Objective: The research objective was to identify how healthy eating was understood in a disadvantaged community and how barriers to healthy eating might be overcome. Design: Participatory action research. Setting: Communities in Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Method: Trainees on a participative methods course…

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…

This user-friendly guidance manual is organized by the "target audience" or "end user." First, the manual introduces a "Typical School," which is a school organized in such a way that it represents how many schools in the real world are organized. This Typical School is subdivided into "Organizational Units"…

Many Americans do not have access to adequate medical care. Previous research on this problem focuses primarily on individual-level determinants of access such as income and insurance coverage. The role of community-level factors in helping or hindering individuals in obtaining needed medical care, however, has not received much attention. We…

Obesity among children and adolescents is a major public health concern affecting the physical and emotional health of youth while increasing their risk of reduced quality and duration of life. Schools and communities have begun to galvanize to address this epidemic and need quality empirical information to guide their policy, programming, and…

A growing body of research attests to the value of high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs in promoting positive youth development. These programs provide environments where young people can engage in academic enrichment, build meaningful relationships with responsible adults and peers, nurture new interests, and develop the social and life…

During the past few decades, people have been increasingly exposed to health-related messages in the mass media, conveying recommendations for healthy lifestyles. The present study investigates whether these messages represent a stressor, and whether coping responses increase levels of motivation or levels of negative affect. A sample of 403 women…

Two documents are presented here. One is a report of the Texas state health department concerning the immunization needs of the state's population, the extent of federal, state, and private financial support for public vaccination programs, legislation and current efforts to extend immunization to all children, and future directions for…

This federal document offers a comprehensive approach to reduce demand for illegal drugs and decrease their availability. Supported by statistical tables and graphs, the summary is divided into six sections. "The Purpose and Nature of the Strategy" outlines a 10-year plan for drug interdiction and reduction and identifies the elements of…

In order for the United States to hold its long-standing position as an international leader in research and development, current as well as future generations must be made aware of the relationship between basic research and improvements in the quality of life. Seven subcommittees were asked to present overviews and discussions of their…

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 compilation presents edited manuscripts of presentations from a community education conference held in Illinois. Summaries are provided for the following presentations: (1) "Leadership for Diversity," by Theodore L. Gross, outlining classroom goals to lead students out of prejudice; (2) "Building Coalitions," by Pat Kaye Edwards, reviewing…

Intended as a contribution to a workshop discussion on program evaluation in higher education, the paper covers five major evaluation issues. First, it deals with evaluation concepts, explaining the purposes of evaluation; pertinent terms; and the sources of evaluation in public health procedures, the scientific method, the systems approach, and…

This technical report is part of a series on AIDS/HIV (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome/Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and is intended to help link various legal advocacy organizations providing services to persons with mental illness or developmental disabilities. This paper examines AIDS policy issues in mental health institutions. The paper…