A review of research on prevention of alcohol abuse among American Indians found that they experience many alcohol-related health problems. Indians have earlier age of first involvement with alcohol, more frequent drinking, and more negative consequences than non-Indians. Prevention programs must consider American Indian heterogeneity and cultural…

PATCH (Planned Approach to Community Health), a cooperative program of technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control, strengthens state and local health departments' capacities to plan, implement, and evaluate community-based health promotion activities for priority health problems. The article describes its origin, concepts, and…

On 16 January 2002, the United Kingdom House of Commons Select Committee published a report entitled "Tackling Obesity in England". Drawing on insights from the work of Bernstein, Bourdieu and Foucault, this article will suggest that the report provides an example "par excellence" of the way in which "the body" (our…

The rapid growth of the HIV epidemic in China has raised a number of concerns among health care providers, governmental agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). This article (a) briefly discusses the HIV epidemic in China, (b) explains why Chinese NGOs need to join the fight against the epidemic, (c) describes the development of an…

This article focuses on psychosocial barriers to sexual health and their implications on the design and delivery of mass media-based public health campaigns. A family planning campaign that attempted to address barriers to seeking sexual health information and services by promoting positive attitudes toward couple's communication about sexual…

Health promotion redirects thinking about health by: reasserting its social and political aspects; ensuring the people the power to define their own health concerns; and placing health more clearly in the context of other aims in life. This compilation of 41 articles in 8 sections attempts to document this process of redirection of thought. The…

Earlier observations on U.S. infant health and survival as compared with other Western industrial democracies are extended in a study of preventive health services for children from infancy through adolescence and to the social benefit programs that support their families. This report looks at the condition of children in 10 European countries…

This guide provides suggestions and materials for the development and implementation of a Health Literacy Forum to be coordinated by a local, county, or state Department of Public Health. Health Literacy Forums, already implemented in several cities and states, have increased awareness about literacy skills of U.S. adults and health implications.…

This publication is a project replication kit for practitioners who want to improve their school health programs. The project used a multidisciplinary model of comprehensive school health education in three secondary schools within the Cleveland School District, Ohio. Based on the Healthy People 2000 initiative, this publication focuses on six…

In keeping with its priority to reduce the disproportionate burden of heart, lung, and blood diseases in minority populations, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has established an outreach project called Building Healthy Hearts for American Indians and Alaska Natives. This background report provides an overview of the cardiovascular…

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…

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…

The Family Spirit Project provides health and parenting education and in-home support to Navajo and Apache teen parents. The public-health careers of Native professionals allied with the project are described, including a public health administrator, a trainer of field workers, and a medical researcher specializing in communicable diseases that…

The Navajo supervisor in the Office of Environmental Health in New Mexico identifies diseases and their risk factors, administers an injury prevention program, and ensures compliance with various health-related codes. She assists in the planning and direction of environmental health programs and public health education for local Navajo…

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…