Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal recent issues

Editorial Note

McFadden, J. R. — 2008-08-08

Child Weight Status and Young Adult Quality of Life: Is There a Reason for Concern?

Kihm, H. S. — 2008-08-08

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between child weight status and young adult quality of life. One hundred sixty-four college students participated in the study. Students completed four questionnaires that were used to assess physical and psychosocial variables. Several statistical analyses, including correlations and hierarchal regression models, were employed to test the study's hypotheses. Results from the study showed that child weight status was negatively associated with adult quality of life, and child self-concept was a mediating variable within the relationship. Recognizing the relationship between child weight status and young adult quality of life stresses the importance of addressing psychosocial concerns related to weight status during childhood in efforts to achieve a greater quality of life in adulthood.

The Use of the Theory of Planned Behavior to Assess Predictors of Intention to Eat Fruits Among 9th-Grade Students Attending Two Public High Schools in Eastern North Carolina

Pawlak, R., Malinauskas, B. — 2008-08-08

Objective : The purpose of this study was to identify specific beliefs regarding eating two cups of fruits among ninth-grade youth attending public high schools in easternNorth Carolinautilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: A preliminary open-ended questionnaire was used to elicit beliefs about fruits. These beliefs along with statements adopted from the literature tailored toward fruit intake were used to develop a survey instrument. This survey was subsequently used to measure the variables of the TPB. There were 157 students (103 girls [65.6%], mean ±SD age =14.69 ±0.79 and 54 boys [34.4%], mean ±SD age =14.74 ±0.89) from two schools who completed the final copy of the survey. Results: Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intention to eat fruits, accounting for 55% of variance. Conclusion: The findings of this research suggest that peer leaders may have a significant influence on intentions to eat fruits.

Effects of Stress on Eating Practices Among Adults

Kandiah, J., Yake, M., Willett, H. — 2008-08-08

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between comfort food preferences of adults when under normal (nonstressful) and stressful conditions. A total of 185 university faculty completed on InQsit, a 31-item Stress-Eating Survey. Sixty-seven percent experienced changes in appetite when stressed, with 69% having an increase in appetite and 31% a decrease. Under stressful conditions, participants chose a wider variety of sweet (p ≤ .001) and salty/crunchy foods (p = .004). High-restrained eaters chose significantly more types of sweet foods (p = .031) and beverages (p = .020) than low-restrained eaters. Variety of mixed dishes significantly decreased (p = .048) with increased age. This research suggests that majority of adults may experience an increased appetite with stress and may choose more types of sweet and salty/crunchy foods. Under normal and stressful conditions, it appears that gender, age, and restraint level may also influence comfort food choices.

The Price of Laughter: Differences Between Hispanic Groups' Responses to the Use of Humor in Financial Services Advertising

Villegas, J., Shah, A. — 2008-08-08

This study argues for a more precise study of U.S. Hispanics by investigating the different attitudes toward money retention of two Hispanic groups, Cuban Americans and Mexican Americans, and its impact on advertising processing. The hypothesized dissimilarity, Cuban American have a more positive attitude toward retention than Mexican Americans, was used as the basis for hypotheses that explored the effects of the use of humor in advertising for a financial product. The results of a 2 x 2 experiment in which type of appeal (humorous/non-humorous) was manipulated and Hispanic group affiliation was measured suggest that Cuban Americans prefer a nonhumorous appeal in an advertisement for a financial service whereas Mexican Americans preferred the humorous message. This finding suggests that Mexican Americans might use affective information, instead of cognitive strategies, to form attitudes toward financial products.

Religion and the Daily Lives of LDS Families: An Ecological Perspective

Loser, R. W., Klein, S. R., Hill, E. J., Dollahite, D. C. — 2008-08-08

The purpose of this article is to explore in detail how religion and family religious rituals affect the day-to-day activities of individual and family life. It includes qualitative analysis of interviews with highly religious parents and children in 67 families that belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Findings suggest that for this sample, religion was more than an external influence; it was viewed as an integral part of one's individual, familial, structural, and social systems. This finding warrants a closer look at traditional human ecological theory which suggests that religion is primarily an external influence. A conceptual model illustrates how this sample experienced religious integration into their everyday life. Limitations and implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Undergraduate Women Who Have Gambled in Casinos: Are They at Risk?

Blinn-Pike, L., Worthy, S. L. — 2008-08-08

The aim of this study is to describe female undergraduates who have gambled in casinos compared with their peers who have never participated in casino gambling or gambling in any form. Pathological gambling has been linked to financial problems, marital stress, lost time at work and school, depression, and even suicide. Female students (n = 179, mean age 21.64) from a southeastern university are questioned about their gambling behaviors, sensation-seeking traits, and alcohol consumption. Female college students who have participated in casino gambling have higher sensation-seeking scores, higher scores on a measure of gambling severity, consumed alcohol on more occasions over the past 30 days, and have binge drunk more frequently than their peers. Implications are presented for gambling prevention and research.

Editorial Note

McFadden, J. R. — 2008-05-30

Analysis of 25 Years of Technology Research as Reported in Two Professional Journals: Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences and Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal

Leahy, A. J., Crecelius, K. M. — 2008-05-30

During the past 25 years, the evaluation and exploration of technological advances within family and consumer sciences (FCS) have played a vital role in the evolution of the discipline. The goal of this investigation was to provide an historical perspective of the reporting of technology or technological innovations within the field of FCS. Titles of articles published in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal as well as theses and dissertations completed as listed in the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal were examined from 1982 to 2007. Items were included in this analysis if technology or technological content was included in the title. This study provides an analysis of various areas of interest, including geographic location of the author, FCS area, and individual focus or topic of the article, theses, or dissertation.

Work Interference with Dinnertime as a Mediator and Moderator Between Work Hours and Work and Family Outcomes

Jacob, J. I., Allen, S., Hill, E. J., Mead, N. L., Ferris, M. — 2008-05-30

Using a sample of U.S. IBM employees who are parents (N = 1,580), the authors evaluated whether work interference with dinnertime mediates and moderates the relationship between work hours and work, personal, and family outcomes. The negative relationships between work hours and success in personal life, relationships with spouse/partner and children, and the perception of an emotionally healthy workplace were mediated by work interference with dinnertime. The positive relationship between work hours and work—family conflict was partially mediated. Testing for interactions revealed evidence of the moderating effect of dinnertime and gender. These findings provide strong support for the potential role of dinnertime in reducing the negative work, personal, and family outcomes associated with long work hours and conflict in the work—family interface.

The Impact of the PICK a Partner Relationship Education Program on Single Army Soldiers

Van Epp, M. C., Futris, T. G., Van Epp, J. C., Campbell, K. — 2008-05-30

Educating singles on how to develop healthy, romantic relationships can be beneficial to their subsequent dating and marital satisfaction, and for army soldiers, their satisfaction with military life. A new relationship program, the Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge (PICK) program, was delivered to single army soldiers, and at the conclusion of the program participants demonstrated an increase in their understanding of the crucial areas to explore and discuss in a premarital relationship, gained a better understanding of how to pace their relationship, and exhibited more realistic attitudes and beliefs about marriage and mate selection.

Antecedents of Intention to Adopt the Web-Based Computer Aided Facility Management System

Saengratwatchara, S., Elsworth, J. D. — 2008-05-30

Computer aided facility management (CAFM) is a computerized network system that connects graphic and non-graphic information in a central and comprehensive source of facilities information. Previous studies have revealed that facility management (FM) professionals have been reluctant to adopt the CAFM application. Drawing on diffusion of innovations theory, a model was developed describing the relationships between intention to adopt the CAFM application and five characteristics of an innovation shown to lead to the intention to adopt. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence individual FM professionals to adopt the CAFM application. Eight hypotheses used to examine the relationship were supported. Perceived trialability, perceived visibility, and perceived result demonstrability positively related to intention to adopt the CAFM system indirectly through perceived relative advantage and perceived complexity, and perceived advantage and perceived complexity had significant effects on FM professionals' intention to adopt the CAFM application.

Modeling the Scholarship of Teaching Through Four Family Policy Assignments

Adams, R. A., McFadden, J. R. — 2008-05-30

This article describes the scholarship of teaching and discusses how it can be used in a family policy class. An Internet scavenger hunt, the use of weekly news articles for discussing family policy, a field trip to the state capitol, and a research project are the assignments described. Each assignment is followed by a discussion on how content, process, and premise reflections, components of the scholarship of teaching, can be used to evaluate and refine student achievement as well as the teacher's effectiveness skills. Rubrics for evaluating the assignments are included in the appendices. This article is designed to be helpful to faculty who teach family policy and may be adapted by other teaching professionals for a variety of disciplines.

Student Internet Purchases

Norum, P. S. — 2008-05-30

Since the onset of the Internet shopping format, e-commerce sales have soared, and Generation Y consumers, the first generation to grow up with the Internet, have turned into young adults. As part of Generation Y, college students represent a lucrative market for businesses selling a wide array of goods and services, and they are extremely computer savvy. The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze online buying behavior among college students. Based on an economic framework, factors affecting the online purchase of nine different merchandise categories were examined. Data were analyzed from 4,688 students enrolled in a major Midwestern university. Logistic analysis revealed that variations in the effect of age, gender, income, car ownership, ability to identify a secure Internet site, and compulsive buying behavior existed between the merchandise categories. This study has implications for educators, marketers, and policy makers.

Editorial Note

McFadden, J. R. — 2008-02-01

Household Composition and Housing Expenditures in Rental-Occupied and Owner-Occupied Markets

Ulker, A. — 2008-02-01

This article examines the relationship between household compositions and housing expenditures in rental-occupied and owner-occupied markets. The author finds that renters allocate their budget proportionately between housing and nonhousing goods for an additional household member, leaving the budget share of housing expenditures unchanged. For homeowners, nevertheless, an extra member implies a reduction in housing expenditures as a share of total budget. Although age and gender compositions turn out to be significant in determining the budget share of housing expenditures for renters, they play no major role for homeowners. And although an increase in the number of working members for renters significantly reduces the share of budget spent on housing, it has no significant impact for their owner counterparts. Moreover, keeping total expenditures constant, the main income source of the head of the household does not make any difference in terms of resource allocation across housing and nonhousing goods for both renters and owners.

Work, Family, and Individual Factors Associated with Mothers Attaining Their Preferred Work Situations

Jacob, J. — 2008-02-01

This study explores work, family, and individual factors associated with mothers attaining their preferred work situations, including full-time, part-time, work from home, and no paid work. Data are taken from a sub-sample of 1,777 mothers from a nationally representative sample contacted by random-digit dialing phone interviews by the University of Connecticut Center for Survey Research and Analysis and the Motherhood Study. Actual work situation, household income, spouse or partner's work situation, perception of family financial responsibility, race, and religion are associated with attaining preferred work situations using logistic regression, ANOVA, and chi-square analyses. Thirty-six percent of mothers who are in their preferred work situations have experienced fewer negative emotions and more positive emotions, suggesting implications for individual and family well-being and work—family policies.

Dietary Patterns and Prevalence of Food Insecurity Among Low-Income Families Participating in Community Food Assistance Programs in a Midwest Town

Nnakwe, N. E. — 2008-02-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the dietary patterns and prevalence of food insecurity in low-income families participating in community food assistance programs. A total of 236 head of households are selected as a convenience sample and interviewed using the Radimer/Cornell Hunger Questionnaire and food frequency table. Pearson Chi-square is used to analyze the prevalence of food insecurity and the association between food insecurity and dietary intake. Fifty-one percent of households with children are food secure, 24.3% are food insecure without hunger, 12.2% are food insecure with moderate hunger, and 12.2% report food insecurity with severe hunger. Ten percent of households without children are food insecure with moderate hunger, and 5% report food insecurity with severe hunger. Results also show that consumption of foods from the food groups recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture decreases as the presence of food insecurity increases.

Understanding Older Adults' Attitudes and Adoption of Residential Technologies

Ahn, M., Beamish, J. O., Goss, R. C. — 2008-02-01

The main goal of this research was to understand older adults' attitudes and interests in residential technology products and services that have been adopted by them at a rate of less than 50%. This study explored the potential of these technology products and services to assist with aging in place. Early adopters of computer technologies are perceived as persons with early knowledge of newly introduced residential technologies. Moreover, considering older adults' preference for aging in place, assistance with technologies in residential settings would appear to have great potential. The results from this study have limitations in generalizing to all older adults, because a convenience sample was used. Although studies of early adopters may not provide information that can be generalized to the entire population, this study provides insight useful in understanding and estimating future trends for this population.

Conceptualizing Immoral and Unethical Consumption Using Neutralization Theory

McGregor, S. L. T. — 2008-02-01

Neutralization is a defense mechanism through which people downplay the repercussions of their behavior. This article demonstrates the ability of neutralization theory (especially 13 neutralization techniques) to contribute theoretical understandings into how consumers can justify the negative impacts of their purchasing behavior, how they can continually or periodically rationalize their less than moral and ethical consumption decisions. Guided by the intent to galvanize empirical and interpretative consumer scholarship informed by neutralization theory, 13 consumer vignettes were developed to illustrate the powerful insights to be gained from bringing this theoretical perspective to bear on the immorality of consumption.

Editorial Note

McFadden, J. R. — 2007-11-19

An Analysis of Tenure and House Structure Type by Household Composition

Vanderford, S. E., Mimura, Y., Sweaney, A. L., Carswell, A. T. — 2007-11-19

This study examined the relation of household composition and characteristics with each of two variables, tenure status and structural type of residence. Past research related to tenure status has considered household composition and characteristics in a limited manner, and very little empirical work has addressed the relations of those variables with house structure type. The three structure types assessed were manufactured housing, multifamily site-built homes, and single-family site-built homes. The authors extended past research by considering more complicated household compositions and also identified the importance of knowing more complete information about all the residents of a home to understand both tenure and house structure type. Family composition and the presence of extended family members, an unmarried partner, and other unrelated individuals all explained di ferences in tenure and house structure type. The findings suggest the significance of family and household characteristics when understanding variations in tenure and house structure type.

Proportion in the Design of Women's Fashionable Clothing: A 50-Year Retrospective

Saiki, D., Makela, C. J. — 2007-11-19

Proportion is a major element defining the appearance of apparel. This study identifies the proportions found in women's daywear. Data from 4,026 advertisement and main feature photographs in Vogue magazine from 1945 to 1995 are analyzed. Clothing ensembles are measured from left to right (horizontal proportion) and top to bottom (vertical proportion). The greatest number of observed horizontal proportions is in the 50/50 category, which is a proportion that is well balanced. The most frequent vertical proportion is 35/65, which is close to the golden section or ideal proportion. The proportion most equal to the golden section (40/60) is not the most frequent vertical proportion. In the 1960s, a time marked by social unrest and transition in women's roles in the United States, findings indicate that apparel meeting the guidelines of good proportion were not as common as other times. The study of proportion has application in teaching and critiquing design.

An Exploratory Study of the Role Financial Satisfaction Has on the Thought of Subsequent Divorce

Grable, J. E., Britt, S., Cantrell, J. — 2007-11-19

This study is designed to test whether financial satisfaction can be used to distinguish between those who had considered getting a divorce during the past 3 years—an indicator of marital distress—from those who had not. Using a sample of U.S. midwestern individuals (n = 361), a classification and regression tree methodology was used to determine that individuals with a high level of financial satisfaction were significantly less likely to have thought about divorce during the past 3 years. In addition to financial satisfaction, other important factors that can be used to predict the likelihood of thinking about a divorce include di ference in partners' ages, the age of a spouse, self-esteem, and employment characteristics of the married couple.

Laundering in Cold Water: Detergent Considerations for Consumers

Cameron, B. A. — 2007-11-19

The e fectiveness (ability to whiten) of six consumer laundry detergents, three powders and three liquids, was tested using a standard procedure. Assessment of each detergent's ability to clean (ability to remove stain, thus whiten) a standard soiled cloth in six di ferent cold water samples was evaluated. Two of the detergents, one powder and one liquid, are new laundry products designed to function in cold water. Results were based on a standardized procedure using launder-ometer treatment and reflectance colorimeter testing. Although no one detergent was very e fective in whitening, the di ferences in the detergents were significant when compared to the original standard soiled cloth. In addition, when laundering this particular standard soiled cloth (carbon black/olive oil) in cold water, neither of the new cold water detergents were better at cleaning (whitening) the samples than the detergents without bleach or the bleach-containing detergents, and in fact, the powdered detergent with bleach performed the best in each of the tests in this study. The liquid detergent with bleach was best in comparison to other liquid detergents in only half of the tests performed.

A Listing of Theses and Dissertations Completed in Family and Consumer Sciences: 2006

Pickard, M. J. — 2007-11-19

2006 Thesis and Dissertations Report: Family and Consumer Sciences

Pickard, M. J. — 2007-11-19

Twenty-five universities reported their graduate students in Family and Consumer Sciences wrote 221 thesis and 79 dissertations in 2006. Students in nutrition completed 93 theses. Thirteen dissertations were from the fields of family relations and institution hotel and restaurant management, and 12 dissertations came from the field of nutrition. Because degree completion with a graduate project is not reported in the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, this research productivity report accounts for a small fraction of graduate degrees granted in 2006.