The life orientation programme (LOP) was introduced to all schools in South Africa to help learners to, among others, take cognisance of their sexual lives. Before the programme was introduced in the 2006, many learners had become infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The programme was introduced based on the perceptions that some…

Rheumatic diseases are known to be associated with the development of metabolic syndrome, which increases mortality rates due to cardiovascular complications. Although a variety of self-management programs for rheumatic diseases have been developed, few have concentrated on metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to develop and verify a blended (a…

Purpose: To determine whether improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), blood pressure (BP) and body composition previously seen after a 16-week exercise intervention (POST) with hypocaloric diet are maintained following six months (6M) of unsupervised exercise time. Methods: Overweight/obese, physically inactive participants with primary…

Background: Teen pregnancy continues to burden families, communities, and society. Programs continue to educate and impower youth and young adults to make positive behavioral decisions. Methods: We evaluated a program aimed at high-risk youth in after-school programs. The goal of the program was to instill a sense of community and empathy, as well…

Background: Health initiatives have been established in many workplaces to promote healthy behaviors among employees. Health Self-Empowerment Theory (HSET) suggests that personal, modifiable factors, such as motivation to engage in healthy behaviors, are pathways to increasing such behaviors. Purpose: The present study examined the effects of the…

Background: While dietary sources of calcium are important for bone health, the intake of milk and milk products decreases as children get older. A free milk in schools program may mitigate this decrease in milk consumption. We evaluated the Fonterra Milk for schools program (a free milk initiative) by determining changes in children's milk…

This study aimed to examine the effects of a sexual education program (SEP) focused on sexual media literacy (SML) for school nurses. A quasi-experimental, pre-/posttest design was used to examine SML knowledge, awareness, reinterpretation skill, and self-efficacy. A total of 66 school nurses participated. The experimental group (n = 35)…

Objective: This study evaluated the longitudinal impact of the Teen Outreach Programme (TOP) on adolescent pregnancy, sexual behaviour, risky sex and sexual intentions in non-metropolitan high schools. Design: Pair-matched, cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting: Non-metropolitan public high schools in Florida, USA. Methods: TOP was…

Background: Insufficient sleep among students is a major school health problem. School-based sleep education programs tailored to reach large number of students may be one of the solutions. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the programs' effectiveness and current status. Methods: Electronic databases were searched up…

Diabetes is a health issue for many Latinos. Extension can help provide diabetes self-management education for rural-residing Latinos. In a pilot study, we evaluated the Extension-delivered diabetes program Latinos Living Well (LLW), as provided to 76 rural-residing Latino adults in a midwestern state. LLW consists of four weekly lessons that…

Background: Hispanic males have the highest rates of overweight and obesity compared with men of all other racial/ethnic groups. While weight loss can significantly reduce obesity-related health risks, there is limited research examining effective gender- and culturally tailored behavioral weight loss programs for Hispanic men. Objective: To…

Background: Although schools often implement evidence-based sexual health education programs to address sexual and reproductive health disparities, multiple factors may influence program effectiveness. Methods: Using student-reported perceived impact measures as a proxy for program effectiveness, we employed a socio-ecological approach to examine…

There is increasing interest in low-cost, scalable approaches that support parent engagement in their children's learning at home. This study examined the impact of one such approach on pre-kindergarteners' literacy development during an academic year in a suburban public school setting that prioritized enrollment for children living in poverty.…

There is increasing interest in low-cost, scalable approaches that support parent engagement in their children's learning at home. This study examined the impact of one such approach on pre-kindergarteners' literacy development during an academic year in a suburban public school setting that prioritized enrollment for children living in poverty.…

The current study offers preliminary insight into the efficacy of a technology-based question-asking, sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention program to promote condom use and reduce the incidence of STIs. Participants were 104 college students who were provided safe sex information via 12, email messages, delivered over a four (4) week…