Rural training sites are ideal for students to confront social, political, and economic forces underlying ill health in our society. Medical education for rural practice must provide early and sustained exposure to rural communities and rural physician role models, particularly through university-community partnerships. (Author/MSE)

Discusses health problems of homeless children, youth, and women who were seen in the National Health Care for the Homeless Program during its first year. (PCB)

Focusing on emerging models of population-level risk reduction, the authors discuss the essential ingredients for successful suicide prevention programs: comprehensiveness, fidelity, and intensity. Issues of feasibility, access, and effectiveness are discussed. The authors argue for nesting suicide prevention programs within existing public health…

Discusses the implications of the Medical Waste Management Act of 1988 for small medical facilities, public health, and the environment. Reviews health and environmental risks associated with medical waste, current regulatory approaches, and classifications. Concludes that the health risk of medical wastes has been overestimated; makes…

Discusses the public health ramifications of environmental management and how the National Environmental Health Association should play a role in addressing the issues on the Earth Summit agenda and the National Agenda for Environmental Quality. Explores the link between ecological ills, national and international trade, and related consumption of…

As implemented in Boston, the federal Healthy Start Initiative aimed at reducing infant mortality revealed the following: (1) conflict is inherent in a federal program that also calls for community participation and control; (2) trust among community-based partners is essential; and (3) meaningful input from community members is necessary if…

A survey of 266 community health nurses specializing in learning disabilities found that 82.9% felt inadequately prepared to support parents with learning disabilities. There was little coverage of parenting topics in their coursework and subsequent training. (SK)

Focuses on recent evidence now available from France and Spain on the smoking behavior of adolescents and young people. Evidence indicates that it will be a massive challenge to reduce smoking among young people. Argues that public awareness of the threat to health from smoking should be raised and that public health measures require further…

Examines the increasing problem of teenage smoking in modern China. Reviews China's smoking control efforts, a major feature of which has been to educate the youth against smoking so as to prevent them from starting and reduce the overall number of new smokers. (Contains 61 references.) (Author/GCP)

Graduate schools of public health are reconsidering the way they prepare students for public health practice, working to ensure that graduates with master's of public health degrees are competent to meet the current challenges of practice. Alumni of schools of public health may be required to demonstrate competency in the domains of skills,…

Examines the "Ladies' Home Journal" and two popular consumer magazines that target blacks to determine the proportions of food and beverage advertisements, nutrition advertisements and their promotional messages, and the health implications they reveal. Findings reveal these magazines had a significantly higher number of alcohol ads,…

Study of a continuing education course in public health run by a federal agency showed that stakeholders whose needs were unmet engaged in metanegotiations to change power relationships in planning; they used substantive negotiations to change course content and audience. The case demonstrates how adult education planners are constrained by…

In the Caring for the Community Initiative, a nursing school provides five community-based health programs for underserved populations, which serve as clinical practice and service learning sites for students. The programs provide faculty opportunities to integrate their research, teaching, and service roles. (SK)

An action research study found that newly qualified community nurses were very positive about their new roles and able to use analytic skills in practice. However, they felt inadequately prepared for work pressures and the pace of activity. (SK)

Presents an activity in which students grapple with the complex issues surrounding the use of DDT to control malaria which affects millions of people in developing nations. Considers risk/benefit analysis and the pre-cautionary principle, two techniques used when making policy decisions involving the impact of science and technology on society.…