Misinformation, Free Speech and Accountability in Health Communications.

Some have argued that nothing less than truth and freedom is on the ballot in the 2024 election. To be sure, fact checking politicians has become a commonplace element of vetting candidates for public service. This editorial reviews trends in the use of media to influence opinions and practices relating to health promotion and disease prevention.

Fifty Observations About the Health Promotion Discipline: Ambitions, Polemics and Inspiration (Part Two).

In part one of this editorial covering fifty observations about the history and evolution of the health promotion discipline I shared twenty five observations relating to societal trends, definitional nuances and seminal studies and resources that have contributed to the trajectory of the field. In this, part two of the editorial, I list an additional twenty five observations focused on polemics and controversies and on the importance of effective teaching, research and writing. I reflect on the different approaches used by public sector and private sector health promotion experts respectively.

Fifty Observations About the Health Promotion Discipline: Tributes, Cautions and a Call to Action (Part One).

In observance of having worked for going on five decades in the health promotion profession, this editorial shares fifty observations about the state of our field. In part one, I offer these first twenty five observations that focus on societal trends that have shifted how we frame our work and the movement from wellness to well-being. I reflect on why the wellness term fell out of favor, the roots of the well-being term and attendant definitions of health promotion.

Belongingness, Well-Being and an Interview With Dr Pauline Dow.

The Supreme Court decision that race conscious admissions policies in universities are unconstitutional has created questions and concerns about the sustainability of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in many organizations and across sectors. This editorial provides hopeful examples of how belongingness is being embraced as a core value in many organizations. In an interview with education expert, Dr Pauline Dow, we discuss ways that the education sector creates trust and belongingness and explore best practices and leadership development methods that allow teachers to thrive.

What are you Reading? A Glimpse Into What is Captivating Health Promotion Professionals.

Story telling is one of the most time honored methods for conveying ideas, inspiring action and offering insights into the foibles and ferment of the human condition. This editorial offers a glimpse into what is sparking the imaginations and passions of health promotion professionals by simply asking them 'what are you reading?' Those who shared the books currently sitting alongside their reading chairs were not asked to select books that were related to improving health and well-being. Still, it came as no surprise that contributors to this article uniformly described plots, characters and narratives that illuminate how life circumstances can accost health and jeopardize well-being.

Research Findings Journalists Cannot Resist: A Tale of Three Mental Health and Well-Being Studies.

Addressing employee mental health needs and fostering organizations that enable thriving has become a priority for most workplace health and well-being initiatives. While mental health issues for the nation were of growing concern before COVID-19, the pandemic amplified concerns about loneliness, burnout and deaths of despair. A recent study that garnered attention from the popular press found that participants of individual-level mental health interventions were no better off than non-participants.

The "Best of 2023 List" of Health Promotion Researchers.

Each year the editorial team of the selects our "Best of the Year List" of health promotion studies from the prior year. This editorial features the , the , the and the for the best research and writing published in 2023 in this journal. Our criteria for selection includes: whether the study addresses a topic of timely importance in health promotion, the research question is clearly stated and the study methods used are well executed; whether the paper is often cited and downloaded; if the study findings offer a unique contribution to the literature; and if the paper is well-written and enjoyable to read.

Why Not Offer Routine Screenings for Brain Health?

The merits of routine health screening for cancer and cardiovascular diseases are well established given the strong evidence that early detection can lead to effective interventions. Health systems, insurance providers and public health agencies have incorporated systematic approaches to ensuring that preventive screenings for hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cancers are encouraged, readily accessible and reimbursed. Workplace wellness programs intent on containing preventable healthcare costs have also sponsored age- and risk-adjusted health screenings, often including financial incentives to encourage same.

Ken the Movie: Allyship and When KENough is not Enough.

This editorial reviews in the context of workplace and community health and well-being. Issues of gender equity, patriarchy, and the role of women in empowering women were all factors that were dealt with thoughtfully and poignantly in the movie's script. A missed opportunity in the movie related to the role men could play as allies in the gender equity movement.

The Most Influential Women Leaders in Health Promotion.

This editorial features 13 of the most accomplished female leaders working in health promotion based on their contributions to health science, their mentorship, and their executive leadership for organizations with far reaching health impact. Meeting and far exceeding these criteria, the is pleased to honor: Gail Christopher, Michelle Nunn, Karen Moseley, Kerry Evers, Wendy Lynch, Rachel Mosher Henke, Catherine Baase, Carter Blakey, Kinari Webb, Laurie Whitsel, Jessica Grossmeier, Vicki Shepard, and Michelle McMacken. Other renowned experts in the health promotion profession authored biographies of these amazing leaders and offered thoughts on how their influence will be felt in years to come.

The Ten Most Influential Women Scholars in Health Promotion.

This article features 10 of the most influential women scholars in health promotion: Drs Shiriki Kumanyika, Andrea Gielen, Leslie B. Hammer, Peggy A. Hannon, Sara Johnson, Michelle C.

ESG Standards are TBD in Health Promotion: What the ESG Movement can Learn From the Workforce Wellness Movement.

Large organizations produce annual shareholder reports that tout their business success, and many also describe their role in doing well by their employees and communities. What if systemic efforts to improve employee and community health were a reporting requirement on par with the reporting of profits, losses and liquidity? This editorial examines the nascent ESG movement and its potential role in sparking systems changes that improve individual and organizational health. ESG is an acronym for the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards that many investment fund managers are considering as a component of evaluating company performance.

Excellence in Total Worker Health® and an Interview With Dr Laura Linnan.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines as "policies, programs and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being." This editorial features an interview with Dr Laura Linnan, a leader of the workplace health and well-being movement and a Principal Investigator for one of the ten 'Centers of Excellence in Total Worker Health' sponsored by NIOSH to study how approaches to better integrating health and safety can improve outcomes. We discuss differences between "comprehensive approaches" to workplace wellness and a approach.

New Obesity Guidance for Pediatrics: Medicalizing Obesity or Acquiescing to Our Obesogenic Culture?

The publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics report on a "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity" has been met with considerable debate about the merits of taking a more aggressive treatment approach. Supporters of the new guidance argue that the time has come to treat childhood obesity with more intensive behavior therapy along with, as needed, weight loss medications and bariatric surgery. Detractors of the report believe that medicalizing this condition will lead to greater stigma and increase health disparities.

The Doctrine and : Prior Precedent and Continuous Improvement in Health Promotion.

What advantages are accruing to companies that intentionally integrate their health, safety and mental well-being initiatives? "Total Worker Health®", using the definition from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is: "Policies, programs and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being." The NIOSH WellBQ is an individual level questionnaire that asks employees about their perceptions related to their quality of work life, circumstances outside of work, supervisor support and physical and mental health status. Total Worker Health® related research funded by NIOSH is intended to "build the scientific evidence base necessary to develop new solutions for complex occupational safety and health problems.

The Twenty Five Most Important Studies in Health Promotion.

Which are the studies, special reports and commentaries that have been most influential in shaping the health promotion profession? This editorial poses that question to many of America's most accomplished researchers. Each was asked to name one or two 'must read' studies from other scholars as well as to feature one of their own research projects that has had the greatest reach. This review of seminal studies focuses on community health, patient education and behavior change research and a future editorial will focus on workplace based health promotion research.

The Twenty Five Most Important Studies in Workplace Health Promotion.

In what direction has workplace wellness research been evolving over the past 20 years? What proportion of occupational health researchers have been focusing on how health impacts work compared to researchers who ask how work affects health? This editorial poses an audacious, albeit largely subjective, question. That is, what have been the most important research studies about workplace wellness? Readers are invited to respond with their opinions about seminal studies we missed. Readers are also challenged with a thought experiment and exercise designed to organize the past decades of workplace wellness studies into a table that identifies trends in this research domain.

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose: Reviewing Definitions for and Reimbursement for Health Promotion, Lifestyle Medicine, Behavioral Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Population Health.

How do the definitions between health promotion professions differ? Should the shift from using the term wellness to greater use of the well-being term challenge us to explain how our profession improves how people appraise their lives as a whole? After all, achieving well-being is a challenge as relevant to clergy, politicians, artists and entertainers as to health professionals. Successful organizations are keenly attentive to how they differentiate their services so as not to get lost in a sea of like competitors. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine has recently defined lifestyle medicine as a medical specialty delivered by certified clinicians.

Do Faith Friendly Workplaces Increase Well-Being?

Many will draw distinctions between finding your purpose and tapping into spirituality. And many more are quick to point out that they are spiritual but not religious. This predictable definitional dynamic makes me doubtful that adoption of purpose finding strategies will be the gateway to unlocking the ambivalence and stigma related to sharing one's faith in company settings.

Improving Your Odds of Getting Published in this Journal.

Now in its 36 year of publication (AJHP) is privileged to attract worldwide manuscript submissions from highly accomplished researchers and practitioners. Getting published in this journal has gotten quite competitive with less than 20% of submissions making it through our review process and into print. Our current impact score of 2.

Well-Being and Evolving Work Autonomy: The Locus of Control Construct Revisited.

Will the new ways we work have positive or negative effects on well-being? How will hybrid work arrangements, flexible schedules, and increased telework impact job satisfaction and life satisfaction? Many factors related to employee productivity, creativity, and collaboration are being assessed as organizations consider how less time spent at a workplace impacts work culture and organizational success. This editorial argues that the internal-external locus of control construct could offer useful insights into the differential affects that new work arrangements may have on worker satisfaction. For many, greater autonomy will be felt as consistent with their beliefs and preferences for greater control in how they perform their work.

Health Promotion Planning and an Interview With Dr Andrea Gielen.

This editorial features an interview with Dr. Andrea Gielen and the newly released book published by Johns Hopkins University Press. Co-Editors for this edition are Lawrence Green, Andrea Gielen, Judith Ottoson, Darleen Peterson, and Marshall Kreuter.

The "Best of 2021 List" of Health Promotion Researchers.

Each year the editorial team of the selects our "Best of the Year List" of health promotion studies from the prior year. This editorial features the Editor's Picks Awards, the Editor in Chief Awards, the Michael P. O'Donnell Award and the Dorothy Nyswander Award for the research and writing published in 2021 in this journal.

On the Need for an Association for Vaccinated Person's Rights.

COVID-19 has been more difficult to contain in the United States than in other countries due, in part, to our nation's rootedness in preserving individual freedoms, sometimes in defiance of the need for social accountability for health. With growing evidence that anti-vaccination proponents are increasingly organized, funded, and influential, this editorial argues that the right to health should transcend individual freedoms that have a likely probability of spreading harm to others. An association for vaccinated person's rights, much like ANSR, an association for non-smokers rights, may be needed to counter anti-vaccination rights organizers.