Abstract
Characteristically, children today are unhealthy and continue to practice unhealthy behaviors that lead to subsequent health problems (Ackers, 1992). Students' intentions to perform healthy behaviors may be influenced by the degree to which the school personnel model healthy behaviors in the school setting. This study investigated the relationship between students' perceptions of school personnel modeling health behaviors, the school personnel's perceptions of their modeling health behaviors, and the students' own intentions to perform those behaviors. One hundred forty-four fourth-graders and twenty-six school personnel from three elementary schools in an East Texas school district participated in the study. School personnel were those individuals in the school setting who most frequently had contact with fourth-grade students on a daily basis. Bivariate relationships and test-retest reliability were assessed using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlations of each behavioral instrument: Student Self-Rating Scale (SSR), the Student-Personnel Rating Scale (SHI), and the Personnel Self-Rating Scale (PSR). Discriminant analysis was performed to distinguish between students scoring lower and higher on intentions to have healthy behaviors. Independent variables examined included school, student's gender, student's race, SPCS (a student's rating of all personnel he/she contacts regularly), and FPCS (the mean selfratings of all personnel contacting a particular student). Students who perceived that personnel were better health models were more likely to intend to have healthy behaviors themselves. Students' intentions to practice healthy behaviors (SSR) were modestly correlated with their ratings of the school personnel with whom they have contact (SPCS), (.38). The correlation was highest for Hispanics (.87), compared to African- Americans (.42) and Caucasians (.14). Three variables, SPCS, school, and students' race, were significant predictors of SSR, accurately classifying 62% of students' intentions to have healthy behaviors. Intentions of Hispanics students to perform healthy behaviors were closely related to their perceptions of the degree to which school personnel model healthy behaviors. Influence of personnel over student health behavior appears to operate independently of the age and race of the personnel and depend more on evaluations students make of personnel than on the evaluations personnel make of themselves.
Guynes, Charlotte Louise (1994). School personnel as models of health behaviors among fourth-grade public school children. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -1551552.