Healthy high schools movement strategies for public health educational reform

¶ … Healthy High Schools Movement: Strategies for Mobilizing Public Health for Educational Reform.

This article explores the impact of the implementation for healthy high school programs throughout the nation. The school environment is targeted for health education reform due to the vast amount of time that students spend in school each day therefore giving them the best opportunities for health promotion. The authors point to the need for such programs utilizing a public health rationale. This rationale points to the burden that public health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes has on the American population (Ruglis & Freudenberg, 2010). The authors target adolescence as a critical time for the preventions of these conditions which without attention can perpetuate lifelong health inequalities (Ruglis & Freudenberg, 2010). Adolescence with appropriate interventions can develop healthy behaviors therefore increasing overall health and economic circumstances.

Methodology Employed

Researchers explore the way in which a healthy school movement can impact overall health and social well-being of students. They explored the manner in which schools can healthier environments including the engagement of students in the transformation process. Further, the manner by which this social change movement can be accomplished are explored including incremental policy reforms, the joining of existing movements, and the division of the reform efforts into small measurable tasks that can be assigned to stakeholders.

Conclusions of the Study

The researchers concluded that in order for healthy school reform to truly be successful, it needs to include a partnership with youth that helps to identify problems and link them to appropriate services. This can take the form of collaborative efforts between the school and community health centers. The researchers found that a healthy school program can improve health by increasing school achievement and graduation rates, preventing the onset of chronic diseases, and reduce the risk associated with unhealthy eating, substance abuse, sexualized behaviors and violence (Ruglis & Freudenberg, 2010). Further, they identified the potential for an increased human and social capital through the engagement of youth and their families in the reduction of health and educational inequalities (Ruglis & Freudenberg, 2010).

Article 2: Dietary Fiber Intake Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease among Japanese Men and Women

Study Design

This article seeks to identify if the intake of dietary fiber protects against the development of and death from coronary artery disease. Previous studies have found evidence to suggest that this relationship does exist. However, these studies were of western countries and the results had not been as substantial in Asia. As a result, the researchers focused their attention to Japanese men and women for whom history has shown a significant decrease in fiber intake between 1952 and 1970 (Eshak et al., 2010). While the development of coronary artery disease is not preferable, the study primarily focused on the prevention of mortality from the illness.

Methodology Employed

The researchers utilized a 14-year prospective study to identify the impact of dietary fiber on mortality rates in coronary heart disease in an Asian population. Researchers selected a sample of 58730 men and women (23,119 men and 35,611 women) after ruling out individuals with a medical history of cancer, stroke, or coronary heart disease (CHD) (Eshak et al., 2010). Participants started with a self-administered questionnaire to establish baseline demographics as well as health history. Participants were also given an FFQ survey that focused on food intake, identifying specific food items and analyzing them for caloric and nutritional intake. Mortality rates were tracked through public records and death certificates were reviewed for the cause of death.

Conclusions of the Study

The results of this study demonstrated an inverse relationship between dietary fiber intake and risk of mortality from CHD that was similar in men and women (Eshak et al., 2010). This was true of both insoluble and soluble fibers particularly fruits and cereals. This inverse relationship can explain the impact of fiber in many ways such as its improvement of the blood lipid profile due to the lowering of cholesterol levels, decrease in blood pressure, reducing abdominal obesity and increasing insulin sensitivity (Eshak et al., 2010). All of these factors may contribute to the reduction of mortality rates due to participant's not developing atherosclerosis.

Article 3: Nuts, blood lipids and cardiovascular disease

Study Design

The present study attempts to establish the relationship between the consumption of nuts and the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Numerous studies have indicated a correlation between the eating nuts on a frequent basis and a reduction in the development of CHD. In fact, this evidence has been so substantial that it has been endorsed by the FDA.

Methodology Employed

The present article explores evidence from five previous epidemiological studies that explored the relationship between consumption of nuts and coronary health. This data was then analyzed utilizing a qualitative summary approach to explore the key nutritional factors in nuts and their link to cardiovascular health. Epidemiological studies of nut consumption were evaluated with a qualitative summary utilizing the median of each category of nut consumption and its relationship to the risk of fatality from CHD. Nutritional aspects of the nuts were also explored to determine which attributes in nuts can link to a decrease in the development of coronary heart disease.

Article: Cholesterol: The heart of the matter

This article attempts to make sense of the often misunderstood concept of cholesterol and its direct impact on the body. There is much confusion over which cholesterol is good and which is dangerous when all that we want to know is how cholesterol impacts heart health. The present study attempts to show that while cholesterol is certainly a factor in overall heart health that it is not a good predictor of the development of heart disease and that there are many more important factors that individuals can focus on that may in fact decrease this risk.

Article: Eat smart for a healthy heart

This article is based upon the premise that dietary intake is directly correlated to the development of heart disease. While following recommended nutritional guidelines has been shown to decrease the development of heart disease, further research is needed to assess the impact of dietary recommendations on these types of chronic diseases.

Article: Comparison of anxiety between smokers and nonsmokers with acute myocardial infarction

The objective of this study is to compare anxiety levels between smokers and nonsmokers who are hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The researchers also wanted to determine whether the use of anxiolytic agents and beta blockers differed between the two groups when controlling for all other factors. The conclusions of the study suggest that all persons, particularly smokers, with AMI should be closely monitored for signs of anxiety as this can significantly increase the risk of a heart related incident.

Article: Excessive body iron stores are not associated with risk of coronary heart disease in women.

The present study attempts to identify if there is a relationship between iron overload in the body and CHD. A previous study conducted in a Finnish population found a positive relationship between these factors but additional support has not been found for this theory. In the current prospective case-control study, body stores of iron were not found to be associated with CHD in women.

Article: Exercise and Iron Status

Iron status is the most common dietary deficiency found in the body and iron deficiency is particularly common in athletes who fail to make up for the iron lost during exercise through their diets. The present study explores the iron levels in individuals and rats controlling for exercise factors. There is convincing evidence from both animal and human studies that iron deficiency is correlated with reductions in physical capabilities.

Article: Relationship between meat intake and the development of acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 case -- control study

This article seeks to establish a relationship between the consumption of meat and the development of an acute coronary syndrome. Meat has been considered to be a risk factor for the development of heart conditions due to its large concentration of saturated fats. This study also found there to be a significant relationship between the consumption of meats and the development of heart issues with the risk increasing as the amount of meat consumed increased. These findings did vary across types of meat with red meat being twice as likely to lead to an acute coronary syndrome as white meat.