The study sought to identify factors motivating young people aged 14-25 years to use voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV in Malawi by interviewing 145 young people. The study identified barriers affecting and strategies promoting young people's access to VCT. The research results indicate that young people go for VCT mainly to know their HIV status. The availability of VCT services, and the provision of VCT services by peers motivate young people to access VCT. Some young people do not access VCT services due to fears of being found HIV+ve and because of the poor attitudes of the health service providers. Providing more information about VCT, involving young people as VCT providers, using youth friendly health service providers, providing VCT in a separate room for young people and through mobile services will increase young people's access to VCT services in Malawi. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Introduction: Oil/gas communities across Northeastern British Columbia are experiencing rapid in-migration of young, primarily male workers in response to an economic ‘boom’ in the oil/gas sectors. Accompanying the ‘boom’ has been a rise in rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people, with Chlamydia rates among youth in the Northeast exceeding the provincial average by 22%. Previous research indicates that socio-cultural and structural determinants of youth sexual behaviour and access to STI testing are important for understanding youth sexual health disparities – and represent key targets for STI prevention efforts. No other research has explored STIs in this rapidly developing, under-resourced context. Therefore, objectives of this thesis were to: (1) Examine how socio-cultural and structural features related to the oil/gas ‘boom’ affect the sexual behaviour of young people in Fort St. John (FSJ), BC; (2) Gather the perspectives of youth and their service providers on the socio-cultural and structural barriers to STI testing in FSJ; (3) Develop recommendations to improve the accessibility of STI testing. Results: Participants identified 4 main ways in which the socio-cultural and structural conditions created by the ‘boom’ affect sexual behaviours, fuelling the spread of STIs in FSJ: mobility of oil/gas workers; binge partying; high levels of disposable income; and gendered power dynamics. As well, 5 key barriers to STI testing among youth were identified: limited opportunities for access; geographic inaccessibility; local social norms; limited information; and negative interactions with providers. Discussion: These data indicate that the conditions fostered by the ‘boom’ in FSJ exacerbate sexual health inequalities among young people. They can be more widely contextualized as an example of the unintended – but not unexpected – health and social implications of a resource-extraction ‘boom’, illustrating the fallacy of ‘development’ as representing uniformly positive ‘progress’. Recommended actions include STI prevention and testing service delivery models that incorporate a locally tailored public awareness campaign, outreach to oil/gas workers, condom distribution, expanded clinic hours and drop-in appointments, specialized training for health care providers, and intersectoral partnerships between public health, non-profit organizations, and industry. An ongoing knowledge translation internship has been undertaken to implement some of these recommendations. / Medicine, Faculty of / Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of / Graduate

The purpose of this investigation focused on determining the effects of a physical conditioning program on physical fitness and health attitudes on inpatient adolescent male substance abusers during and following participation in a six week fitness program. The fitness measures chosen for this study were the 1 1/2 mile run, skinfold, sit-and-reach, and grip strength. The first four of these measures make up the AAHPERD test battery (AAHPERD, 1980). The Health Attribution Test (Lawlis and Lawlis, 1980) was administered to determine health locus of control.

Objetivos: (1) descrever uma escola, realizando um diagnóstico sobre o perfil comportamental das turmas da EJA, os problemas de saúde, as características dos alunos no que se refere ao número de faltas nas aulas de Educação Física (EF), medidas antropométricas, indicadores de composição corporal, pressão arterial, ocorrências de alguns hábitos de vida, aptidão física, atividades ocupacionais realizadas no dia-a-dia e as preferências por manifestações da cultura corporal; (2) construir e aplicar uma proposta em EF voltada para promoção da saúde de acordo com o diagnóstico obtido durante um semestre letivo; (3) relatar a experiência docente a partir da elaboração e aplicação da proposta de EF escolar para a EJA; (4) verificar os efeitos da proposta de EF nos escores de: hábitos de vida sedentários, atividade física organizada, de lazer e total, níveis de Aptidão física relacionada a saúde (APFRS), pressão arterial e nos indicadores de composição corporal; (5) verificar se os efeitos da proposta de EF sobre a aptidão física, composição corporal e pressão arterial se associaram entre si e com fatores moderadores (hábitos de vida); (6) descrever a satisfação dos escolares com a proposta em EF e os efeitos sobre a aprendizagem docente. Procedimentos metodológicos: trata-se de uma pesquisa participante de abordagem mista, na qual o método quantitativo foi aninhado ao método qualitativo sendo elaborada com as seguintes fases: descrição e exploração; detalhamento da realidade escolar; construção teórica da proposta e aplicação; feedbacks iniciais aos participantes da pesquisa; avaliação da ação e relato docente. O estudo foi realizado com 39 sujeitos estudantes da educação de jovens e adultos. Foram avaliados problemas de saúde dos alunos, houve descrição das características da comunidade escolar, aspectos comportamentais das turmas, as preferências no que se refere as manifestações da cultura corporal e a opinião/satisfação dos estudantes. Os hábitos de vida foram investigados com um questionário adaptado com perguntas fechadas em escala ordinal. A APFRS foi mensurada com a bateria de testes do Projeto Esporte Brasil, o perímetro da cintura e a pressão arterial foram medidos. Também foi relatada a aprendizagem docente nessa realidade escolar. Resultados e considerações finais: existiu um elevado número de ausências nas aulas de EF, muitas dificuldades de saúde ocasionadas por comportamentos de risco, problemas sociais, dificuldade de relação interpessoal, hábitos de vida não saudáveis, baixos níveis de aptidão física, elevados níveis de pressão arterial e ocorrências de sobrepeso/obesidade entre 35% e 54%. As preferências dos estudantes eram modalidades de atividade física ou exercício físico focados no treinamento/desenvolvimento de condicionamento físico. Foi possível e viável, criar e aplicar uma proposta de educação física escolar durante um semestre letivo nessa realidade, sendo defendida pela escola e pelos alunos. Concluímos que foram reduzidos os hábitos sedentários, houve aumento de prática de atividade física organizada fora da escola, principalmente no número de vezes por semana e a atividade física de lazer também aumentou. Esses foram efeitos que auxiliaram na melhoria da flexibilidade e dos níveis de aptidão cardiorrespiratória, principalmente nos sujeitos mais assíduos na proposta de EF para a promoção da saúde na EJA. / Objectives: (1) to describe a school, performing a diagnosis about the behavioral profile of the Youth and Adults Education (YAE) classes, health problems, the student’s characteristics regarding the number of absences in Physical Education (PE) lessons, anthropometric measures, body composition indicators, blood pressure, occurrences of some life habits, physical fitness, occupational activities carried out in the day-to-day and preferences for body culture manifestations; (2) construct and apply a proposal of PE during a semester, it aimed the health promotion according to the diagnosis obtained; (3) to report the teaching experience from the elaboration and application of the proposal of PE for the YAE. (4) to verify the effects of the EF proposal on the scores of: sedentary lifestyle habits, organized, leisure and total physical activity (PA), related health physical fitness (RHPF) levels, blood pressure and body composition indicators; (5) to verify if the effects of PE proposal on RHPF, body composition and blood pressure were associated each other and with moderating factors (life habits); (6) describe the satisfaction of the students with the PE proposal and the effects on teacher learning. Methodological procedures: it is a participant research of mixed approach, in which the quantitative method was nested to the qualitative method being elaborated with the following phases: description and exploration; details of the school reality; theoretical construction of the proposal and application; initial feedback to survey participants; action evaluation and teacher report. The study was carried out with 39 subjects of YAE. The health problems of the students were evaluated, the characteristics of the school community were described, the behavioral aspects of the classes, the preferences regarding the body culture manifestations and the opinion / satisfaction of the students too. Life habits were investigated with a questionnaire adapted with questions closed on an ordinal scale. RHPF was measured using the battery of the Projeto Esporte Brasil, waist perimeter and blood pressure were measured. Teaching learning in this school reality was also reported. Results and conclusions: there was a higher number of absences in PE lessons, many health problems due to risky behavior, social problems, difficulties in interpersonal relations, unhealthy life habits, low levels of physical fitness, higher levels of blood pressure and occurrence of overweight / obesity was between 35% and 54%. Student preferences were modalities of PA or physical exercise focused on the training / development of physical fitness. It was possible and feasible to create and apply a physical education proposal during a school semester in this reality, being it defended by the school and the students. We concluded that the sedentary life habits were reduced, there was an increase in the practice of organized PA outside the school, it happened mainly in the number of times per week and the PA of leisure also increased. These effects facilitated improving flexibility and improved levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, especially in those subjects who were most present in PE proposal for health promotion on YAE.

This study sought to investigate the relationship between perceived parental monitoring and adolescents' engagement in risky behaviour, in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. A total of 705 adolescents from both township and suburban schools in and around the city of Pietermaritzburg were involved in this study. Data collection took place during April and May of2002. Among the questions the study aimed to answer was whether there would be gender and school grade or age differences with regards to perceived parental monitoring, what the relationship would be between age, gender, perceived parental monitoring, level of religiosity, family structure, family conflict and attitudes towards condom use and, lastly, what the main predictors of engagement in risky behaviour would be. A survey which measured amongst other things, perceived parental monitoring, attitudes towards condom use, level of religiosity and the type of risky behaviours the adolescent might be involved in, was administered to the participants. Results showed perceived parental monitoring to be inversely correlated with involvement in risky behaviours and that, girls and the younger youth, were more monitored than boys and the older youth. Gender, level of religiosity, attitudes towards condom use, and age were identified by regression analysis as the four main predictors of engagement in risky behaviour. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the long-term relationship between perceived parental monitoring and engagement in risky behaviour. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003. / National Research Foundation.

Health promotion interventions in schools have grown in popularity and have demonstrated varying degrees of effectiveness on the health of the school and its individuals. The School Based Youth Health Nurse (SBYHN) Program introduced in 1999 by Queensland Health into state secondary schools supports and encourages use of the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) approach in addressing health issues, in addition to providing individual health consultations to the school community. This Program is unique in that a health service is entering into the education system with a role of supporting implementation of a comprehensive approach to addressing health issues. The study investigates how SBYHNs support the implementation of the HPS approach in the secondary school setting and explores the health outcomes for the school community. A statewide survey of SBYHNs examines the variety of health promotion and HPS work being undertaken within schools and identifies key implementation and practice issues. Qualitative case studies of three schools further investigates the barriers faced by nurses in supporting HPS implementation, and explores the perceived outcomes of implementing the HPS approach that have begun to emerge within the school community. Results found that nurses have the capacity to support the implementation of whole-of-school health promotion, with the presence of enablers influencing the comprehensiveness with which schools address health issues or decide to adopt the HPS approach. The study also indicated several outcomes of nurse and school-supported, comprehensive school health promotion across three major areas corresponding with the HPS framework (curriculum, teaching and learning; school organisation, ethos and environment; partnerships and services) and the addition of outcomes in specific health issues. Implications for future developments in health promotion-orientated, school health service interventions and research into the evidence of effectiveness of the HPS approach are discussed.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Birth to Twenty (BTT) study involves the monitoring of the health status and related factors of urban-born children from birth until age twenty. When the cohort reached age 13 years in 2003, nutrition knowledge assessment was identified as an important new priority and a nutrition knowledge questionnaire was required for these purposes. Subsequently a valid and reliable nutrition knowledge questionnaire was developed for the BTT study. This process started with the development of a conceptual framework of nutrition-related issues facing urban South African adolescents and identification of related nutrition concepts. A pool of potential questionnaire items reflecting the concepts was subsequently developed. These items were evaluated by an expert panel to ensure content and face validity before being structured into a questionnaire. The resulting 88-item questionnaire was completed by adult and adolescent samples, each age group comprising subgroups of those likely to have good nutrition knowledge and those likely to have poor nutrition knowledge. The data obtained from the completion of the questionnaire by these groups was used to refine the questionnaire through the determination of difficulty and discriminatory indices of the items, and the deletion of items that did not meet the stated criteria. The construct validity of the remaining 63 items was assessed using the same data set. To assess the internal consistency reliability (ICR) of the 63-item questionnaire it was completed by an adolescent sample population considered to be representative of the BTT cohort, after which the questionnaire underwent further steps of refinement. The result was a 60-item questionnaire of which the ICR and construct validity was reassessed and found to be satisfactory. However, to ensure the accurate interpretation of scores obtained by testees, the development of a performance-rating scale was necessary. A norm-referenced performance-rating scale (norms) was developed by administering the nutrition knowledge questionnaire to a sample population similar to the BTT cohort (norm group) and transforming their performance scores to z-scores. The z-scores ranges were then categorised into stanines, thereby resulting in a norm-referenced performance-rating scale that can be used to rate the performance of the BTT cohort. The validity of the norms was assessed by administering the nutrition knowledge questionnaire to three validation groups that comprised groups who were expected to obtain different performance-ratings on the questionnaire based on their varying levels of nutrition knowledge. The validation groups performed as expected, with significant differences in performance-rating profiles found among the three groups, indicating the validity of the norms. The study was successful in developing a reliable and valid nutrition knowledge questionnaire for use on the urban adolescents who participate in the BTT study. A norm-referenced performance-rating scale for use with the questionnaire was also successfully developed. The questionnaire and norms will be useful in assessing nutrition knowledge as well as in comparing the changes in knowledge of the BTT cohort as they move from lower to higher school grades. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die “Birth to Twenty” (BTT)-studie behels die monitering van die gesondheidstatus en verwante faktore van kinders wat in stedelike gebiede gebore is van geboorte tot twintigjarige ouderdom. Toe die kohort in 2003 dertienjarige ouderdom bereik het, is die evaluering van die voedingkennis van die kinders as ‘n belangrike nuwe prioriteit geïdentifiseer. ‘n Toepaslike voedingkennisvraelys is vir hierdie doeleindes benodig en gevolglik is ‘n geldige en betroubare vraelys vir gebruik in die BTT-studie ontwikkel. Hierdie proses is begin deur die ontwikkeling van ‘n konseptueleraamwerk oor voedingverwante vraagstukke wat stedelike Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente in die gesig staar, asook die identifisering van verwante voedingkonsepte. ‘n Poel van potensiële vraelysitems wat die konsepte reflekteer is daarna ontwikkel. Die items is eers deur ‘n paneel van kenners evalueer om inhoud- en gesigsgeldigheid te verseker alvorens dit in ‘n vraelys omskep is. Die produk was ‘n vraelys wat 88 items ingesluit het wat vervolgens deur volwasse en adolessente groepe voltooi is. Die groepe het subgroepe ingesluit van diegene met verwagte goeie voedingkennis en diegene met verwagte swak voedingkennis. Die data wat tydens hierdie stap gegenereer is, is gebruik om die vraelys verder te verfyn deur die bepaling van die moeilikheids- en diskriminatoriese-indekse van die items. Die items wat nie aan vooraf gestelde kriteria voldoen het nie, is weggelaat. Die konstrukgeldigheid van die oorblywende 63 items is bepaal deur dieselfde datastel te gebruik. Om die interne-konsekwensie-betroubaarheid (IKB) van die vraelys te bepaal, is dit deur ‘n steekproef van adolessente, wat verteenwoordigend van die BTT-kohort is, voltooi. Hierna is die vraelys verder verfyn. Die uitkoms was ‘n 60-item vraelys waarvan die IBR en konstrukgeldigheid weereens bepaal is. Dit is gevind dat dié twee indikatore van geldigheid en betroubaarheid bevredigend is. Om akkurate interpretasie van die punt wat deur ‘n respondent vir die toets behaal te verseker, is die ideal om ‘n skaal te ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word om dié punt te takseer. ‘n Norm-gebaseerde prestasietakseringskaal is ontwikkel deur die voedingkennisvraelys deur ‘n steekproef wat verteenwoordigend is van die BTT-kohort (normgroep), te laat voltooi. Die prestasiepunte is getransformer na z-tellings wat vervolgens getransformeer is na stanneges, wat ‘n norm-gebaseerde prestasietakseringskaal opgelewer het wat gebruik kan word om die prestasie van die BTT-kohort te takseer. Valideringsgroepe met verskillende vlakke van voedingkennis, wat dus na verwagting verskillend getakseer behoort te word indien die norme toegepas word, het die voedingkennisvraelys voltooi om die geldigheid van die norme te bepaal. Dié valideringsgroepe het soos voorspel presteer, met betekenisvolle verskille in die prestasieprofiele van die verskillende groepe. Hierdie resultate dui daarop dat die norme geldig is. Die ontwikkeling van ‘n geldige en betroubare voedingkennistoets vir gebruik in die BTT-studie is suksesvol in hierdie studie deurgevoer. ‘n Norm-gebaseerde prestasietakseringskaal vir gebruik saam met die vraelys is ook suksesvol ontwikkel. Die vraelys en norme sal van waarde wees vir die evaluering van die voedingkennis van die BTT-kohort. Dit sal ook met sukses gebruik kan word om die verandering in die voedingkennis van die kinders soos wat hulle ouer word, te bepaal.

Objetivos: (1) descrever uma escola, realizando um diagnóstico sobre o perfil comportamental das turmas da EJA, os problemas de saúde, as características dos alunos no que se refere ao número de faltas nas aulas de Educação Física (EF), medidas antropométricas, indicadores de composição corporal, pressão arterial, ocorrências de alguns hábitos de vida, aptidão física, atividades ocupacionais realizadas no dia-a-dia e as preferências por manifestações da cultura corporal; (2) construir e aplicar uma proposta em EF voltada para promoção da saúde de acordo com o diagnóstico obtido durante um semestre letivo; (3) relatar a experiência docente a partir da elaboração e aplicação da proposta de EF escolar para a EJA; (4) verificar os efeitos da proposta de EF nos escores de: hábitos de vida sedentários, atividade física organizada, de lazer e total, níveis de Aptidão física relacionada a saúde (APFRS), pressão arterial e nos indicadores de composição corporal; (5) verificar se os efeitos da proposta de EF sobre a aptidão física, composição corporal e pressão arterial se associaram entre si e com fatores moderadores (hábitos de vida); (6) descrever a satisfação dos escolares com a proposta em EF e os efeitos sobre a aprendizagem docente. Procedimentos metodológicos: trata-se de uma pesquisa participante de abordagem mista, na qual o método quantitativo foi aninhado ao método qualitativo sendo elaborada com as seguintes fases: descrição e exploração; detalhamento da realidade escolar; construção teórica da proposta e aplicação; feedbacks iniciais aos participantes da pesquisa; avaliação da ação e relato docente. O estudo foi realizado com 39 sujeitos estudantes da educação de jovens e adultos. Foram avaliados problemas de saúde dos alunos, houve descrição das características da comunidade escolar, aspectos comportamentais das turmas, as preferências no que se refere as manifestações da cultura corporal e a opinião/satisfação dos estudantes. Os hábitos de vida foram investigados com um questionário adaptado com perguntas fechadas em escala ordinal. A APFRS foi mensurada com a bateria de testes do Projeto Esporte Brasil, o perímetro da cintura e a pressão arterial foram medidos. Também foi relatada a aprendizagem docente nessa realidade escolar. Resultados e considerações finais: existiu um elevado número de ausências nas aulas de EF, muitas dificuldades de saúde ocasionadas por comportamentos de risco, problemas sociais, dificuldade de relação interpessoal, hábitos de vida não saudáveis, baixos níveis de aptidão física, elevados níveis de pressão arterial e ocorrências de sobrepeso/obesidade entre 35% e 54%. As preferências dos estudantes eram modalidades de atividade física ou exercício físico focados no treinamento/desenvolvimento de condicionamento físico. Foi possível e viável, criar e aplicar uma proposta de educação física escolar durante um semestre letivo nessa realidade, sendo defendida pela escola e pelos alunos. Concluímos que foram reduzidos os hábitos sedentários, houve aumento de prática de atividade física organizada fora da escola, principalmente no número de vezes por semana e a atividade física de lazer também aumentou. Esses foram efeitos que auxiliaram na melhoria da flexibilidade e dos níveis de aptidão cardiorrespiratória, principalmente nos sujeitos mais assíduos na proposta de EF para a promoção da saúde na EJA. / Objectives: (1) to describe a school, performing a diagnosis about the behavioral profile of the Youth and Adults Education (YAE) classes, health problems, the student’s characteristics regarding the number of absences in Physical Education (PE) lessons, anthropometric measures, body composition indicators, blood pressure, occurrences of some life habits, physical fitness, occupational activities carried out in the day-to-day and preferences for body culture manifestations; (2) construct and apply a proposal of PE during a semester, it aimed the health promotion according to the diagnosis obtained; (3) to report the teaching experience from the elaboration and application of the proposal of PE for the YAE. (4) to verify the effects of the EF proposal on the scores of: sedentary lifestyle habits, organized, leisure and total physical activity (PA), related health physical fitness (RHPF) levels, blood pressure and body composition indicators; (5) to verify if the effects of PE proposal on RHPF, body composition and blood pressure were associated each other and with moderating factors (life habits); (6) describe the satisfaction of the students with the PE proposal and the effects on teacher learning. Methodological procedures: it is a participant research of mixed approach, in which the quantitative method was nested to the qualitative method being elaborated with the following phases: description and exploration; details of the school reality; theoretical construction of the proposal and application; initial feedback to survey participants; action evaluation and teacher report. The study was carried out with 39 subjects of YAE. The health problems of the students were evaluated, the characteristics of the school community were described, the behavioral aspects of the classes, the preferences regarding the body culture manifestations and the opinion / satisfaction of the students too. Life habits were investigated with a questionnaire adapted with questions closed on an ordinal scale. RHPF was measured using the battery of the Projeto Esporte Brasil, waist perimeter and blood pressure were measured. Teaching learning in this school reality was also reported. Results and conclusions: there was a higher number of absences in PE lessons, many health problems due to risky behavior, social problems, difficulties in interpersonal relations, unhealthy life habits, low levels of physical fitness, higher levels of blood pressure and occurrence of overweight / obesity was between 35% and 54%. Student preferences were modalities of PA or physical exercise focused on the training / development of physical fitness. It was possible and feasible to create and apply a physical education proposal during a school semester in this reality, being it defended by the school and the students. We concluded that the sedentary life habits were reduced, there was an increase in the practice of organized PA outside the school, it happened mainly in the number of times per week and the PA of leisure also increased. These effects facilitated improving flexibility and improved levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, especially in those subjects who were most present in PE proposal for health promotion on YAE.

Objetivos: (1) descrever uma escola, realizando um diagnóstico sobre o perfil comportamental das turmas da EJA, os problemas de saúde, as características dos alunos no que se refere ao número de faltas nas aulas de Educação Física (EF), medidas antropométricas, indicadores de composição corporal, pressão arterial, ocorrências de alguns hábitos de vida, aptidão física, atividades ocupacionais realizadas no dia-a-dia e as preferências por manifestações da cultura corporal; (2) construir e aplicar uma proposta em EF voltada para promoção da saúde de acordo com o diagnóstico obtido durante um semestre letivo; (3) relatar a experiência docente a partir da elaboração e aplicação da proposta de EF escolar para a EJA; (4) verificar os efeitos da proposta de EF nos escores de: hábitos de vida sedentários, atividade física organizada, de lazer e total, níveis de Aptidão física relacionada a saúde (APFRS), pressão arterial e nos indicadores de composição corporal; (5) verificar se os efeitos da proposta de EF sobre a aptidão física, composição corporal e pressão arterial se associaram entre si e com fatores moderadores (hábitos de vida); (6) descrever a satisfação dos escolares com a proposta em EF e os efeitos sobre a aprendizagem docente. Procedimentos metodológicos: trata-se de uma pesquisa participante de abordagem mista, na qual o método quantitativo foi aninhado ao método qualitativo sendo elaborada com as seguintes fases: descrição e exploração; detalhamento da realidade escolar; construção teórica da proposta e aplicação; feedbacks iniciais aos participantes da pesquisa; avaliação da ação e relato docente. O estudo foi realizado com 39 sujeitos estudantes da educação de jovens e adultos. Foram avaliados problemas de saúde dos alunos, houve descrição das características da comunidade escolar, aspectos comportamentais das turmas, as preferências no que se refere as manifestações da cultura corporal e a opinião/satisfação dos estudantes. Os hábitos de vida foram investigados com um questionário adaptado com perguntas fechadas em escala ordinal. A APFRS foi mensurada com a bateria de testes do Projeto Esporte Brasil, o perímetro da cintura e a pressão arterial foram medidos. Também foi relatada a aprendizagem docente nessa realidade escolar. Resultados e considerações finais: existiu um elevado número de ausências nas aulas de EF, muitas dificuldades de saúde ocasionadas por comportamentos de risco, problemas sociais, dificuldade de relação interpessoal, hábitos de vida não saudáveis, baixos níveis de aptidão física, elevados níveis de pressão arterial e ocorrências de sobrepeso/obesidade entre 35% e 54%. As preferências dos estudantes eram modalidades de atividade física ou exercício físico focados no treinamento/desenvolvimento de condicionamento físico. Foi possível e viável, criar e aplicar uma proposta de educação física escolar durante um semestre letivo nessa realidade, sendo defendida pela escola e pelos alunos. Concluímos que foram reduzidos os hábitos sedentários, houve aumento de prática de atividade física organizada fora da escola, principalmente no número de vezes por semana e a atividade física de lazer também aumentou. Esses foram efeitos que auxiliaram na melhoria da flexibilidade e dos níveis de aptidão cardiorrespiratória, principalmente nos sujeitos mais assíduos na proposta de EF para a promoção da saúde na EJA. / Objectives: (1) to describe a school, performing a diagnosis about the behavioral profile of the Youth and Adults Education (YAE) classes, health problems, the student’s characteristics regarding the number of absences in Physical Education (PE) lessons, anthropometric measures, body composition indicators, blood pressure, occurrences of some life habits, physical fitness, occupational activities carried out in the day-to-day and preferences for body culture manifestations; (2) construct and apply a proposal of PE during a semester, it aimed the health promotion according to the diagnosis obtained; (3) to report the teaching experience from the elaboration and application of the proposal of PE for the YAE. (4) to verify the effects of the EF proposal on the scores of: sedentary lifestyle habits, organized, leisure and total physical activity (PA), related health physical fitness (RHPF) levels, blood pressure and body composition indicators; (5) to verify if the effects of PE proposal on RHPF, body composition and blood pressure were associated each other and with moderating factors (life habits); (6) describe the satisfaction of the students with the PE proposal and the effects on teacher learning. Methodological procedures: it is a participant research of mixed approach, in which the quantitative method was nested to the qualitative method being elaborated with the following phases: description and exploration; details of the school reality; theoretical construction of the proposal and application; initial feedback to survey participants; action evaluation and teacher report. The study was carried out with 39 subjects of YAE. The health problems of the students were evaluated, the characteristics of the school community were described, the behavioral aspects of the classes, the preferences regarding the body culture manifestations and the opinion / satisfaction of the students too. Life habits were investigated with a questionnaire adapted with questions closed on an ordinal scale. RHPF was measured using the battery of the Projeto Esporte Brasil, waist perimeter and blood pressure were measured. Teaching learning in this school reality was also reported. Results and conclusions: there was a higher number of absences in PE lessons, many health problems due to risky behavior, social problems, difficulties in interpersonal relations, unhealthy life habits, low levels of physical fitness, higher levels of blood pressure and occurrence of overweight / obesity was between 35% and 54%. Student preferences were modalities of PA or physical exercise focused on the training / development of physical fitness. It was possible and feasible to create and apply a physical education proposal during a school semester in this reality, being it defended by the school and the students. We concluded that the sedentary life habits were reduced, there was an increase in the practice of organized PA outside the school, it happened mainly in the number of times per week and the PA of leisure also increased. These effects facilitated improving flexibility and improved levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, especially in those subjects who were most present in PE proposal for health promotion on YAE.

Created to give the secondary school teacher a bibliography for use in health educatioin instruction and to recommend a procedure for accumulating teaching materials. / Typescript. / "August, 1950." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Includes bibliographical references.