The mission of Cedar Crest College, an independent women's college, is to provide students with excellent education that is grounded in the liberal arts and informed by humanistic values. In 2003, Student Affairs staff of the school looked closely at those students who were graduating and began to realize that though the college was providing…

Tobacco smoking is responsible for approximately 434,000 deaths per year in the United States (Fact Sheet, 1993). College students represent a large portion of the smoking public. Roughly 70% of college students have tried smoking (Everett & Husten, 1999). There are various methods available to assist in smoking cessation, some being, nicotine…

Health promoting behaviors have become increasingly important as Americans attempt to retain their youth and health. This study collected self-reported data from 559 participants in the Southwest United States using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II to compare the health promoting behaviors of older adults (60-92 years), middle-aged adults…

It all started with a night of bowling in Austin, Texas, when fifth-grade student Amit had an evening of fun with his grandparents. When Amit returned to his home in Lubbock, TX, and tried to replicate his newfound recreation, his night of bowling fun ended after 10 minutes in an asthma attack. His second attempt at Lubbock bowling also brought a…

Should teachers teach the calculation of target heart rate to students? And when is it appropriate to engage students in the attainment of these heart rates during physical education class activities? The answers to these questions are not easy. One might be tempted to state a simple yes or no and to identify a specific age to begin using training…

Public health experts project a strong possibility that an avian flu pandemic will occur in the next 4 years, and the federal government has already warned that states and localities must make their own plans for this event since such a broad scale public health crises would far outstrip federal capacity to respond. Colleges and universities are…

There is an extensive literature within anthropology, sociology and psychology about lay concepts of determinants of health and illness. Many of these studies have used single sex or social class samples, often in narrow age bands, and many are qualitative in approach. We asked respondents in a health survey to say how important (on a five-point…

The authors argue that there is a clear link between mental and physical health issues. A wellness-based approach to integrated health care, such as the one described in this article, may allow older clients to be empowered to make lifestyle changes that can improve the quality of their lives and reduce physical illness.

The purpose of this article is to trace development of the National Healthy School Program (NHSP) from a global concept to implementation at the local school level in England with a view toward clarifying and, more importantly, determining if implementation is proceeding as planned, as evidenced by the presence of process evaluation. The NHSP is…

A large number (N 50 569) of 14-16 year old Finnish adolescents taking part in the School Health Promotion Study were surveyed for delinquent behaviour in relation to depression. The results indicate a robust association between delinquency and depression. Among girls risk for depression varied between 1.3 and 3.1 according to various antisocial…

Autism is a developmental disorder affecting the lives of thousands of children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 34 in 10,000 children ages 3 to 10 years of age have autism (CDC, 2004). The Autism Society of America (ASA) reports that 1 in 166 babies born today will develop autism spectrum disorder…

It's no secret that America's youth are now more out of shape than ever before. Study after study documents the sad saga of childhood obesity. Quick-fix remedies such as "Atkins for Kids" and child-friendly aerobics classes are proliferating. There are fat camps for kids and low-fat "candy." Still, an inescapable fact remains: As a nation, and…

Young people living in rural areas lack opportunities for accessing health advice and care without reference to a parent, carer, or other adult. In this article Jane Harrison and Jane Bullock provide the rationale for the development in 1997 of Bodyzone, a school-based health service to address this problem. Presented here as a case study,…

Intuitive eating (an anti-dieting, hunger-based approach to eating) has been popularized as a viable approach to healthy weight management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between intuitive eating, diet composition, and the meaning of food. The convenience sample included 343 students enrolled in a general education…

Authors reviewed the theoretical history of the "motivation" construct, and its utilization within past/current health behavior research. Textbooks and review articles functioned as sources for the theoretical history review. Research published within a 10-year period (1993-2002) in four health promotion journals (all with impact factors greater…