Sedentary women (n=92) classified as low (L), medium (M), and high (H) in baseline step counts and assigned to 10,000-step goal (TSG) and personal step goal (PSG) groups (within levels) were compared on goal attainment and step counts. A significant interaction for goal attainment, F(2, 86)=4.51, p=.014, indicated that the L group was…

Many people probably remember the oral hygiene presentation in school when an oversized toothbrush and "Mr. Tooth"demonstrated proper brushing techniques. Red disclosing tablets were chewed after brushing, and then friends were amazed with our poor dental habits! The point is that presentation was remembered. Middle school students today need a…

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed several guidelines for effective interventions in dealing with problematic college student drinking, including targeted individual interventions paired with broader campus community involvement. The project Heads UP! combines these suggestions in an effort to intervene with high-risk…

Students entering their first year of college are faced with many stresses and changes, including changes in eating and exercise behavior. A common but often undocumented myth among college students is that there is a high risk of gaining 15 pounds of weight during freshman year. The objective of this study was to measure changes in body weight…

The use of plants for healing purposes has been prevalent in all cultures throughout history and continues to play a role in medicine today. While herbal medicine has much to offer, adverse effects can result from lack of quality control and standardization, consuming an inadequate dose, using the wrong herb, and reactions with modern drugs. To…

The population pyramid is being turned upside down. Baby boomers are beginning to flood the market for goods and services. It is never too late to encourage people of all ages to "dare" to be active through outdoor adventure activities. This article provides readers with a general understanding of older adults' needs and interests as they relate…

Dissemination and sustainability of evidence-based physical education programs (PE) has been studied rarely. The sustainability of a health-related PE program (SPARK) was independently evaluated in 111 elementary schools in 7 states. Surveys were mailed to schools that had received SPARK curriculum books, training, and follow-up (response rate =…

The aim of this study was to determine pedometry steps per minute (SPM) cutscores that accurately quantify physical activity (PA) time in first- through fourth-grade physical education. A total of 257 participants were grouped in two data pools, first- and second-grade (n = 126), and third- and fourth-grade (n = 131). Systematic observation was…

Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth, and schools have an important role to play in preventing suicide. Schools are the center of many adolescents' lives and they can influence students' personal and social development. Therefore, it is appropriate that the first line of suicide prevention strategies should lie within the educational…

"Best practice" is currently being used to enable modernisation within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. One element of this is the Beacon programme where examples of hospitals that exemplify local "best practice" are supported to develop and disseminate learning across the wider NHS. The aims of this…

Participation of the "target group" is a key concept in working on empowerment in health education. However, it raises many questions and is not without struggle. I will discuss the findings from a study into the state of the art of empowerment in health education, which includes a literature review and the analysis of eight Dutch…

What are the values of physical education (PE)? What is its meaning and possible significance to the individual and society? Should PE be part of a standard curriculum in the education of the young? If so, why? These questions are calls for a justification of PE, which is a socio-cultural construction created by people for people and on the basis…

The "Recommendations for Institutional Prematriculation Immunizations" described in this article are provided to colleges and universities to facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive institutional prematriculation immunization policy. In response to changing epidemiology and the introduction of new vaccines, the American College Health…

Based on 10 weekly telephone interviews with first-year college students (N=202; 63% women; M=18.8 years, SD=0.4), within- and between-person associations of positive and negative affect with alcohol use were examined. Multi-level models confirmed hypothesized within-person associations between weekly positive affect and alcohol use: Higher…

The Mariner Model provides a step-by-step systems-building process and tool by which schools, school districts, and communities can develop capacity and create an infrastructure that supports continuous improvement in health-promoting environments for children. The Mariner Model follows a public health program planning development model that is…