Health Education Journals Research Articles

Objectification or experience? A critical examination of fundamental pedagogical categories in digital health education

The increasing use of digital media and technologies in sports pedagogical settings comes along with fundamental changes in basic sports pedagogical categories such as body, movement, and experience (Ruin & Giese, 2023). In health education in particular, digital devices are playing a growingly important role (McCall et al., 2018). Thereby digitalisation offers multi-layered and sometimes paradoxical opportunities and risks for health education. On the one hand, tools can help people to actively look after their own health by providing them with differentiated information about their bodies, for example. On the other hand, the information provided by such tools is always pre-formatted, limited to certain factors, subject to measurement errors and mostly geared towards young, healthy and trained men and therefore not very sensitive to the specific concerns of other groups of people. To date these opportunities and risks have not been sufficiently discussed from a sports pedagogical perspective. To gain a deeper understanding of these changes, in this theoretical contribution the mechanisms, opportunities and challenges created by digital health education in physical education are examined with a focus on the use of tools such as wearables. Based on a Bildung-oriented perspective (Wibowo et al. 2023) the possibilities and limits for digital health education in physical education are examined in a first step at the surface level, before a deeper investigation of body, movement, and experience in a digitalised world is undertaken. Bildung-theory serves as a critical background for assessing the (in)appropriateness of pedagogical interventions. This enables critical reflection at a structural level. The investigation reveals that the use of digital technologies run the risk of going hand in hand with reductionist images of humankind and a narrow understanding of education. This tends to reduce people to functional objects that are intended to increase their human capital in the interests of society, which is not pedagogically appropriate. At the same time, however, using digital technologies in digital health education opens up opportunities for experiencing differences between supposedly objective and subjective views of one’s own body and movement behaviour. This has the potential to lead to Bildung processes in which the relationship between oneself and the world is profoundly questioned. An example of the impetus for such a process could be when two children are doing the same activity and feel quite similar, but notice through a device that their bodies react in noticeably different ways. This opens up new horizons for exploring the complexity of the connections between physical activity, physical reactions and one’s own well-being. Exploring such potential of a Bildung oriented digital health education in a differentiated way can be identified as a fundamental future task of sports pedagogy. References McCall, M., Spencer, E., Owen, H., Roberts, N., & Heneghan, C. (2018). Characteristics and efficacy of digital health education: An overview of systematic reviews. Health Education Journal, 77(5), 497–514. https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896918762013 Ruin, S., & Giese, M. (2023). What is real? (Re-)Locating body, movement and experience in an increasingly digitized world. Current Issues in Sport Science, 8(3), Article 002. https://doi.org/10.36950/2023.3ciss002 Wibowo, J., Krieger, C., Gaum, C., & Dyson, B. (2023). Bildung: A German student-centered approach to health and physical education. European Physical Education Review, 29(2), 233-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X221133060

Vistas of the field: examining quality indicators of health and physical education journals

ABSTRACT In this paper, we use the field of Health and Physical Education (H/PE) to explain the limitations, nuances, and inconsistencies of three global, digitally available, and regularly updated systems: library holdings, metrics, and altmetrics. We understand these systems through the analogy of seeing different vistas of a landscape when driving a car: looking in the rear-view mirror (i.e. library holdings as past indicators of quality) and out the side windows (i.e. metrics and altmetrics as current indicators). Before examining these measures, we acknowledge the neoliberal audit culture and outline our understanding of the H/PE ‘field’. To identify H/PE journals, we searched databases, websites, and literature, generating a list of 202 potentially relevant journals. After three rounds of refinement, 13 journals remained that: (1) focused on health and/or physical education as a school subject (including H/PE teacher education), (2) had official metrics, and (3) self-identified as ‘Social Sciences – Education’ and had more than 20% of the papers in the last two volumes focus on H/PE. For each of these journals, we provide the WorldCat library holdings, metrics (i.e. Journal Impact Factor, Journal h-index, CiteScore, SCImago Journal Rank, and Source Normalized Impact per Paper), and altmetrics. We explain how to understand these measures, as well as their contested, problematic and, often, confusing dimensions. Overall, we argue that it is crucial for scholars to understand these measures so that they can critically reflect on how measurement shapes their research and professional lives.

Barriers to cross-disciplinary knowledge flow: The case of medical education research.

IntroductionThe medical education research field operates at the crossroads of two distinct academic worlds: higher education and medicine. As such, this field provides a unique opportunity to explore new forms of cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange.MethodsCross-disciplinary knowledge flow in medical education research was examined by looking at citation patterns in the five journals with the highest impact factor in 2017. To grasp the specificities of the knowledge flow in medical education, the field of higher education was used as a comparator. In total, 2031 citations from 64 medical education and 41 higher education articles published in 2017 were examined.ResultsMedical education researchers draw on a narrower range of knowledge communities than their peers in higher education. Medical education researchers predominantly cite articles published in health and medical education journals (80% of all citations), and to a lesser extent, articles published in education and social science journals. In higher education, while the largest share of the cited literature is internal to the domain (36%), researchers cite literature from across the social science spectrum. Findings suggest that higher education scholars engage in conversations with academics from a broader range of communities and perspectives than their medical education colleagues.DiscussionUsing Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of doxa and field, it is argued that the variety of epistemic cultures entering the higher education research space contributes to its interdisciplinary nature. Conversely, the existence of a relatively homogeneous epistemic culture in medicine potentially impedes cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange.Supplementary InformationThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40037-021-00685-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Should We Be Confident in Published Research? A Case Study of Confidence Interval Reporting in Health Education and Behavior Research

Confidence intervals (CIs) have been highlighted as “the best” reporting device when reporting statistical findings. However, researchers often fail to maximize the utility of CIs in research. We seek to (a) present a primer on CIs; (b) outline reporting practices of health researchers; and (c) discuss implications for statistical best practice reporting in social science research. Approximately 1,950 peer-reviewed articles were examined from six health education, promotion, and behavior journals. We recorded: (a) whether the author(s) reported a CI; (b) whether the author(s) reported a CI estimate width, either numerical or visual; and (c) whether an associated effect size was reported alongside the CI. Of the 1,245 quantitative articles in the final sample, 46.5% (n = 580) reported confidence interval use; , and 518 provided numerical/visual interval estimates. Of the articles reporting CIs, 383 (64.2%) articles reported a CI with an associated effect size, meeting the American Psychological Association’s (APA) recommendation for statistical reporting best-practice. Health education literature demonstrates inconsistent statistical reporting practices, and falls short in employing best practices and consistently outlining the minimum expectations recommended by APA. In an effort to maximize utility and implications of health education, promotion, and behavior research, future investigations should provide comprehensive information regarding research findings.

Critical health education studies: Reflections on a new conference and this themed symposium

In May 2018, a group of scholars gathered in the icy and sunlit grandeur of Queenstown (Aotearoa New Zealand) to talk, debate and share ideas about health education. The conference aimed to trouble and disrupt traditional kinds of health education and, instead, suggest possibilities for the critical study of health education – both in terms of theory and practice. This introduction to the special themed symposium is a reflection by the six authors on that new conference – Critical Studies in Health Education (CHESS) – and what it aimed to achieve. The authors discuss and define the intent of critical approaches to health education, and reflect on their experiences of the conference, as well as the future of the field. Papers in this special themed symposium of Health Education Journal are also introduced.

School nursing's potential to have an impact on the prevention agenda and mental health outcomes: A position statement

British Journal of School NursingVol. 13, No. 10 RepresentationSchool nursing's potential to have an impact on the prevention agenda and mental health outcomes: A position statementSharon WhiteSharon WhiteSearch for more papers by this authorSharon WhitePublished Online:18 Dec 2018https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2018.13.10.514AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References British Youth Council. Our School Nurse: Young people's views on the role of the school nurse. 2011. BYC Google ScholarDay P. Motivating Teen Spirit: Early metal health intervention. BJSN. 2016;11(2): 93 Link, Google ScholarDepartment of Health. Healthy Child Programme: 5 to 19 years old. 2009. https://bit.ly/2rk8dmA Google ScholarDepartment of Health. Chief Medical Officer annual report 2012: children and young people's health. 2013. https://bit.ly/1iTKqlz Google ScholarDepartment of Health. Future in mind—Promoting, protecting and improving our children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. 2015. https://bit.ly/2Kr7RTn Google ScholarDepartment of Health, Department for Education. Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision: a Green Paper. 2017. https://bit.ly/2H51qGU Google ScholarDepartment of Health, Public Health England. Maximising the school nursing team contribution to the public health of school-aged children—Guidance to support the commissioning of public health provision for school aged children 5–19. 2014. DH, PHE Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care. Prevention is better than cure: our vision to help you live well for longer. 2018. https://bit.ly/2SLpZvG Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care, Public Health England. Overview of the 6 early years and school aged years high impact areas. Health visitors and school nurses leading the Healthy Child Programme. 2018. https://bit.ly/2AqfGVG Google ScholarKay CM, Morgan DL, Tripp JH, Davies C, Sykes S. To what extent are school drop-in clinics meeting pupils self-identified health concerns? Health Education Journal. 2006;65(3):236–251 Crossref, Google ScholarKelly N, Greaves C, Buckland L, Rose J. ‘School nurses: well placed to address challenging behaviour’. Community Practitioner 2005;78(3):88–92 Google ScholarMarmot. Fair society, healthy lives: The Marmot Review: strategic review of health inequalities in England post-2010. 2010 Google ScholarMasters R, Anwar E, Collins B, Cookson R, Capewell S. Return on investment of public health interventions: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2017 Aug;71(8):827-834. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2016-208141 Crossref, Google ScholarPublic Health England. All Our Health: about the framework. 2018. https://bit.ly/2qipnAM Google ScholarRoyal College of Nursing. 2017. The Best Start: The Future of Children's Health: Valuing school nurses and health visitors in England. https://bit.ly/2Rwu2uG Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byExtending the mental health expertise of school nurses: Evaluating a training programmeStephen Abbott, Rosamund Bryar, Ruth Cohen, Jane Gibbons, Lucy Marks15 November 2019 | British Journal of School Nursing, Vol. 14, No. 9 2 December 2018Volume 13Issue 10ISSN (print): 1752-2803ISSN (online): 2052-2827 Metrics History Published online 18 December 2018 Published in print 2 December 2018 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedAcknowledgments:Thanks go to Kate Murdock, children's health service manager, South Locality—Trafford Division, and Sallyann Sutton, professional lead—school nursing, for leadership in pulling together this position statement on behalf of SAPHNA.PDF download

Health promotion education in changing and challenging times: Reflections from England

Health education has changed in many ways since Health Education Journal was first published, with developments moving the discipline forward in ways not envisaged 75 years ago. While there have been recent concerns about the decline in status of health promotion and linked worries about health education, the contemporary evidence base has grown to support the delivery of good quality health education and the development of capable and skilled practitioners. Pedagogy has further developed as well, and new technology now enables health education to have broader reach through online teaching and learning, social media and open-access publications. Global challenges remain, however, and the context in England is one in which both education and practice face major trials despite the contribution that health education has made by those educated and trained in this setting over a period of many years.

Why is there so little critical physical education scholarship in the United States? The case of Fitnessgram

In posing the question in our title, we have set ourselves the task of trying to understand why so little scholarly scrutiny and questioning of Fitnessgram—a product designed to assist in the school-based physical fitness testing of young people—exists in the country of its origin and then consider the implications of this silence. We begin our interrogation by offering a broad definition of ‘critical scholarship’. We then briefly describe the contemporary landscape of physical education research and its preoccupation with an instrumental and applied approach to scholarship that seems limited to questions about ‘what works’ in schools. Following this overview we discuss the scholarship of Fitnessgram. Our analysis focuses on the increasing influence of various webs of connection between academics, professional organizations, corporations, funding agencies and publishing outlets. To substantiate the claims we make, we offer some examples from the recent history of abstracts accepted for presentation at prominent national conferences and discuss the contents of leading United States health and physical education journals. The overwhelming apparent message emanating from these scholarly outlets is that school and university personnel should simply fall into line with the mandates of government and public health advocates when it comes to the implementation of Fitnessgram. Our review reveals that the Fitnessgram literature suffers from a lack of counter-balancing scepticism particularly when it comes to the interpretation of research findings. As we will argue, virtually no critical scholarship of any kind exists on the use of Fitnessgram, a remarkable situation given recent public policy developments that call for its expanded adoption in United States schools.

Failure to Report Effect Sizes: The Handling of Quantitative Results in Published Health Education and Behavior Research.

Given the American Psychological Association's strong recommendation to always report effect sizes in research, scholars have a responsibility to provide complete information regarding their findings. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the frequencies with which different effect sizes were reported in published, peer-reviewed articles in health education, promotion, and behavior journals and (b) discuss implications for reporting effect size in social science research. Across a 4-year time period (2010-2013), 1,950 peer-reviewed published articles were examined from the following six health education and behavior journals: American Journal of Health Behavior, American Journal of Health Promotion, Health Education & Behavior, Health Education Research, Journal of American College Health, and Journal of School Health Quantitative features from eligible manuscripts were documented using Qualtrics online survey software. Of the 1,245 articles in the final sample that reported quantitative data analyses, approximately 47.9% (n = 597) of the articles reported an effect size. While 16 unique types of effect size were reported across all included journals, many of the effect sizes were reported with little frequency across most journals. Overall, odds ratio/adjusted odds ratio (n = 340, 50.1%), Pearson r/r(2) (n = 162, 23.8%), and eta squared/partial eta squared (n = 46, 7.2%) accounted for the most frequently used effect size. Quality research practice requires both testing statistical significance and reporting effect size. However, our study shows that a substantial portion of published literature in health education and behavior lacks consistent reporting of effect size.

Pokémon Go, go, go, gone?

Pokémon Go, go, go, gone?

Seventy years of sex education in Health Education Journal: a critical review

This paper examines key debates and perspectives on sex education in Health Education Journal ( HEJ), from the date of the journal’s first publication in March 1943 to the present day. Matters relating to sexuality and sexual health are revealed to be integral to HEJ’s history. First published as Health and Empire (1921 – 1942), a key purpose of the journal since its inception has been to share information on venereal disease and its prevention within the UK and across the former British Empire. From 1943 to the present day, discussions on sex education in the newly-christened HEJ both reflect and respond to evolving socio-cultural attitudes towards sexuality in the UK. Changing definitions of sex education across the decades are examined, from the prevention of venereal disease and moral decline in war-time Britain in the 1940s, to a range of responses to sexual liberation in the 1960s and 1970s; from a focus on preventing sexually-transmitted infections, teenage pregnancy and HIV in the 1980s, to the provision of sexual health services alongside sex education in the 2000s. Over the past 70 years, a shift from prevention of pre-marital sexual activity to the management of its outcomes is apparent; however, while these changes over time are notable, perhaps the most striking findings of this review are the continuities in arguments for and against the discussion of sexual issues. After more than 70 years of debate, it would seem that there is little consensus concerning motivations for and the content of sex education.

A Letter from the Editor

The American Journal of Health Education has been serving the needs of Health Educators for almost five decades. Since 1978, surveys of the American Association of Health Education (AAHE) members have found AJHE to be a key benefit of AAHE membership (1,2). With the unification of AAHE and other several other national associations under the umbrella of AAHPERD, the continuation of AJHE was carefully examined. The examination focused on the continuation of AJHE as a publication in another health education membership organization, repurposing the journal, or discontinuation of AJHE. The results of these discussions resulted in AAHPERD's decision to continue to publish AJHE working with Taylor and Francis, a leading international academic publisher of more than 1,000 journals and around 1,800 new books each year, as its publisher. In March 2013, I stepped down as Editor of AJHE to allow AAHPERD to select a new editor to support AAHPERD's vision for AJHE. I agreed to continue as Editor while AAHPERD searched to identify a qualified permanent Editor. The AJHE collaboration with Taylor and Francis was proving successful in terms of yielding an incredibly rich pool of submissions and reaching new markets and now was not the time to lose continuity. At this point, I made a proposal to AAHPERD to continue as Editor of AJHE if I could implement two major changes; changes that I believed would enhance the focus of manuscripts published and enhance the review process. Based on over 30 years of experience in publishing and editing health education journals, and after consultation with the AJHE Board of Associate Editors, I proposed to focus the scope of AJHE to publish manuscripts related to the major chronic diseases and illnesses that impact population health (CVD, diabetes, COPD, cirrhosis, Alzheimer's/dementia, etc.) and the lifestyle behaviors associated with these chronic diseases (physical activity, nutrition/diet, tobacco use, weight management, self-management of chronic disease, emotional and social functioning, alcohol and other drug abuse, etc.). This change in focus would provide a more clear direction for AJHE. Please see the Instructions to Authors for more details on this change in focus. The second proposal I presented to AAHPERD was a change in the process of manuscript review. Rather than relying on an extensive list of reviewers, most of whom were AAHE members, I proposed to identify a list of more senior scholars with expertise in the major chronic diseases identified previously. These health professionals would serve as both reviewers and mentors and not only provide a critical assessment of each manuscript but would also provide comments on how the author could revise the manuscript, if appropriate, to yield a publishable work, even if AJHE was not interested in publishing the submission. …

The Healing Power of Music and Dance

Alternative and Complementary TherapiesVol. 19, No. 5 The Healing Power of Music and DanceSala HorowitzSala HorowitzSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:17 Oct 2013https://doi.org/10.1089/act.2013.19502AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byCognitive Rehabilitation for Maintenance of Function in Latinos with Dementia26 March 2020Effect of Two Choreographed Fitness Group-Workouts on the Body Composition, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health of Sedentary Female Workers7 December 2019 | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 16, No. 24A short dance-exercise intervention as a strategy for improving quality of life in inactive workers31 August 2017 | Health Education Journal, Vol. 76, No. 8 Volume 19Issue 5Oct 2013 Information© 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Sala Horowitz.The Healing Power of Music and Dance.Alternative and Complementary Therapies.Oct 2013.265-269.http://doi.org/10.1089/act.2013.19502Published in Volume: 19 Issue 5: October 17, 2013PDF download

Technologies For Patient Engagement

Letters Health AffairsVol. 32, No. 6: Medicaid Expansion & Vulnerable Populations Technologies For Patient EngagementGuendalina Graffigna, Serena Barello, and Giuseppe Riva Affiliations Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan, Italy PUBLISHED:June 2013No Accesshttps://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0279AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextView PDFPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions View article"Technologies For Patient Engagement." Health Affairs, 32(6), p. 1172TOPICSPatient engagementHealth information technologyQuality of care Loading Comments... Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. DetailsExhibitsReferencesRelated Article MetricsCitations: Crossref 42 History Published online 1 June 2013 Information Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc. PDF downloadCited ByA Scoping Review of Augmented/Virtual Reality Health and Wellbeing Interventions for Older Adults: Redefining Immersive Virtual Reality2 June 2021 | Frontiers in Virtual Reality, Vol. 2The role of patient engagement in patient-centric health information exchange (HIE) initiatives: an empirical study in the United StatesInformation Technology & People, Vol. 69The Role of Engagement in Teleneurorehabilitation: A Systematic Review6 May 2020 | Frontiers in Neurology, Vol. 11Social Media to Improve Health Promotion and Health Literacy for Patients Engagement24 May 2020La e-santé et le patient 2.0 : la colonisation démocratique !Marché et organisations, Vol. n°38, No. 2Improving the Quality of Life for Older People: From Smart Sensors to Distributed PlatformsDesign, Understanding and Usability Evaluation of Connected Devices in the Field of Health: Contribution of Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics8 August 2018Engaging Elderly Breast Cancer Patients Through an e-health Intervention: A Case Series Study11 October 2018The Angelina Jolie effect – Impact on breast and ovarian cancer prevention A systematic review of effects after the public announcement in May 201324 June 2017 | Health Education Journal, Vol. 76, No. 6The use of gamification mechanics to increase employee and user engagement in participative healthcare servicesJournal of Service Management, Vol. 28, No. 4L’e-santé rend-elle la démocratie sanitaire pleinement performative ?Systèmes d'information & management, Vol. Volume 22, No. 1Self-managing type 2 diabetes is a unique challenge for older patients. A systematic review and thematic synthesis of barriers and facilitatorsPSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE, No. 2eHealth and mHealth to Manage Distress in Patients with an Implantable Cardioverter-DefibrillatorBest Practices to Promote Patient and Donor Engagement to Care in Living Donor TransplantEngaging Patients and Lowering CostsA Stepped Care mHealth-Based Approach for Promoting Patient Engagement in Chronic Care Management of Obesity with Type 2 DiabetesHealthy Avatars, Healthy PeopleEngaging Elderly Breast Cancer Patients: The Potential of eHealth Interventions16 November 2016 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 7Promoting Patient and Caregiver Engagement to Care in Cancer25 October 2016 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 7eHealth for Patient Engagement: A Systematic Review8 January 2016 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 6Positive TechnologyTechnologies for Participatory WellbeingA Relational Perspective on Patient EngagementMeasuring patient activation in Italy: Translation, adaptation and validation of the Italian version of the patient activation measure 13 (PAM13-I)23 December 2015 | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, Vol. 15, No. 1The Angelina effect revisited: Exploring a media-related impact on public awareness28 September 2015 | Cancer, Vol. 121, No. 22Chronic care management of globesity: promoting healthier lifestyles in traditional and mHealth based settings15 October 2015 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 6Patient engagement come qualificatore dello scambio tra la domanda e l'offerta di salute: il caso della cronicitàRICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA, No. 3Engaged patients, engaged partnerships: singles and partners dealing with an acute cardiac event15 December 2014 | Psychology, Health & Medicine, Vol. 20, No. 5Managing chronic pathologies with a stepped mHealth-based approach in clinical psychology and medicine14 April 2015 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 06Measuring patient engagement: development and psychometric properties of the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) Scale27 March 2015 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 6'Engage me in taking care of my heart': a grounded theory study on patient-cardiologist relationship in the hospital management of heart failure16 March 2015 | BMJ Open, Vol. 5, No. 3How to engage type-2 diabetic patients in their own health management: implications for clinical practice25 June 2014 | BMC Public Health, Vol. 14, No. 1Inflammatory bowel diseases and psychological issues: A new approach for a systematic analysis of the academic debate12 November 2013 | Psychology, Health & Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 5Obesity and outpatient rehabilitation using mobile technologies: the potential mHealth approach10 June 2014 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 5How to Make Health Information Technology Effective: The Challenge of Patient EngagementArchives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol. 94, No. 10Engaging Patients and Lowering CostsBest Practices to Promote Patient and Donor Engagement to Care in Living Donor TransplantA Relational Perspective on Patient EngagementTechnologies for Participatory WellbeingHealthy Avatars, Healthy PeopleA Stepped Care mHealth-Based Approach for Promoting Patient Engagement in Chronic Care Management of Obesity With Type 2 DiabetesHealthy Avatars, Healthy People

Validity and Reliability Reporting Practices in the Field of Health Education and Behavior

Health education and behavior researchers and practitioners often develop, adapt, or adopt surveys/scales to quantify and measure cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and psychosocial characteristics. To ensure the integrity of data collected from these scales, it is vital that psychometric properties (i.e., validity and reliability) be assessed. The purpose of this investigation was to (a) determine the frequency with which published articles appearing in health education and behavior journals report the psychometric properties of the scales/subscales employed and (b) outline the methods used to determine the reliability and validity of the scores produced. The results reported herein are based on a final sample of 967 published articles, spanning seven prominent health education and behavior journals between 2007 and 2010. Of the 967 articles examined, an exceedingly high percentage failed to report any validity (ranging from 40% to 93%) or reliability (ranging from 35% to 80%) statistics in their articles. For health education/behavior practitioners and researchers to maximize the utility and applicability of their findings, they must evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument employed, a practice that is currently underrepresented in the literature. By not ensuring the instruments employed in a given study were able to produce accurate and consistent scores, researchers cannot be certain they actually measured the behaviors and/or constructs reported.

Mapping the literature of health education: 2006-2008.

The study updates Schloman's 1997 study, "Mapping the Literature of Health Education." The authors identify an updated list of core health education journals and determine the coverage of these journals by electronic indexes. Citations from four source journals for the years 2006 to 2008 were analyzed using the established methodology of the "Mapping the Literature of Allied Health Project." The cited journals were divided into three zones of productivity by using Bradford's Law of Scattering. There were 19,907 citations in 602 source articles. Journal articles were the most commonly cited format type. Of the 1,896 journal titles cited, 20 (1.1%) made up the core journals. Together, the fields of medicine, health education, and psychology accounted for 85.0% of the journals in the core. Self-citation was found to be a common practice in the source journals. Scopus had the broadest journal coverage of the indexes examined. The results of this study provide a new picture of the health education literature: The volume has grown significantly, cites older materials, and relies less on sexual health journals and more on psychology journals.

A Decade of Research Literature in Physical Education Pedagogy

The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed analysis of the research literature in physical education for one decade, including data on the research focus (i.e., teaching, teacher education, and curriculum). Α database of published research and research-based scholarship was created. Data were coded maintaining 97% or higher agreement levels. There were 1,819 physical education pedagogy research papers published during 1995–2004 in 94 different journals, including those that primarily pertain to (a) physical education (56.40%), (b) kinesiology (30.02%), (c) education and social science (9.35%), and (d) heath education and medical (4.23%). Papers represented all three focus areas: teaching (65.31%), curriculum (19.24%), and teacher education (15.45%). Research in physical education pedagogy has increased each year since 1995, including a small presence in education and social science journals as well as health education and medical journals.

Editorial

Welcome to JFSE's new platform! In the seemingly never ending world} of mergers and acquisitions in the publications industry, change is inevitable. With our new platform, we have acquired capabilities that we didn't have before. This opens up new opportunities for JFSE to publish your work. First and foremost, we will soon have the ability to host video. Look forward to the publication of animations and video that you will be able to use. As always, JFSE is open to submissions that push the envelope and expand the portfolio of what we publish. If you have an idea for a JFSE submission and would like to get some pre-submission feedback, I encourage you to send me an email. Thanks to Jim Bird for putting together a list of journals where JFSE articles have been cited: Advanced Composite Materials Advances in Physiology Education Biological Control British Food Journal Crop Protection Food Research International Health Education & Behavior International Journal of Technology and Design Education Journal of the American Dietetic Association Journal of Chemical Education Journal of Food Engineering Journal of Food Science Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Journal of Philosophy of Education Journal of Thermal Stress I am very pleased to see the Journal of Chemical Education (JCE) included in this list as the JCE premiere journal in our group. The breadth of the list is quite impressive. This is a credit to the quality and diversity of articles. Be sure to look at this issue's articles and Jim Bird's column.

Free to Be Obese in a ‘Super Nanny State’?

Free to Be Obese in a ‘Super Nanny State’?

Perspective: Have the Focus and Sophistication of Research in Health Education Changed?

This study assessed the types of research and the statistical methods used in three representative health education journals from 1994 through 2003. Editorials, commentaries, program/practice notes, and perspectives represent 17.6% of the journals' content. The most common types of articles are cross-sectional studies (27.5%), reviews (23.2%), and analytic studies (i.e., case-control, cohort, and experimental studies) (18.4%). The estimated annual percentage change across the study period in these types of articles was 3.3, -9.3, and 5.5, respectively. A significant increase was observed in use of descriptive statistics (estimated annual percentage change = 2.4), parametric test statistics (4.4), nonparametric test statistics (3.5), epidemiologic statistics (10.3), generalized linear models (6.8), validation statistics (6.7), and other statistics (8.2). Movement toward increasing use of cross-sectional studies, analytic study designs, and statistical methods--representing greater emphasis on needs assessment for health education, health education program development, and program evaluation--indicates the need for better quantitatively trained health educators.