Health promotion and occupational therapy are a natural partnership. Therapists can expand their roles to include enabling, mediating, and advocating by incorporating health promotion and community concepts into their practice. (SK)

Research related to the impact of exercise on stress indicates that a regular aerobic exercise program is important to control the negative effects of stress. It was also reported that those who are physically fit have higher levels of self-esteem. Implications for camp staff involve starting a regular exercise program to offset job-related…

Health communication helps change behaviors in a large audience regarding a specific problem in a predefined time period. This article illustrates linkages between diffusion theory, social marketing, and health communication, articulating examples of health communication campaigns and discussing three models of health communication programs…

Examined data from 1,864 Bank of America retirees to investigate correlations among healthy habits, age, gender, and education. Health habits were strongly and positively associated with each other and negatively associated with unhealthy habits. Age and gender differences were found. Education was significantly associated only with fiber in diet…

The national PTA president discusses the importance of keeping children healthy. She describes the school's role in children's well-being, noting that PTA has advocated legislative protection for children's health for years. (SM)

A survey of incidence of secondary disabilities, completed by 75 disabled Native American adults on 3 Montana reservations, indicated fair to poor ratings for overall health and independence, high incidence/severity for problems of mobility and access, and problems with behavioral components, such as pain, fatigue, and depression. (SV)

Describes some of the existing barriers to the provision of health promotion services to minority older adults and offers a plan for the education of medical professionals who seek to address the issues involved. Details reasons for offering and targeting health promotion activities to special populations. (Author/JOW)

Although there is no cure in sight, the life expectancy of people with HIV/AIDS has greatly increased thanks to significant medical advancements. Recreation professionals must take the lead in improving these people's quality of life by providing meaningful leisure outlets. This paper discusses the status of recreation for this population and…

Exercise can positively affect a broad range of quality of life parameters in people with cancer. The general exercise prescription is moderate-intensity exercise 3-5 days per week. Conditions that warrant prescription modification include fatigue during treatment, acute or chronic physical impairments, and presence of bone cancer. Research…

Illustrates how evaluating the Oklahoma City Smoke Alarm Project increased its success in reducing residential fire-related injuries and deaths. The program distributed and tested smoke alarms in residential dwellings and offered educational materials on fire prevention and safety. Evaluation provided sound data on program processes and outcomes,…

Examined age, source, accuracy, and impact of initial sexuality information on lifetime wellness in males and females ranging from 9 to 73 years. While age for obtaining sexual knowledge was similar, parents were never reported as primary information sources. Young participants citing teachers and siblings as primary information sources achieved…

Colleges are building luxurious wellness, fitness, and recreation centers in part to attract and retain students. They offer such features as rock-climbing walls, water slides, hot tubs, elevated tracks, massage rooms, racquetball courts, and wellness resource laboratories. Many college officials believe that investments in recreation are…

Discusses what parents can do to ensure their children's healthy eating, examining whether students are eating school lunches or junk food in the cafeteria; discussing junk food temptations outside of school; noting rising soda consumption rates; and presenting advice for healthy eating (e.g., include children in meal planning and preparation and…

Examined the impact of lifestyle on the effectiveness of a low-intensity dietary intervention. Analysis of data from the Eating Patterns Study indicated that people who practiced certain combinations of health behaviors responded differently to the low-intensity dietary intervention. People with high-risk behaviors were the least successful in…

Activities of the Tobacco Pilot Program in Mississippi designed to stop the use of tobacco among youth included a campaign for smoke-free restaurants, high school student skits for elementary audiences, and an antitobacco fundraising walk. Keys to the program were youth autonomy in activities, use of community resources, and extensive media…