Health Promotion Practice current issue

Book and Media Review: A Purchaser's Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Moving Science Into Coverage

Olson, S. J. — 2008-06-17

A Purchaser's Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Moving Science Into Coverage is a comprehensive tool that assists benefits staff as they design health care benefits, set up coverage guidelines for clinical preventive services with health plans, or negotiate covered services for purchasers of health care. The Purchaser's Guide includes the specific benefit language that should be incorporated into the health benefit, known as the Summary of Plan Description, which describes the coverage of each specific service in contractual terms. This resource is an example of a private organization (the National Business Group on Health) and public health (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) working together to translate research into meaningful practice. The resulting product has the potential to affect many lives throughout the United States by improving the health benefits coverage and the ultimate delivery of clinical preventive services.

Lost in Translation: Tips for Avoiding Translation "Travesties"

Macario, E., Montealegre Boyte, R. — 2008-06-17

Building Capacity for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Research: The Cardiovascular Health Intervention Research and Translation Network

2008-06-17

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention created the Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) Cardiovascular Health Intervention Research and Translation Network (CHIRTN) in 2005 to develop partnerships and create a research agenda that addresses cardiovascular health promotion. Six participating universities with expertise in heart disease and stroke prevention research collaborate with their PRC partner communities and other partners to (a) conduct demonstration research projects and (b) identify gaps in knowledge and make recommendations for future research to address those gaps. This report describes the structure and current efforts of the CHIRTN. The goal of these efforts is to promote cardiovascular health for Americans, particularly underserved, at-risk populations.

Health Educators' Perceptions of Ethics in Professional Preparation and Practice

Shive, S. E., Marks, R. — 2008-06-17

This commentary reflects health educators' views concerning perceptions of the need for increased awareness of the Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession, improvement in professionals' ability to engage in ethical reflection, and the need for incorporation of ethical considerations into health education practice.

Professional Development in Retirement: The Top Rung on the Career Ladder

Hayden, J., Cottrell, R., Green, L., Ames, E., Ramsey, D. — 2008-06-17

Retirement means different things to different people. For some, it is the endless summer, for others the freedom to travel down a new career path. For all, it is a time of significant change. Three prominent "retired" health educators share with us their retirement expectations, realities, and advice.

Community--Academia Partnerships to Promote Nutrition in the Lower Mississippi Delta: Community Members' Perceptions of Effectiveness, Barriers, and Factors Related to Success

Ndirangu, M., Yadrick, K., Bogle, M. L., Graham-Kresge, S. — 2008-06-17

This study examined the perceptions of community members' engaged in community—academia partnerships involved in developing nutrition interventions in three communities in the Lower Mississippi Delta. Perceptions on effectiveness of the partnerships were investigated. Six focus group interviews were conducted, with 33 participants that included 27 females and 6 males. The data were analyzed by content coding. Emerging themes were identified and related to accomplishments, barriers to success, and factors related to success of the partnerships. Accomplishments included the establishment of active committees, positive changes in health behavior related to food choices, and participation in community events. Barriers to success included the slow pace of intervention implementation, difficulties with understanding the role of the community in the participatory research process, the decision-making processes, and project name recognition. Factors related to success were tangible benefits to the community, participation that was representative, simplification of the research process, and the decision-making processes.

Application of a Walking Suitability Assessment to the Immediate Built Environment Surrounding Elementary Schools

Lee, S. M., Tudor-Locke, C., Burns, E. K. — 2008-06-17

This study examines the usefulness of applying a walking suitability assessment to a specific geographic area surrounding elementary schools. Streets within a 0.25-mile radius were measured to create a summary walking suitability score for seven schools from high-busing strata and seven from low-busing strata. Summary walking suitability scores were calculated for each school. A Mann—Whitney U test was conducted to determine any differences in scores between the high- and low-busing schools. The median walking suitability score was 3.7 (a good rating); the 25th percentile score was 2.9 (very good), and the 75th was 22.3 (poor). No statistical differences existed between busing strata. Walking suitability is an important consideration when examining the feasibility of walk-to-school programs within school settings; however, it might not be the main factor limiting children's active commuting to school. Several aspects of the environment were captured that researchers, practitioners, school personnel, and transportation experts may deem useful.

Grassroots Advocacy Campaign for HIV/AIDS Prevention: Lessons From the Field

Moseley, C., Melton, L. D., Francisco, V. T. — 2008-06-17

There are many guides written for developing strategies and tactics related to advocacy, and many pages of text are devoted to developing advocacy plans. Less well described is the context within which grassroots advocacy campaigns can be successful. This article describes a successful campaign to establish a needle-exchange program (NEP) in Guilford County, North Carolina. The authors briefly describe NEPs in general, the history of NEPs in North Carolina, the mission of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC), and why this approach was considered particularly important for Guilford County. Then the context of the successful adoption of an NEP in Guilford County and the progress to make it legal will be examined, including describing the specific advocacy activities facilitated by members of NCHRC. The article concludes with a discussion of lessons learned that may be applicable to other grassroots advocacy initiatives.

Using Direct Mail to Prompt Smokers to Call a Quitline

2008-06-17

Telephone quitlines efficiently deliver cessation services, but few smokers use them. This article describes an unsolicited direct mail campaign designed to increase calls to the New York State Smokers' Quitline. Two post-cards advertising the quitline and the availability of free nicotine patches were sent to 77,527 smoker households between August and October 2005. One postcard emphasized the effectiveness of the nicotine patch, whereas the other contrasted the risks of smoking and patch use. Response was evaluated using geographically linked calls to the quitline 15 days before and after each mailing. The postcard campaign increased call volume by 36%, with no difference between the two postcard versions. Those who reported calling the quitline in response to a mailing were more likely to request nicotine patches (91% versus 82%, p < .001). Direct mail can be used to increase quitline call volume and should be one of the promotional tools used by quitlines.

PREMIER--A Trial of Lifestyle Interventions for Blood Pressure Control: Intervention Design and Rationale

2008-06-17

Interventions encouraging adoption of healthy diets and increased physical activity are needed to achieve national goals for preventing and treating hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. PREMIER was a multicenter clinical trial testing the effects of two lifestyle interventions on blood pressure control, compared with advice only. Both interventions implemented established national guidelines for blood pressure control (weight loss, reduced sodium and alcohol intake, and increased physical activity), and one intervention also included the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Both interventions focused on behavioral self-management, motivational enhancement, and personalized feedback. This article describes the design and evaluation approaches for these interventions. Evaluation of multicomponent lifestyle change interventions can help us understand the benefits and difficulties of making multiple lifestyle changes concurrently and the effects such changes can have on blood pressure, particularly in minorities at higher risk for hypertension.

Lessons Learned From Developing a Tailored Print Intervention: A Guide for Practitioners and Researchers New to Tailoring

2008-06-17

Although some "how-to" guides have been written on tailored messaging, we found no reports on lessons learned from the process of developing a tailored intervention. Such lessons may be useful for practitioners and researchers who are new to tailored intervention development. The authors describe lessons gleaned from the process of developing a repeat mammography tailored print intervention. Lessons learned include the following: Selection of determinants appropriate for tailoring should be based on a theoretic framework and refined through assessment of the target population; researchers should anticipate threats to fidelity of intervention delivery because of incomplete or illogical survey data; fingerprinting enables assessment of intervention dose and how it relates to effectiveness of the tailored intervention; and a systematic process for conducting a systems test is needed to check for inconsistencies and errors before final tailored letter production. These lessons are discussed in the context of challenges and possible solutions for tailored health communication.

The Effectiveness of a Multimedia Program to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

LaChausse, R. G. — 2008-06-17

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) continues to be the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the United States. Because abstaining from alcohol prior to and throughout pregnancy is the only way to prevent FAS, some prevention programs try to target women before they become pregnant. The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Teaching and Research Awareness Campaign (FASTRAC) is a multimedia, peer-delivered educational presentation designed to reduce the incidence of FAS. Results from an ethnically diverse sample of high school students indicate that the program increased participants' knowledge regarding FAS but had no significant effect on participants' attitudes, beliefs about the dangers of FAS or intention to use alcohol during pregnancy. The FASTRAC program failed partly because of its didactic approach and the lack of health education principles that have been shown to be effective in changing other substance use behaviors. Suggestions for improving FAS prevention education programs are offered.

The Novella Approach to Inform Women Living on Low Income About Early Breast Cancer Detection

Herbison, S., Lokanc-Diluzio, W. — 2008-06-17

Economically disadvantaged women have a greater likelihood of later-stage breast cancer diagnosis when compared to women with higher levels of income. Later-stage diagnosis decreases the chances of survival. The purpose of this article is to describe a project whereby breast cancer survivors, living on lower incomes, created novellas (stories) using artistic media to reach their peers with a message about the importance of early breast cancer detection. The recruitment and engagement of breast cancer survivors in a 2-year community development project that used participatory, women-driven approaches are discussed, and the reciprocal learning between health care providers, community partners, and women living on low income is shared. Recommendations for health promotion practice are presented.

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Children: A Pilot Program of Be a Fit Kid

Slawta, J., Bentley, J., Smith, J., Kelly, J., Syman-Degler, L. — 2008-06-17

Be a Fit Kid is a 12-week program aimed at improving physical activity and nutritional habits in children. The physical activity component of the program emphasized cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, and bone development through running, yoga, jumping, and strength exercises. All activities were individualized and noncompetitive. The nutrition component focused on current dietary guidelines that emphasize a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, unsaturated fats, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat and sugar. Following the 12-week intervention, significant improvements were observed in body composition, fitness, nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, and in those who participated 75% of the time, significant reductions in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were observed. Findings from the pilot trial suggest that health promotion programs can be well received by children and may favorably alter overweight and the development of adult lifestyle-related diseases.