Training has increasingly turned into an important NGO tool for rural development in Asia and Africa. Such a use has made it essential to assess the impact of these training sessions. Again a good portion of these sessions are offered through cascades. There has been skepticism on the effectiveness of this mechanism. In response to the above need…

A content analysis examined health risk communication statements in national and local press coverage in 1988 of a controversy over proposed legislation to regulate the use of video display terminals (VDTs) in the workplace in Suffolk County, New York. The health risk communication statements from a total of 55 randomly selected articles were…

Discusses the Toxic Substances Control Act, including a suggested toxic chemical categorization scheme to aid the EPA. (MDR)

Washington state's experience with defeating an initiative that would have made fluoridation of water illegal is described. (JMF)

Refutes the arguments of Peter Hanauer and Michael Pertschuk for a ban on tobacco advertising in "Tobacco Advertising and the First Amendment." Argues that their claims are based on false reasoning and a misunderstanding of Supreme Court rulings relating to commercial advertising. (LS)

Texas continues to fall short of the necessary mental health resources for those communities and populations in rural counties. The purpose of this article was to review the mental health resource needs of rural schools in South Texas. The study focused primarily on the perspectives of the school counselors in the identified districts. Funded by a…

Introduction into federal policy of response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) led to widespread adoption and adaptation of the three tier intervention pyramid. As originally presented, the pyramid highlights three different levels of intervention and suggests the percent of students at each level. While…

Poor childhood health contributes to lower socioeconomic status in adulthood. Subsequently, low socioeconomic status among parents contributes to poor childhood health outcomes in the next generation. This cycle can be particularly pernicious for vulnerable and low-income minority populations, including many children of immigrants. And because of…

Substance use among youth remains a major public health and safety concern. One fundamental way to address youth substance use prevention is to keep young people on a positive trajectory by engaging them in positive activities from early years of their childhood. In this article, the author offers a best practice analysis of systematic review…

This article discusses a campaign called STIR: Stop Tobacco in Restaurants, that was started by fourth and fifth grade students. The goal was to end smoking in public places, including restaurants, bowling alleys, sports bars, and pool halls. For two years they motivated their peers, coordinated an information campaign to urge kids and adults to…

Background: There is some debate over the efficacy of alcohol industry parenting manuals. Purpose: This study compares the content and focus of alcohol industry and non-industry "talk to your child about drinking" parenting manuals. Methods: Parenting manuals from Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company were compared to federal government and…

Excessive alcohol use among college students is a significant public health problem. In order to design and implement effective intervention programs, college personnel must first target students who are problem drinkers. This study of 316 Midwestern college students examines factors that predict whether a student self-identifies as a problem…

This article explores the experience of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by supervisory-level clinical staff in the National Health Service. Four main themes are highlighted in the literature, namely the nature and experience of CPD, its relationship with human resource management practices and in particular in career development and…

Background: Breakfast skipping is an international public health concern. This study investigated the prevalence of breakfast skipping among primary sixth-grade students in Hong Kong and the impact of students' perceptions of parental attitudes on breakfast skipping. Methods: A total of 426 students aged 10-14 years in 4 local schools participated…