This study provides an overview of the incidence of the communicable and non-communicable diseases in Pacific Island countries. Available health statistics confirms that children continue to die annually due to neonatal causes, diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia and measles. The adult population in several countries reveals presence and emergence of…

In this paper we focus our attention on an examination of the four-step process adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its systematic campaign to promote physically active lifestyles by older adults across the 193 WHO member states. The four steps adopted by the WHO include (1) Building Consensus Among Professionals; (2) Educating the…

This article presents an overview of the current state of public health services in the schools and communities in the United States. (JD)

Catalogued is the diversity of lead contaminated sources which, only recently, have been acknowledged as the principal producers of devastating toxic effects, particularly among children, despite only low-level exposure to these sources. A multifaceted approach in the effort to correct this serious health hazard to children is presented. (JJK)

The settings for this article are rural and remote communities in the province of Ontario, Canada, where the advent of high-speed Internet has brought about new opportunities for the provision of public health and information services. This article proposes that public funding agencies and service providers will gain planning and evaluation…

Competency in 21st-century health communication involves an understanding that the internet landscape has evolved from static webpages to applications that engage users. This evolution to "Web 2.0" includes such applications as blogs, wikis, social-networking sites, and podcasts. This review presents trends in Web 2.0 internet usage, summarizes…

Suicide in prisons has been seen as a public health concern reaching crisis proportions around the world. In this study, data from 60 inmates in a South Australian remand facility were used to examine the relationship between loneliness and known predictors of self-harm, such as depression and hopelessness. As predicted, the results suggested that…

Although sexuality saturates adolescent life, schools do little to address teen sexuality. As educators feel increasingly burdened by competing societal demands, caring for youth sexual health becomes a secondary goal at best. This article argues that the public health costs are only one reason for addressing sexuality in schools and suggests that…

Introduction: Medical education topics might be locally prioritized using public health data on health outcomes and risk factors unrelated to quality of care. Methods: The Missouri Information for Community Assessment (MICA) supplied preventable hospitalization rates (PHRs) for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart…

Methodology for making cross-national comparisons is an area of increasing interest in social and public health related research. When studying socio-economic differences in health outcomes cross-nationally, there are several methodological issues of concern, especially when data is derived from self-reported questionnaires. Health Behaviour in…

The Baby Steps Program (Easter Seals of New Hampshire, 2003) is a child-find program that introduces developmental specialists into health care settings to conduct developmental screenings with children during well-child visits. This article presents the Baby Steps Program model, summaries of screening and referral data, and the results of 3 focus…

A significant proportion of individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder do not seek or receive effective treatment. Understanding the reasons why an individual chooses to seek treatment or prefers one treatment to another is a critical step to improve treatment seeking. To begin to understand these reasons, we conducted a qualitative…

Background: Mental Health Services for adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in Asia is less described than those in the western world. With the improvements in the economy and medical care in Asia, there is an increase in awareness of mental health services for people with ID in this part of the world. A study was carried out to look into…

Examines the evolution of health policies in the United States and their possible impact on public health. Reviews four periods of U.S. history (1776-1861, 1861-1931, 1931-1981, and 1981 to the present) with special emphasis on the significant increase in the federal role and the current attempts to reduce the federal role. (SK)

A brief history, beginning in the late 18th century, of increasing measures taken to insure children's health and eradicate many causes of children's deaths. Discussed also are many of the leading figures and institutions that played a key role in these developments. (MS)