Objective: To investigate the knowledge and views of university students regarding obesity and weight management strategies. Design: Online questionnaire-based survey of undergraduate and postgraduate university students in a large London university with a diverse student population. Method: The survey was administered online and circulated…

Objective: To test whether the format in which women receive probabilistic information about breast cancer and mammography affects their comprehension. Methods: A convenience sample of 180 women received pre-assembled randomized packages containing a breast health information brochure, with probabilities presented in either verbal or numeric…

To examine the correlates of heavy Internet use and determine the associations of heavy Internet use with various health risk behaviors and health-promoting behaviors among Chinese adolescents, an anonymous, self-administered health behavior questionnaire was completed by 2427 matriculants into a Hong Kong university (mean age = 18.9 y) and…

This article describes a district-wide fitness challenge that was implemented by the elementary physical education program in the Waterford (Michigan) public schools. Its purpose was to (1) encourage students to be active outside of the classroom, (2) provide parents and families with information about the importance of fitness and physical…

The objective of this study was to examine lay health advisor (LHA) programs designed to promote health among US Latinos and the extent to which educator-only versus educator-plus-bridge programs differed in designs and outcomes achieved. Two independent coders reviewed 128 published articles on LHAs yielding information at two levels: (i) study…

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an intervention program on the patterns of physical activity in 8- to 10-year-old Mexican children from lower socioeconomic status. This study performed a randomized controlled field trial in 498 children aged 8-10 years from 10 public schools of low socioeconomic status in Mexico City. Schools…

America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Obesity rates among adults have increased by more than 60% in the last 10 years to where approximately 25% of American adults are obese today. According to Dr. Duane Alexander, Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH, 2003), the number of obese children is…

Objective: This study examined bicycle helmet attitudes and practices of college undergraduates and developed the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale, which was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974, in Becker MH, ed. "The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior". Thorofare, NJ: Charles B. Slack; 1974:328-335) to predict…

The purpose of this article was to describe and analyze the ways that parents' and children's health are portrayed in health advice to parents in Canada's major mass print media magazine entitled "Today's Parent", from 1993 to 2008. The qualitative content analysis noted three significant themes, including: most health issues are easily…

Background: Surveys of community-based programs are difficult to conduct when there is virtually no information about the number or locations of the programs of interest. This article describes the methodology used by the Helping Young Smokers Quit (HYSQ) initiative to identify and profile community-based youth smoking cessation programs in the…

Objective: To determine which antitobacco messages were perceived effective in changing college students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about tobacco use. Participants: College students (n = 1,020) were surveyed before and after viewing 4 30-second antitobacco advertisements in 1 of 3 theme categories--social norms, health consequences, or…

Childhood obesity is a prevalent subject of research currently, and many researchers have studied the effectiveness of school programs in battling obesity among students. This case study, utilizing ethnographic tools of observation, interviews, and investigation of artifacts, examines educators' perceptions of the role of the school in the…

Imagine a partnership of university and community which addresses the needs of the community to keep its citizens healthy as long as possible. Through a planning exercise to address the community's needs in primary health care and health promotion, the university has developed key strategic directions to help support the needs of the community it…

This bnef document describes research and evaluations that have demonstrated that school-based health centers represent cost-effective investments of public resources.

Today our country is facing an epidemic of inactivity and obesity, which has resulted in increased serious health complications, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease among others. Inactivity and obesity among youths are also associated with subpar academic performance. Prompt action is required if we are to have any real hope in…