By ETR | November 4, 2014
In ETR's latest video, Senior Research Associate Jill Glassman, PhD, makes a complex and powerful statistical process understandable. Mediation analysis allows evaluators to determine which specific factors in an evidence-based intervention had the greatest impact on participants. Dr. Glassman also explains how important this work can be in helping us determine what approaches to STI/pregnancy prevention work best.
By Pamela Anderson, PhD | October 8, 2014
How serious is the problem of adolescent sex trafficking, and what can we do about it? These are issues ETR researchers have been looking at for some time. I’ve just heard some news that gives me hope that the health and education community is moving in a good direction on these matters.
By Karin Coyle, PhD
ETR's research team is testing some exciting new programs that ask middle and high school students to consider the ways romantic relationships influence their sexual choices and risks. We call this “contextualizing” sexual and reproductive health education—that is, using the context of relationships to build health-promoting information, attitudes and behaviors.
By Eloy Ortiz, MURP | August 15, 2014
Research Associate, ETR
ETR’s Science Department has conducted many longitudinal studies, on topics ranging from health behaviors to computer science interests. We’ve usually surveyed students in class or online, and often our biggest challenge is just getting a consent form signed and returned by the parents. Once we have consent, we work with the students, gather and analyze data, and write up the results.
The Math Pathways project is different because it involves gathering detailed information from mothers and students, as well as teachers. The goal of the study is to gather information that can be used to increase mathematics achievement among Latino students. We needed to meet individually with both the mother and the student outside of class. This created some challenges that helped us learn a lot more about the lives of these students and their families.
By Yethzell Diaz | April 17, 2014
First, let me be clear about something. I am not a techie. At all. The first time I interacted with a computer was probably in seventh grade. Technology stuff was completely foreign to me. My family and friends didn’t know about it. And there wasn’t someone we could turn to for guidance.
I did, however, become a student at University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), majoring in sociology, and at one point I desperately needed to get into a popular class. A hundred students were competing for ten open spots. How was I going to swing it?
By Anne Freiwald, MPH | March 18, 2014
I recently found myself at the 40th birthday party of a male friend. At the end of the evening, I was the only woman at the table, listening to male friends discuss online dating, sexual activities and preferences. They were comparing notes on how to meet new partners, including the use of some cool new dating apps. Most of these men were newly divorced or separated, and it was what some might call a racy conversation—each wanting to outdo the other.
The conversation was rich with the sorts of questions, assumptions and perceptions researchers like me get lost in. I was listening for themes and thinking about areas where I needed to gather additional information.
My inner researcher sat up and started asking myself questions. “What do STD rates look like among men in this age cohort?” “How likely is condom use in this population?” “How would they know if had a STD?” “Where would they get checked? Would they get checked?”