Choosing Health

April Lynch April Lynch is an award-winning author and journalist who specializes in health, science, and genetics. During her tenure with the San Jose Mercury News, the leading newspaper of Silicon Valley, she served as the Science and Health editor, focusing the paper’s coverage on personal health and disease prevention. She has also worked as a writer and editor for the San Francisco Chronicle. April has written numerous articles on personal health, medical and scientific advances, consumer issues, and the ways that scientific breakthroughs are redefining our understanding of health. She has been a frequent contributor to leading university textbooks covering applied biology, nutrition, and environmental health and science. Together with a leading genetic counselor, April is the co-author of the Genome Book, a hands-on guide to using genetic information in personal health decisions. Her work has won numerous awards from organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Associated Press. Her current interests include a focus on how people receive and interact with health information online. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and children.   Barry Elmore East Carolina University Barry Elmore obtained a BS from Mount Olive College and an MA in Health Education at East Carolina University, where he was a merit scholar. Barry has extensive experience in the field of community health with particular focus on sexually transmitted diseases. He served as the Executive Director of the Pitt County AIDS Service Organization, the third largest AIDS Service Organization in North Carolina, before beginning his teach career and worked as a health educator in the non-profit sector for nearly 20 years. He is a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), and the North Carolina Association for Research in Education (NCARE), Barry has been recognized for outstanding teaching by his department, college, and university.   Tanya Morgan, Ph.D. West Chester University Tanya Morgan is an Associate Professor and Masters of Public Health Program Director for Health Care Management at West Chester University. She received her Ph.D. in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tanya has traveled around the world to teach and consult in locations as diverse as Oxford University, England; Guizhou University, China; and La Paz, Bolivia. In addition to her global interests, Tanya’s research focuses on underserved populations, women’s health issues, and health care access. In honor of her research efforts, Tanya was awarded the Southern Academy of Women in Physical Activity, Sport, and Health (SAWPASH) Young Scholars Award. She is actively involved in health advocacy and currently serves as chairperson for the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Health Advocacy Committee and is a member of the Health Promotion Advocates Grassroots Committee. Tanya’s interaction with her students in the classroom continually encourages her work. It is her desire that this textbook will help motivate the health behavior change that will increase the longevity of the millennial generation.

1. Health in the 21st Century

2. Psychological Health

3. Stress Management

4. Nutrition and You

5. Physical Activity for Fitness and Health

6. Weight Management

7. Drug Use and Abuse

8. Alcohol and Tobacco Use and Abuse

9. Relationships and Communication

10. Sexuality, Contraception, and Reproductive Choices

11. Preventing Infectious Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections

12. Preventing Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Cancer

13. Consumer Health

14. Personal Safety and Injury Prevention

15. Your Environment, Your Health

16. Aging Well