The area health education centers (AHEC) program was established in West Virginia in 1972 as a centralized consortium linking undergraduate and graduate medical and health professions training in Charleston. In 1987 the reorganized AHEC began developing rural community-based consortia that integrate rural primary care residencies with state-funded…

The health of urban America, particularly that of minority citizens who live in urban America, is so poor in comparison to that of the rest of our nation's citizens that it constitutes a national disgrace and an embarrassment. (Author/MW)

The profession of medicine has a central role to play in ushering in the new paradigm of a health care system that will invest its efforts in health promotion and disease prevention on the one hand and in treatment and rehabilitation of the sick and injured on the other. (MLW)

Reconceptualizing physical education shifts emphasis from sports-centered programs to health-related fitness. Four program suggestions are discussed for improving long-term physical activity patterns of youth. Also discussed are two programs in transition being implemented by school districts in Georgia and Wyoming. (IAH)

Describes a participatory research project among the Sikuani Indians of Colombia that uncovered solutions to a failing government-imposed health program. Discusses promoting community involvement in and control of its own health care, integrating traditional and modern medical practices, and adapting national health dictums to local circumstances.…

Discusses outcomes of a conference that brought together representatives from Indian tribes, state health departments, the Indian Health Service, the Mayo Clinic, and the American Cancer Society, to address the high rate of cervical cancer among American Indian women. Describes barriers to health care and plans to promote cancer screening among…

Describes the development of the Child Dietary Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSS) to measure self-efficacy for selecting and consuming healthful food. Third and fourth graders completed the CDSS, and results revealed acceptable estimates of internal consistency for the dietary self-efficacy scale. Self-efficacy strongly related to students' usual food…

Reports the results of a study that examines differences in substance-related attitudes, use patterns, and related consequences among three typical college campuses in order to underscore the need for campuses to develop and market prevention/intervention programs based on the unique patterns inherent on their individual campuses. (LKS)

To teach students to maintain active lifestyles, physical educators must know what motivates students to exercise. The article discusses factors contributing to youth inactivity, what physical educators can do about the problem, and what research says about exercise motivation and adherence. Six recommendations for physical educators are included.…

This study examined the effects of participation in an after school physical fitness program emphasizing aerobics on low-fit elementary students. Data were collected on four occasions. The program had a positive impact on field test measures but did not improve body fatness, cardiovascular responses to exercise, and blood lipid profiles. (SM)

Examines literature on peer education in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) programs for youth. The review shows that peer involvement helps increase access to, and acceptance of, HIV/AIDS prevention messages, and enhances the possibility of behavior change. (SM)

The effect of parental involvement in school-based exercise and nutrition education was investigated. Elementary students participated in school-home, school-only, or control groups. Pre- and posttesting on physical and knowledge measures indicated family involvement mainly helped improve flexibility and nutrition knowledge. School-based students…

Summarizes 25 reports addressing the interconnectedness of children's health and education and incorporating a comprehensive health approach, detailing 5 themes: education and health are interrelated; social morbidities threaten public health; a comprehensive, integrated approach is needed; health promotion and education should center around…

The article describes implementation of the PATCH (Planned Approach to Community Health) model in an urban African-American community. It presents recommendations reflecting lessons learned in that community and notes four components crucial to such a community-based public health effort. (SM)

Effects of question length and explicitness of directions (format) were examined for 97 university students answering open-ended consumer satisfaction questions at 9 health promotion workshops. Question format, but not length, was related to the usefulness of answers. Implications for use and construction of open-ended questions are discussed.…