The role of the contemporary health educator: Revisiting the profession

The development, planning, and evaluation of public health education programs can be considered as one of the major challenges within the field of health education and promotion. To such a degree are these challenges that numerous books, monographs, and other published works have dedicated primarily to the practices of health education program development and evaluation. Godin et al. (1) suggested that for any developed program, any well-implemented evaluation process of any health education project should have the capability to address different questions throughout the different stages of the project implementation. Because the purpose of any evaluation plan is to be able to produce useful information about the implementation and performance of a health program, its accuracy and objectivity should be given equal, if not more explicit attention as the health program itself (2)

Peer-reviewed public health journals from Arabic-speaking countries: An updated snapshot.

There is a positive association between availability of regional peer-reviewed public health information systems and progressive change in community and population health. The objective of this brief report was to identify public health journals in Arabic-speaking countries actively publishing as of 2016. We conducted an electronic search in several electronic database records for public health journals using a combination of search terms. We excluded journals that focused on human medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, and other discipline-specific or clinical health professions. We identified twenty-five public health journals for review. Five journals were interrupted or discontinued. Only three journals had a consistent, uninterrupted active publication history of greater than 20 years. Most journals were not in the regional native language. Introduction of regional public health-dedicated journals with in-print and electronic availability and also to be published in region-native languages may require interdisciplinary partnerships. Region-wide public health journals such as the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal could serve as an ideal model for the establishment of additional local and regional public health journals in Arabic-speaking countries

Dietary transition and obesity in selected Arabicspeaking countries: a review of the current evidence.

Escalating obesity rates have become a significant public health problem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and have been associated with shifts towards a westernized diet. This integrative review aimed to examine the current dietary trends and transitions and their association with obesity in Arabic-speaking countries of the MENA region. Relevant databases were searched for studies in MENA countries between 1998 and 2014 that investigated obesity trends and changes in dietary patterns at the regional level in all age groups. A total of 39 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All the articles noted that obesity was increasingly prevalent and that there was a significant dietary shift away from traditional dietary patterns; 51% reported a shift towards a westernized diet and half found that the western diet was correlated with increased obesity. Culturally relevant dietary health education and health promotion strategies are warranted to address both the dietary shifts towards the westernized diet and the increasing obesity

Oligodendrocytes: biology and pathology

Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS). They are the end product of a cell lineage which has to undergo a complex and precisely timed program of proliferation, migration, differentiation, and myelination to finally produce the insulating sheath of axons. Due to this complex differentiation program, and due to their unique metabolism/physiology, oligodendrocytes count among the most vulnerable cells of the CNS. In this review, we first describe the different steps eventually culminating in the formation of mature oligodendrocytes and myelin sheaths, as they were revealed by studies in rodents. We will then show differences and similarities of human oligodendrocyte development. Finally, we will lay out the different pathways leading to oligodendrocyte and myelin loss in human CNS diseases, and we will reveal the different principles leading to the restoration of myelin sheaths or to a failure to do so

The anti-tobacco movement of Nazi Germany: A historiographical re-examination

Introduction: The infamy of Nazi medical research conjures up images of horrific experiments in the concentration camps and SS (Schutzstaffel) doctors like Josef Mengele. However, the anti-smoking campaign of Nazi Germany is perhaps one of the least examined aspects of public health history and state sponsored anti-tobacco advocacy. Nazi public health activism was involved in work that may provide insight relevant to current public health issues. Purpose: This article examined the current literature that discusses the anti-smoking campaigns of Nazi Germany, explored the phenomenon of quality medical research under the banner of National Socialism, and shed light into a forgotten aspect of Nazi medical history. Findings: Previous authors have suggested that the Nazi war on cancer and the contributions made by Nazi public health activists were one of the most aggressive public health movements in the world. Marked with a certain level of ambivalence, these aggressive campaigns against smoking were less concerned with the universal dimensions of public health practices and ethics than they were towards a pursuit of a lifestyle that was worthy of a master race

Preventive nutrition in Nazi Germany: A public health commentary

Nazi medicine invokes images of horrific experiments carried out by SS (Schutzstaffel) doctors like Josef Mengele in the concentration camps. Against this background of atrocity visited on some populations, the contributions made by Nazi public health activists and food philosophers were considered one of the most aggressive public health movements in the world. Nazi public health promotion and education were involved in activities that we might today view as socially responsible within the fields of preventive medicine. The dietetic sciences may be regarded as one of the least examined aspects of public health during the period of the Third Reich. This brief commentary explores the forgotten aspects of preventive nutrition under Nazi Germany and its implications within the current public health framework and dietetic practice

Promoting dietary behavior using the Mediterranean diet in an online college environment

Background and Purpose: The prevalence of obesity has prompted calls for broad public health education solutions to reduce, if not reverse, overweight and obesity among college students in the United States. This study investigated change in student dietary behavior and food choices following an education intervention that introduced the Mediterranean diet (MD) as a weight management tool in a Houston, Texas community college. Methods: Online survey data were collected at pre-test and post-test assessments from a convenience sample of 65 college students enrolled in an online undergraduate nutrition course during the summer of 2013. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) survey evaluated dietary behavior change based on the MD Principals. Results: The intervention improved total participant population from a mean KIDMED score of poor (4.12) to a mean score of high (8.45), indicating improved dietary behavior change, particularly among men. Significant differences in KIDMED change scores by ethnicity and heart disease (HD) history were also observed. Conclusion: This study provides a unique pedagogical illustration of e-learning to promote MD patterns among college student populations

Treatment of obesity by herbal mixtures containing CNS stimulants: Public awareness on the possible harmful effects

The article examines the level of public awareness regarding the possible harmful effects associated with herbal mixtures containing central nervous system (CNS) stimulants to lose weight. It reveals nervousness is associated with the administration of CNS stimulants-containing herbs. It concludes on the need to increase the level of public awareness regarding harmful adverse events associated with the consumption of herbal products containing CNS stimulants