Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1990

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Health Promotion and Health Education

Major Professor

Robert J. Pursley

Committee Members

Bill Wallace, Jack Ellison, Charles Thompson

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to design and develop an in-class microcomputer program to identify health and safety risk factors of children attending selected Tennessee public schools as third, fourth or fifth graders during the school year 1989-90, and to provide baseline data to address whether significant differences exist among grade, gender-, race-, and geographic-specific populations. Initial instrument reliability and internal consistency were established through pilot test and retest. Statistical methods used to assess reliability were Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, Cronbach Coefficient Alpha, and Varimax Rotation of Factor Analysis. The data were collected using the in-class computer program entitled: The Tennessee School Health and Safety Profile. The sample consisted of 986 third, fourth and fifth grade students from 16 selected Tennessee public schools. Descriptive statistics were used to obtain frequencies and percentages of the sample according to grade, gender, race, and geographical area. Analysis of variance, the t-test for independent samples, and chi-square were utilized to determine whether significant differences existed among third, fourth and fifth graders, and between male and female students, nonwhite and white students, and students from rural and urban areas. The major findings of the study included: (1) The majority (39.3%) of Tennessee third, fourth and fifth grade students were categorized into the fair health and safety risk category; (2) The results of cross tabulations of grade, gender, and geographic area with the health and safety risk categories were significant when chi-square was applied but were not significant for race; (3) Significant differences were found in the practice of risky health and safety behaviors according to grade, gender, and geographical area, however no significant difference was determined between nonwhite and white students; (4) The major health and safety risk factors among Tennessee school-age children were inability to swim, feeling life was not worth living, lack of supervision at home, poor dental hygiene habits, fear of the AIDS virus, lack of proper home fire safety, poor nutrition habits, watching television six or more hours a day, carrying a knife, lack of adequate exercise, and lack of seat belt use. The following major conclusions were drawn from the findings of the study: (1) The overall health and safety of Tennessee's school-age children is fair; (2) As students progress in grade, their practice of risky health and safety behavior increases; (3) The race of the students seems not to be a factor concerning the practice of risky behavior; (4) The gender of the students is a factor, with the males practicing risky health and safety behavior more so than the females; (5) The geographical area of the students is an influencing factor concerning the major health and safety risk factors and categories. The significance of the study is that this research is a major step toward primary prevention and intervention resources in health and safety education programs for dealing with the health and safety behavioral needs of children in Tennessee.

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