Systematic evaluation efforts are often neglected in com munity health education programs due to lack of financial or technical resources. The utility of including program evaluation at an early state in program development and implementation is demonstrated in this case study of a community-wide breast and cervical cancer education program. A number of methodological issues that the health education practitioner should consider in evaluations of community health programs are identified and discussed including: 1) selection of design; 2) establishing controls; 3) determination of sample size; 4) standardization of instruments; 5)selection bias; and 6) participant attrition. Implications for program development are examined.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Suchman, EAEvaluation Research: Principles and Practice in Public Service and Social Action Programs. New YorkRussell Sage, 1976.
2.
Weiss C.: Evaluation Research: Methods of Assessing Program Effectiveness . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall , 1972
3.
Green LW, Talamanca IFSuggested designs for evaluation of patient education programsHealth Educ Mongr2:54-71, 1974.
4.
Wakefield J.: Measurement and evaluation In Health Education Theory and Practice in Cancer Control. UICC Technical Report Series, Geneva, Switzerland , 10.50-63, 1974
5.
Porter AC, and Chibocos TRCommon problems of design and analysis in evaluative researchSoc Method Res3:235-257, 1975
6.
Bernstein Ilene N (Ed ) : Validity Issues in Evaluative Research. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1976.
7.
Kenny D.: A quasi experimental approach to assessing treatment effects in the nonequivalent control group designPsych Bull82:345-362, 1975.
8.
Grover PL, et al.Evaluating the Effect of Personalized Risk Factor Education on Patient Compliances . Some Research Findings & Methodological Issues Paper presented at IXth International Health Education Conference, Ottawa, Ontario, August 29 - September 4, 1976
9.
Green LWEvaluation and measurement. Some dilemmas for health educationAm J Pub Health67:155-161, 1977
10.
11.
Kilgo JSEvaluation of a Community Health Education Program on Breast and Uterine Cancer. Unpublished Master's Thesis, School of Public Health, The Graduate School, University of Alabama in Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 1979.
12.
Cobb B., et al: Patient-responsible delay of treatment in cancerCancer7:920-926, 1954.
13.
Kutner B., et al: Delay in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A critical analysis of the literatureJ Chronic Dis7:95-120, 1958
14.
Kutner B., Gordan G.Seeking care for cancerJ Health Hum Behav2171-178, 1961.
15.
Sutherland R.Cancer: The Significance of Delay. London: Butterworth, 1960.
16.
Goldstein RKPatient delay in seeking cancer diagnosis: Behavioral aspectsJ Chronic Dis16:427-436, 1962
17.
Kegeles S.: A field experimental attempt to change beliefs and behavior women in an urban ghetto. J Health Soc Behav10:115-125, 1969
18.
Burton TL, Cherry GE: Social Research Techniques for Planners. London, England. Ruskin House, 1970.
19.
Becker MHThe health belief model and personal health behaviorHealth Educ Monog2:4, 1974
20.
Fink R.: Delay Behavior in Breast Cancer Screening, In. Cancer - The Behavioral Dimensions. Cullen, J., Fox, B , and lsom, R. (eds ). A National Cancer Institute Monograph New York: Raven Press, 1976
21.
Antonovsky A., Anson O.Factors Related to Preventive Health Behavior In: Cancer- The Behavioral Dimensions. Cullen, J , Fox, B., and lsom, R (eds.) A National Cancer Institute Monograph, New YorkRaven Press, 1976.
22.
Green LWSite- and Symptom-Related Factors in Secondary Prevention of Cancer. In: Cancer - The Behavioral Dimensions Cullen, J , Fox, B., and lsom, R (eds.). A National Cancer Institute MonographNew York: Raven Press, 1976.
23.
Kegeles S.: Relationship of Sociocultural Factors in Cancer. In: Cancer - The Behavioral Dimensions. Cullen, J., Fox, B., and Isom, R. (eds.). A National Cancer Institute Monograph. New York: Raven Press, 1976.
24.
Fourth National Cancer Communications Conference Materials.National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society. Chicago, Illinois, June 20-21, 1977.
25.
Windsor R., Kronenfeld J., Kilgo J.: An Evaluation of a Community Health Education Program on Breast and Uterine Cancer. Presented at the American Public Health Association, Los Angeles, CA, October 17, 1978
26.
Green LW: First "Health Education" Distinguished Lecture School of Public Health, Columbia University, May, 1978
27.
Campbell DT, Stanley JD: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research. Chicago: Rand-McNally, 1963
28.
Cook TD, Campbell DT: The Design and Conduct of Quasi-Experiments and True Experiments in Field Settings In. Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Dun-nett, Marvin D (ed.), The University of Minnesota Chicago. Rand-McNally, 1976
29.
Kar SBCommunication research in family planning: An analytical framework Population Communication: Technical Documentation No 2, UNESCO, 1975
30.
Butler J., Paisley W.: Communicating cancer control to thepublic Health Educ Monogr, 5:5-24, 1977.
31.
Main ED: A nationwide evaluation of the MDTA institutional job trainingJ Hum Res3: 159-170, 1968
32.
Windsor RAMood modifying substances usage among 4-H and non 4-H youth in illinois. J Drug Educ3:3, 261-273, 1973
33.
Wang VL, Ephross P., Green LWThe point of diminishing returns in nutrition education through home visits by aides: An evaluation of EFNEPHealth Educ Monogr3:1, 70-88, 1975
Cohen J.Statistical power analysis and research resultsAm Educ Res J10:225-229, 1973.
36.
Cohen J, Cohen P (Eds.): Applied Multiple Regression Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. New YorkHalsted Press, 1975
37.
Bohrnstedt GWReliability and validity assessment in attitude measurement. In Attitude Measurement. Summers, G F (ed ) ChicagoRand-McNally , pp. 80-99, 1970
38.
Kerlinger F.Foundations of Behavioral Research. New YorkHolt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1973
39.
Boruch F., Rindskopf D.On Randomization Experiments, Approximation to Experiments, and Data Analysis Chapter 6 in: Evaluation Research Methods: A Basic Guide . Rutman, Leonard (ed ) Beverly HillsSage Publications, pp 143-177, 1977
40.
Gordis L.: Assuring the quality of questionnaire data in epidemiologic research. Am J Epidemiol1.21-24, 1979.
41.
Kuder G., Richardson M.: The theory of the estimation of test reliabilityPsychometrika2: 151-160, 1937
42.
Watts HW, Peck )K., Taussig M.Site Selection, Representativeness of the Sample, and Possible Attrition Bias In: The New Jersey Income-Maintenance Experiment , Volume III Watts, H W and Rees, A (eds.) New York. Academic Press, 1977.
43.
Moser CA: Survey Methods in Social Investigation. The University Press, Glasgow, Scotland, 1959.
44.
Laurent A.Effects of question length on reporting behavior in the survey interviewJ Am Statis Assoc67.298-305, 1972
45.
Siemiatycki J. : A comparison of mail, telephone, and home interview strategies for household health surveysAm J Pub Health69:3, 238-245, 1979
46.
Cannell, CG, Fowler F.: Comparison of Hospitalization Reporting in Three Survey Procedures Vital and Health Statistics PHS Publication No. 1000, Series 2 No 8 Washington, D.C.: Goverment Printing Office, 1965
47.
Hochstim JRA critical comparison of three strategies of collecting data from householdsJ Am Statis Assoc62:976-989, 1967
48.
Sudman S., Bradburn NMResponse Effects in Surveys: A Review and Synthesis. ChicagoAldine, 1974
49.
Locander W. , Sudman S., Bradburn N.: An Investigation of Interviev Method, Threat and ResponseJ Am Statis Assoc71:269-275, 1976.
