Oblective. The authors tested the impact on cardiovascular risk profiles of African American women ages 40 years and older after one year of partrcrnation in one of three church-based nutrition and physical activity strategies: a standard behavioral group intervention, the standard interventron supplemented with spirrtual strategies, or self-help strategies.Methods. Women were screened at baseline and after one year of parttctpation. The authors analyzed intention-to-treat within group and between groups using a generalized estimating equations adjustment for intra-church clustering. Because spiritual strategies were added to the standard intervention by participants themselves, the results from both active groups were similar and, thus, combined for comparisons with the self-help group.

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Women's Cardiovascular Health Network members representing 10 Prevention Research Centers completed a literature review of approximately 65 population-based studies focused on improving women's cardiovascular health through behavior change for tobacco use, physical inactivity, or diet. A framework was developed for conducting the search. Databases (Medline, Psychlit, Smoking and Health, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) of studies published from 1980 to 1998 were searched. The review was presented at a meeting of experts held in Atlanta, Georgia. Output from the meeting included identification of what has worked to improve cardiovascular health in women and recommendations for future behavioral research. Additional information is available at www.hsc.wvu.edu/womens-cvh. Cardiovascular health interventions geared toward women are scant. Based on the available studies, program components that emerged as effective included personalized advice on diet and physical activity behaviors and tobacco cessation, multiple staff contacts with skill building, daily self-monitoring, and combinations of strategies. Recommendations for community-based tobacco, physical activity, and diet interventions are discussed. A few overarching recommendations were to (1) conduct qualitative research to determine the kinds of interventions women want, (2) examine relapse prevention, motivation, and maintenance of behavior change, (3) tailor programs to the stage of the life cycle, a woman's readiness to change, and subgroups, that is, minority, low socioeconomic, and obese women, and (4) evaluate policy and environmental interventions. The effects of cardiovascular interventions in women have been inappropriately understudied in women. Our review found that few studies on cardiovascular risk factor modification have actually targeted women. Hence, adoption and maintenance of behavior change in women are elusive. Intervention research to improve women's cardiovascular health is sorely needed.

A considerable number of cross-sectional studies demonstrated significant and salient correlations between culture of health elements and the health and safety of employees, but more research is needed to examine causality.

Despite its declining prevalence during the past few decades, tobacco use remains one of the most significant public health issues of the 1990s. Environmental and policy interventions are among the most cost-effective approaches to control tobacco use and prevent cardiovascular diseases. In this article, the authors review and offer to state and local health departments and other public health partners a summary of recommended policy and environmental interventions that have either reduced or show potential to reduce tobacco use. Priority recommendations include clean indoor air policies, restrictions on tobacco advertising and promotion, policies limiting youth access to tobacco, comprehensive school health programs, and excise taxes and other economic incentives. Many of these recommendations should be integrated with other health promotion interventions to also improve nutrition and physical activity. The authors also highlight several successful interventions and strategies used to establish policies at the state and local levels.

Offering a multicomponent program with telephone counseling may be just as effective for long-term smoking cessation as such a program plus incentives and competition, and more effective than a traditional program.

This paper identifies issues related to worksite health promotion programs for women by examining ways that work factors, health behaviors, family roles and responsibilities, and women's health are linked. Work conditions may affect women uniquely, as in the case of chemical exposure affecting reproductive health; disproportionately, such as the interaction between work and family roles; or differently from men, as in women's experience of stress in the workplace. The focus is on the differences and uniqueness of working women's health. Drawing on a public health perspective, implications for consideration by worksite health promotion programs specialist, human resource managers, and researchers are presented.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the updated 2019 CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard (CDC ScoreCard), which includes four new modules. Methods: We pilot tested the updated instrument at 93 worksites, examining question response concurrence between two representatives from each worksite. We conducted cognitive interviews and site visits to evaluate face validity, and refined the instrument for public distribution. Results: The mean question concurrence rate was73.4%. Respondents reported the tool to be useful for assessing current workplace programs and planning future initiatives. On average, 43% of possible interventions included in the CDC ScoreCard were in place at the pilot sites. Conclusion: The updated CDC ScoreCard is a valid and reliable tool for assessing worksite health promotion policies, educational and lifestyle counseling programs, environmental supports, and health benefits.