The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many physical, mental, and economic challenges and has provided an opportunity for academia to participate in community engagement to help support public health. Through a partnership between a university and a local health district, a contact tracing training program was developed and implemented in the late…

There is a pressing need for prevention programs that address increasing rates of epidemics and pandemics, including noncommunicable diseases. However, many populations face substantial systemic barriers to accessing traditional prevention programs. To minimize persistent service utilization gaps for underserved populations, the field requires…

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to "forced innovation" in the health education industry. High-quality training of the future rural health workforce is crucial to ensure a pipeline of rural health practitioners to meet the needs of rural communities. This paper describes the implementation of an online multidisciplinary teaching…

On Friday, March 13, 2020, all school teaching in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies was suspended until further notice because of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. This immediately jeopardized the completion of course content at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus. This article presents effective teaching…

The National College Learning Center Association defines a learning center at institutions of higher education as interactive academic spaces which exist to reinforce and extend student learning in physical and/or virtual environments. A variety of comprehensive support services and programs are offered in these environments to enhance student…

The first national youth fitness evaluation conducted in the United States was in 1958. Since that time, schools have continued to administer fitness evaluations using a variety of tests with no national-level assessment of youth fitness [Institute of Medicine (IOM), 2012]. However, in September 2012, the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP)…

In February 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe had claimed 3,300 lives and infected 66,000 people--greater than the toll of that disease in the whole of Africa in most years. How is it possible that a disease such as cholera can have such a devastating effect in modern times? How should one…

Every school year, parents, teachers, and administrators must deal with an overwhelming number of sick children. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average child catches at least eight colds a year, and kids in the United States miss as many as 189 million school days annually due to colds. Good hygiene…

In 1981, the first grants for what later came to be called "abstinence-only" programs were authorized under the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA). Sponsored by congressional family planning opponents, AFLA was promoted as a "family-centered" alternative to contraceptive counseling and services to teenagers; instead, this…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research indicates that today's children are not getting enough physical activity. One solution to this problem is to integrate other subjects into physical education. This article describes a successful physical education program for Pre-K children implemented at the Sheboygan Area…

A discussion is presented on the relative effectiveness of four relaxation techniques when used in conjunction with a psychosocial stressor. (JMF)

The greatest current threat to humanity, most especially in the developing countries of the world, is HIV/AIDS. The first case of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria was in 1986 in Lagos. Due to inaction and denial by the people, there was a rapid but subtle transmission of the virus within Nigeria's various populations and communities. Presently, the disease has…

Focuses on lessons educators might learn from the Intensified Campaign for the Global Eradication of Smallpox. Outlines the history of smallpox eradication. Discusses the eradication effort's obstacles, campaign, and costs and benefits. Considers five factors relevant to the successful implementation of educational programs. (CMK)

Abstinence-only-until-marriage education is a key component of social conservatives' global moral and religious agenda, and the cornerstone of the Bush administration's approach to reducing U.S. teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates. Fearful of being portrayed as anti-abstinence, policymakers have continued to support these…

Community-based organizations (CBOs), particularly minority-based CBOs, are instrumental in the delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention programs and services. Despite a tremendous need, many CBOs lack the capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate targeted prevention interventions to serve culturally diverse populations. This article describes a…