 1 year, but effects on mediating variables such as dating violence norms, conflict management skills, and awareness of community services for dating violence were maintained. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are considered in the context of why program effects might have decayed and the possible role of boosters for effect maintenance.     

National research program 1: The community intervention strategy

Zusammenfassung Zielsetzung des NFP 1 ist, das Gesundheitsverhalten je einer Gemeinde in derDeutsch- und Welsch-Schweiz während dreier Jahre positiv zu verändern. Erfolg im Sinne der Ueberlebensfähigkeit und Uebertragbarkeit eines solchen Programmes kann nur eintreten, wenn die bestehenden lokalen Einrichtungen und Sozialstrukturen aktiviert werden und damit am Interventionsprozess voll partizipieren (Sicherung des Ego-Involvement und Entwicklung von Eigendynamik).Dieseses Modell wird anhand ausgewählter Beispiele (lokale Organisationsformen und Aktionen) diskutiert.

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Le modèle d'intervention local

Résumé Le but du PNR 1 est d'obtenir une modification du comportement relatif à la santé dans 2 villes, l'une en Suisse allemande, l'autre en Suisse romande. Le succès d'un tel programme qui devrait démontrer sa reproductibilité et aboutir à une autonomie durable repose sur la sollicitation des groupes et des moyens existants pour parvenir à une participation locale à l'action par l'implication de chacun et une dynamique propre.Ce modèle est discuté sur la base d'exemples de formes d'organisation et de modalitées d'action.

     

The OECD program to validate the rat uterotrophic bioassay. Phase 2: dose-response studies

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has completed phase 2 of an international validation program for the rodent uterotrophic bioassay. The purpose of the validation program was to demonstrate the performance of two versions of the uterotrophic bioassay, the immature female rat and the adult ovariectomized rat, in four standardized protocols. This article reports the dose-response studies of the validation program; the coded single-dose studies are reported in an accompanying paper. The dose-response study design used five selected weak estrogen agonists, bisphenol A, genistein, methoxychlor, nonylphenol, and o,p -DDT. These weak agonists were administered in a prescribed series of doses to measure the performance and reproducibility of the protocols among the participating laboratories. All protocols successfully detected increases in uterine weights when the weak agonists were administered. Within each protocol, there was good agreement and reproducibility of the dose response among laboratories with each substance. Substance-specific variations were observed in the influence of the route of administration on the uterine response, the potency as related to the dose producing the first statistically significant increase in uterine weights, and the maximum increase in uterine weight. Substantive performance differences were not observed between the uterotrophic bioassay versions or among the standardized protocols, and these were judged to be qualitatively equivalent. It is noteworthy that these results were reproducible under a variety of different experimental conditions (e.g., animal strain, diet, housing, bedding, vehicle, animal age), indicating that the bioassay's performance as a screen is robust. In conclusion, both the intact, immature, and adult OVX versions, and all protocols appear to be reproducible and transferable across laboratories and are able to detect weak estrogen agonists.     

The OECD program to validate the rat uterotrophic bioassay. Phase 2: dietary phytoestrogen analyses

Many commercial laboratory diets have detectable levels of isoflavones (e.g., phytoestrogens such as genistein [GN]) that have weak estrogenic activity both in vitro and in vivo. During validation studies of the uterotrophic bioassay, diet samples from 20 participating laboratories were collected and analyzed for three major phytoestrogens: GN, daidzein (DN), and coumestrol (CM). Soy phytoestrogens GN and DN were found at total phytoestrogen levels from 100 to 540 microg/g laboratory diet; a forage phytoestrogen, CM, ranged from nondetectable to 4 microg/g laboratory diet. The phytoestrogen levels were compared with both baseline uterine weights of the control groups and with the relative uterine weight increase of groups administered two weak estrogen agonists: bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol (NP). The comparison uses a working assumption of additivity among the phytoestrogens, despite several significant qualifications to this assumption, to estimate total genistein equivalents (TGE). Some evidence was found that phytoestrogen levels in the diet > 325-350 microg/g TGE could diminish the responsiveness of the uterotrophic bioassay to weak agonists. This was especially true for the case of the intact, immature female version of the uterotrophic bioassay, where higher food consumption relative to body weight leads to higher intakes of dietary phytoestrogens versus ovariectomized adults. This dietary level is sufficient in the immature female to approach a biological lowest observable effect level for GN of 40-50 mg/kg/day. These same data, however, show that low to moderate levels of dietary phytoestrogens do not substantially affect the responsiveness of the assay with weak estrogen receptor agonists such as NP and BPA. Therefore, laboratories conducting the uterotrophic bioassay for either research or regulatory purposes may routinely use diets containing levels of phytoestrogens < 325-350 microg/g TGE without impairing the responsiveness of the bioassay.     

The OECD program to validate the rat uterotrophic bioassay. Phase 2: coded single-dose studies

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has completed phase 2 of an international validation program for the rodent uterotrophic bioassay. This portion of phase 2 assessed the reproducibility of the assay with a battery of positive and negative test substances. Positive agonists of the estrogen receptor included the potent reference estrogen 17-ethinyl estradiol (EE), and the weak estrogen agonists bisphenol A, genistein, methoxychlor, nonylphenol, and o,p -DDT. The negative test substance or nonagonist was n-dibutylphthalate. The test substances were coded, and prescribed doses of each test substance were administered in 16 laboratories. Two versions of the uterotrophic assay, the intact immature and the adult ovariectomized female rat, were tested and compared using four standardized protocols covering both sc and po administration. Assay reproducibility was compared using a) EE doses identical to those used in phase 1 and in parallel dose-response studies, b) single doses of the weak agonists identical to one of five doses from the dose-response studies, and c) a single dose of the negative test substance. The results were reproducible and in agreement both within individual laboratories and across the participating laboratories for the same test substance and protocol. The few exceptions are examined in detail. The reproducibility was achieved despite a variety of different experimental conditions (e.g., variations in animal strain, diet, housing protocol, bedding, vehicle, animal age). In conclusion, both versions of the uterotrophic bioassay and all protocols appear robust, reproducible, and transferable across laboratories and able to detect weak estrogen agonists. These results will be submitted along with other data for independent peer review to provide support for the validation of the uterotrophic bioassay.     

Training for program implementers of Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong: Secondary 2 training program

Before program implementers implement the Secondary 2 (Grade 8) program of Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong, they are required to participate in a 3-day workshop. This paper describes the objectives, curriculum, design and learning outcomes of the training program of the 3-day workshop. Three characteristics--emphasis on the strengths of the participants, focus on reflective learning and utilization of experiential learning--are intrinsic to the training program. Through the emphases of the strengths perspectives, experiential learning and reflective learning, trainees will appreciate the philosophy and desired teaching methodology of P.A.T.H.S.     

FORUM: The U.S. Air Force HEART program model

The goal of the Health Evaluation and Risk Tabulation (HEART) Program is to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. Air Force. The program is midway through a demonstration phase operating at four Air Force bases in the United States. At each base, active-duty personnel are given a selective clinical screen to assess their risk of a cardiovascular incident in the next 8 years. At two of the four bases, intervention in the form of behavior modification, small-group treatment for smoking cessation and/or blood lipid/weight reduction is offered to volunteers who have been found at above-average risk. In addition, two bases (one with the intervention present and one with the intervention absent) have a basewide education component consisting of events and activities which teach specific techniques of CVD prevention.     

The MAPP training program evaluation.

This article reports on an evaluation of regional training programs designed to increase the knowledge and use of Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP). The objectives for the MAPP training program included teaching participants about MAPP resources on the Web, providing participants with instruction about what MAPP is, and why it is important for community health improvement. Participants were also instructed on how to implement MAPP through a series of concrete steps such as mobilizing community partnerships, creating an action plan, conducting a series of assessments, and identifying strategic issues. An on-site survey with pretraining and posttraining questions and a follow-up survey were developed and administered to participants to assess their readiness levels to access MAPP resources and actively use and promote MAPP in their communities. The findings indicate that participants' knowledge of MAPP and confidence to use it improved as a result of training. Six months after training, participants' readiness levels increased from pretraining levels in the areas of incorporating MAPP into their roles, presenting MAPP to community partners, and using MAPP for community health improvement projects. Making changes in their organizations and communities to implement MAPP did not change significantly from pretraining levels. Just under half of training participants were implementing MAPP 6 months posttraining.