Background: Chronic disease can lead to disability, reduced quality of life, reduced productivity, and increased medical costs. Common chronic diseases that develop due to unhealthy lifestyle factors include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stroke. An intensive lifestyle education program (ILEP) provides an opportunity to…

Background: This article examines results and lessons learned from a collaborative project involving a large urban school district, its county health department, multiple community partners, and the local university to establish an effective system for data sharing to inform monitoring and evaluation of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS)…

Health policy has a direct impact on health education initiatives, health care delivery, resource allocation, and quality of life. Increasing rates in the epidemics of obesity and obesity-dependent diabetes mellitus (aka diabesity) suggest that health policy changes should be included in health education and disease prevention strategies. Health…

Purpose: Ear infections are prevalent in kindergarten through 3rd-grade (K-3rd) children and can affect their performance at school. Chewing gum, when administered by parents and teachers, can help prevent ear infections in children. This pilot study surveyed K-3rd-grade teachers in the Santa Barbara School Districts to assess their knowledge…

This article is the second of a two-part series on allergic rhinitis (AR). Treatments for AR are now widely available in both prescription and over-the-counter form. The medication therapies include antihistamines, decongestants, leukotriene receptor antagonists, cromolyn sodium, and immunotherapy. Corticosteroids are also used via nasal…

Background: Asthma is a serious problem for low-income preteens living in disadvantaged communities. Among the chronic diseases of childhood and adolescence, asthma has the highest prevalence and related health care use. School-based asthma interventions have proven successful for older and younger students, but results have not been demonstrated…

Background: Health educators have long advocated health promotion, yet their health measurement techniques have a pathogenic focus. Pathogenesis refers to the origin of a disease and the chain of events (precursors) leading to that disease. Traditional health measurement tools with this focus therefore measure health by assessing for the absence…

The underlying philosophy of this model community-based patient education program is that patients have the right and the responsibility to participate in the management of their disease. (MM)

This article offers a brief summary of shifts in physical education emphasis throughout history. Today, emphasis on fitness has led to development of corporate wellness programs as a means of disease risk reduction. Physical educators can enhance the quality of business health programs by focusing on teaching, research, and service. (DF)

This booklet introduces the concept of health promotion and disease prevention, outlines the health risks that are found in daily life, and shows how the risk of disease and disability can be reduced with minor changes in life style. Information is given on the number and causes of yearly deaths and the measures that have been taken by the…

Asthma education interventions primarily target young children and adults, and a few target adolescents. Several constructs of the social cognitive theory were used to design a classroom-based high school asthma education curriculum and to determine if the curriculum would improve asthma knowledge and attitudes among 10th grade students, as well…

The nature of a healthy lifestyle and its significance to quality of life is examined. Following a discussion on what is involved in a healthy lifestyle, major health problems are described: (1) smoking; (2) alcohol and drug abuse; (3) sexually transmitted diseases; (4) diet and obesity; (5) stress; and (6) inadequate sleep. Recommendations are…

Uses life-table techniques to examine mortality differences by gender and rural-urban residence for Blacks and Whites in the South. Life expectancy is higher for metropolitan and White populations. Residential and racial mortality differences largely attributable to effects of accidents, specific illnesses, prenatal conditions, and homicide.…

The importance of health and its relationship to personal and community life are explored in this issue of PROBE. Designed to acquaint British secondary school youth with topical problems, the series contains discussion and case studies of national and world issues, followed by questions for student discussion and research. Nine chapters comprise…

Purpose: The first aim of this review article is to systematically summarise, synthesise, and critically evaluate the research base concerning the use of two art forms, namely, dance-based exercises and Tai Chi, as applied to people with arthritis (a chronic condition that results in considerable disability and, particularly in later life,…