Morbidity and mortality related to chronic diseases are a primary concern of health professionals, including Health Educators. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one half of the adult population in the United States suffer from one or more chronic conditions. Understanding the health risk behaviors that contribute to…

We compared the effectiveness of a "stepped care" approach with increasing treatment intensity ("Step Care") to one with repeated treatments ("Recycle") among cigarette smokers interested in quitting smoking. Step 1 of the Step Care intervention consisted of a single counseling session, nicotine patch for six weeks…

Background: Generating interest in health interventions is an important first step towards engagement with health promotion and effecting behaviour change. This study explored whether framing health information about physical activity and diet from an evolutionary mismatch perspective could help to generate interest in health promotion among…

Background: Mobile health platforms can facilitate social support and address HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) stigma but pose challenges for intervention design and participant engagement. Giddens's structuration theory, that individuals are shaped by--and shape--their communities through rules and resources that give them power to operate…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess diabetes-related factors, such as diabetes knowledge, positive attitudes towards the prevention of diabetes and its complications, self-efficacy for diabetes, dietary intake and level of food security, and to investigate the effects of a diabetes education intervention (DEI) on diabetes-related…

The introduction of smartphones has revolutionized how late adolescents (aged 18-21 years) access and use the internet. Vast troves of health information are today just a tap or swipe away, with smartphones and internet connectivity becoming increasingly accessible. The need for eHealth literacy among late adolescents is now gaining importance as…

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is the nation's first nutrition education program and remains at the forefront of educational efforts to reduce nutrition insecurity of low-income families and youth today. Funded by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), EFNEP supports program participants' efforts…

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a…

Poor nutrition, limited physical activity, unsafe food practices, and food insecurity are significant health concerns. Poor health disproportionately affects minority and low-income populations. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provides opportunities for low-income youth…

The rising prevalence rate of obesity in the United States has accentuated concerns about obesity-related problems as a major public health issue, which has motivated widespread efforts to increase public knowledge and to motivate individuals to change their relevant behaviors. Although health campaign messages commonly include information about…

A decade after the first health app became available, the field of digital health has produced a range of health behavior insights and an expanding product portfolio. Despite sustained interest and growth fueled by academic and industry interests, the impact of digital health on health behavior change and related outcomes has been limited. This…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore a health program comprising the individual experiences, successes and setbacks of adults in an individually tailored, community-based smoking intervention and physical activity program. The program incorporated physical activity consultation (PAC) and phone support from the well-established Quit…

Background: We have demonstrated previously that patterns of behavioral adherence in the first 6 months of behavioral lifestyle interventions were associated with significant weight loss at 18 months. In this article, we extend this work to examine patterns of behavioral adherence over 18 months and to explore baseline demographic and psychosocial…

Men are underrepresented in weight loss programs and little is currently known about the weight loss strategies men prefer. This study describes the weight loss strategies used by men during a men-only weight loss program. At baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, participants reported how frequently they used 45 weight loss strategies including…

Diet and physical activity are behavioral risk factors for many chronic diseases, which are among the most common health conditions in the United States. Yet most Americans fall short of meeting established dietary and physical activity guidelines. Faith-based organizations as settings for health promotion interventions can affect members at…