Considers who is at risk in a disaster such as Chernobyl. Assesses the difficulty in translating information regarding radiation to the public and in determining the acceptability of technological risks. (NKA)

Reviews epidemiological studies of cardiovascular diseases especially coronary heart disease (CHD), to document their major public health importance, changes in mortality during this century, and international comparisons of trends. Finds major risk factors for CHD are determined in large part by psychosocial and behavioral mechanisms. Asserts…

Discusses the importance of education as the primary response of higher education to the epidemic associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Focuses on the personal, social and institutional issues that bear on AIDS education on college campuses and the important features of AIDS education programs. (TW)

The State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative represents a unique opportunity to improve the quality of life for young children and their families, and support them in reaching their full potential. Under the SECCS Initiative, state mother and child health agencies are being asked to apply MCH experience and expertise to a…

African American pastors are increasingly becoming involved in the care and understanding of those infected with HIV and AIDS. In this pilot project, lay leaders of a Methodist Church in Queens, New York participated in a facilitator training program for AIDS bereavement. A variety of theoretical perspectives that included bereavement theory;…

California is experiencing a critical shortage of nurses -- a shortage that is likely to increase in the coming years (Coffman & Spetz, 1999). Although much of the nation is also experiencing similar shortages, California's shortage is more severe than that of any other state in the nation (Bureau of Health Professions, 2002). Most analyses of…

Background: The purpose of the study was to compare the knowledge scores of medical students in Problem-based Learning and traditional curriculum on public health topics. Methods: We planned a cross-sectional study including the fifth and sixth year medical students of Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey. The fifth year students (PBL group, n = 56)…

The demographics of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic have changed from impacting affluent white gay men to impacting the poor, people of color, the young, and women. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) disproportionately affect these same populations. One approach that stresses the inclusion of the voices of marginalized…

Until recently, the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union appeared to have escaped the worst of the AIDS epidemic. In 1994 there were 30,000 reported HIV infections, but by the end of 1997 the number had climbed to 190,000. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) for explanatory utility among young adults and their use of condoms…

In 2001, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created a rural task force to develop strategies to improve HHS services in rural communities. Fifteen HHS agencies have programs serving rural communities; child- and education-related programs provide child welfare services, Head Start, health promotion and prevention services, training…

Policy and practice for screening children for lead poisoning have dominated the dialogue about the health care system's role in lead poisoning prevention, with little attention directed to how the health care system responds to a lead-poisoned child once identified. This report details a study of the case management and environmental…

Researchers, advocates, and clinicians met at the three 1998 migrant stream forums to develop strategies for farmworker health research. The introductory section of this proceedings discusses this year's focus--building research partnerships to improve migrant health--and describes planning and implementation of the forums' research track.…

This report presents procedures for national mental health that involve many levels of government and draws advice from a range of professional organizations. Due to the enormous impact of depression on the social, human, economic, and public health costs to Australians and the Australian government, this initiative focuses efforts on dealing with…

The early history of educational hygiene was largely the history of "school hygiene." The name was accurately indicative of character--the hygiene of the school as an environment rather than as a "community of children" learning under the leadership of teachers to know and live health. Environment bulked large; the education of…

African countries need to develop new approaches to socio-economic development and education which are appropriate to the individual needs of each country. The thrust of development programs should be towards small-scale agriculture and industry, self-help villages, and community-based public health programs in rural areas. (AM)