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<p> Mint Green is a limited liability company who provides preventative health care services to the Greater Long Beach area. Mint Green is entering the Weight Loss Services Industry which is experiencing rapid growth due to the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Mint Green has the opportunity to reach approximately 65% of firms who offer health benefits to their employees. Mint Green&rsquo;s Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Plan (HELP) is the core instruction to the weight loss programs. Mint Green has four types of weight loss programs; each developed to satisfy a wide array of budgets. Mint Green is projected to yield a profitable margin.</p>

Health-case costs in the United States have been rising at an alarming pace. Therefore, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on finding more cost-effective methods of providing care and maintaining health. An area that warrants investigation is the potential for reducing inappropriate utilization of medical-care resources for relatively minor self-limiting problems. One method of accomplishing this is to provide the proper encouragement, skills, and resources to enable individuals to appropriately involve themselves in self-care activities. A study was conducted to determine if an intervention involving self-care information would change participants' beliefs and attitudes concerning responsibility and involvement in their own health care. Students entering the Student Health Service at the University of Arizona during the study period were randomly assigned to the treatment group or control group. Members of the treatment group received the intervention and were asked to complete a survey instrument. Members of the control group were asked to complete the survey instrument only. The survey instrument consisted of a measurement of attitudes toward information and behavioral involvement in health care (i.e., Krantz Health Opinion Survey) and a measure of beliefs regarding one's ability to exert control over their health (i.e., Multidimensional Health Locus of Control). Also on the instrument was a measure of the individual's behavioral intentions regarding projected use of medical-care practitioners. Results of the study indicated that the intervention was able to change the treatment group's attitudes regarding a greater preference for more active involvement in their health care. Also subsequent to the intervention, the treatment group's responses reflected less of a belief that health was outside of their control. No difference was found between the treatment and control group in regard to behavioral intentions. These results demonstrate that a positive change in health-related beliefs and attitudes can come about as a result of a relatively uncomplicated and inexpensive intervention.

Six young women from a remote Tarahumara pueblo are functioning as village health workers. Through qualitative research techniques informed by symbolic interactionism, the investigator has sought to determine what it is like for these women living in a pre-Columbian society to develop this new role. Some issues guiding the research were; education, families' reactions to the new role, perceived changes in the health status of the pueblo and current attitudes of village health workers toward their new role. Although it was difficult for these women to respond to abstract questions regarding their feelings and emotions, rich descriptive data emerged outlining the women's perceptions of the village health worker role and its effects on their families and the community. The major themes that emerged during this research were; "wanting to learn more;" "less sickness and death among children;" "personal hygiene has changed lives;" and "medicine is gaining acceptance."

The Breastfeeding Education Support Team (BEST) is a pilot project to promote breastfeeding in WIC clients in Tucson, Arizona. In this study, the control group breastfed their infants significantly longer than the intervention group (p < .006). Ethnicity and perceived support were shown to positively affect breastfeeding longevity in the control group. The intervention did increase the probability that a client receiving it would initiate breastfeeding (p < 0.06). The trimester a client attended the BEST class did significantly affect the longevity of breastfeeding in the intervention group (p < 0.016). The control group appeared to be influenced by cultural norms that favor breastfeeding. The intervention group seems to be functioning under transitional influences that do not favor breastfeeding. Strategies that include the BEST class, homevisiting a new breastfeeding mother, and the formation of breastfeeding support groups could increase the initiation and longevity of breastfeeding in this population.

Coping has been implicated in health outcomes through a process of adaptation. The purpose of this study was to describe the coping strategies used by 37 patients undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis treatment in Taiwan. The Jalowiec Coping Scale was used to measure the use and effect of patients' coping styles. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Seven commonly used coping strategies and three never used coping strategies were reported. Subjects also reported six not helpful coping strategies. Results of t-tests indicated that there was a significant difference (p < .05) between those with a supportive person and those without. Several significant correlations (p < .05) were found between coping styles and demographic factors. Finally, the results of 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference (p < .05) in the main effect of support, gender, and interaction in total effect of the Jalowiec Coping Scale.

The purpose of this study was to compare spirituality and subjective sense of time passage between Vietnam combat veterans diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and those without PTSD. Rogers' Principle of Helicy provided a theoretical perspective for the study. The abrupt interactive repatterning that may occur under the extreme conditions of combat can be translated into compromised abilities of the combat veteran to assume an acceptable lifestyle once he is out of the combat situation. A population of 32 Vietnam combat veterans answered questionnaires regarding their perspectives on spirituality and subjective sense of time. It was hypothesized that these variables may differ significantly among Vietnam combat veterans with and without PTSD. Findings revealed a statistically significant difference in sense of time in Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD compared to those without PTSD. There was, however, no significant difference in spiritual perspective when these same groups were compared.

A descriptive study was conducted to investigate the relationship between socio-demographic factors and the immunization status of two year old children. Secondary data were collected from records of 105 two year old children enrolled in the Well Child Clinics of a county health department. Results revealed that 37.5% of the sample had achieved complete immunization status. No statistically significant relationship was found between trimester prenatal care began, maternal age, number of children living in the home, neonatal problems, ethnicity, source of care, referral to Walk-In Clinic, and current visits by a PHN, and the immunization status of two year old children. A statistically significant relationship was found between potential for AHCCCS and incomplete immunization status. The variables that demonstrated significant predictive ability were ethnicity, maternal age, referral to walk-in clinic, potential for AHCCCS and neonatal problems.

<p> <b>Background</b>: In September 2006, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended changing to opt-out screening of HIV for all patients in all health-care settings and for all pregnant women as part of the routine panel of prenatal screening. In opt-out HIV testing, a health care provider verbally informs the patient that the test will be performed and consent is assumed unless they refuse. Earlier opt-in HIV testing guidelines required informed written consent and was targeted at high-risk populations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of opt-out HIV screening in family planning centres. </p><p> <b>Methods</b>: In 2011, data were collected in a pre-post survey design study conducted at 6 Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) clinical centres in Connecticut. The pre-test period used opt-in HIV screening and the post-test period used opt-out HIV screening. Differences in participant characteristics and HIV testing rates, satisfaction, and perceptions of HIV testing were compared between the pre (n=250) and post periods (n=250). Patient characteristics examined were gender, age, race, language, income, family size, insurance status, previous HIV and STD testing at Planned Parenthood. </p><p> <b>Results</b>: The mean age of patients offered HIV screening was 26 years old, 58% were white, 26% were black, 12% were Hispanic, and 3.2% were other races. Three-quarters of participants were female. Characteristics of patients receiving opt-in and opt-out screening did not significantly differ for all variables except income (p>0.05 for all except income). HIV testing rates (74% and 75%, respectively) and satisfaction with HIV testing (75% and 77%) were similar between both opt-in and opt-out groups (p>0.05 for both). However, patients receiving opt-in versus opt-out screening differed significantly with respect to their opinions of HIV opt-out screening (93% vs. 98% agreed that HIV screening should be routine for the general population). Patients accepting versus refusing opt-out HIV testing in the post-period differed significantly based on gender, testing centre, and reason for visit (p&lt;0.05 for all). Those accepting opt-out testing were more likely to be male, tested in Hartford North, and seeking care for an asymptomatic STD test. At an alpha level of 0.05, both the full and reduced multivariate logistic regression models revealed that individuals who were tested in Danielson were less likely to accept opt-out HIV testing (as compared to reference categories). Hispanics and individuals seeking care for asymptomatic STD visits were more likely to accept opt-out HIV testing (as compared to reference categories). </p><p> <b>Conclusion</b>: In family planning centres, opt-in and opt-out HIV screening have similar outcomes in patients' characteristics, HIV testing rates and satisfaction. Testing rates were high in the pre-test period, which may have resulted in a ceiling effect on the HIV testing rates in the post-test period. Opt-out testing was less effective for some groups and further studies should be conducted to understand this phenomenon.</p>

<p>Assessing and understanding the health needs and abilities of university and college students is vital in creating healthy campus communities. Student learning is a central part of the higher education academic mission, and health promotion serves this mission by supporting students and creating healthy learning environments. Findings from various studies suggest that students entering the university setting put themselves at risk through unhealthy behaviours. Health science students are the future health professionals who will teach health promotion and disease prevention. The aim of this study was to determine and analyse health risk behaviours and health promoting behaviours among health science students at the University of the Western Cape. The study further aimed to identify the factors influencing these students' engagement in these risk behaviours.</p>