This report describes effective approaches for enhancing maternal, infant, and family outcomes based on the scientific and systematic assessment of the content of prenatal care conducted by the Public Health Service's Expert Panel on the Content of Prenatal Care. The range of risks, both medical and psychosocial, that the prenatal care provider…

The recent success of the United States antismoking movement has produced a marked decline in the U.S. smoking population. A study employed Jurgen Habermas' communicative competency theory to examine United States smoking controversy discourse and identify the most successful appeals of the antismoking movement. Analysis revealed that primary…

This paper reports evidence indicating that adapted exercise has a preventive effect on the incidence and progression of chronic diseases which are often related to the aging process. Exercise is known to preserve many physiological responses in the healthy elderly, yet those with physical impairments are often discouraged from exercising because…

Future school responses to child sexual abuse (CSA) should occur within a community context. As Canadian schools try to implement CSA prevention programs, changes in the community such as improved child care programs should occur simultaneously. A summary of CSA facts, new initiatives at the national level, and the role of the community, school,…

Singers appear to experience health benefits from singing, but their art makes physical demands that may leave them prone to health problems. The study sought to measure singers' immunocompetence under practice and performance conditions. Salivary IgA and cortisol measurements were assayed from multiple pre-post saliva samples obtained from 10…

Higher education-community partnerships can lead to fruitful rewards that are difficult to realize any other way. However, efforts to create, maintain, and sustain collaborative working relationships include inevitable tensions, the "politics of engagement." Lessons learned about the politics of engagement are presented in this paper.…

Canadian baby-boomers will reach old age around 2020. Until then, they represent a large, well-educated generation whose economic productivity provides a strong base on which to build the necessary systems of income support, health and social service delivery, and economic adjustment that will be required to age gracefully. Canadians can expect…

Using data from the Older Adult Project within the Health Promotion Research Program at Northern Illinois University, this study examined four dimensions of health conception and their relationship to six dimensions of health-promoting lifestyle in a population of older adults (n=364). A battery of instruments was administred to all subjects to…

This manual, designed to assist professionals in health and health-related agencies, offers guidance for planning a health communication program about cancer based on social marketing and other principles as well as the experiences of National Cancer Institute staff and other practitioners. The six chapters are arranged by sequentially ordered…

The Better Babies Project is attempting to intervene with inner city pregnant women, many of whom are poor, to change their behavior in order to reduce the many behavioral risks associated with delivering a low birthweight infant. The research objective of this intervention is to offer and document the provision of consistent and comprehensive…

A description is given of the process of setting nationwide objectives in disease prevention and health promotion. Five national public health goals for enhancing the health of the population at five major life stages are discussed: (1) infant health and mortality reduction; (2) child health and development; (3) health and health habits of…

As the population of students with health care needs continues to increase, schools are being asked to provide for a greater array of health care services during the school day. School personnel, parents, and health care providers all share a substantial interest in the quality and provision of health services in the educational setting. The…

Mercury is a naturally occurring and widely used element that can cause health and ecological problems when released to the environment through human activities. Though a national and even international issue, the health and environmental impacts of mercury are best understood when studied at the local level. "Mercury: An Educator's Toolkit"…

This document contains three issues of the 2002 Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health newsletter. The newsletters disseminate information about the national and local initiatives for intervention and prevention of mental health problems. They also provide information on upcoming workshops and…

This document presents the results of the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that pertain to HIV transmission. These results include sexual assault, alcohol and other drug use, and sexual behaviors. The survey was administered to a nationally representative random sample of…