Objectives: To offer programmers, policy makers, and researchers a scientific basis for developing and selecting smoking cessation treatments for adolescents. Methods: An evidence review panel systematically rated published and unpublished reports of cessation treatments for youth to make recommendations on theoretical foundations, delivery…

Objectives: To summarize recommendations from Youth Tobacco Cessation: A Guide for Making Informed Decisions for careful consideration, selection, implementation, and evaluation of youth cessation interventions. Methods: Recommendations were developed from an evidence review and consensus from a multidisciplinary advisory panel. Results:…

This article reviews relevant literature and methodological issues concerning home-based intensive behavioural programmes (Lovaas). It describes, via an examination of case work, the dilemmas presented when a local education authority is asked to fund programmes. Suggestions for review procedures are offered.

Background: School physical education is available to most young people and provides a structured context for physical activity participation. Regular physical activity during childhood can confer acute and long-term health benefits. From this health perspective one of the goals of physical education is for students to take part in appropriate…

To enhance the ability of youth to help peers and themselves, the author proposes specific training in mature social decision-making to help youth overcome immature moral development and egocentric thinking. The EQUIP program emphasizes the positive moral potential of anti-social adolescents, as well as the limitations of antisocial youth:…

Nutritional well-being among older adults is critical for maintaining health, increasing longevity, and decreasing the impact of chronic illness. However, few well-controlled studies have examined nutritional behavior change among low-income older adults. A prospective, controlled, randomized design examined a five session nutrition education…

Thirty-five studies were originally selected to be analyzed as to behavior modification techniques used in successful weight-loss programs. From these, 14 studies were chosen that provided sufficient data, including follow-up data, and 4 studies that had no follow-up data but that did report data from the treatment time period. As a result of rank…

Using the collaborative efforts of a teacher educator and a classroom teacher, this study attempted to implement invitational education (a perceptually based, self-concept approach which is referred to as a theory of practice) in a special education classroom for six children with behavior problems. Four questions were used to systematically…

The case study reports the findings of systematic play training with a 7 year old autistic male who had never exhibited play behavior. The research procedure involved three phases: imitation training, training manipulative play, and motivation training. Training during the three phases was conducted three times per week for 7 1/2 months in a quiet…

Weight loss clinics based on scientific fact and containing diet therapy, exercise therapy, and behavior modification components can be effective vehicles for weight loss among the mildly to moderately obese. Health educators are called on to disseminate the information necessary to establish scientifically based criteria and program evaluation…

A token reinforcement program was successful not only in promoting positive behavior changes in a mainstreamed behavior problem second grader but also in creating attitude changes in her regular class teachers. Findings suggest that positive commitments to mainstreaming were related to the teacher's effectiveness in improving students'…

A package treatment program to reduce cigarette smoking was compared to a single treatment condition. Following treatment and posttesting, booster sessions were introduced. The package condition produced higher abstinence rates and lower percentages of baseline smoking after six months than other treatment conditions. Booster sessions had no…

Reviews the efficacy of maintenance enhancement procedures to prevent relapse in smoking cessation, weight control, and exercise programs. Presents models of maintenance enhancement, reviews studies that have used relapse prevention strategies, and discusses ways of incorporating relapse prevention techniques into health promotion programs.…

Developed, implemented, and evaluated a supervisory training program using the expectancy theory of motivation. Found experimental training had no measurable positive effect on changing the motivational levels of the subordinates as measured by a subordinate motivation instrument. (Author/ABL)

Autism now occurs in 1 out of 150 births in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2008). Increasing numbers and complexity of the disorder make the need for identifying effective interventions critical. DSM-IVTR identifies core characteristics of autism as significant deficits in communication, social interaction, and symbolic play.…