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As college students gain newfound freedom, they are at a pivotal moment to shift their health habits. The purpose of this study was to analyze college students’ perceived benefits of exercise, whether it be longevity or aesthetic appearance related to demographic factors. This study included a diverse sample of students attending a regional Kentucky university, all recruited through a campus fitness-testing event. Participants completed the “Exercise Benefits and Barriers” (EBBS; Sechrist, Walker, & Pender, 1987) survey and various fitness tests. Study findings indicate insignificant relationships across the benefit of living longer in relation to age (traditional versus non-traditional), obesity status, and class standing. However, exercising to improve appearance was significantly reported more often across genders and improving longevity across obesity statuses. Based on these results, we recommend future student focused exercise interventions for students to include the importance of exercise benefits (both appearance and longevity). Additionally, exercise as a factor of susceptibility to improve cues to actions for individuals- to exercise should be constant. Given the importance of appearance benefits, future health promotion efforts should leverage this benefit to motivate students to be active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A syringe exchange program (SEP) offers free sterile syringes for injection-drug users (IDUs) and collects used syringes to reduce the transmission of blood-borne pathogens, particularly HIV and Hepatitis B/C (CDC, 2010). In addition to the basic SEP, some programs offer counseling and testing as well as referrals to substance abuse treatment facilities (CDC, 2010). Providing inclusive prevention services for IDUs can benefit in the reduction of bloodborne pathogens and should enhance access to substance abuse treatment and health care, thus aiding as a successful public health approach (CDC, 2010).The purpose of this study was to assess community members' opinions on implementing a SEP in a rural Kentucky county. Seventy four surveys measuring attitudes, perceptions and beliefs regarding a SEP were completed by three groups of community members: current and previous drug users (n=19), parents of current and previous drug users (n = 8), and community stakeholders (n = 47). The majority of the participants, 64%, were in favor of implementing a SEP in their county. Further data analysis may demonstrate the perceived need for a SEP that includes HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis testing in order to reduce the prevalence of these diseases and heroin overdose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell phones are ubiquitous on college campuses. When college students enter classrooms, cell phones do too. Multi-tasking during class by using cell/smartphones for texting or other "silent" uses presents challenges for students and instructors. These practices may be from habit or dependency; dependency may have developed into addiction. The purpose of this study was to identify attitudes and practices associated with college students' use of cell/smartphones and to compare their addiction to the general public. Students (n=127) enrolled in a regional university's selected spring 2016 public health courses completed a 16 item cell phone use survey. Study participants ranked higher than the general public on an addiction scale. Most students (93.7%), reported using cell/smartphones when bored; almost 20% (19.7%) replied it was OK to use cell/smartphones during class sessions if they hide the phone from view. Study results can guide future research and help develop strategies to enhance classroom learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines what surveillance control centers can provide on environmental pesticide exposures to bystanders. American Association of Poison Control Centers' electronic medical records for exposure reports involving persons from agriculturally intensive counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas; Most implicated substances; Evidence linking adverse health effects to pesticides.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans. However, Americans' knowledge of this disease appears to be lacking in adults (Mochari-Greenberger et al., 2010; Collins et al., 2004). The goal of this study was to compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) knowledge in young, middle, and old population groups. A valid and reliable questionnaire (The Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire, Bergman et al., 2011) was used to assess CVD knowledge. Participants (N = 168) residing in a southeast college community were asked to complete the survey instrument. Survey scores were then stratified by age and analyzed using ANOVA. Results revealed a significant difference in knowledge of heart disease (p <.05) between the three age groups [F(2, 164) = 5.016, p = .008]. The mean scores for each age group were 17.19 (59.67% correct), 19.9 (66.33% correct), and 18.56 (61.87% correct) for the youngest, middle, and old age groups respectively out of a total possible 29 points. A Tukey post hoc test indicated that the mean score for the middle age group (M=19.9, 95% CI [18.87, 20.93]) was significantly higher compared to the youngest age group (M= 17.19, 95% CI [15.99, 18.39]). There were no statistically significant differences between the oldest age group (M = 18.56) compared to the youngest or middle age group. One of the most important questions, "Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States," resulted in 87.4% (n = 146) of participants answering correctly. Overall, all age groups scored the lowest in the CVD domains of "symptoms", "risk factors", and "medical" knowledge but scored the highest in "dietary" and "epidemiology" domains. Results suggest a need to educate all adults in America regarding CVD-related information. Education approaches including media campaigns, school curricula, and physician-patient interventions are needed to prevent early morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]