805452

PMCnull

The separate and combined effects of participation in a health careers program and of parental support for a health career on young people's interest in a health career were examined. Twenty-seven eighth graders participating in a health careers orientation program were matched by sex, race, and parental education with 27 eighth grade nonparticipants, and personal interviews were then conducted with students in both groups. Both program participation and parental support were found to be significantly related to two measures of the students' interest in a health career. One measure was of the students' interest in general health-related careers. When program participation and parental support were each studied with the other factor controlled, it was found that parental support had a greater effect when program participation was absent. An analysis of various participation-support combinations revealed that when neither participation nor parental support was present, the students' interest in a health career was considerably less than if one or both were present.

Public Health Reports