Background: Only half of US schoolchildren receive influenza vaccine. School-located influenza vaccination (SLIV) might raise vaccination rates but conducting flu vaccine clinics at schools is challenging to implement. We compared 2 school-based programs designed to raise influenza vaccination rates: parent reminder/educational messages sent to…

This research paper considers the place of the European lifelong-learning philosophical concept of Bildung (self-formation) and how Socratic questioning activities might be used to facilitate its development. Originating with the great philosophical thinkers of the German Renaissance, it is a concept that is again attracting attention because of…

School nurses work in a unique environment with key opportunities to address parental concerns and questions regarding their child's health. A common concern for parents during school enrollment is childhood vaccination safety and efficacy. As public health leaders, school nurses are well respected among parents, therefore school nurses are in a…

Background: School nurses and personnel play a vital role in promoting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with school nurses' and personnel's professional practice to provide parents with HPV vaccine information and to encourage parents to vaccinate their child against HPV. Methods:…

To ensure that all children in the Altgeld-Riverdale community are succeeding by third grade, BPI (Business and Professional People for the Public Interest) launched the Altgeld-Riverdale Early Learning Initiative in 2012. The goal of the initiative is to establish a community-based system that can support the developmental needs of the…

Drawing on a UK research study on immunization, this article investigates parents' understandings of the relationship between themselves, their infants, other bodies, the state, and cultural practices--material and symbolic. The article argues that infant bodies are best thought of as always social bundles, rather than as biobundles made social…

Childhood obesity is being considered a global health epidemic, and one of the countries mostly affected by it is Mexico. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of low-income mothers with regard to their child's weight status and physical activity and their beliefs about healthy and high-density foods. A total of 813 mothers attending…

Objective: The objective of this feasibility study was to evaluate the acceptability and potential effectiveness of a web-based MMR decision aid in supporting informed decision-making for the MMR vaccine. Design: This was a prospective before-and-after evaluation. Setting: Thirty parents of children eligible for MMR vaccination were recruited from…

The objective of this pilot study was to assess and describe changes in knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding influenza vaccination in an inner city setting using an interactive computer-based educational program. A convenience sample of ninety participants whose children were in the age group of 6 months to 5 years was enrolled in this…

Traditionally, vaccines have been associated with childhood. Historically, many of the most-feared communicable diseases attacked infants and toddlers, and those who survived were generally protected from those diseases as adults. During the past century tremendous advances in vaccination spared millions the morbidity and mortality associated with…

The childhood immunization schedule includes at least 17 scheduled immunizations prior to the age of 24 months. Immunization laws require childcare centers to maintain immunization records and enforce immunization standards for children who attend these centers. Childcare providers generally receive little formal education about infectious…

Introduction: Few studies have rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of health-related continuing education using satellite distribution. This study assessed participants' professional characteristics and their changes in knowledge, attitudes, and actions taken after viewing a public health preparedness training course on mass vaccination…

This volume contains papers submitted to the 11th Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES), held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 14-17 May 2013, and papers submitted to the 1st International Distance Partner Conference, organized by the International Research Centre "Scientific Cooperation,"…