https://amjhealthstudies.com/index.php/ajhs <p><strong>We moved!</strong> Please be patient as we continue to migrate archived issues to this new system. If you need a specific issue, please contact our <a title="Technical Support Contact" href="https://amjhealthstudies.com/index.php/ajhs/about/contact">technical support contact</a>.</p> <p>Welcome to the <em>American Journal of Health Studies</em>. The <em>Journal</em> presents contemporary issues on health promotion and disease prevention themes through the publication of feature and research articles, systematic reviews, lessons learned reports, research briefs, and commentaries. <em>American Journal of Health Studies</em> supports the philosophy that health promotion, in its broadest sense, is multidimensional and includes intervention, policy, social support, and environmental support components. The Journal focuses on health topics for prevention and health promotion related to chronic disease/interventions, physical exercise/fitness, community health, nutrition and wellness themes.</p> CPHR Publishing en-US American Journal of Health Studies 1945-4511 <p>Assignment of copyright</p> <p>In order to publish in the American Journal of Health Studies, authors must assign the copyright to American Journal of Health Studies, CPHR Publishing (the Publisher) and distribution license and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript (the “Article”).</p> <p>This assignment of rights means that I have granted to the Copyright Owner the exclusive right to publish and reproduce the Article, or any part of the Article, in print, electronic and all other media (whether now known or later developed), in any form, in all languages, throughout the world, for the full term of copyright, and the right to license others to do the same, effective when the Article is accepted for publication. This includes the right to enforce the rights granted hereunder against third parties.</p> <p>Regarding the final published portable document format (pdf) appearing online, authors may print it, share it with colleagues, and/or have it available for personal use and non-commercial research. However, due to copyright laws (copyright belonging to the publisher), authors may not use the pdf for profit, either directly or indirectly. Unauthorized use includes: (1) re-sale; (2) publication in other media (compilations, books, manuals, journals, and the like); (3) use for mass distribution by businesses, corporations or companies; (4) promotion of the funding for a study by any organization or group; (5) reproduction and distribution; (6) selling or licensing copies; or (7) posting on third-party websites such as Research Gate, a university repository website, personal website, or organizational website. Thus, the pdf only may be used by authors for personal and professional use, and NOT for mass distribution. Permissions for such use may be authorized under some circumstances by the publisher (American Journal of Health Studies, CPHR Publishing) if requested in writing, and may incur fee(s) to be determined solely by the publisher. One example of educational use is to place on library reserve as a reading for an online class, which upon the end of the class must be removed immediately.</p> <p>Publisher reserves the right to grant or refuse permission to third parties to republish all or part of the article or translations thereof. To republish, such third parties must obtain written permission from the Publisher. (This is in accordance with the Copyright Statute, United States Code, Title 17. Exception: If all authors were bona fide officers or employees of the U.S. Government at the time the paper was prepared, the work is a “work of the US Government” (prepared by an officer or employee of the US Government as part of official duties), and therefore is not subject to US copyright; such exception should be indicated on signature lines. If this work was prepared under US Government contract or grant, the US Government may reproduce, royalty-free, all or portions of this work and may authorize others to do so, for official US Government purposes only, if the US Government contract or grant so requires.</p> <p>I have participated in the conception and design of this work and in the writing of the manuscript and take public responsibility for it. Neither this manuscript nor one with substantially similar content under my authorship has been published, has been submitted for publication elsewhere, or will be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration by The Heart Surgery Forum, except as described in an attachment. I have reviewed this manuscript (original version) and approve its submission. If I am listed above as corresponding author, I will provide all authors with information regarding this manuscript and will obtain their approval before submitting any revision. I attest to the validity, accuracy, and legitimacy of the content of the manuscript and understand that Publisher assumes no responsibility for the validity, accuracy, and legitimacy of its content. I warrant that this manuscript is original with me and that I have full power to make this Agreement. I warrant that it contains no matter that is libelous or otherwise unlawful or that invades individual privacy or infringes any copyright or other proprietary right. I agree to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless of and from any claim made against Publisher that relates to or arises out of the publication of the manuscript and agree that this indemnification shall include payment of all costs and expenses relating to the defense of any such claim, including all reasonable attorney’s fees.</p> https://amjhealthstudies.com/index.php/ajhs/article/view/777 <p>Mental health has become an increasingly important public health issue on college campuses. The current study examined depression, anxiety, and perceptions of institutional support for graduate and undergraduate students. Results show that undergraduate students have higher levels of depression (M = 12.5, SD = 5.98) and anxiety (M = 14.0, SD = 5.15) compared to graduate students (M = 10.03, SD = 5.05; M = 11.6, SD = 5.35, respectively). There are differences in perceptions of institutional support for undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate students report lower levels of perceived organizational support for health (M = 97, SD = 8.13) and organizational trust (M = 11.26, SD = 3.58) compared to graduate students (M = 28.14, SD = 8.35; M = 12.58, SD = 3.59, respectively). For perceptions of organizational diversity, undergraduate students report higher levels (M = 18.14, SD = 4.18 for undergraduate students versus M = 17.84, SD – 4.52 for graduate students). Results are also provided for students by year in school. Linear regression was done to understand how depression and anxiety is associated with institutional perceptions. As perceptions of institutional support for mental health and organizational trust go up, depression and anxiety rates go down. As perceptions of institutional support for diversity go up, depression and anxiety also go up. Institutions of higher education should provide targeted mental health programming by year in school. Institutions should also work to improve campus climate to improve mental health.</p> Brandy Reeves-Doyle Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of Health Studies 2025-12-31 2025-12-31 40 2 10.47779/ajhs.2025.777 https://amjhealthstudies.com/index.php/ajhs/article/view/767 <p> Self-management of chronic diseases is important for all age groups, especially for college students as they develop and transition to adulthood, increasing their prevalence of chronic disease risk factors. Inconvenience, lack of access, and cost may be barriers for their participation in chronic disease self-management programs. This study explored self- management knowledge and skills of a small group of college students attending a free, six-week long, telehealth-based, chronic disease self-management program led by a provider Leader and a college-aged lay Leader. Topics ranged from disease and medication management to patient-provider communication. Participants met once per week for two hours via telehealth, received a companion textbook, and were instructed through slide shows and interactive activities. The Partners in Health Scale was used to assess participant-reported, self-management knowledge and skill levels before and after the program. Participants reported significantly better knowledge and self-management of their chronic disease pre- to post-program for understanding conditions and treatments, patient-provider communication, physical activity level regulation, and symptom tracking. Results of this exploratory study suggest that telehealth-based chronic disease self-management programs for students at colleges and universities can be a clinically effective part of a support program for those whose academic and extracurricular participation are affected by their chronic condition. It is recommended that larger and more comprehensive studies be conducted in the future to confirm the current findings. Nonetheless, there is potential utility for telehealth-based chronic disease self-management program options as part of disease management programming to improve participant knowledge and self-management skill building.</p> Carol Cox Hannah Branch Sarah Frerker Rolena Stephenson Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of Health Studies 2025-12-31 2025-12-31 40 2 10.47779/ajhs.2025.767 https://amjhealthstudies.com/index.php/ajhs/article/view/788 <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">School-based interventions support children’s holistic well-being by promoting mental health,</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">fostering resilience, and enhancing social, academic, and physical development. This systematic review aimed to synthesize current evidence-based research on school mental health promotion interventions. Another objective is to analyze the reported outcomes of interventions to review current policies and available resources. A comprehensive search within MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Google Scholar was conducted using different combinations of keywords “school-based”, “intervention”, “mental health”, “evidence-based”, “theory” and “promotion” by using the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR”. Studies were included from December 1, 2017, to October 31, 2024, study design (randomized control trials), age ≤ 18, all genders, and English language. Studies were excluded based on inception year, age ≥ 18 years, study designs other than mentioned above, and non-English language. Quality assessment was performed with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool for randomized controlled trials. A total of 24 studies were included, identifying a total of 32 evidence-based mental health interventions. These school-based mental health promotion interventions utilized combined frameworks (n=7), cognitive behavioral therapy (n=5), mindfulness theory (n=3), mental health literacy (n=3), diathesis-stress model (n=3), WHO-approved FRIENDS program (n=2), social cognitive theory(n=1). A combination of programs and frameworks were utilized in 5 out of 24 studies. School-based interventions effectively reduce depression, anxiety, and psychosocial challenges in youth, promoting well-being. More rigorous research is needed to enhance evidence-based interventions, consider contextual influences, and evaluate broader societal benefits of empowering children in mental health prevention.</span></p> Asma Awan Md. Sohail Akhter Sharmistha Roy Manoj Sharma Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of Health Studies 2025-12-31 2025-12-31 40 2 10.47779/ajhs.2025.788 https://amjhealthstudies.com/index.php/ajhs/article/view/770 <p>The COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented challenge for the public health community. This challenge shed light on a host of social and cultural threats facing our nation. The purpose of this commentary is to examine three of these threats within the context of public health. Specifically, individualism, apathy, and polarization are presented through selected examples to advance knowledge for public health practice.</p> Michele Pettit Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of Health Studies 2025-12-31 2025-12-31 40 2 10.47779/ajhs.2025.770