By better understanding differences in health-risk behaviors among youth in rural, suburban and urban communities, health educators and other public health practitioners can more appropriately focus prevention and health care programs. In this study, we examined data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to determine whether…

Culturally diverse students, as a collective group, are a sizable and growing population. Large numbers of students with language and cultural experiences different from the mainstream population will continue to enter schools in growing numbers throughout the next decades. Historically, their level of academic achievement has lagged significantly…

Throughout history, the African-American church has played a vital role in social, political and educational arenas. Often viewed as the cornerstone of the African-American community, the African-American church is an excellent medium to promote health prevention and promotion interventions. This article identifies several elements for the…

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent and widespread sexually transmitted disease and is responsible for almost all cases of cervical cancer worldwide. However, HPV has received little public health attention, is not a reportable STD, and often is absent from the repertoire of STDs. In addition, there is pervasive misinformation…

Many commentators have indicated that our nation is in a crisis of character. This study examined the relationship between cheating and lying behaviors and constructs previous research has shown to be associated with health behaviors. Participants in the study were 700 students in grades 6-12 from a single southern school district. The…

This article has three purposes: to explain the two different uses of power analysis that can be used in health education research; to examine the extent to which power analysis is being used in published health education research; and to explain the implications of not using power analysis in research studies. Articles in seven leading health…

School health education has been and still is guided by a number of different and often competing philosophical orientations. The field seems to be moving toward a skills-based philosophy, but the adoption of this approach is taking place with little discussion or analysis in the professional health education literature. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this study was to assess physical activity levels and the relationships between activity and personal characteristics among a cohort of college students and to determine personal characteristics that predict activity. A sample of 1,700 undergraduates was mailed a survey that requested demographic information and assessed health…

The purpose of this study was to describe the ambulatory physical activity of a sample of college students. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in which students (N = 441; males: n = 204, age = 20.20 plus or minus 1.99, BMI = 25.19 plus or minus 4 kg/m[superscript 2]; females: n = 237, age = 19.92 [plus or minus] 1.64, BMI = 22.91…

Cervical cancer is a major health concern for Latinas, who are also less likely to undergo a Pap smear exam than the general population. This study identifies alterable determinants of Pap smear screening for Latino women living in a rural area of California. It involved the design and pilot testing of a culturally appropriate instrument and the…

Every year in the United States, health and social problems result from adolescents' use and abuse of alcohol. Alcohol use is associated with high-risk behaviors and is a leading cause of death among adolescents. Research indicates that alcohol advertising influences drinking intentions for children and adolescents. Using content analysis of 486…

Many health educators view health as a subjective, comprehensive and multidimensional construct, such as the WHO concept that defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This paper, through a philosophical analysis, demonstrates that health is not…

The purpose of this article is to assist health educators and students to integrate theory with practice by examining four major learning theories for their implications for motivating healthy behavior change. Using a prototypical case example based on the authors' experiences with farm families through community health screenings, the learning…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the melanoma and sun protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of college students attending a large Midwestern university. Further, gender and skin type (fair, medium, or dark) were examined as potential intervening variables. Results indicate that the college students studied had low knowledge levels…

Epidemic levels of obesity represent a growing public health problem associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. Population level interventions that aim to moderate obesigenic environments have been proposed but remain largely unimplemented. Standard individual level interventions that focus on dietary restraint have been ineffective…