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For over thirty years Afghanistan has been challenged by war, political and civil instability, mass displacement, human rights abuses, drought, and famine. It is not surprising that health and quality of life of vulnerable groups in this region are among the worst in the world. In general, women and children have had especially limited access to education and healthcare. The situation in Afghanistan is difficult, but by no means impossible and renewed international focus combined with shifting internal dynamics provide a real opportunity to change the trajectory of the country and lives of millions of Afghans. With regard to internal dynamics, the health and education of children, I believe, provide one of the greatest opportunities for Afghanistan to build a new and peaceful path in the twenty first century. At the heart of a successful development strategy in Afghanistan will be stitching together local capabilities and resources and tailoring projects to context. Afghan children present an ideal starting ground. This thesis asks the question: how might children’s participation and the Child-to-Child approach to health education and community development be used effectively in Afghanistan? I analyze the possibilities and limitations of the Child-to-Child approach were it to be implemented in the traditional/Islamic context of Afghanistan. More broadly, I highlight external and internal forces that are affecting and will continue to shape future health intervention and development projects such as Child-to-Child in Afghanistan. I conclude that, at this time, Afghan children will receive adequate and long term health care (through initiatives such as Child-to-Child) only when essential and basic services/needs are met, geo-political conflicts between industrial nations over Afghanistan are resolved and future intervention programs are designed using culturally sensitive strategies not only to provide health services but also to address the underlying non-medical determinants of health related to Afghanistan’s development process. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-08 13:46:27.149

<p> This descriptive, cross-sectional study was used to collect and analyze data provided from a pencil and paper survey mailed to a randomly selected group of North Carolina restaurants and bars. The topic of the study was North Carolina's smoke-free restaurants and bars law. The two purposes of this study were: 1) to assess whether, after five years of implementation of the N.C. smoke-free law, restaurant and bar owners and managers receive complaints about the law, and whether they are experiencing the benefits promised when the law was first passed and 2) to explore their actions and interest related to policies that go beyond what is covered in the state law, specifically prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes indoors and/or providing smoke-free seating areas for customers outside. </p><p> A 20-question survey was mailed to 663 restaurant and bar owners/managers. The overall response rate was 20.3% (23% for restaurants and 17% for bars). The total number of surveys analyzed was 135 (86 from restaurants and 49 from bars). All participants acknowledged knowing about the smoke-free law, and the two most frequently selected benefits for restaurants and bars were customers breathing less tobacco smoke (65.2%) and fewer complaints about secondhand smoke (58.5%). Another frequently selected benefit of the law was reduced maintenance and cleaning costs (45.9%). A total of 79.1% of restaurants and 73.5% of bars reported at least one benefit from the smoke-free law. </p><p> Further analysis showed that while restaurant and bar owners/managers receive few complaints about secondhand smoke, more than half of bars reported receiving complaints during the last 12 months from smoking customers and employees about not having a place indoors to smoke. Qualitative analysis of comments responding to an open-ended question showed that bar owners and managers tend to be less happy with the smoke-free law than restaurant owners and managers. Bar owners and managers also shared specific problems with the law and recommended solutions to those problems. </p><p> Restaurants were found to be significantly more likely than bars to restrict the use of electronic cigarettes inside their businesses, with more than two-thirds of restaurant participants either banning their use inside or limiting their use to designated areas. Restaurants and bars did not show a statistically significant difference in smoke-free outdoor customer areas, with 29% of all participants reporting some smoke-free policy for outdoor customer areas. </p><p> A moderate number of participants said they are interested in more information about restricting electronic cigarette use (14.3%) and more information about creating smoke-free outdoor customer areas (18.6%). Trends and interest in both of these policy areas create an opportunity for public health to respond with programs and policy efforts. &#8195;</p>

<p>Meal patterns in the NSLP have recently been updated. Research is limited on school staffs' perception of change in fruit and vegetable intake for students participating in the NSLP after implementation of the regulation. Identifying factors that affect intake of fruits and vegetables after implementation can help determine strategies to increase fruit and vegetable intake of students participating in the NSLP. Interviews were conducted with school staff (<i> n</i> = 4) in the Covina-Valley Unified School District to investigate perceived factors that impact consumption and changes in waste. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes. Reported factors affecting intake included the school's approach, peer influence, and offering condiments. In addition, the amount of time students are given to eat lunch was identified as a potential factor, given that fact that the regulation requires students to take a fruit or vegetable, as these foods were perceived to take longer to consume. </p>