Describes the different roles and styles of instruction for the leader of a promotional group in physical activity. Principles of group dynamics are applied to facilitate permanent change in members' health-related physical activities. How the leader works is described, including transfer of responsibility to the members. (Author/EMK)

A Long Island superintendent (a former workaholic) explains his need for relaxation, uninterrupted family time, and behavior changes. He now takes all of his vacation time (without calling the office), delegates authority, and relaxes off the job. Superintendents are empowered to control their own wellness. (MLH)

Self-ratings of self-efficacy for engaging patients in health-promotion activities were made by 41 nursing and 60 medical students. Nursing students had significantly higher knowledge and ability scores for counseling patients about exercise, nutrition, and injury prevention. Confidence in knowledge was stronger than counseling ability in both…

Explains how the read-the-label English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) initiative and other health-related ESL programs can safeguard the health and well-being of people with limited proficiency in English. (Author/VWL)

Fourth in a series of articles summarizing studies that examined the impact of comprehensive health-promotion and disease-management programs on health and cost. The focus is on worksite health promotion and education. Study results provide cautious optimism about the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these worksite programs and…

Individual men (N=21) were studied as they related to health information over time to uncover motives for changing health habits relevant to prevention of coronary heart disease. Examples are presented, and cues to action are distinguished. Mediating factors and strategies for initiating changes in health behavior are discussed. (EMK)

Numerous federal and health-promotion agencies recommend increasing youngsters' physical activity levels to 30 to 60 accumulated minutes daily. The National Association for Sports and Physical Education has developed national standards that define a physically educated person. High-quality program components and learning activities are described.…

Policies play an important role in shaping school environments. Schools with healthy, well-maintained physical environments signal that students are valued. Policies built around equal opportunities, valued teachers, and family and community engagement strengthen a school's psychosocial environment. Coordinated school health program policies…

Nursing students collaborated with urban high school students to identify adolescent health needs and to build and maintain a health information Web site. Student empowerment and ownership of the project were the keys to its sustainability. (SK)

Study examines the wellness, empathic ability, and social support networks of undergraduate students. Results indicate a significant relationship between students' own ratings of their happiness and wellness and their total wellness scores. Also finds a significant correlation between social network size and perceived social support. (Contains 61…

Therapeutic recreation faces changes that impact educational preparation and professional practice. This article examines the changes, suggesting the need to rethink how the field operates in order to secure its future. The recent reorganization of Temple University's therapeutic recreation curriculum is presented as one example of a proactive…

Argues that schoolwide interventions can potentially buffer students from violence outside of schools and prevent violence within schools, and examines the Comer School Development Program (CSDP) as an example of a successful schoolwide intervention. It reveals how the CSDP creates a "safe haven" that supports healthy development,…

Describes a health-and-safety risk-management audit in four Queensland, Australia high schools. One major outcome of this research project is the development of a comprehensive risk-management policy in compliance with the law. Other outcomes include the preparation of a professional-development package in risk-management policy for use as a…

Supports findings from a 1996 meeting of two school health organizations that there is a need for additional research on school nursing, reviewing existing research, describing the group process used to establish a research agenda on school nursing, presenting results of the process, and offering recommendations for the next steps to be taken by…

Describes the association between stress and maladaptive coping and stress-related mental disorders; the severity of problems due to stress and stress-related mental disorders; and the need for primary prevention that teaches coping skills. Recommendations are given for providing cognitive-behavioral coping-skills training and educating consumers…