In the midst of a generalised HIV and AIDS epidemic in southern Africa, the argument for more coordinated and comprehensive youth sexual health interventions is intensifying. Yet the crucial question of "how best" to provide young people with these skills and knowledge remains a key challenge for policy-makers, researchers and…

For the past three decades, the "Healthy People" initiative has represented an ambitious yet achievable health promotion and disease prevention agenda for the nation. The recently released fourth version--"Healthy People 2020"--builds on the foundations of prior iterations while newly embracing and elevating a comprehensive "social determinants"…

Objective: This pilot study evaluated effects of "Lunch is in the Bag" on behavioral constructs and their predictive relationship to lunch-packing behaviors of parents of young children. Methods: Six child care centers were pair-matched and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 3) and comparison (n = 3) groups. Parent/child dyads participated.…

Objective: To identify the food skills deemed essential to include in skill-based healthful eating programs in secondary schools. Methods: Fifty-one food experts including home economics educators, chefs, nutritionists and dietitians, community educators, homemakers, and young people were recruited by invitation, mail, and advertising. Data were…

An educational program targeting older adults was developed to increase knowledge regarding nutrition and eye health. With age, the chance for eye disease increases, so prevention is critical. The Eating for Your Eyes program has promoted behavior changes regarding eye health among the participants. This program is easily replicated and use is…

The Community Coalition Action Theory (CCAT) blends practice wisdom with empirical data to explain how community coalitions achieve community change and community capacity outcomes. The current study uses data from an evaluation of 20 "California Healthy Cities" and "Communities" coalitions to test relationships between…

Social-emotional development, psychosocial functioning, and relational experiences have been shown to impact academic achievement and psychological well-being. Social skills have been identified as being particularly critical in promoting mental health and life-long success. Children with well-developed social skills (e.g., sharing, being…

Background: School-based interventions hold promise for child obesity prevention. Implemented as a part of the "Winning with Wellness" obesity prevention project, the "Go Slow Whoa" meal pattern (GSW) was designed to promote healthier foods in school cafeterias. This investigation determined perceived program effectiveness and…

For over 40 years, tribal colleges and universities have devised innovative programs to address behavioral and tribal health. Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, looks back at the progress made and details current strategies and initiatives.

Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity is high, particularly among minority youth. The objective of this article was to evaluate parent and school staff perspectives of childhood health and weight qualitatively to guide the development of a school-based obesity prevention program for minority youth. Methods: Hispanic parents (N?=?9) of…

Background: School nurses play a central role in assisting elementary school children in managing their asthma, especially those in higher-risk school districts that are at increased risk of uncontrolled asthma. Study purposes are to (1) identify barriers to asthma management by school nurses in higher-risk school districts; and (2) assess the…

Given the challenge of cooking traditional Caribbean meals so they are consistent with the goals of diabetes prevention and management, the researcher created and evaluated a new website portal as e-health tailored to be culturally appropriate and teach the following: how to cook and prepare "Healthy Diabetes" Caribbean Plates. A social…

Objective: We aimed to improve the education of medical students involved in a longitudinal perinatal health improvement project in Gowa, Malawi. Design: We conducted qualitative interviews with students who participated in the project, reviewed their quantitative reports, and assessed the application of methodologies consonant with the learning…

Background: A need exists to determine whether college students engage in sufficient physical activity (PA) using objective methodology. Purpose: Accelerometry-based activity monitors were used to evaluate adherence to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Methods: College students (N =…

Background: Participation in sports has been linked to a range of physical, social and mental health benefits. Little is known about the extent to which people with intellectual disabilities take part in sports. This study looks at participation in sports and factors associated with participation by people with intellectual disabilities in…