Interviewers hired to recruit families of color from low income communities describe their recruitment techniques, the personal attributes that they felt made a difference, barriers to recruitment, and the experience of working for a white researcher. (Contains 36 references.) (JOW)

Introduces a special issue on youth, discussing current youth-focused therapeutic recreation research and practice, comparing this issue with another theme journal on youth (emphasizing the roles of professional preparation and professional organizations), examining the role of therapeutic recreation and adventure therapy, and noting theoretical…

Discusses positive and negative effects of five federal health promotion initiatives: Medicare Prevention Benefits, Surgeon General's Reports, Healthy People 2000 and 2001, Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, and Put Prevention into Practice Campaign. Recommends additional research and coordination with state and private sector agencies.…

Describes the forms of soy available as food ingredients and foods, the components in soy that may be important to women's health, the FDA health claim permitted for soy foods and ingredients, and research studies examining the role of soy in reducing cholesterol, cancer risk, osteoporosis, and symptoms of menopause. (Contains references.) (SM)

Article describes how organizations are beginning to develop and integrate health and disability management programs with an eye toward health promotion, disease prevention, and reducing disability-related lost time. (Author/JDM)

The rapid growth of the population of older adults and their concomitant physical status and health needs have captured the attention, collaboration, and funding support of an array of leaders in the fields of aging and health care. To help fill the void of literature available to social workers interested in health promotion and aging, the…

The purpose of this article is to analyze the policy decisions made by the World Health Organization (WHO) in working to fight the spread of the first truly global infectious disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), of the 21st century. In particular, the author pays attention to the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network…

With all the extra demands that are placed on teachers during the months of May and June, the end of the year can be an extremely stressful time. This article describes several tips for diminishing the effects of end of year stress. The following relaxation tips are described: (1) Neck and Upper Shoulder Stretch; (2) Superman Stretch; (3) Doorway…

The McComb School District in Mississippi is supporting the fundamental needs of all students and has achieved outstanding results. The challenge of turning around the struggling school system into a successful school is discussed.

There is growing emphasis in public policy on involving young people in the development of health promotion campaigns and information resources on substance misuse. To date there has been little literature that explores the level and nature young people's involvement in such initiatives. This paper reports on an evaluation of a substance misuse…

How much "junk food" is too much? This question is difficult to answer, because it depends on the health and weight status of the child. If the child already has a weight problem, then this type of snack should be more restricted than for a child without weight issues. In this article, Dr. Ludwig states that, as a general rule, parents should not…

The inauguration of a new president is a typically a time of great hope, and this year is certainly no exception. But the advent of the Obama administration offers residents of New York and other city-dwellers special grounds for optimism: that the period of years, if not decades, when the federal government all but turned its back on the needs of…

The need for successful nutrition interventions is critical as the prevalence of childhood obesity increases. Thus, this pilot project examines the effect of a nutrition education program, "Color My Pyramid", on children's nutrition knowledge, self-care practices, activity levels, and nutrition status. Using a pretest-posttest,…

Although parents play a vital role in fostering healthy sexuality-related attitudes and behaviors among adolescents, many parents struggle with how to address sexuality-related topics with their adolescent child. This article provides practitioners with evidence-based frameworks and guidelines on how to work with parents in order to improve their…

Fun & Fit is a program designed to create positive physical activity experiences and to promote healthy lifestyle choices among overweight children from low-income African American and Hispanic American families. The program is a collaborative project between Texas Tech University and the Lubbock Independent School District funded through a…