Identifying Psychological and Organizational Factors That Are Associated with a Pro-Active Role of Municipal Health Services Organizations in Inviting Primary Schools to Use a Web-Based Smoking Prevention Program
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Abstract
Background
In the past 5 years, the prevalence of ever smoking among children (age 10-12 years) has slightly decreased to 12%. Nevertheless, it remains important to continue smoking prevention activities and offer smoking prevention programs to primary schools. Municipal Health Promotion Organizations (MHPO’s) play an important role in recruiting and distributing such prevention programs to schools. This requires that MHPO’s are prepared to play an active role in this process.
Objective
The purpose of this study is to gain insight into factors that determine whether an MHPO cooperates in the active recruitment of primary schools for using a web-based smoking prevention program.
Methods
In 2011, the MHPO’s (n= 31) in the Netherlands were approached to ask them to actively recruit schools to use a web-based smoking prevention program. Seven MHPO’s decided to take part in the active recruitment (adopters). All health professionals within the 31 MHPO’s that are involved in deciding whether or not to disseminate smoking prevention programs to schools (n= 68) received a questionnaire with questions regarding psychological and organizational factors that might be associated with the decision to approach schools in an active manner. T-tests and multivariate analyses were performed to assess potential differences in these factors between adopters and non-adopters.
Results
A total of 45 ‘decision makers’ returned the questionnaire (66%). In contrast to non-adopters, adopters had a more positive attitude (P= 0,01), had higher self-efficacy expectations (P< 0,01) and formulated more action plans (P< 0,01) toward the active recruitment of schools. None of the organizational factors showed a relation between adopters and non-adopters. In addition, the effect size (e.s.) of psychological factors (e.s.= 0,44) was significantly larger than that of the organizational factors (e.s. 0,21).
Conclusions
The present study shows that in particular the psychological factors were associated with the decision to participate in the active recruitment of schools. In efforts to get MHPO’s actively involved in the recruitment of schools for using a smoking prevention program, it would be advisable to focus on the attitude and self-efficacy of ‘decision makers’, and encourage them to form action plans.
In the past 5 years, the prevalence of ever smoking among children (age 10-12 years) has slightly decreased to 12%. Nevertheless, it remains important to continue smoking prevention activities and offer smoking prevention programs to primary schools. Municipal Health Promotion Organizations (MHPO’s) play an important role in recruiting and distributing such prevention programs to schools. This requires that MHPO’s are prepared to play an active role in this process.
Objective
The purpose of this study is to gain insight into factors that determine whether an MHPO cooperates in the active recruitment of primary schools for using a web-based smoking prevention program.
Methods
In 2011, the MHPO’s (n= 31) in the Netherlands were approached to ask them to actively recruit schools to use a web-based smoking prevention program. Seven MHPO’s decided to take part in the active recruitment (adopters). All health professionals within the 31 MHPO’s that are involved in deciding whether or not to disseminate smoking prevention programs to schools (n= 68) received a questionnaire with questions regarding psychological and organizational factors that might be associated with the decision to approach schools in an active manner. T-tests and multivariate analyses were performed to assess potential differences in these factors between adopters and non-adopters.
Results
A total of 45 ‘decision makers’ returned the questionnaire (66%). In contrast to non-adopters, adopters had a more positive attitude (P= 0,01), had higher self-efficacy expectations (P< 0,01) and formulated more action plans (P< 0,01) toward the active recruitment of schools. None of the organizational factors showed a relation between adopters and non-adopters. In addition, the effect size (e.s.) of psychological factors (e.s.= 0,44) was significantly larger than that of the organizational factors (e.s. 0,21).
Conclusions
The present study shows that in particular the psychological factors were associated with the decision to participate in the active recruitment of schools. In efforts to get MHPO’s actively involved in the recruitment of schools for using a smoking prevention program, it would be advisable to focus on the attitude and self-efficacy of ‘decision makers’, and encourage them to form action plans.
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