Browsing by Author "White, Allie"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Factors associated with COVID-19 masking behavior: an application of the Health Belief Model(Health Education Research, 2022-10-18) White, Allie; Maloney, Erin; Boehm, Michele; Bleakley, Amy; Langbaum, JessicaWearing a face mask is effective in minimizing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among unvaccinated individuals and preventing severe illness among the vaccinated. Country, state and local guidelines promote, and at times mandate, mask-wearing despite it being publicly perceived as an individual’s choice. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), structural equation modeling was used to analyze longitudinal data in a sample of US adults aged 18–49 years to identify constructs that contribute to face mask-wearing. Results indicated that perceived COVID-19 severity, perceived masking benefits and self-efficacy were positively associated with masking behavior, and masking barriers were negatively associated with masking behavior. Perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 and cues to action were nonsignificant correlates of masking behavior. These results’ theoretical and practical implications contribute to the literature on the HBM and the COVID-19 pandemic. Future directions and limitations are discussed.Item Sexual and gender minority emerging adults' gay- and lesbian-oriented media selection and its implications for identity development, communication, and sexual behavior(University of Delaware, 2023) White, AllieMedia can inform sexual behavior and normalize sexual identities among sexual and gender minority (SGM) emerging adults. During this period, emerging adults explore and possibly solidify their sexual identity, and media can function as a source of sexual socialization. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Sexual Identity Gratifications, this study used content analysis and survey research to test an identity-driven media selection model of gay- and lesbian- oriented (GLO) media for SGM emerging adults. ☐ Fifty GLO television shows were analyzed in Study 1 through a content analysis of SGM characters’ (N=242) engagement in various sexual behaviors (e.g., flirting, kissing, touching, oral sex, penetrative sex) and communication topics (e.g., past sexual partners or experiences, sexual interests or activities, sexual advice, relationship talk). Descriptive results showed that the most frequently depicted behaviors were flirting, kissing, and touching, whereas the most common communication topics were about relationships, sexual activities/interests, and past sexual partners/experiences. ☐ Study 2 was an online survey (N=500) of SGM emerging adults ages 18-25. Path analysis was used to assess how social support and identity-driven motivations are associated with SGM emerging adults’ media selection; how participants’ exposure to GLO media in general was related to their SGM identity development; and how exposure to specific types of sexual content in GLO media was related to their efficacy and intentions to engage in same-sex sexual behaviors and communication. Individuals’ SGM community connection and sexual identity salience were positively associated with their sexual identity gratifications selection motivations, and that GLO media was positively associated with participants’ sexual identity centrality, affirmation, and acceptance concerns. Exposure to sexual content in GLO media was associated with participants’ intentions to engage in sexual behavior and sexual communication, though it was not related to their self-efficacy. ☐ These findings offer new interpretations of the roles personal identity and group membership may play in media selection, while accounting for sexual identity in Social Identity Gratifications. Ultimately, exposure to GLO media content presents SGM emerging adults with the opportunity to foster SGM identities and to learn about and normalize SGM sex through onscreen depictions of SGM sexual relationships and behaviors. ☐ Keywords: sexual and gender minority, emerging adults, sexual identity development, sexual behavior, sexual communication, social cognitive theory, social identity gratificationsItem Student intentions to engage instructors in mental health-related conversations: An application of the theory of planned behavior(Journal of American College Health, 2022-04-06) White, Allie; Ball, Hannah; LaBelle, SaraObjective: Considering that college students experience mental health issues and college counseling centers are overwhelmed, this study identifies instructors as a potential mental health resource for students. This study utilizes the theory of planned behavior to investigate the relationship between students’ attitudes, injunctive and descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control, and their intentions to engage their instructors in mental health conversations. Participants: Participants were 311 undergraduate students at a small, private university in Southern California. Methods: Participants were recruited through a Communication subject pool and completed an online survey about engaging instructors in these conversations. Results: Results of a regression analysis indicate that all theoretical constructs positively predict students’ intentions to discuss mental health with an instructor. Conclusions: By providing insight into students’ intentions to utilize instructors as mental health resources on campus, these findings yield practical implications for better preparing universities and their faculty to engage in students’ mental health.