Journal of community health
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The purpose of this study was to establish a national baseline regarding the prevalence of training of family practice residents regarding firearm safety counseling. A national survey of the residency directors at the 420 accredited family practice residency programs in the coterminous United States was used to assess the prevalence of training in firearm safety counseling, perceived effectiveness of such training, and perceived barriers to such counseling in residency programs. Program directors were sent a two-page questionnaire on firearm safety counseling activity in their programs and 71% responded. ⋯ Patient education materials (57%), video training programs (49%), and a curriculum guide (46%) were identified as resources that would be most helpful in implementing a firearm safety counseling program. The results showed that formal training in firearm safety counseling is virtually absent from family practice residency training programs. This finding is not surprising given that less than 14% of the directors perceived firearm safety counseling would be effective in reducing firearm-related injuries or deaths and that research on effectiveness of such counseling is very limited.
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Effective campaigns are desperately needed to combat the serious social problem of teen pregnancy. However, public health campaigns are most often noted for failures, rather than successes. One reason for a campaign failing to have the intended effect is lack of theoretical guidance at the formative evaluation stage. ⋯ Six focus groups were conducted to determine knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and recommendations for effective campaigns to deter teen pregnancy. The results indicate that campaign messages need to combat positive attitudes toward pregnancy, negative attitudes toward birth control, the perception of personal invulnerability, and emphasize the negative consequences of sexual intercourse. This study's findings also suggest that campaigns with these messages need to start at an early age in order to effectively prevent teen pregnancy.