There has long been controversy in this country about the implementation of school-based sexuality education. In recent years, however, the controversy has centered on abstinence education. Critics of abstinence education programs seem to have three major concerns relative to abstinence education programming: (1) promotion of religion; (2)…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Positive Prevention, a theory-based, HIV/STD prevention education curriculum for high school youth. Three hundred fifty-three students participated in a longitudinal experimental design to determine the impact of the curriculum on HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy to abstain from sex, self-efficacy of…

This study examined condom use intentions among a large diverse group of African American adolescents and provides useful information to assist in the development of effective HIV prevention interventions. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we explored which constructs are important in shaping intentions to use condoms for younger versus…

Effective substance abuse prevention programs help students develop knowledge as well as psychosocial competencies that can help them resist or delay the initiation of alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use. This paper describes the integration process used in a five-year project, Adoption of Drug Abuse Prevention Training (ADAPT), to study…

This study assessed internships associated with health education professional programs in the U.S. This study updates findings from an earlier survey published in 1990. Using the 2003 "AJHE" directory of institutions, 255 health education professional preparation programs were identified. Two hundred and eleven institutions had a health…

To date few studies have been conducted to assess the preparation of health educators in the area of cultural sensitivity and competence. The purpose of this study was to assess efforts and opportunities offered by health education professional preparation programs to prepare health educators in the area of cultural competence. One hundred…

Intuitive eating (an anti-dieting, hunger-based approach to eating) has been popularized as a viable approach to healthy weight management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between intuitive eating, diet composition, and the meaning of food. The convenience sample included 343 students enrolled in a general education…

This study used the areas of responsibility developed by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) as a framework for the assessment of Service Learning experiences of undergraduate health education students. In the present study, six Service Learning projects involving 12 students were evaluated using multiple strategies,…

Health educators are providing students with the health knowledge and health skills that are prerequisites for becoming health literate and using assessment tools to demonstrate effectiveness. In the school health educators' world, accountability equates to improved student knowledge and skills. To expect them to be held accountable for students'…

Increasingly, public health promotion is about more than influencing individual behavior. Rather, it is equally important to undertake efforts to impact social, environmental, and political factors. Having a clear understanding of the inner workings of the legislative process enhances one's ability to effectively influence policy. It is important…

This study examined the sexual messages depicted in music videos aired on MTV, MTV2, BET, and GAC from August 2, 2004 to August 15, 2004. One-hour segments of music videos were taped daily for two weeks. Depictions of sexual attire and sexual behavior were analyzed via a four-page coding sheet (interrater-reliability = 0.93). Results indicated…

Authors reviewed the theoretical history of the "motivation" construct, and its utilization within past/current health behavior research. Textbooks and review articles functioned as sources for the theoretical history review. Research published within a 10-year period (1993-2002) in four health promotion journals (all with impact factors greater…

With schools' emphasis on abstinence-only-until-marriage sexuality education, parents' roles as sexuality educators are becoming increasingly important to ensure positive sexual health outcomes for young people. However, research suggests that most American adults have limited basic sexual health knowledge. This lack of knowledge negatively…

In this article, we describe the Set the P.A.C.E.! (Parents And Children Empowered) curriculum designed for mothers of children 6-12 years of age. The development of the curriculum was part of a research study to test an intervention to enhance the mother's role in promoting resilience among 6- to 12-year-old children and to reduce the risk of…

Larger class sizes are often the solution to the greater enrollments and fewer resources that many colleges and universities face today. These large classes present special challenges to courses that were typically and most effectively taught in small, interactive and open settings. A "Classroom Response System" (CRS), an instructional tool that…