Promoting Fitness and Safety in Elementary Students: A Randomized Control Study of the Michigan Model for Health.

BACKGROUND: In elementary grades, comprehensive health education curricula have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing singular health issues. The Michigan Model for Health (MMH) was implemented and evaluated to determine its impact on nutrition, physical fitness, and safety knowledge and skills. METHODS: Schools (N = 52) were randomly assigned to intervention and control conditions. Participants received MMH with 24 lessons in grade 4 and 28 more lessons in grade 5 including material focusing on nutrition, physical fitness, and safety attitudes and skills. The 40-minute lessons were taught by the classroom teacher who received curriculum training and provided feedback on implementation fidelity. Self-report survey data were collected from the fourth-grade students (N = 1983) prior to the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 6 weeks after the intervention, with the same data collection schedule repeated in fifth grade. Analysis of the scales was conducted using a mixed-model approach. RESULTS: Students who received the curriculum had better nutrition, physical activity, and safety skills than the control-group students. Intervention students also reported higher consumption of fruits; however, no difference was reported for other types of food consumption. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the MMH in promoting fitness and safety supports the call for integrated strategies that begin in elementary grades, target multiple risk behaviors, and result in practical and financial benefits to schools.

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous triflic acid confined in carbon nanotubes.

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the effects of nanoscale confinement on the structural and dynamical properties of aqueous triflic acid (CF3SO3H). Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with diameters ranging from ∼11 to 14 Å were used as confinement vessels, and the inner surface of the CNT were either left bare or fluorinated to probe the influence of the confined environment on structural and dynamical properties of the water and triflic acidic. The systems were simulated at hydration levels of n = 1-3 H2O/CF3SO3H. Proton dissociation expectedly increased with increasing hydration. Along with the level of hydration, hydrogen bond connectivity between the triflic acid molecules, both directly and via a single water molecule, played a role on proton dissociation. Direct hydrogen bonding between the CF3SO3H molecules, most commonly found in the larger bare CNT, also promoted interactions between water molecules allowing for greater separation of the dissociated protons from the CF3SO3(-) as the hydration level was increased. However, this also resulted in a decrease in the overall proportion of dissociated protons. The confinement dimensions altered both the hydrogen bond network and the distribution of water molecules where the H2O in the fluorinated CNTs tended to form small clusters with less proton dissociation at n = 1 and 2 but the highest at n = 3. In the absence of nearby hydrogen bond accepting sites from H2O or triflic acid SO3H groups, the water molecules formed weak hydrogen bonds with the fluorine atoms. In the bare CNT systems, these involved the CF3 groups of triflic acid and were more frequently observed when direct hydrogen bonding between CF3SO3H hindered potential hydrogen bonding sites. In the fluorinated tubes, interactions with the covalently bound fluorine atoms of the CNT wall dominated which appear to stabilize the hydrogen bond network. Increasing the hydration level increased the frequency of the OH···F (CNT) hydrogen bonding which was highly pronounced in the smaller fluorinated CNT indicating an influence on the confinement dimensions on these interactions.

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of water and an excess proton in water confined in carbon nanotubes.

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the effects of nanoscale confinement on the structural and dynamical properties of water and slightly acidic water. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of two different diameters (11.0 and 13.3 Å) were used as confinement vessels, and the inner walls of the CNT were either left bare or fluorinated to explore the influence of the confined environment on the determined properties. The water molecules in the fluorinated nanotubes were found to preferentially localize near the CNT surface and exhibit highly ordered structures while those in the bare CNTs were more randomly distributed. Additionally, weak interactions that resembled hydrogen bonds between the water molecules and the fluorine atoms were observed which occurred at a greater frequency in the smaller diameter CNT indicating an influence of the confinement dimensions on these interactions. This was further pronounced when an excess proton was added where, on average, approximately half of the water molecules in the smaller tube were involved in these interactions. This also led to a structured hydrogen bond network with regular defect sites that hindered proton transfer along the channel axis. Addition of the proton in the larger fluorinated CNT, however, disrupted the structural ordering and proton transfer down the nanotube axis near the surface of the CNT wall readily occurred. Proton transfer through the channel was also observed in the smaller nonfluorinated system, however, the proton was located closer to the center of the CNT, while in the larger nonfluorinated CNT proton transfer exhibited less directional preference indicating an impact of the scale of confinement and nature of the surface on proton transfer.

Improving pre-service elementary teachers' self-reported efficacy for using the professional teacher standards in health education.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of health education methods courses for pre-service elementary teachers has not been assessed for improving the pre-service elementary teacher's self-efficacy for using the professional teacher standards in health education (PTSHE). METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used to assess pre-service elementary teachers' self-efficacy toward using the PTSHE. Four institutions whose elementary education programs provide a health education methods course were recruited to participate in the study. Students were recruited to participate and they completed the Pre-service Health Education National Standards Self-efficacy (PHENSS) Scale at the beginning and end of the semester. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 15) software. RESULTS: A significant increase in the PHENSS Scale scores indicated that a 3-credit health education methods course could improve the pre-service elementary teacher's self-efficacy to use the national standards in their teaching of health education. Further analysis indicated statistically significant improvement of the participants' PHENSS scores in 2 of the 7 standards. CONCLUSION: Teacher self-efficacy can be a useful measure of the pre-service elementary teachers' ability to use the national standards for health education. The design of the methods course may affect the PHENSS scores.

Development of a pre-service teachers' self-efficacy instrument regarding teacher health education standards.

BACKGROUND: Whereas many education programs expect students to use national standards in various content areas, few studies have been conducted that examine pre-service teachers' confidence in demonstrating their use of the professional teacher standards. PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was 2-fold: (1) To develop the Pre-service Health Education National Standards Self-efficacy (PHENSS) Scale; and (2) To establish the instrument's ability to draw inferences from PHENSS Scale scores. METHODS: The final instrument consisted of 29 items and 4 demographic items. Validation was established using qualitative and quantitative procedures. After the instrument had been validated, pre-service elementary education and pre-service secondary health education teachers were recruited to complete the instrument at 2 different times. RESULTS: Items were grouped to form 7 subscales (a subscale for each standard) and were analyzed to determine test-retest reliability and internal consistency. All scales were found to be statistically significant (p ≤ .05). Cronbach's alpha for the 7 subscales ranged from .73 to .96, and α = .94 for the entire instrument. CONCLUSION: The instrument, which assessed self-efficacy toward implementing Professional Teacher Standards in Health Education, was found to be both valid and reliable.

Side chain flexibility in perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers: an ab initio study.

Side chain flexibility in perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomers has been explored through ab initio electronic structure calculations. Three different PFSA side chain fragments were considered with a CF3CFCF3 backbone representation: Nafion (-OCF2CF(CF3)O(CF2)2SO3H), Aquivion or the short side chain (SSC) (-O(CF2)2SO3H), and the 3M PFSA (-O(CF2)4SO3H). Rotational potential energy surfaces for each bond along the length of the side chains were obtained using density functional theory with the B3LYP and the dispersion-corrected B97D functionals with and without the inclusion of a solvation model. Solvent effects were found to have minimal effect on bond rotations close to the tetrafluoroethylene backbone but had greater impact near the terminal sulfonic acid group. The carbon-sulfur bond was found to be the most flexible portion of the side chain in each of the fragments which was further enhanced with the inclusion of the solvent. Complete rotation about either the O-CF2 or CF-O bond in the Nafion side chain resulted in fairly high energetic barriers, but significant portions of these rotational surfaces had energetic penalties less than 1.5 kcal/mol indicating substantial conformational freedom. Fully extended and folded conformations of the Nafion side chain exhibit considerable contraction in side chain end-to-end distance and were observed to be nearly isoenergetic using B3LYP, but the folded structures with the ether oxygen atoms in gauche conformations were ~1.5 kcal/mol lower in energy using B97D. Below the second ether linkage of the Nafion side chain, the rotational potential energy profiles were identical to that determined for the SSC side chain. The 3M side chain was generally found to be the most rigid with barriers for complete rotation about the central carbon-carbon bonds of approximately 7 kcal/mol. These results indicate that minor differences in side chain length and chemistry may have a pronounced effect on the rotational potential energy surfaces, particularly those involving rotation about different carbon-carbon bonds with distinctly different character.

The effect of hydrogen bond reorganization and equivalent weight on proton transfer in 3M perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers.

We present an investigation into the energetics associated with proton transfer in ionomeric fragments of the 3M™ perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane at different equivalent weights (EW). Electronic structure calculations were performed on two fragments each with two pendant side chains separated along a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) backbone with chemical formula CF(3)CF(-O(CF(2))(4)SO(3)H)(CF(2))(n)CF(-O(CF(2))(4)SO(3)H)CF(3), where n = 5 or 7, corresponding to membrane equivalent weights of 590 and 690 g mol(-1). Potential energy surface (PES) scans were performed for the transfer of a proton in various hydrogen bonds between water molecules, sulfonic acid groups, and charged species. The scans involved incrementally increasing an O-H bond length in steps of 0.02 Å with geometry optimizations performed at each step at the B3LYP/6-31G** level over all other degrees of freedom. The nature of the hydrogen bond network and the degree of dissociation were found to be critical factors in determining the resulting energetic barrier for proton transfer. The smaller fragment was found to more readily reorient to compensate for the transfer of charge resulting in a lower energetic barrier to proton transfer through stabilization of the new hydrogen bonds. However, when each ionomer had the same degree of dissociation, reprotonation of the sulfonate groups was the most energetically unfavorable in EW 590 when no structural reorganization was observed to occur due to its greater propensity to exist in a dissociated state.

A comparative ab initio study of the primary hydration and proton dissociation of various imide and sulfonic acid ionomers.

We compare the role of neighboring group substitutions on proton dissociation of hydrated acidic moieties suitable for proton exchange membranes through electronic structure calculations. Three pairs of ionomers containing similar electron withdrawing groups within the pair were chosen for the study: two fully fluorinated sulfonyl imides (CF(3)SO(2)NHSO(2)CF(3) and CF(3)CF(2)SO(2)NHSO(2)CF(3)), two partially fluorinated sulfonyl imides (CH(3)SO(2)NHSO(2)CF(3) and C(6)H(5)SO(2)NHSO(2)CF(2)CF(3)), and two aromatic sulfonic acid based materials (CH(3)C(6)H(4)SO(3)H and CH(3)OC(6)H(3)OCH(3)C(6)H(4)SO(3)H). Fully optimized counterpoise (CP) corrected geometries were obtained for each ionomer fragment with the inclusion of water molecules at the B3LYP/6-311G** level of density functional theory. Spontaneous proton dissociation was observed upon addition of three water molecules in each system, and the transition to a solvent-separated ion pair occurred when four water molecules were introduced. No considerable quantitative or qualitative differences in proton dissociation, hydrogen bond networks formed, or water binding energies were found between systems containing similar electron withdrawing groups. Each of the sulfonyl imide ionomers exhibited qualitatively similar results regarding proton dissociation and separation. The fully fluorinated sulfonyl imides, however, showed a greater propensity to exist in dissociated and ion-pair separated states at low degrees of hydration than the partially fluorinated sulfonyl imides. This effect is due to the additional electron withdrawing groups providing charge stabilization as the dissociated proton migrates away from the imide anion.

The Delivery of Sexuality-related Patient Education to Adolescent Patients: A Preliminary Study of Family Practice Resident Physicians.

BACKGROUND: Risky sexual behavior among adolescents is one of the leading health behaviors most associated with mortality, morbidity, and social problems. Adolescents need reliable sources of information to help them promote healthy sexual behaviors. Physicians in the United States are often seen by adolescents as a reliable and trustworthy source of accurate sexual information. However, many physicians feel uncomfortable or ill-prepared to deal with sexuality issues among their adolescent patients. PURPOSE: This study examined the impact of family resident physicians' sexual attitudes, knowledge, and comfort, on the delivery of sexuality-related patient education to their adolescent patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-post-test scales were administered to 21 physicians. Data were also collected for patient (n=644) charts. Factors that determined the delivery of sexuality-related patient education were analyzed. RESULTS: Results indicate that sexuality-related patient education was rarely provided to adolescent patients. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent sexuality education is not a high priority for physicians. Professional medical organizations should play a leadership role in training physicians on delivering sexuality education to adolescent patients.

A qualitative analysis of success stories from Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership institute participants.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to detect and document common themes among success stories, along with challenges, as related by participants in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute. Four-member teams from 18 Michigan and Indiana school districts participated in semiannual Institute workshops over a 3-year period and were tasked with implementing Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHPs). METHODS: Qualitative methods were used to generate themes from interviews. Data were gathered through a combined survey/interview process related to programmatic successes, evidence of success, and implementation challenges. One participant from 11 of 18 participating school districts completed the survey/interview. RESULTS: Each participant reported at least 1 success that had a positive effect on students and/or staff, many of which were related to the federally mandated wellness policy. With some notable exceptions, success was based on subjective judgments rather than systematically collected data. Unanimous expression of time constraints and being overworked in their current positions constituted major challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Institute required only process evaluation, some participants collected outcome data, a task that is important in validating the benefits of CSHPs. Most districts were not able to hire the recommended coordinator to ensure implementation of health program planning initially developed during the institute. Encouragingly, at the time of data collection many teams were still acting to ensure health programming remained a priority. Nevertheless, without the network of social support provided by the Institute, some respondents struggled to maintain momentum.

Promoting mental health and preventing substance abuse and violence in elementary students: a randomized control study of the Michigan Model for Health.

BACKGROUND: In elementary grades, comprehensive health education curricula mostly have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing singular health issues. The Michigan Model for Health (MMH) was implemented and evaluated to determine its impact on multiple health issues, including social and emotional skills, prosocial behavior, and drug use and aggression. METHODS: Schools (N = 52) were randomly assigned to intervention and control conditions. Participants received 24 lessons in grade 4 (over 12 weeks) and 28 more lessons in grade 5 (over 14 weeks), including material focusing on social and emotional health, interpersonal communication, social pressure resistance skills, drug use prevention, and conflict resolution skills. The 40-minute lessons were taught by the classroom or health teacher who received curriculum training and provided feedback on implementation fidelity. Self-report survey data were collected from the fourth-grade students (n = 2512) prior to the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 6 weeks after the intervention, with the same data collection schedule repeated in fifth grade. RESULTS: Students who received the curriculum had better interpersonal communication skills, social and emotional skills, and drug refusal skills than the control group students. Intervention students also reported lower intentions to use alcohol and tobacco, less alcohol and tobacco use initiated during the study and in the past 30 days, and reduced levels of aggression. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the MMH in promoting mental health and preventing drug use and aggression supports the call for integrated strategies that begin in elementary grades, target multiple risk behaviors, and result in practical and financial benefits to schools.

A preliminary survey of health education in Indiana home schools.

The total US school enrollment of 52.7 million students in 1998 excluded an estimated 1.2 million students educated in their homes. In 1989, some 1,148 home school families enrolled with the Indiana Department of Education. Just over a decade later, some 18,260 home school families had registered, and this number continues to increase. Despite knowledge about the growing numbers of families choosing to home school, limited empirical data exists of how health education is presented in home schools or the needs of home school educators who teach health education. This preliminary study examined health education content areas taught by home school educators in Indiana. An instrument was developed, piloted, and administered to a random sample of 600 home school educators. Results indicated most home school educators taught a variety of health education topics. Three topics--first aid, physical activity and fitness, and nutrition and diet--were taught most frequently in the health curriculum of home schools. Violence prevention, suicide prevention, and consumer health were covered less frequently in the health curriculum. Health was typically taught in a nonstructured, teachable moment format. Implications for coordinated school health programs and suggestions for further research are discussed.