The Katalyst intervention program was piloted in fifth-grade classrooms at two Appalachian schools during the 2017-18 academic year as a potential educational resource to tackle the rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases in this region. The program consisted of four 60-minute modules, each based on a specific organ system. Each module…

Healthy 2B Me aims to educate and empower underserved children ages seven to 11 years old to improve their health and well-being through a supportive, educational and entertaining public health-themed summer day camp. Qualitative data collected through camper exit slips, final posters/presentations, and parent surveys were analyzed to identify…

Poor academic performance has been linked with particular lifestyle behaviors, such as unhealthy diet, short sleep duration, high screen time, and low physical activity. However, little is known about how lifestyle behavior patterns (or combinations of behaviors) contribute to children's academic performance. We aimed to compare academic…

Background: Food security is a topical issue but one that can be difficult to measure. Objective: To develop a community-approved food basket tool and use this to investigate the availability and affordability of a healthy diet in a multicultural urban setting. Design: A 7-day healthy food basket (HFB) containing 96 foods for six household types…

This report examines the results of the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults. The YRBS, conducted biennially at the national and state/local levels, monitors the…

To regulate health messages on food labels, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) traditionally relied on mall intercepts to collect consumer data. In recent years, web surveys have presented a viable alternative for presenting visual stimuli with more control and efficiency in data collection. However, there is a paucity of empirical data…

Background: Adolescent overweight and obesity are serious health risks, with prevalence varying by sociodemographic group. Studies link children's weight status and sex/race-ethnic differences with meeting recommendations for physical activity and diet. But, research examining the intersection of sociodemographic characteristics, behavior, and…

Girls' identity constructions are influenced by the dominant sport, health and beauty discourses in their society. Recent research indicates that sport and health discourses embedded in physical education (PE) compete for influence. Some of these studies have illustrated how these discourses inform girls' social construction of body ideals and…

Background: A literature gap exists for grocery interventions with realistic resource expectations; few technology-based publications exist, and none document traditional comparison. Purpose: Compare grocery store traditional aisle demonstrations (AD) and technology-based (TB) nutrition education treatments. Methods: A quasi-experimental 4-month…

The Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is administered by the Montana Office of Public Instruction every two years to students in grades 7 through 12. The purpose of the survey is to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems…

The consumption of fruits and vegetables for the prevention of diseases has long been known because their phytochemicals and antioxidant nutrients provide protective benefits and defensive roles against oxidative damages that lead to human diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and others. This study is geared at observing…

Changes in social cognitions targeted within a group-based mentoring program for adolescent girls were examined as predictors of changes in physical activity (PA) and dietary behavior (in two separate models) over the course of the 7-week program. Data were collected from 310 participants who participated in the program. Multilevel path models…

This qualitative study explored overweight and obese college students' experiences of obesity. Overweight and obese university students (BMI 25 or higher) from a southwestern regional university in the United States were recruited for in-depth qualitative interviews. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in a private room during the academic year…

Background: Men's health has been subjected to diverse approaches to research over the past two decades. Much of the literature has focused on specific medical and health issues. Other contributions have focused more broadly on masculinities and its relationship to health. It is arguable that there has not been a lot of attention paid to…

Healthy diet and physical activity (PA) prevent and reduce chronic disease. Social cognitive theory delineates multiple attitudes and barriers that influence these behaviors. Understanding covariation in these attitudes and barriers is complex. We examined whether individuals could be grouped into a small number of categories that are easier to…