This research is a content analysis of those portions of college level health education textbooks which deal with drinking and alcoholism. Twenty books published between 1966 and 1973 were examined on the following topics: space alloted to alcohol and alcoholism; the relationship of alcohol and other drugs; why people drink; definitions of alcoholism; causes of alcoholism; treatment of alcoholism; and the effect of alcohol on society. The findings reveal a low level of reliability of information between the texts and high levels of inconsistency within the texts. Possible implications of these results for health education are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
MeansR. K., A History of Health Education in the United States, Philadelphia: Lea and Fedbiger, 1962, pp. 147–148.
2.
See Freidson, Profession of Medicine. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1970; ParsonsT., “Definitions of Health and Illness in Light of American Values and Social Structure” in JacoE. G. (ed.) Patients, Physicians and Illness. New York: The Free Press, 1958; SzaszT., The Myth of Mental Illness. New York: Harper and Row, 1964.
3.
SieglerM.OsmondH. and NewallS.. “Models of Alcoholism,”Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcoholism, Vol. 29 (1968), pp. 571–591.
4.
GerbnerG., “On Content Analysis and Critical Research in Mass Communications” in DexterL. A. and WhiteD. M. (eds.) People, Society and Mass Communications. New York: The Free Press, 1964, p. 493.
5.
National Clearinghouse for Mental Health Information. Alcohol and Alcoholism. Public Health Service Publication 1640, Washington, D.C.1968, p. 6.
6.
AndersonCarl L., and LangtonC. V., Health Principles and Practice. 6th Edition, St. Louis: C. V. Mosby Co., 1970.
7.
BucherCharles A.OlsenEinar A. and WillgooseCarl E.. The Foundations of Health. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967.
8.
ByrdOliver E. M.D., Health. 4th Edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1966.
9.
CorderB. W. and ShowalterP. K.. Health Science and College Life. Wm. C. Brown, 1972.
10.
CRM, Life and Health, CRM Books: Del Mar, California, 1972.
11.
DiehlHarold S. M.D., and DalyrympleWillard M.D. Healthful Living: A Textbook of Personal and Community Health. 9th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1973.
12.
HeinFred V. and FarnsworthDana L. M.D. Living. 5th Edition. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Co., 1972.
13.
HenkelBarbara OsbornMeansRichard K.SmolenskyJack and SawreyJames M.. Foundations of Health Science. 2nd Edition.Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1971.
14.
HickmanCleveland P.Health for College Students. 3rd Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.
15.
IrwinLeslie W.StatonWesley M. and WilliamsEdward K.. Health for Better Living. 2nd Edition. Columbus: Charles E. Merrill, 1972.
16.
JohnsEdward B.SuttonWilfred C. and WebsterLloyd E.. Health for Effective Living. 5th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 1973.
17.
JonesKenneth L.ShainbergLouis W. and ByerCurtis O.. Health Science. 2nd Edition. New York: Harper and Row, 1968.
18.
KirkRobert H., Personal Health in Ecologic Perspective. St. Louis: C. V. Mosby Co., 1972.
19.
KoganBenjamin. Health: Man in a Changing Environment. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, 1970.
20.
La Place, Health. (Brief Edition). New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1972.
21.
MillerBenjamin F. M.D. and BurtJohn. Good Health: Personal and Community. 3rd Edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1972.
22.
SchifferesJustus J.Essentials of Healthier Living. 4th Edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1972.
23.
SinacoreJohn S.Health: A Quality of Life. New York: Macmillan Co., 1968.
24.
TurnerC. E.Personal and Community Health. 14th Edition. St. Louis: C. V. Mosby Co., 1971.
25.
WilliamsJesse Feiring M.D. and KitzingerAngelea. Health for the College Student. 2nd Edition. New York: Harper and Row, 1967.
