Browsing by Author "Engs, Ruth Clifford"

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About Yourself
(Taylor & Francis, 1976) Engs, Ruth Clifford
A “mentally healthy” person is often characterized as having an accurate perception of reality, able to maintain close interpersonal relationships, able to communicate openly and honestly with others, and aware of personal goals, values, abilities, and behavior.’ Because of the variety of environmental stresses and our individual backgrounds, we all have different problems of living. The extent to which we learn to successfully cope with these stresses often determines how mentally healthy we are.
Again Let's Look Before We Leap: The Effects of Physical Activity on Smoking and Drinking Patterns
(American Alcohol and Drug Information Foundation of Lansing, Michigan, 1981) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Mulhall, Peter
The use of jogging and other types of vigorous physical activities are becoming increasingly popular alternative programs for the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse problems in many communities and schools. The drinking and smoking patterns of a group of university students participating in active endurance and in passive participatory types of exercises were examined before and after a 15-week period of engaging in the activities three times a week at 40 minutes a day. The results of this study indicate no change in either smoking or drinking patterns for either group at the end of the 15-week period. Perhaps other factors than just vigorous exercise are important for changes in drinking and smoking patterns such as a conscious commitment to changing life styles. The authors suggest that before alternative methods such as physical activities are introduced into the schools and communities as drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs that they first be evaluated as to their effectiveness.
Alcohol and Drinking for 7th Grade text book
(Chapter prepared for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988) Engs, Ruth Clifford
This chapter for a 7th grade health text book discuss the questions of What is alcohol? How does it effect a person? Why does it cause problems for some people? What are the resources in the community where a person can find help for alcohol problems? How can you resist pressure to drink?
ALCOHOL AND DRUG QUESTIONNAIRE: British English language version
(1995) Engs, Ruth Clifford
The original and a scanned version of the British English version of an expanded Student Alcohol Questionnaire (SAQ) are found here. They contains demographic variables along with drinking patterns and problems related to drinking in addition to questions about tobacco, and drug use. They also includes behaviours exhibited by drinkers including "playing of drinking games" and rape or non-consensual sex as a consequence of over consumption of alcohol. This version is often used by British English speaking cultures when surveying student drinking and drug taking patterns.
Alcohol Awareness for College Students
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976-09) DeCoster, David; Engs, Ruth Clifford; Larson, Ralph; McPherson, Philip
This article describes steps in developing and alcohol awareness program on the college campus.
ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE AMONG COLLEGIANS: 1983-1985
(1986-04) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Hanson, David J.
Thus PURPOSE of this study was to examine the demographic variables in relation to the knowledge of alcohol among a sample of college students throughout the United States to determine possible changes. METHODS: Student were administered the Student Alcohol Questionnaire. This is a highly reliable questionnaire (r=.79) which contains 36 questions on alcohol and its effects. The sample was collected during the 1983-4 academic year to students at 72 of the 82 colleges that had participated in a similar study conducted in 1982-3. A sub-sample was drawn containing the same universities and colleges which had participated l982-83 for comparison. RESULTS revealed that with the exception of females, the demographic composition closely approximated that of students attending four year intuitions of higher learning in the United States. Of 36 possible correct answers, between the two time periods, a significant difference in mean score of 20.9 for the 1983 group and 21.3 for the 1984-5 was found (P< .01). Significant differences in scores between the two time periods were also found for males, whites, juniors and Roman Catholics. No differences were found with other demographic variables. It is RECOMMENDED that educators, as part of their baseline data collection of drinking patterns, also include a knowledge scale. A change in levels of knowledge could be used as an indicator of effectiveness of their campus alcohol awareness programs.
ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE AND DRINKING BEHAVIOR AT THIRTEEN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
(1977-03) Engs, Ruth Clifford
The knowledge of alcohol and drinking patterns and among thirteen of the 62 schools in the 50 + 12 Project, an alcohol education initiative of NIAAA, is discussed. A major purpose of this descriptive study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure college students knowledge of alcohol, their drinking patterns, and problems related to their drinking. To this end the Student Alcohol Questionnaire was developed. Both the drinking patterns and knowledge sub-scales and the total instrument were found to be highly reliable (r=.79 ). The result of the survey revealed that males and whites had higher alcohol knowledge scores than females and blacks respectively. Significantly more seniors had scores above 26 compared to underclassmen. The results revealed that 79% of student drink at least once a year and approximately 20% were heavy or at risk drinkers consuming 6 or more drinks at any one sitting. Over half the sample reported they had experienced “hangovers” and “driven a car after drinking” during the past year. Whites and males were significantly more likely to consume alcohol and to be heavy at risk drinkers compared to blacks and females. There was no significant different due to class year.
The Alcohol Knowledge and Drinking Myths of a National Sample of University Students
(John Hopkins University Press, 1989-03) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Hanson, David
ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE AND DRINKING PATTERNS OF NURSING STUDENTS: 1983 - 1985: Implications for Nursing Education
(1988-07-04) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Hanson, David J.
The PURPOSE of this study was to assess the knowledge of alcohol and drinking patterns among nursing students over time. METHODS: An identical anonymous pre-coded questionnaire, the Student Alcohol Questionnaire, was used in both 1982-83 and 1984-85. It included demographic items, questions regarding the consumption of alcohol, 36 items examining knowledge of alcohol, and 17 items concerning possible consequences of drinking. The 36 "true-false" alcohol knowledge items included questions concerned with factual information about alcohol and drinking myths. RESULTS: this study indicate stability in the drinking patterns and problems of nursing students as well as their alcohol knowledge over a two year time period. Some students appeared to have patterns which may indicate problem drinking and there were misconceptions concerning the effects of alcohol and the nature of problem drinking. RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that alcohol education, such as outlined in this article be instituted at the collegiate level in the preparation of nurses.
ALCOHOL USE AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS: American Vs Canadian Students Implications for public policy
(1990) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Smythe, Cynthia; Gliksman, Louis
PURPOSE: the purpose of this study was to compare alcohol consumption and the number of problems associated with alcohol use between students attending universities in Ontario, Canada and the North-Central portion of the United States. SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 4,911 Canadian and 1,687 American students were selected. RESULTS: the results revealed significant differences in the amount of alcohol consumed and the number of alcohol-related problems experienced between the Canadian and American students, between males and females and between students in different years of study for alcohol consumption. A steady decrease in consumption from year 1 to year 4 of Canadian students and a steady increase in the corresponding groups for the American sample was found. This same pattern was observed for the number of problems related to drinking. CONCLUSIONS: it was concluded that the 19 year old drinking law in Ontario might help students to reach more responsible drinking at an earlier age as opposed to the 21 year old law in the USA. Practical and more realistic alcohol education for Ontario youth compared to the USA sample might also be a factor.
ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA USE PATTERNS AMONG SCOTTISH HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS
(1996-06) Engs, Ruth Clifford; van Teijlingen, E. R
PURPOSE: Limited information about recreational drug use over the post-secondary experience, particularly in Scotland are found. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate selected socio-demographics of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use in post-secondary helping profession students in Scotland. METHODS: The Queensland Alcohol and Drug Study Questionnaire modified for the UK was completed by helping profession students from 22 departments at universities and colleges in five Scottish cities. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 949 males and 3117 female post-secondary students. As found in other studies, a significantly (p < .001) higher percent of males consumed alcohol. Males were more likely to smoke and use marijuana, however, there was no difference in the quantity of tobacco consumed. For both males and females, the prevalence of alcohol and marijuana was highest two or three years before the maximum use of tobacco (students over 24 years of age). Students under 24 years of age were more likely to consume alcohol and marijuana. Older students and those from the Midlands were more likely to consume tobacco. There was no difference between the regions in Scotland concerning alcohol or marijuana use. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the results of this study supports other investigations in the UK conducted among young adults.
ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND MARIJUANA CONSUMPTION IN RELATION TO AGE, GENDER, AND COURSE OF STUDY AMONG SCOTTISH HELPING PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS
(1996-06) Engs, Ruth Clifford; van Teijlingen, Edwin
The Purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use patterns in post-secondary helping profession students in Scotland. Methods: An adaptation of the Queensland Alcohol and Drug Study Questionnaire, the Alcohol and Drug Questionnaire, was completed by helping profession students from 22 departments at universities and colleges in five Scottish cities. Results: The sample consisted of 949 males and 3117 females. As found in other studies, a significantly (p < .001) higher percent of males consumed alcohol, even if gender recommendations for safe limits were considered. Males were more likely to smoke and use marijuana, however, there was no difference in the quantity of tobacco consumed. For both males and females, the prevalence of alcohol and marijuana was highest two or three years before the maximum use of tobacco (students over 24 years of age). Male and female psychology students consumed the most marijuana. Psychology students, together with Nursing students, also, consumed the most tobacco. Gender (males), age (under 24), tobacco (use) and marijuana (use) were all significant, but weak, predictors of consumption over 21 drinks per week. For any cigarette consumption, significant predictors were gender (females), age (24 years and older), course of study (groups other than Medical and Education students), marijuana (use) and consuming over 21 drinks per week. Conclusions: In view of the increasing prevalence of tobacco over the university experience, especially among Nursing and Psychology students, health education for Scottish post-secondary helping professional students should expand from the recently introduced school programmes. This is of particular importance in view of the fact that smoking appears to be predictive of marijuana and heavy drinking at least among this sample of students.
Alcohol, Tobacco, Caffeine, and Other Drug Use Among Nursing Students in the Tayside Region of Scotland: A Comparison Between First- and Final-Year Students
(Oxford University Press, 1987) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Rendell, K.H.
There has been much discussion as to when health professionals begin, or increase, recreational or illicit drug use leading to impairment. A survey of 102 first- and 107 last-year nursing students selected from the Tayside Region of Scotland indicated that 87% had drunk some form of alcohol during the past year with 46% drinking at least once a week. Of all students, 92% used caffeine, 36% tobacco, 15% marijuana and 10% or less used other drugs at least once during the past year. Approximately 31% smoked on a daily basis. There were few significant differences in consumption patterns between first- and last-year students, which is contrary to several other studies of students. Approximately the same percentage of students smoked compared with other recent studies concerning Scottish nursing students. They consumed marijuana and other drugs less frequently compared with nursing students in other studies.
AMERICAN CYCLES OF PROHIBITION: DO THEY HAVE ROOTS IN ANCIENT DRINKING NORMS ?
(1992-06-02) Engs, Ruth Clifford
It has been proposed that different drinking norms developed in northern and southern Europe during antiquity and that these patterns are still found today in the cultures overlying these areas. In terms of western European civilization and its colonies, anti-alcohol movements have primarily emerged in the Protestant Nordic and English language speaking culture. European immigrants to the New World brought with them their different drinking attitudes and practices to both North and South America. In North America—particularly in the United States—clashes between these divergent cultures and their drinking patterns have precipitated anti-alcohol, temperance, and prohibition cycles.
Are We Teaching Them What They Want to Know?
(Wiley-Blackwell, 1971) Schlaadt, Richard; Engs, Ruth Clifford
Are you "turning on" your class to health education? Are you capturing the interests of your students? Do you know your students' major health concerns? If health education classes are to be relevant and meaningful, the answers to these questions must be "yes." The first step in changing these answers to the affirmative is to find out what students want to know about health. This was accomplished in a recent survey conducted by Engs (1) of 285 Personal Health students at the University of Oregon. The problem was to determine the general health concerns of college students and how these are affected by sex, birth order, and religion. A health concern, as defined for this study, is that which causes an individual to feel anxious, worried, interested in or disturbed because of it's potentiality of affecting his, his family's, or his society's physical, mental, or social well-being.
ASSESSING CONSTRUCT VALIDITY AND RE-ASSESSING THE RELIABILITY OF THE HEALTH CONCERN QUESTIONNAIRE
(1989) Engs, Ruth Clifford
The Health Concern Questionnaire was developed almost 20 years ago. It has been use by both personal health classroom instructors and researchers. Over time some of the terminology for certain items had changed. A more serious limitation of its usefulness was that construct validity was not initially determined. This meant that a total mean health concern score was unable to be calculated. Thus the PURPOSE of the study was to update the terminology, determine construct validity and to re-validate the internal consistency of the instrument. METHODS: The first step in this procedure was to have a panel of individuals who had taught personal health classes suggested changes in terminology. Next factor analysis to determine underlying themes was accomplished. Using a eigenvalue of 1, nine factors resulted. Factor 1 contained 27 of the items with 31% of the variance. Since there were no underlying theme for any of the factors, a two factor solution using an eigenvalue of 2 was accomplished. The RESULTS indicated factor 1 contained 33% of the variance and included 31 items. The remaining items in factor 2 contributed 7% of the variance. The correlation between the two factors was highly positive (r=.6). This enabled the collapse of the 50 items into one factor and the feasibility of computing a total mean health concern score. Cronbach's alpha (r= .96), Spearman-Brown's split half technique(r= .92) and Guttman's split half technique(r = .92) all revealed positive reliability coefficients. The item reliability of each of the 50 items correlated with the total mean score. In SUMMARY current terminology for the Health Concern Questionnaire has been added. A total mean health concern score can ascertained and the instrument shows high internal consistency homogeneity.
The Association of Alcohol Consumption with Self-Reported Illness
(This is final draft for Psychological Reports, 1995) Engs, Ruth Clifford; Aldo-Benson, Marlene
Many reports over the years have indicated an association between alcohol consumption and infectious illness among chronic heavy drinkers; however, many patients in these studies have been chronically ill. Thus the question of whether alcohol can appreciably influence immunity in humans and affect the incidence of infectious diseases remains largely unanswered. For this study over 1,100 undergraduate students from a general education course at large midwestern university were surveyed. Students were asked about their drinking habits and acute health problems. Analyses showed no increase in acute health problems or upper respiratory infections in students drinking between one and 21 drinks per week. However, students drinking 28 or more alcoholic drinks per week had significantly more health problems in the aggregate and those drinking more than 22 drinks per week had more upper respiratory infections compared to the other students including non drinkers. It was concluded that excessive alcohol intake increased the risk of respiratory infections and acute illnesses in this sample of students, but more moderate alcohol consumption had little effect on the risk for these health problems.
THE ATTITUDES TOWARDS ALCOHOLISM AND THE RECREATIONAL DRUG USE PATTERNS OF HELPING PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
(1981-06) Engs, Ruth Clifford
A study of helping professional students in Queensland Australia that seminary, police students, first year, and students who regarded religion as important had significantly more moralistic and negative attitudes towards alcoholics. Conversely, social work/ psychology, Roman Catholics, individuals who did not consider religion to be important and those in their last year of study had more positive and humanitarian attitudes towards alcoholics.
Australia Research Dataset: Drinking Patterns and Attitudes towards Alcoholism
(1980) Engs, Ruth Clifford
R. Engs collected the data while on sabbatical at the University of Queensland, Australia (Jan - May 1980). Questionnaires were administered in Queensland, at various colleges and universities, to “helping profession” students: social work, medicine, nursing, seminary, police, psychology, etc. The data are for the Queensland version of the Student Alcohol Questionnaire (available at http://hdl.handle.net/2022/17141). This version of the questionnaire differs from other versions in that it uses Australian spelling and measurements to calculate alcohol content in wine, beer, and spirits. it also includes other drug use. The Tolor-Tamerin scale for attitudes towards alcoholism was also used but due to copyright issues is not included in the questionnaire or calculations and scoring. Calculations and scoring are included on this site. Calculations and scoring in addition to information concerning the reliability of the instrument are found at: http://hdl.handle.net/2022/17185
Bibliography
(2013-09) Engs, Ruth Clifford