Sexuality is considered by most religious traditions to represent general temptation, procreation or a way to strengthen emotional bonds. The purpose of this study was to determine if frequency of religious attendance and perceived degree of religiosity could distinguish between those students who have and have not participated in selected sexual…

American children continue to be less physically active than they were a decade ago. Web-based programs (e-Learning), requiring minimal teacher training and expertise, could contribute to improvements in children's health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the e-Learning module…

This study explored the effectiveness of selected statistical measures at motivating or maintaining regular exercise among college students. The study also considered whether ease in understanding these statistical measures was associated with perceived effectiveness at motivating or maintaining regular exercise. Analyses were based on a…

National statistics estimate that 1.2 million newborn males are circumcised annually in the United States (70% to 80%). Such values as sanctity, equity, fraternity, paternity and liberty affect circumcision rates in America. The value of sanctity allows freedom of religious beliefs and traditions that often overcome medical impetus in…

Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria are continuing to emerge as high rates of antibiotic use persist. Children are among the highest users of antibiotics, with parents influencing physician decision-making regarding antibiotic prescription. An intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to reduce parents' expectations for antibiotics…

A large national database (U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2001) was analyzed for age, sex, race/ethnicity and television viewing among American adolescents aged 12-18 years. Body Mass Indices (BMI) were calculated from self-reported height and weight. Ninety-fifth percentile and above was classified as obese; [less…

Asthma education interventions primarily target young children and adults, and a few target adolescents. Several constructs of the social cognitive theory were used to design a classroom-based high school asthma education curriculum and to determine if the curriculum would improve asthma knowledge and attitudes among 10th grade students, as well…

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…