Heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory diseases are the leading chronic diseases worldwide. For American college students, specifically, behavioral risk factors for chronic disease include: insufficient sleep, inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, poor mental health, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships, and unsafe sexual…

This review of literature examines leading contributors and mediators of health disparities in the United States. Specifically, poverty, education, and health are addressed. Special emphasis is placed on implications of health risk behaviors and health education for select populations and settings. Existing and suggested strategies for addressing…

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), loss of sexual desire for sexual activity, is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions of men and women in the United States. This article presents an overview of this specific sexual dysfunction including incidence, possible causes, treatment options, and the role of the health educator in addressing…

This study sought to identify successful strategies for garnering stakeholder support for coordinated school health programs (CSHP) - an interactive, multi-component approach to health promotion among students and school staff. In the late 1990's several states were awarded federal funding to build infrastructure for CSHP. Directors from these…

This study investigated the attitudes of health education/promotion students toward homosexuals and the extent to which those attitudes were related to their comfort and interest in working with gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) individuals and health issues socially-related to this community. Participants included 182 undergraduate and graduate…

During the last two decades, obesity rates in the United States have escalated dramatically, and intense media coverage of obesity issues has fueled consumer interest in low-carbohydrate diets designed to promote rapid weight loss. The food industry has fostered the assumption that a drop in carbohydrate consumption will translate into a drop in…

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans [Dietary Guidelines] provides science-based advice to promote health and to reduce risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity. Major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States are related to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Some specific diseases linked to poor diet and…