The Minnesota Heart Health Program's Quit and Win smoking cessation contests occurred between 1982 and 1989. The contests used large prizes to encourage smokers to quit smoking. Evaluations indicated that the contests succeeded in recruiting relatively large proportions of smokers in entire communities, and abstinence outcomes were encouraging.…

Presents an empirically developed model for coordinating the planning and implementation of combined health promotion activities for elementary schools. Validity of the model was assessed using results of semistructured interviews with two individuals who served as coordinators. The amended model, developed in light of the assessment, is…

Reviews a motivational approach for increasing exercise and decreasing fat consumption to reduce body weight in obese individuals. Exercise motivation includes communicating the physiological benefits and self-regulating exercise intensity. Prudent eating motivation includes stopping restrictive dieting, distinguishing between hunger and craving,…

Examines current guidelines for physical fitness, noting issues that may influence the updating of the American College of Sports Medicine exercise statement. Differences between exercise prescription for fitness and physical activity for health are discussed, noting the importance of designing individualized programs with appropriate levels of…

This study investigated national public opinion on school health education and the implications for health-care reform initiatives. Telephone surveys of 1,005 adults nationwide indicated that the public at large believes in the importance of health education to reduce health problems among children, considering it the responsibility of parents and…

There are strong theoretical and empirical rationales for believing that psychological processes are integral to the maintenance of smoking behavior. A comprehensive treatment program for chronic cigarette smokers must have, at its foundation, interventions addressing the psychological processes that maintain smoking. The article examines the…

Cognitive instructional cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) programs are beneficial to secondary students. Though health and physical educators recognize the need for cognitive information in fitness programs, there is little practice in secondary school fitness programs. The article makes recommendations for including valid, cognitively related…

Suburban high school students and their parents completed surveys about their preferences for school-based health services. Results indicated that student interest was less than parent interest, though both groups were at least moderately interested. Both groups wanted to see general health services, reproductive health services, and counseling…

Offers suggestions that use ideas from wellness and health education, both in theory and practice, such as the benefits of simplicity, a holistic perspective, healing through nature, and experiential nature activities to mobilize the healing emotions of counselors and their clients, whether children or adults. (LKS)

This article describes cardiovascular problems of minority populations, exploring ways that churches can help their communities and describing the outcomes of a model intervention on four African American churches in rural north Florida. Positive outcomes were observed, particularly regarding community members' participation in health promotion…

Telephone surveys of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees investigated the impact of an agencywide smoking policy that initially restricted, then banned, smoking. Nearly all of the employees and 56 percent of the smokers supported the policy. One quarter of the smokers reported increased interest in quitting following policy…

Children are especially vulnerable to solar injury and heat illness. Physicians can lower children's risk through education about short-term and long-term sequelae and through various prevention efforts. The paper discusses how to screen for risk factors and how to prevent and treat heat illness and solar injury. (SM)

Offers suggestions on the sensitive issues involved in sex education: involve the community; incorporate it into the curriculum; provide clear, direct prevention messages; provide good instruction; discuss abstinence before condom use; do not teach anything that parents, administrators, and the school board do not know about; and do not delay. (SM)

Wellness is a lifelong process that must be updated constantly to maintain a high quality of life. Only the individual determines the path to total wellness. Restructuring lifestyle (eating habits, physical activity, attitudes) and understanding what it takes to be healthy take time. Evidence indicates that corporate wellness initiatives are…

In the United States, there is a schedule of four immunizations and several boosters against communicable diseases for children, but many children are not immunized against preventable communicable diseases. The article examines reasons for low immunization percentages, barriers to immunization, and possible solutions to the problems. (SM)