Adolescence, Affect and Health. - Review - book review

Adolescence, Fall, 2000

SPRUIJT-METZ, Donna. Adolescence, Affect and Health. Philadelphia: Psychology Press, 1999. 22lpp. $54.95 (h).

Adolescence, Affect and Health covers the entire empirical cycle in adolescent health research and education. It describes in depth the development and evaluation of a health education program designed to enhance everyday health-related behaviors in an adolescent population, and offers comprehensive reviews of developmental theories of adolescence, ethical and theoretical issues in adolescent health education, and the major theories used in adolescent health research. The research presented here led to the development and testing of a new theory--the Theory of Salient Meanings of Behavior--which departs from the cognitive theories that have so far dominated adolescent health education and research, but which have often proved inadequate in describing and predicting adolescent health-related behavior. The inception, growth, testing, and field testing of this new theory are traced here. The book is designed to appeal to both theoretical and applied scientists in the field of adolescent development, adolescent h ealth, and health education. A clear research methodology is set out for the complementary use of a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods.