Reduced Violence-Related Burden and Mortality at Higher Altitudes: Examining the Association between High Altitude Living and Homicide Rates in Ecuador.

Ortiz-Prado, Esteban, Juan Sebastian Izquierdo-Condoy, María G. Dávila-Rosero, Jorge Vásconez-González, Ana M. Diaz, Carla E.

Promoting Caregiver Early Childhood Development Behaviors through Social and Behavioral Change Communication Program in Tanzania.

Stunting remains a prevalent issue in Tanzania. The consequences of stunting include reduced height, greater susceptibility to disease, and diminished cognitive ability throughout the lifespan. Lack of psychosocial stimulation is associated with increased stunting, particularly in terms of its cognitive impact.

Use of Technology to Access Health Information/Services and Subsequent Association With WASH (Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Knowledge and Behaviors Among Women With Children Under 2 Years of Age in Indonesia: Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) remain a public health concern in Indonesia. Proper WASH practices can decrease risk of stunting, wasting, and disease in children under the age of 2.

Objective: The purpose of our study is to examine if using technology to access health information and services among Indonesian women affects knowledge and behaviors regarding handwashing and defecation practices.

An interpersonal nutrition campaign and maternal knowledge and childhood feeding practices: a case study from mothers in rural Indonesia.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which a national nutrition communication campaign (NNCC) intervention providing interpersonal communication (IPC) was associated with improved knowledge and behaviors related to feeding practices among mothers with children under two years of age in rural Indonesia.

Methods: Data came from a follow-up, cross-sectional survey of 1734 mothers. Key outcomes of interest were minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet, as defined by the World Health Organization.

Increasing Active Transportation Through E-Bike Use: Pilot Study Comparing the Health Benefits, Attitudes, and Beliefs Surrounding E-Bikes and Conventional Bikes.

Background: The emergence of electric pedal-assist bicycles (e-bikes) presents an opportunity to increase active transportation by minimizing personal barriers of engaging in physical activity.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs of individuals using e-bikes for active transport and report preliminary biometric measurements while using e-bikes for physical activity compared with conventional bikes.

Methods: Participants used both conventional bicycles and e-bikes to compare energy expenditure while riding on the study route.

Mental and Emotional Self-Help Technology Apps: Cross-Sectional Study of Theory, Technology, and Mental Health Behaviors.

Background: Mental and emotional self-help apps have emerged as potential mental illness prevention and treatment tools. The health behavior theory mechanisms by which these apps influence mental health-related behavior change have not been thoroughly examined.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the association between theoretical behavior change mechanisms and use of mental and emotional self-help apps and whether the use of such apps is associated with mental health behaviors.

How Do Apps Work? An Analysis of Physical Activity App Users' Perceptions of Behavior Change Mechanisms.

Background: Physical activity apps are commonly used to increase levels of activity and health status. To date, the focus of research has been to determine the potential of apps to influence behavior, to ascertain the efficacy of a limited number of apps to change behavior, and to identify the characteristics of apps that users prefer.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the mechanisms by which the use of physical activity apps may influence the users' physical activity behavior.

Controlling Your "App"etite: How Diet and Nutrition-Related Mobile Apps Lead to Behavior Change.

Background: In recent years, obesity has become a serious public health crisis in the United States. Although the problem of obesity is being addressed through a variety of strategies, the use of mobile apps is a relatively new development that could prove useful in helping people to develop healthy dietary habits. Though such apps might lead to health behavior change, especially when relevant behavior change theory constructs are integrated into them, the mechanisms by which these apps facilitate behavior change are largely unknown.

A content analysis of precede-proceed constructs in stress management mobile apps.

Background: The emergence of Apple's iPhone provides a platform for freelance developers to design third party apps, which greatly expands the functionality and utility of mobile devices for stress management. This study provides a basic overview of the stress management apps under the health and fitness category of the Apple App store and appraises each app's potential for influencing behavior change.

Methods: Data for this study came from a content analysis of health and fitness app descriptions available in the App Store on iTunes.

Evaluation of Diet-Related Infographics on Pinterest for Use of Behavior Change Theories: A Content Analysis.

Background: There is increasing interest in Pinterest as a method of disseminating health information. However, it is unclear whether the health information promoted on Pinterest is evidence-based or incorporates behavior change theory.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the presence of health behavior theory (HBT) constructs in pins found on Pinterest and assess the relationship between various pin characteristics and the likelihood of inclusion of HBT.

Health Behavior Theory in Popular Calorie Counting Apps: A Content Analysis.

Background: Although the Health & Fitness category of the Apple App Store features hundreds of calorie counting apps, the extent to which popular calorie counting apps include health behavior theory is unknown.

Objective: This study evaluates the presence of health behavior theory in calorie counting apps.

Methods: Data for this study came from an extensive content analysis of the 10 most popular calorie counting apps in the Health & Fitness category of the Apple App Store.

Victimization among Peruvian adolescents: insights into mental/emotional health from the Young Lives study.

Background: Bullying is a global problem among children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to explore bully victimization in Peru and to identify potential adverse mental health and social outcomes resulting from bully victimization.

Methods: This study analyzed data from an ongoing prospective cohort of children taking part in the Young Lives study.

Behavioral functionality of mobile apps in health interventions: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: Several thousand mobile phone apps are available to download to mobile phones for health and fitness. Mobile phones may provide a unique means of administering health interventions to populations.

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to systematically search and describe the literature on mobile apps used in health behavior interventions, describe the behavioral features and focus of health apps, and to evaluate the potential of apps to disseminate health behavior interventions.

Just a fad? Gamification in health and fitness apps.

Background: Gamification has been a predominant focus of the health app industry in recent years. However, to our knowledge, there has yet to be a review of gamification elements in relation to health behavior constructs, or insight into the true proliferation of gamification in health apps.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the extent to which gamification is used in health apps, and analyze gamification of health and fitness apps as a potential component of influence on a consumer's health behavior.

Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort.

Background: Bully-victimization is a widespread public health issue with significant negative effects on both social function and psychological well-being. Existing research in Peru shows high prevalence of bullying. However, researchers have yet to fully understand the phenomenon of victimization in developing regions.

Victimization of Peruvian adolescents and health risk behaviors: Young Lives cohort.

Background: While extensive research has been conducted on bullying and victimization in western countries, research is lacking in low- and middle-income settings. This study focused on bullying victimization in Peru. It explored the relationship between the caregiver's perception of child victimization and the child's view of selected negative experiences occurring with other children their age.

C U L8ter: YouTube distracted driving PSAs use of behavior change theory.

Objective: To examine the inclusion of health behavior theory in distracted driving PSAs on YouTube.com.

Methods: Two-hundred fifty PSAs were assessed using constructs from 4 prominent health behavior theories.

Determinants of better health: a cross-sectional assessment of positive deviants among women in West Bengal.

Background: Rural women in West Bengal have been found to have low rates of formal education, poor health knowledge, high rates of malnutrition and anemia, and low levels of empowerment. Despite these difficult circumstances, some women have positive health outcomes compared to women with similarly disadvantaged backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with positive health outcomes among women with primary education or less.

Identifying barriers preventing Latina women from accessing WIC online health information.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a program for low-income women and children under age five. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to accessing online WIC resources among Latina WIC clients. Five focus groups were conducted with Spanish-speaking participants recruited from a single WIC clinic.

The Role of Parenting in Alcohol and Tobacco Use Among Latino Adolescents.

Parents can impact adolescent substance use, but it is unclear which substances are most affected. This study compared associations between parenting behaviors and alcohol and tobacco use to see if parenting was equally related to both behaviors. Alcohol and tobacco use data were collected from 252 Latino adolescents living along the San Diego-Tijuana border.

Correlates of health-related social media use among adults.

Background: Sixty percent of Internet users report using the Internet to look for health information. Social media sites are emerging as a potential source for online health information. However, little is known about how people use social media for such purposes.

Health risk behaviors in urban and rural Guatemalan adolescents.

Adolescence is an important stage of life when health behaviors and attitudes are established. The purpose of this research was to assess health risk behaviors among Guatemalan students in both an urban and rural school. Items were adapted from the Global School-based Student Health Survey and were used to measure and compare the prevalence of risk behaviors between these two demographically and culturally distant school-based samples.

The Philippines is Marlboro country for youth smoking: results from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS).

The purpose of this study was to determine cigarette brand preference trends and differences in Marlboro smokers in smoking-related attitudes and behaviors from smokers of other brands. This study analyzed data from 25,027 adolescents represented in the 2000, 2003, and 2007 Philippine Global Youth Tobacco Surveys. Results indicated that from 2000 to 2007 Marlboro clearly became the most preferred brand in both boys and girls.

Educating for the future: adolescent girls' health and education in West Bengal, India.

Adolescent girls in India carry a disproportionate burden of health and social risks; girls that do not finish secondary education are more likely to have an earlier age of sexual initiation, engage in risky sexual behavior, and consequentially be at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes. This paper presents a comparison of girls in school and girls not in school from 665 participants in rural West Bengal, India. The social cognitive theory (SCT), a comprehensive theoretical model, was used as a framework to describe the personal, behavioral, and environmental factors affecting the lives of these adolescent girls.