A 1968 study was undertaken in Michigan with the following objectives: 1) to determine drug utilization rates for public high school seniors; 2) to determine demographic, sociological, and social-psychological correlates of drug utilization; and 3) to acquire information relevant to present and future health education programs. A questionnaire…

In this chapter, the authors share their examination of the medical and public health literature regarding links between health and literacy and identify trends in research and practice. They note the connection between educational attainment and health, as education may influence lifestyle behaviors, problem-solving abilities and values. In…

To combat the HIV epidemic, health service providers and public health professionals must use the best possible science and proven program models to reach and influence HIV-positive individuals and others at high risk of becoming infected. The large number and complexity of approaches that are necessary to institute and maintain HIV prevention…

This 200-page activity guide for educators of students in grades six through university level raises the awareness and understanding of water quality issues and their relationship to personal, public and environmental health. "Healthy Water Healthy People Water Quality Educators Guide" will help educators address science standards through 25…

Describes health problems in Nigeria and the kinds of health education programs and methods that are needed to promote proper health practices in view of the high illiteracy rate, various perception levels, and the strong and often harmful traditional cultural influences in the community. (MF)

Public health methods can assist in reducing the rate of injuries through application of technology, policy, education, and incentives. Metropolitan universities have great opportunities as key institutions to assist in preventing injuries within their communities by using their research capabilities, student and volunteer workforces, and as…

Seven essays on efforts of evaluate prevention programs aimed at the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are presented. Topics include public health psychology, mathematical models of epidemiology, estimates of incubation periods, ethnographic evaluations of AIDS prevention programs, an AIDS education model, theory-based evaluation, and…

Maintains that effective Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education cannot be separated from homophobia, and offers guidelines for dealing with homophobia in the classroom. Points out that AIDS misinformation often results from homophobic attitudes. Provides questions that educators can ask themselves to challenge their own attitudes,…

Discusses failure of education programs to affect spread of AIDS by intravenous drug users in inner cities. Suggests following policy responses: confidential, identity-linked reporting of HIV test results; programs to alert the sexual partners of HIV-positive persons; elimination of barriers to HIV testing; routine offering of HIV testing; and…

Studies sexual behavior and condom use in 103 men attending an urban outpatient drug abuse treatment center in Seattle (Washington) before and after initiation of a condom giveaway program. Results indicate that male clients will take and use condoms when they are readily available. (SLD)

Offers a social ecological analysis of health promotive environments, emphasizing the transactions between individual or collective behavior and the health resources and constraints that exist in specific environmental settings. Directions for future research on the creation and maintenance of health promotive environments also are examined. (JB)

Presents a relatively simple costs/benefits analysis problem perfectly suited for an introductory economics course. Reveals that neither the health insurer (which bears only the hospitalization costs of acute care) nor the patient (who incurs lost earnings and psychological costs) has an adequate incentive to pay for preventive care. (MJP)

National statistics estimate that 1.2 million newborn males are circumcised annually in the United States (70% to 80%). Such values as sanctity, equity, fraternity, paternity and liberty affect circumcision rates in America. The value of sanctity allows freedom of religious beliefs and traditions that often overcome medical impetus in…

Community Health Aides and Community Health Practitioners (CHA/Ps), the primary providers of healthcare in rural Alaska, share the importance of story as a culturally respectful way for creating meaning and broadening understanding. Story is woven into the fabric of cancer education courses for CHA/Ps. Between May 2004 and April 2007, 13 week-long…

This paper reviews past and current Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education and prevention efforts, describes three specific phases of efforts, and analyzes AIDS education and prevention in relation to emancipatory models of education. First the paper reviews data measuring the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among…