Academic literature on the topic 'College students Health and hygiene Australia'

Knowledge about clean and healthy life in children needs to be given early to shape behavior in everyday life. Knowledge about healthy living can be provided at school through various learning programs. This study aims to find the effectiveness of health promotion programs (JUMSIH) to increase children's knowledge about clean and healthy living. The research method is a pre-experimental one-shot case study design. The respondents of this study were 68 students aged 7-8 years. The results showed that the JUMSIH program can help children have knowledge about healthy living. Based on data analysis, n = 15 generally obtained scores above 2.6. It was concluded that healthy living skills are often performed by students such as hand washing, bathing, and toothbrush behavior which are basic skills for children to be able to live healthy lives. Suggestions for further research which is the development of various programs to increase awareness of clean and healthy living from an early age. Keywords: Clean and healthy life Knowledge, Early Childhood, Health Promotion Program (JUMSIH) References: Akçay, N. O. (2016). Implementation of Cooperative Learning Model in Preschool. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(3), 83–93. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v5n3p83 Allport, B. S., Johnson, S., Aqil, A., Labrique, A. B., Nelson, T., KC, A., … Marcell, A. V. (2018). Promoting Father Involvement for Child and Family Health. Academic Pediatrics, 18(7), 746–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2018.03.011 Bonuck, K. A., Schwartz, B., & Schechter, C. (2016). Sleep health literacy in head start families and staff: Exploratory study of knowledge, motivation, and competencies to promote healthy sleep. Sleep Health, 2(1), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2015.12.002 Considerations, P., & Framework, N. Q. (2010). Health , Hygiene and Infection Control Strategies for Policy Implementation :2010(Vic). Conti, G., Heckman, J. J., & Pinto, R. (2016). The Effects of Two Influential Early Childhood Interventions on Health and Healthy Behaviour. Economic Journal, 126(596), F28–F65. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12420 Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research(4th ed.; P. A. Smith, Ed.). Boston: Pearson. Duxbury, T., Bradshaw, K., Khamanga, S., Tandlich, R., & Srinivas, S. (2019). Environmental health promotion at a National Science Festival: An experiential-education based approach. Applied Environmental Education and Communication, 0(0), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533015X.2019.1567406 Fernandez-Jimenez, R., Al-Kazaz, M., Jaslow, R., Carvajal, I., & Fuster, V. (2018). Children Present a Window of Opportunity for Promoting Health: JACC Review Topic of the Week. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(25), 3310–3319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.10.031 Fung, C., Kuhle, S., Lu, C., et al. (2012). From “best practice” to “next practice”: the effectiveness of school-based health promotion in improving healthy eating and physical activity and preventing childhood obesity. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act., 9, 27. Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational Research: An Introduction (4th ed.). New York: Longman Inc. Goldfeld, S., O’Connor, E., O’Connor, M., Sayers, M., Moore, T., Kvalsvig, A., & Brinkman, S. (2016). The role of preschool in promoting children’s healthy development: Evidence from an Australian population cohort. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 35, 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2015.11.001 Hawe, P., Potvin, L. (2009). What is population health intervention research. Can. J. Public Health, 100 (Suppl I8–14). Julianti, R., Nasirun, M., & Wembrayarli. (2018). Pelaksanaan Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS) di Lingkungan Sekolah. Jurnal Ilmiah Potensia, 3(1), 11–17. Kasnodihardjo, K. (2010). Metode pelembagaan perilaku hidup sehat kaitannya dengan kesehatan lingkungan dan hygiene perorangan pada keluarga di Subang Jabar. Keshavarz, N., Nutbeam, D., Rowling, L., Khavarpour, F. (2010). Schools as social complex adaptive systems: a new way to understand the challenges of introducing the health promoting schools concept. Soc. Sci. Med., (70), 1467–1474. Kobel, S., Wartha, O., Wirt, T., Dreyhaupt, J., Lämmle, C., Friedemann, E. M., … Steinacker, J. M. (2017). Design, implementation, and study protocol of a kindergarten-based health promotion intervention. BioMed Research International, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4347675 Langford, R., Bonell, C.P., Jones, H. E. (2014). The WHO health promoting school framework for improving the health and well-being of students and their academic achievement. Cochrane Database Syst, Rev. 4, CD008958. Manning, M. L., & Lucking, R. (1991). The what, why, and how of cooperative learning. The Clearing House. 64(3), 152–156. Marlina, R. L. (2011). Analisis Manajemen Promosi Kesehatan Dalam Penerapan Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS) Tatanan Rumah Tangga di Kota Padang Tahun 2011. Padang: Universitas Andalas. Maryunani, A. (2013). Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat. Jakarta: Trans Info Media. McClure, M., Tarr, P., Thompson, C. M., & Eckhoff, A. (2017). Defining quality in visual art education for young children: Building on the position statement of the early childhood art educators. Arts Education Policy Review, 118(3), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2016.1245167 Mcisaac, J. D., Sim, S. M., Penney, T. L., & Kirk, S. F. L. (2012). School Health Promotion Policy in Nova Scotia: A Case Study. Revue PhénEPS / PHEnex Journal, 4(2). McIsaac, J. L. D., Penney, T. L., Ata, N., Munro-Sigfridson, L., Cunningham, J., Veugelers, P. J., … Kuhle, S. (2017). Evaluation of a health promoting schools program in a school board in Nova Scotia, Canada. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, 279–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.01.008 Midcentraldhb. (2014). Health and Safety Guidelines for Early Childhood Education Services. https://doi.org/2014 Mikkonen, J., Raphael, D. (2010). Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. University School of Health Policy and Management Toronto. Proverawati, A. (2012). Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat. Yogyakarta: Nuha Medika. Reed, K.E., Warburton, D.E., Macdonald, H.M., Naylor, P.J., McKay, H. A. (2008). Action Schools! BC: a school-based physical activity intervention designed to decrease cardiovascular disease risk factors in children. Prev. Med, 46, 525–531. Samdal, O., Rowling, L. (2011). Theoretical and empirical base for implementation components of health-promoting schools. Health Educ., 111, 367–390. Syukriyah, E. (2011). Gambaran Pengetahuan, Sikap dan Tindakan Murid SD Tentang PHBS di SDN 06 Lubuk LayangPadang. Padang: Poletkkes Kemenkes Padang. Veugelers, P. J., & Schwartz, M. E. (2010). Comprehensive school health in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Sante Publique, 101 Suppl(August), S5-8. https://doi.org/10.17269/cjph.101.1907 WHO. (2016). What is a health promoting school? WIjayanti, N. A. (2017). Implementation of Role Playing Method in the Hygiene Hadith Learning Toward Early CHildrens Healthy Behavior of Group B in Dabin Aggrek Gunungpati Semarang. Early Childhood Education Papers (Belia), 6(2).

Introduction: Oral health is essential for people's well-being and quality of life; therefore, the present study performs an analysis on the knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene habits, making reference to the indicators of the WHO. Objective: To analyze the knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene habits in students of the Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Peru, during the second semester of the 2019 academic year Material and Methods: Research type descriptive correlational design; the sample consisted of 234 students. Data collection involved the use of two questionnaires designed and validated for the study. Data processing was carried out using descriptive statistics and normality analysis using the Kolmogórov-Smirnov test. Results: The results of knowledge of oral health as well as oral hygiene habits showed a medium level. It was determined that there is a high positive correlation between the variables (R=0.796) and this correlation is significant with a level of confidence of 95% (p<0.05). Conclusion: Knowledge of oral health influences the oral hygiene habits of Peruvian students, and considering that oral diseases continue to be an important and growing global public health challenge, the State must formulate preventive measures with potentially different approaches to reduce its prevalence in the population.

Abstract Introduction Typically, college students practice unhealthy sleep hygiene behaviors, obtain too little sleep, and experience poor sleep quality. Sleep hygiene includes the routines or practices that prepare a person for the best possible night of sleep. Good sleep hygiene habits, like creating a sleep-friendly environment and making time for sleep, promote healthy duration and quality of sleep. Stress is also an important factor to consider during the college experience. Sleep and mental health are tightly connected, and stress can negatively impact the sleep and mental health of individuals. The focus of the current study was to examine habitual sleep habits in college students, in association with sleep quality and psychological health. Methods Participants included 51 undergraduate students (18 men, average age M=20.25 years, SD=1.78) who wore wrist actigraphs to measure their typical sleep habits for one week. After one week, participants completed questionnaires about sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) and sleep hygiene practices (Sleep Hygiene Index, SHI). Higher scores on PSQI represent poorer quality; higher scores on SHI represent unhealthy sleep hygiene behaviors. Mental health symptoms were measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results Overall sleep duration was 6.59 hours and sleep efficiency was 82.55% as measured by actigraphy. PSQI scores (M=6.86) demonstrated poor sleep quality and SHI scores (M= 24.80) indicated overall poor sleep hygiene practices. SHI scores predicted higher PSQI scores (F(1, 50) = 18.05, p&lt;.001), but did not predict sleep duration or efficiency. Depression, anxiety, and stress scores on the DASS predicted poorer sleep hygiene (F(1, 50) = 18.05, p&lt;.001; F(1, 50) = 5.82, p=.020; F(1, 50) = 13.42, p&lt;.001; respectively). Conclusion As expected, college students’ sleep was short in duration, poor in efficiency, and poor in quality. Additionally, poor sleep hygiene practices predicted poorer sleep quality. Interestingly, scores that indicated worse depression, anxiety, and stress predicted poorer sleep hygiene practices, suggesting that mental health may contribute to healthy sleep practices. More research is needed to understand the complex relationship between mental health, sleep, and healthy sleep practices Support (If Any) None.

Oral hygiene has a significant impact on the dental health of adolescents. Therefore, studying and identifying opportunities for its improvement in adolescents is highly important. Application of the proposed scheme of preventive work with a cohort of adolescents attending school and college made it possible to improve the hygienic condition of the oral cavity in them. During the 1st survey, the hygiene rate in the group of students and the group of college students was at the average level, which corresponds to a satisfactory level of oral hygiene, although when comparing the numerical values of the rate of schoolchildren and college students, it was worse among college attendees. The study showed that constant monitoring and communication with the subjects in the main groups resulted in significant improvement in oral hygiene and their maintenance throughout the observation period (12 months). The results confirm the need for constant monitoring by parents for oral hygiene in adolescents. We observed 15-year-old students (54 people) and college visitors of the same age (43 people) and divided them into two groups: the main group of schoolchildren and college students who underwent our proposed preventive measures under constant supervision; the control group (schoolchildren and college students), who were offered preventive measures without monitoring by a dentist. The method of communication with included professional hygiene, controlled brushing, oral hygiene training, acquaintance with objects and means of oral hygiene, rules of nutrition, and leading a healthy lifestyle. We examined adolescents in the control group twice a year. The main group monitored the implementation of the proposed recommendations regularly. The study of the researched indicators was conducted 6 and 12 months after one examination. According to the WHO recommendations, the Hygiene Index (OHI-S) was determined by the Green-Vermillion; additionally, we conducted the Fedorov-Volodkina index. Application of the proposed scheme of preventive work with a cohort of adolescents studying at school and college made it possible to improve the hygienic condition of the oral cavity in them. During the 1st examination, the hygiene rate in the group of students and the group of college students was at the average level, which corresponds to a satisfactory level of oral hygiene. Although comparing the numerical values of the rate of schoolchildren and college students, it was worse among college visitors. The study showed that constant monitoring and communication with the subjects in the main groups resulted in a significant improvement in the level of oral hygiene and their maintenance throughout the observation period (12 months). The results confirm the need for constant monitoring by parents for oral hygiene in adolescents.

Aim: To find out the perspective of awareness, attitude and practice of keeping good oral hygiene among the Medical and dental college students of Islamabad and Abbottabad. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in HBS and Federal Medical and Dental College Islamabad and Frontier Medical and Dental College Abbottabad from July to December 2021. A sample of 900 medical and dental students of 1st, 2nd and 3rd year MBBS and BDS, 300 from each college were selected randomly. Result: Number of Female students was more than male students with an age range between 17-22 years in all three colleges. Majority of the students had insufficient awareness and knowledge about various available dental hygiene aids, their proper usage and impact on health status. Good practice, knowledge and attitude of dental hygiene was shown by less than 50% of students, majority students of Islamabad than Abbottabad. Conclusion: Average level of AAP about oral hygiene was seen among the Medical and Dental students of all colleges. Organizing various counseling sessions, community work and seminars to highlight the importance of oral hygiene, various tools available and their proper usage was suggested. Keywords: Awareness, Attitude and Practice (AAP), tools, Oral hygiene.

College students are among the educated parts of urban society and might be considered more resistant to food-borne illness due to higher immune function. The objective of this research was to assess the perceptions and practices of food hygiene among college students and determine their health profile. The method was using a structured questionnaire by cross-sectional survey on 222 college students in Central Java. The descriptive analysis used to describe their perception and food hygiene practices. The study found that more than 90% of participants tended to follow recommended food safety practices. More than 80% of college students reported consumption of potentially hazardous foods, while 36% and 26% reported experience of fever and diarrhea, respectivelyThese findings suggest that specific subsets of the student population are more likely to follow recommended food safety practices and are at lower risk of developing foodborne illnesses. This study will perform the next level analysis, which includes the profile of the gut microbiota.

Good oral hygiene is the foundation for a healthy mouth. This study was aimed to determine the efficacy of oral health education based on an integrated model on oral hygiene attitude and behavior among the college students of Udaipur city. An intervention study was conducted among 156 college students in Udaipur city. The questionnaire based on the new integrated model was tested for validity and reliability. Paired t test and multinomial regression analysis were employed for statistical analysis. Significant differences were observed regarding all the indicators of oral hygiene practices, perceived susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and external locus of control. Odds ratio was significantly greater among undergraduate regarding oral hygiene practices. Also odds ratio of perceived susceptibility and seriousness was more among male population. The educational intervention was successful in conveying the message regarding the importance of oral hygiene practices.

Chronotype and sleep quality have been shown to play significant roles in influencing people’s physical and mental health. The current study focuses on examining the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality among Chinese college students and exploring the mediating role of bedtime procrastination and the moderating role of sleep hygiene awareness. A sample of 2822 college students (female = 71.4%) aged between 17 and 29 years (M = 19.77, SD = 1.41) were included and completed the measures of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS) and Sleep Hygiene Awareness Scale (SHAS). The results showed that evening-type students reported the lowest sleep quality and highest levels of bedtime procrastination. In contrast, the highest sleep quality and lowest levels of bedtime procrastination were shown by morning-type, exhibiting the neither-type students’ intermediate chronotype. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality. Furthermore, sleep hygiene awareness moderated the direct effect of chronotype on sleep quality and the effect of chronotype in the path from chronotype to bedtime procrastination. Specifically, higher levels of sleep hygiene awareness could buffer the adverse effect of chronotype on self-reported sleep quality but bolstered the negative effect of chronotype on bedtime procrastination. Our results suggest that individuals with an evening preference are inclined to postpone their bedtime and further experience poorer sleep quality at night. Sleep hygiene awareness may serve as a protective factor for poor nocturnal sleep. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of reducing bedtime procrastination and improving sleep hygiene awareness in the interventions designed to help college students to own a better sleep quality, especially for those with evening chronotypes.

Objective: To evaluate awareness and practice of oral hygiene measures amongst college students of Lahore. To assess awareness and practice of oral hygiene measures amongst students of CMH LMC, LUMS, UET, FAST, Punjab College & Lahore Garrison University Materials and Methods: A survey was conducted among non-dental students using a questionnaire. Results: Most frequently used oral hygiene measure was toothbrush (81.3%). Most frequently used interdental aid was toothpick. (53.8%). 68% of the participants were aware about oral hygiene and most common mode of awareness was by dental fraternity 34.6%. 51% of the participants were using interdental aids. 49% of the participants were not using oral hygiene adjuncts and the most common reason was not knowing how to use it. (28.8%) Conclusions:68% of the participants were aware about oral hygiene measures but only half of the participants in this study engaged in regular oral hygiene measures and lack of knowledge was the dominant reason for not doing so. Key words: oral health, periodontal disease, interdental areas, interdental cleansing, interdental aids.

The problem of this study was to determine the levels of physical activity in international college students. A non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used to examine the problem of the study. The participants of this study were 64 international college students enrolled in Ball State University. The 13-item instrument of this study consisted of six personal demographic questions and seven measure of physical activity in the past seven days.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics, which included frequencies and percentages, were used for demographic and physical activity questions. T-tests were used to test the differences in physical activity level between gender, classification of degree program, and academic majors. One-way ANOVAs was used to test the differences in physical activity level among different continents and among different length of stay in the U.S.The results showed that a high percentage of the participants in this study met the recommended criteria for physical activity. There were no statistically significant differences between genders, classification of degree program, academic majors, different lengths of stay in the U.S., and different continents where the international students come from. The demographic variables were not significantly associated with physical activity level of international college students.
Department of Physiology and Health Science

Wellness refers to the optimal state of being. A review of literature indicated that leisure time physical activity (LTPA), academic stress, leisure satisfaction, and perceived problem solving ability (PPSA) are prominent factors contributing to an individual’s wellness. However, the underlying mechanism of how these factors affect wellness has not been explored. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were (1) to examine the relative contribution of LTPA, academic stress, leisure satisfaction, and PPSA to wellness of university students in Hong Kong; (2) to find out whether gender impacted the LTPA, academic stress, leisure satisfaction, PPSA, and wellness scores. A total of 712 participants took part in this study by completing a questionnaire on a voluntary basis. After data cleaning, 691 cases were used for further analyses using SPSS 17.0 and LISREL 8.7. Findings of this study indicated that university students in Hong Kong had moderate wellness perception (M = 4.09, possible range = 1 -6) and academic stress levels (M = 2.83, possible range = 1 -5). Male students reported higher level of wellness in physical domain while female students had higher level of wellness perception in social domain. Female students also reported higher academic stress in psychosocial aspect. Results from the study suggested that PPSA and leisure satisfaction were the most significant contributing factors to wellness among male and female students but in different order. This study also found that 62.5% of the students did not take part in enough LTPA to the level that could bring health benefit to them. Based on these findings, recommendations were made to promote wellness among university students in Hong Kong.

The purpose of this investigation was to identify college students' attitudes toward wellness and to identify the differences in these attitudes among various groups of university students. The subjects who participated in this study were students randomly chosen from the six wellness residence halls and six traditional residence halls at Ball State University. One hundred and twenty-one of the 200 subjects selected, completed and returned a modification of the Archer Wellness survey on college students' attitudes toward wellness. A two-way analysis of variance on the data between groups of students living in wellness residence halls and students living in traditional residence halls found significant differences in the following categories: 1) need for information and assistance, 2) current level of wellness, 3) health and longevity concerns, and 4) environment. Differences between male and female respondents were found on the need for information and assistance score and the environment score. The chi-square statistic was computed for the data where subjects selected activities and behaviors they believed were beneficial and detrimental to their wellness. From the activities/behaviors selected to be detrimental to wellness, lack of leisure time was found to be significant between the two groups.
Department of Physiology and Health Science

Disorders of lifestyle are increasing globally; countries in transition are suffering the double burden of both contagious and chronic disorders. The utilization of health education to address these issues has had variable results, but the most successful have incorporated human contact. The aim of this study was to measure the quantitative and qualitative impact of a wellness promotion programme on university students. The objective was to provide a structured facilitated holistic wellness education programme to a sample of socioeconomically disadvantaged students in Higher Education in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Using a pragmatic mixed methodological approach to this critical evaluation, the impact on both wellness and academic progress was measured. Initial demographic data was gathered via a biographical questionnaire, pre- and post-intervention measurement of wellness, using the Wellness Questionnaire for Higher Education, as well as a semi-structured qualitative questionnaire and transcripts of academic results. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS analysis software and qualitative data using the NVivo analysis package. The findings were that all students improved throughout the year in their overall wellness scores, in particular in areas such as avoiding excessive sun exposure and increasing the amount of physical exercise. This corresponded with an increase in the value that the participants attached to information on these aspects of wellness, which was attributed to the programme. Results revealed that there was a weak correlation between student wellness measured at the year-end and academic success overall, but a strong correlation between student wellness and academic success for the students that gained the highest marks. Analysis of the dimensions of wellness that correlated best with student success revealed that there was a particularly strong correlation between year-end career wellness and year-end academic success. In conclusion it was found that a positive and holistic salutogenic wellness education programme increased levels of student wellness overall, which translated into student academic success. The link between wellness and success was particularly strong in students that gained higher marks. Recommendations include that first-year higher education students receive a positive wellness education programme built into the curriculum of their first year of study and that the overall impact be monitored across a broader spectrum of students over the duration of their diploma or degree programme.

The initial development of a social services program in a college health setting is presented, with discussion regarding causes, methods, and outcomes. Both empirical and anecdotal data which were influential in the initial formation of the program are reviewed, in the context of an examination of the research literature relating to this area. The actual development and implementation of the program is followed through its first year of existence. Outcomes are presented in the form of qualitative data analysis and case studies. Discussion of the results and recommendations for both future research and improvements to the program are presented.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between physical self-efficacy and personal dietary habits among students living in the wellness residence halls of Ball State University. This was a correlational study using previously collected data from six wellness residence halls. Residents from these halls were voluntary participants in the wellness screening, which included the testing instruments used for this study. Fifty-four subjects completed the Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (LSAQ) which included both the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES) and the Dietary Habits Questions (DHQ). The relationship between physical self-efficacy and dietary habits was tested using the Pearson r as the correlation coefficient. It appears that there is a significant linear relationship between the physical self-efficacy and dietary habits among participants examined in this study. This linear relationship should be interpretated with caution, however, because the strength of the relationship between PSES and DHQ scores (r2=.1099) indicates that less than 11% of the variance within the DHQ scores is shared with the variance within the PSES scores. Those who had good physical self-efficacy also had good dietary habits. Further study is recommended.
Institute for Wellness

The purpose of this study was to identify college students' health-promoting lifestyle behaviors and to identify differences in these behaviors among various groups of university students living in different residence halls. The subjects who participated in this study were students randomly selected from six wellness residence halls and six traditional residence halls. Of the 200 subjects randomly selected from the two groups, 121 (61%) students completed both the pre and posttest Health Promoting Lifestyle Profiles (HPLP). The wellness and traditional residence hall subjects' pre and posttests were not significantly different from each other. As a result of living in residence halls, the subjects' from both wellness and traditional halls scores on the HPLP increased significantly from pre to posttest. Univariate analyses of variance on the separate dependent variables found significant differences between residence halls for health responsibility. Also, as a result of living in residence halls, the subjects (both wellness and traditional hall) health responsibility scores significantly improved from pre to posttest. An analysis of variance was also used to analyze the effects that the demographic variables had on both the wellness and the traditional residence halls' pretest, posttest, and changes within each sample.
Institute for Wellness

This study systematically examines contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and practices among United States Midwestern college students. The goal is to provide data on the distribution and correlates of common or "folk" knowledge that can be used to promote positive attitudes, and safer practice of contraceptive use. Many factors may influence the distribution of contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. These include innate characteristics, culture, and gender stereotypes. Hence, this study concentrates on sex/gender differences in contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and practices. It was found that higher knowledge levels positively correlate with positive attitudes concerning contraceptive use. The ultimate goal is to ascertain what the differences are to provide a foundation to develop better education strategies for young adults.
Department of Anthropology

The 1990s witnessed the emergence of stalking as a new social construct that was recognized through the development of antistalking statutes. Simultaneously, stalking received widespread attention in the popular news media and in scholarly works by mental health professionals. Considerable variation exists among the legal, clinical, and research definitions of stalking. Large-scale epidemiological studies, conducted in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States, suggest that stalking is a relatively common behavior. Women have an 8–33% lifetime risk of being the victim of stalking, depending on the definition. For men, the lifetime risk is 2–7%. Studies on the epidemiology of stalking violence give a wide range of results: 3–46% of stalkers progress to violence. Higher rates of stalking have been reported among some populations, including college students, mental health clinicians, and celebrities. Female stalkers differ from male stalkers in their motivations and target populations. Finally, children and adolescents also exhibit stalking behaviors outside of normal developmental behaviors. Behavior patterns that we now call “stalking” have been described for thousands of years. Hippocrates, Galen, Plutarch, and various physicians of the Middle Ages described these behaviors (Lloyd-Goldstein, 1998). In 1837, Esquirol differentiated erotomania and nymphomania (Esquirol, 1838/1965). Both Kraepelin (1921/1976) and de Clérambault (1921) described erotomania in the 1920s. Classic literature provides several historical instances of what appears to be stalking. It has been argued that Shakespeare’s last 25 sonnets reflect his obsessional attachment and spurned pursuit of the “dark lady,” with evidence of obscenities, threats, paranoia, and irrationality (Skoler, 1998). Mullen, Pathé, and Purcell (2000) describe evidence of behaviors typical of stalkers in the lives and written works of Italian poets Danté Alighieri (1265–1321) and Petrarch (1304–1374), and the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). Louisa May Alcott’s first novel, A Long Fatal Love Chase, written in 1866 but discovered and published in 1993, tells the story of a young woman pursued with increasing anger, resentment, and ultimately violence by the husband she left (Mullen et al., 2000). Two of the late twentieth century’s most notorious forensic psychiatric cases arose from the mental problems and violent behavior of stalkers.