Donald I. Wagner

Predicting Childhood Obesity Prevention Behaviors Using Social Cognitive Theory

Four commonly suggested public health strategies to combat childhood obesity are limiting television viewing, encouraging daily physical activity, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and increasing water consumption. This study examined the extent to which selected social cognitive theory constructs can predict these four behaviors in upper elementary children. A 52-item valid and reliable scale was administered to 159 fifth graders. Minutes of physical activity was predicted by self-efficacy to exercise and number of times taught at school (R2 = 0.072). Hours of TV watching were predicted by number of times taught about healthy eating at school and self-control through goal setting (R2 = 0.055). Glasses of water consumed were predicted by expectations for drinking water (R2 = 0.091). Servings of fruits and vegetables consumed were predicted by self-efficacy of eating fruits and vegetables (R2 = 0.137). Social cognitive theory offers a practically useful framework for designing primary prevention interventions to reduce childhood obesity.

Parents' Reported Needs in Preventing Their Children from Engaging in Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use.

Abstract A sample of 388 parents completed a two-page survey assessing their perceived needs in preventing children from engaging in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. Results indicated that the largest parental needs were in learning how to teach their children how to resist peer pressure to use substances and how to effectively communicate with their children concerning use of substances. The most common resource that parents reported using to obtain information on drug prevention and parenting strategies was the church/faith-based community. Recommendations and practical strategies that statewide and local planners can use in developing effective drug prevention workshops meeting the reported needs of parents are offered in the course of this article.

Health Promotion Cooperatives: An Alternative Delivery System for Rural Health Promotion Programs

Abstract Health Promotion increasingly is considered an essential component in the reduction of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality. In medically under served communities, especially rural regions in the western hemisphere, health promotion is an important strategy to improve health status and enable economic development. This article examines the networking strategy that was utilized to develop a rural health promotion cooperative in the southwestern portion of Ohio in the United States. Special emphasis will be given to the success of this strategy as a technique for introducing change and reducing resistance to prevention programs. The cooperative, which has been in existence since 1987, has conducted health promotion programs on tobacco reduction, alcohol education, and nutrition. The impact of these programs has been diffused in six rural counties within the region. In addition, this paper includes considerations of obstacles that were confronted, the rationale for the cooperative, adoption...

Racial and Gender Composition of Health Education Faculty in Higher Education.

For the past two decades, public institutions and those that contract with the United States Government have established policies and procedures concerned with affirmative action and equal employment opportunity. These new regulations arise from Executive Order 11246 (1965, amended 1967), which prohibits employment discrimination as a condition of conducting business with the government. In higher education, principles of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity have been adopted widely (Tucker, 1984). However, not all searches for faculty in health education have been able to create applicant pools that include qualified minorities and women. To conduct realistic searches that not only comply with affirmative action and equal opportunity regulations but also increase representation of women and minorities on health education faculty, it is necessary to develop a baseline of current representation and availability. This study was conducted to establish a data base

The Second National Survey of U.S. Internship Standards in Health Education Professional Preparation: 15 Years Later.

Abstract 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 education/promotion or community health program and were sent a survey packet. Of the 211 surveys sent, 124 completed surveys were returned. Results indicate that overall the vast majority of programs required internships. Undergraduate programs were more likely to require an internship than were masters level programs. Travel reimbursement for site visits was reported by most programs, as was inclusion of site visits in full-time facultys workload; however, there was a decrease in the proportion of programs reducing workload to compensate for site visits from the first survey. Over half of programs have a policy in place regarding student compensation with almost 40% reporting that student compensation is allowable. Sixty-nine percent of the responding programs have a formal process for approving internship sites. The two most important criteria reported in approving an internship sites were types of work experience provided by the site and previous positive experiences with the site.

Youth Perceptions of Heart Health Education: Utilizing the Application of Focus Groups

Abstract Traditionally, the American Heart Association (AHA) has provided heart education programs to elementary and secondary schools. Periodically, it is useful to collect data that enables organizations to redesign educational initiatives. Thus the AHA engaged a private market research firm to conduct focus groups as one component of a redesign effort. These focus groups interacted with 14- to 17-year-old respondents to identify perceptions of existing heart health education programs and collect suggestions for future initiatives. Respondents identified key issues that affect their perceptions of the importance and/or credibility of health messages. The findings of these focus groups indicated several directions for heart health education programs. Among these directions are the following recommendations: to interrelate heart health messages with other issues that 14- to 17-year-olds consider important; to integrate visual images of the consequences of heart disease; to utilize spokespersons who have d...