Measurement of obesity among 364 adults with mental retardation indicated that rates of obesity were significantly higher among females than males; subjects with severe mental retardation had the lowest overall rates of obesity; and residents of a state-operated institution had lower obesity rates than group home, family, and Intermediate Care…

HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) (N = 161) were recruited to complete a qualitative interview and a quantitative survey about sexual behavior and transmission risk. We identified two contexts in which exposure encounters occurred most commonly for HIV-positive IDUs: in intimate serodiscordant relationships and in the drug/sex economy.…

Prevention case management (PCM) for HIV-infected persons is an HIV risk reduction intervention designed to assist clients who are aware of their HIV infection and who continue to engage in risk transmission behaviors. PCM combines individual risk reduction counseling with case management to address the psychosocial factors affecting HIV…

Chicago's Puerto Rican community in West Town had a unique reaction to the spread of AIDS within its limits. They created their own institutions and tackled the epidemic themselves. In its infancy, Vida/SIDA, which translates as Life/AIDS, was solely an alternative health clinic for people with AIDS. Free of charge, it provided services such as…

The economic cost for the United States from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer is estimated at $71 billion annually. Along with this trend, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. To date, all interventions related to the prevention and treatment of obesity have failed. We must find a new way to prevent…

For the past six years, the American College Health Association (ACHA) has had two cooperative agreements from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health. Both cooperative agreements focus on the prevention of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) among college students, particularly for…

Food mishandling is thought to be more acute among young adults; yet little is known about why they may engage in risky food handling behaviors. The purpose of this study was to create valid, reliable instruments for assessing key food safety psychosocial measures. Development of the measures began by examining published studies and behavior…

Secondary science teachers who integrate food safety (FS) into curricula can provide FS knowledge and skills to youth while reinforcing science skills and concepts. National science education standards and the Biological Science Curriculum Study 5E Inquiry-based Learning Model were used to design an online training, Food Safety FIRST. The training…

School-based asthma interventions delivered by nonschool staff have been successful but are limited in their reach because of the cost and effort of bringing in outside educators and their inability to establish improved communication about asthma between schools, families, and primary care providers (PCPs). To address these problems, Columbia…

This study found that African American males living with HIV/AIDS in rural southwest Alabama who did not disclose their HIV/AIDS seropositive status were more likely to engage in unprotected sex. Because much of the recent research is slanted to address homosexual behavior, which is still a taboo within the African American community, efforts to…

This handbook gives Arkansas child care providers current information on child and caregiver health, child illness, and development. The 16 chapters are: (1) "Child Growth and Development," on typical development from birth through 6 years; (2) "Children's Health Histories, Physical Exams and Immunizations," including…

This paper takes up the concern that sexual health programs targeting adolescents may actually increase HIV risk among youth by reinforcing dominant versions of masculinity that portray males as sexually irresponsible and unconcerned about their health. If a key aim in HIV prevention education is a renegotiation of high-risk behavioral norms, an…

The Bridges to Healthy Communities project assists community colleges in offering education and information services that help prevent HIV infection and other serious health problems in students. The five-year Bridges project emphasizes service learning as a community-building and intervention strategy for preventing HIV infection. This initiative…

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…

Papers from the World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention in this book include: (1) "Global AIDS: Epidemiology, Impact, Projections, Global Strategy," (Jonathan Mann); (2) "Modes of Transmission: The Basis for Prevention Strategies," (Donald Acheson); (3) "National AIDS Information Programme in…