Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1981

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major Professor

Warren J. Huffman

Committee Members

Bill C. Wallace, Velma Pressly, Francis Trusty

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to measure the effectiveness of contracting with support procedures to initiate positive health behaviors and attitudes among rural residents. A health promotion program was provided as a service of the Union County Medical Clinic, Maynardville, Tennessee. The focus of the program was to encourage willing participants between the ages of 25-65 to take an active role in improving their overall health status.

A sample of 34 volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two groups: control or experimental. All the subjects were pretested on their current health status and behaviors according to a Health Risk Appraisal Questionnaire. A Semantic Differential technique was also used to measure their attitudes toward specific health related concepts. Each subject was later provided with the Health Risk Appraisal results and received appropriate health education information. In addition, the individuals in the experimental group participated in a written contractual agreement procedure.

The contract used stipulated specific goals, time frames, and contingencies which the subjects were actively encouraged to establish and follow. To help maintain interest in the contract, the participants were contacted weekly by mail and by telephone. All health information and contracting arrangements were presented by a trained Health Education Aide. The health information and contracting procedures that the Aide used were prepared in advance.

Both the experimental and control group were posttested after three months using the Health Risk Appraisal Questionnaire and Semantic Differential.

Data for this research were gathered and statistically analyzed using the Analysis of Variance, t-test, chi-square, and paired t-test.

The following questions were studied:

1. Will contracting with support procedures lead to a reduction in appraisal age?

2. Will contracting with support procedures change the projected causes of death?

3. Will contracting with support procedures lead to a decrease in risk reduction recommendations?

4. Will contracting with support procedures in the experimental group lead to a risk reduction in the area the subject contracted?

5. Will contracting with support procedures change attitudes toward the following concepts: Health Contracting, Health Information, Health Counseling, Personal Responsibility for Your Health Care, Early Detection of Disease, Prevention of Illness, Willingness to Change a Poor Health Behavior, Health Hazard Appraisal Questionnaire, Yearly Physical Examination, Ability to Improve Your Health?

From the analysis of the data it was determined that the contracting procedure utilized in this study did not initiate positive health behavioral changes or bring about a reduction in specific health risks. There were no significant changes in attitudes.

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