Jihye Lee, M.Ed.Achievement goal theory (AGT) has emerged as a major theoretical perspective to understand and explain individuals’ motivation and related outcomes in classroom and physical education (PE)/physical activity (PA) settings. AGT is concerned with how individuals evaluate their personal competence in achievement settings and how this influences the ways they participate in and manage physical activity involvement. For the last 30 years, AGT has evolved from the dichotomous...

Rahma Mkuu, MPH, CPHGlobally, the consumption of alcohol is associated with increased risk for leading causes of death such as heart disease, injuries from automobile accidents, liver disease, HIV infection and others. In order to address and understand the extent of alcohol consumption, it is important to first be able to measure how much is being consumed and who is consuming.In developed countries such as the United States, most of the alcohol that is consumed is recorded, meaning that the al...

Caitlin Ballard, M.S.Finland is a world leader in education and health outcomes, ranking 8th among 50 countries in childhood and youth fitness levels. In comparison, the United States ranked 47th in the same study. Finland is consistently recognized as one of the most top performing countries in the world. Additionally, Finland provides equal opportunity to higher education, innovative teaching methodologies, high quality curriculum, and advanced pedagogy strategies to keep students active and e...

Jiling Liu, M. Ed Regular physical activity (PA) is important for children’s health and development. Exercising daily can reduce heart disease, obesity, and bone problems. Regular PA burns out stress and makes people feel good. Children’s academic learning can also improve through habitual exercises. Recently, PA opportunities for children are becoming fewer. One reason is that schools have focused more on students’ academic performances. At the same time, schools have cu...

Brittany Rosen, Ph.D, CHES          With the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine receiving much media attention in past years, there is talk about who should get the vaccine and what it prevents. Obviously, it prevents HPV, but what most people do not know is the vaccine helps protect against genital warts and cancer of the cervix, penis, vagina, and throat. More than 6,800 people die from these cancers every year. Unfortunately, with all these health ...

Brittany Rosen, Ph.D, CHESWhat guidelines help create an effective health education lesson plan impacting students’ behaviors? My study examined the content of six sexual health lesson plans, found online at the Advocates for Youth website. The lesson plans’ content was assessed using the Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The HECAT is a tool, with 14 guidelines, helping teachers develop clear and reliable heal...