Health Education
College of the Canyons
Copyright Year:
Publisher: College of the Canyons
Language: English
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CC BY
Reviews
Covers all major topics well. I believe the section on cardiovascular disease should contain information on early heart attack detection and what to do, and BEFAST for stroke. The psychological health section covers a HUGE array of topics but... read more
Covers all major topics well. I believe the section on cardiovascular disease should contain information on early heart attack detection and what to do, and BEFAST for stroke. The psychological health section covers a HUGE array of topics but lacks information about treatment for most disorders. In general, great information on topics but less information on how to manage issues.
Information feels accurate.
Updates should be easy edits for this textbook but some of the information may not be relevant for long periods of time, specifically the information on marriage and relationships.
Easy to read. Limited use of hard to understand terminology.
Very consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Each chapter is laid out similarly to the previous chapter. However, this also means that each chapter is lacking in things like images, charts and graphs.
This textbook has very logically modulated the chapters and subtopics within those chapters. It would be very easy to direct students to certain blocks of information. I do not recall any self-referential material.
Organization is logical and builds upon itself. For example, the chapter on stress management begins by talking about what stress is and its effects on the body then into managing and coping. Chapter 5 introduces gender and sexuality which is immediately followed by sexual health which is followed by sexually transmitted diseases.
There are some headings that are on one page and their text on the next or places where photos cause large gaps on previous pages. It does not have a navigable TOC.
Easy to read.
I believe the section on Relationships and Communication is slightly dated and could be offensive to some readers as it describes relationships in a this way or that way type of language where it is likely that gender and relationships between genders is more fluid. I think this will date this chapter rather quickly.
In general, the book lacked things that made it interesting to look at. There were few images and they were not all the quality in terms of the breath of information they added. There is a lot of information that would be better presented in charts or tables. There is a general lack of how to turn this knowledge into practice.
There is a Table of Contents, but an index and glossary of terms would both be helpful to find information quickly. read more
There is a Table of Contents, but an index and glossary of terms would both be helpful to find information quickly.
The information is well organized and accurate. Some updates are needed, such as reference to latest edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), including online tools to track menstrual cycle and Roe vs. Wade overturned stance on abortion in U.S., using more current CDC Fact sheets, including psychodelic mushrooms under drugs of abuse and impacet of legalization of marijuana on abuse potention, and including e-cigarettes, JUUL, and other modern cigarette types. Some minor typographical and spelling errors were noted ('spermacides').
Updating sections to include modern aspects would be helpful.
The language is clear and conducive to an undergraduate level college audience.
The book flows well and uses consistent terminology throughout the chapters.
The text is divided into subsections, making it manageable to read and understand.
The book is well organized and flows well.
Use of more diagrams would be helpful. The diagrams and charts used emphasize the textbook reading.
Some minor typographical (bullets points not aligned in e-copy) and spelling errors were noted ('spermacides').
Culturally and racially sensitive.
This is a well-written, well-organized textbook which provides a good overview of health. Including the WHO definition of health and wellness would be beneficial as well as using more references to college-age students to engage this audience. In addition, updating sections to modern times would be helpful. Nonetheless, it is a straightforward and helpful textbook to use for a general health class elective.
Health is a broad subject, and this book has done a nice job of categorizing and explaining some of the most important aspects. The book does not have a glossary or index but provides references at the end of each chapter for further exploration. read more
Health is a broad subject, and this book has done a nice job of categorizing and explaining some of the most important aspects. The book does not have a glossary or index but provides references at the end of each chapter for further exploration.
The data and information presented in the book appears to be accurate but some statistics are over 10 years old. Students would benefit from an updated edition. The information about sensitive topics such as violence in relationships, sexual health, etc. are handled skillfully without bias.
The text is written in a way that it would be relatively easy to update. Some of the topics, legal marriage for example, are changing due to legislation across the country, but the book speaks generally enough about these topics to capture this reality. The reader can pursue the references included at the end of each chapter to find more specific time-sensitive data around such topics.
The book is very clear in its use of language. This is a particularly appealing element if you have students whose native language isn't English. A moderate proficiency in English will make this book accessible--easy to read and understand.
One missing piece of context noted: Section 5.6 seems to refer to a chart, ie "in the lower left corner" but no chart is included.
The text is consistent in the way the framework has been structured and the terminology is relatively consistent throughout, however there are some occasional verb tense inconsistencies, for example in Chapters 6 and 8 the voice alternates between speaking directly to the reader (you) and in third-person.
It would be as easy to pull a few excerpts from the book as assigned reading as it would be to review the entire text throughout a semester. There could be more of a contextual introduction to each chapter that may help provide a useful modular framework.
As the text is a presentation of a variety of interrelated topics rather than information that must be presented in a particular sequence for full and proper understanding, the organization seemed appropriate and sufficient. As Maslow's heirarchy is presented, there is an argument for using the order from that framework or the order of the six dimensions of health presented in Chapter 1, but the content therein, aside from Chapter 1, is not determined by the sequence so the current organization is sufficient.
I saw no significant interface issues, however the text could benefit from more illustrative images throughout to support learning and such images could help with minimizing any confusion as well as retention of the information presented. An example of such is Figures 14 and 15 on page 152 and Figure 4 in Chapter 9.
In my review, I noticed very few grammatical or spelling errors.
Some of the sections could be updated with more inclusive language, such as the section on fertility and conception. Language such as "pregnant people" rather than "pregnant women" or "birthing person" rather than "pregnant mother" is more inclusive of the transgender community. The text generally tends to reference nationwide statistics without detail or context regarding specific demographics. This could be a valuable addition as illustrated in Chapter 1 that health can be substantially influenced by things such as race and ethnicity, culturally sensitive healthcare, sexual identity and orientation, etc. which are topics included later in the text. Expounding upon some of these critical aspects of health and determinants of health would add value and represent a more comprehensive perspective of health in the US.
This book is a solid resource with lots of useful information to use in health-related course curricula.
It had covered most of the major topics in health and wellness. However, there are some foundational topics like dimensions or health (they touched these, but need more depth), theories for behavior change that should be added , being foundational... read more
It had covered most of the major topics in health and wellness. However, there are some foundational topics like dimensions or health (they touched these, but need more depth), theories for behavior change that should be added , being foundational in nature. Then again, some concepts are just added there and may not be needed at this level as it adds to confusion than contribution. We don't need that deeper biology part as its a health topic and not anatomy/physiology.
Its very accurate book. I would re structure some aspects and add some examples at few places, but overall, its up the mark with accuracy.
Content needs an update. For example if its a weight management, then we need to add information about various apps and calorie tracking resources. If its a drug and abuse, I would add an activity that really engages students about how taking shots can affect their cognition and possibly put them in DUI. This text has too much theoretical concepts but less of applied part or case studies.
The information is clear and use simple languages. Not big jargons or difficult terms.
Yes, its consistent with the topics and headings and sub headings. Its just too much information actually VS field work, examples and real applications.
yes, its divided into various parts and sub parts. Easy to navigate and clear layout. I would just add that piece where if we click on a sub topic from table of contents, it takes us to that page automatically instead of scrolling around.
Yes, very clear and logical flow.
Its easy to navigate. I would add a little more images as it gets monotonous reading it. WIth a topic like health, lot more colors and contrasts and images can be added.
I did not find one.
Not offensive. But I would actually add more of culture and diversity when it comes to health. Why are some cultures "Healthy"? or "why is disparity between genders with access to healthcare across the globe/developing nations"?
It is an interesting book. I liked reading it and refreshing some of the topics. I would just add some case studies and activities to make it more interactive instead of passive reading. May be we can have a supplemental lab with it? Its not a perfect book as it covers upper and lower division topics. But definitely, some components can be used as they are well written.
The textbook is a comprehensive compilation of personal (individual) health topics, which are clearly defined and described. It would be appropriate for a Personal Health or Introduction to Health/Health Behavior course. It has a table of... read more
The textbook is a comprehensive compilation of personal (individual) health topics, which are clearly defined and described. It would be appropriate for a Personal Health or Introduction to Health/Health Behavior course. It has a table of contents, but not an index or glossary. It does not highlight key terms. There is a reference list at the end of each chapter--this could be expanded to include helpful links. Chapters do not have introductions or summaries.
The content is accurate and relatively unbiased. It includes current public health topics such as the leading causes of death, social determinants of health and health disparities. I might suggest changing the name of Chapter 12 to Chronic Diseases.
Each chapter is made up of many sections, or short descriptions of the topics. This helps with the organization of the content. There are not a lot of case studies, examples, graphics or anecdotal information to enhance the learning process. The material is somewhat dry the way it is presented (not very engaging).
The textbook is written in clear language and at an appropriate reading level for college students.
The chapters are organized in a consistent manner.
The textbook could easily be broken down into smaller units or sections as well as followed in a different order as indicated by a course or instructor. The short sections, as well as the chapter and section/sub-section numbering systems, make it easy to follow.
The textbook is organized in a clear manner, with chapter and section titles that make it easy to follow.
The textbook is easy to read and navigate.
The textbook is well written with few grammatical errors.
The textbook does include some references to culturally competent content. It would be improved with the addition of specific examples, including data and research, about cultural differences and how these affect health.
None.
Covers a wide variety of health promotion topics, primarily at the individual level. Lacks a section on social relationships and health. Only covers romantic relationships and in ways that are culturally dated (section on Married and Non-Marrieds). read more
Covers a wide variety of health promotion topics, primarily at the individual level. Lacks a section on social relationships and health. Only covers romantic relationships and in ways that are culturally dated (section on Married and Non-Marrieds).
I would not feel comfortable using this text in my class based on issues with accuracy. Section 1.7 about Determinants of Health mentions Healthy People 2020 however does not describe the Healthy People Social Determinants of Health Framework when talking about Social Determinants of Health and includes different factors. Citations are very dated, 2008 or earlier when this edition came out in 2018. Healthy People 2030 is now out so next version should update to that as well. Bias encountered in the chapter about relationships and communication. Only covers romantic relationships and is written with from a heteronomative perspective that also centers marriage and is stigmatizing to those who are not married. ("Marriage is very popular..because it does offer many rewards that unmarried people don't enjoy." "There are known benefits to being married an in a long-term relationship rather than being single, divorced or cohabiting). Also refers to attempts to legalize same sex marriage in this chapter, which has been legal for years now. References are not formatted in AMA or APA style which is standard for the field. Wikipedia is used as a reference in Chapter 2. Chapter 6 discusses "options" for unplanned pregnancy (including taking care of yourself, talking to a counselor, quitting smoking) and does not mention abortion as an option. HPV vaccination recommendations need to be updated.
All topics are relevant but the supporting statistics are outdated by more than a decade in many places. Years are not included in many statistics, nor in the citation at the end of the chapter.
The sections read as rather disjointed. Chapters could be more aligned and have improved flow for the reader to understand how concepts are related. For example, going right into theoretical models of behavior change in Chapter 1 is early and advanced for an introductory text.
In the Introduction it states the book is about health, health education, and health promotion. Since health promotion is broader than health education, and fits the topics of the book, it is not clear why this is not the title instead. This book could be useful for an introduction to health promotion class but instructors may overlook it because of the name. Some chapters contain no in text citations despite stating facts, while others contain many. Reference lists and in text citations are formatted differently in different chapters.
Almost too modular, not clear how some sections relate and there is not a lot of detail in many subsections.
The sections within each chapter often seem disjointed and do not include enough detail in each section.
In many chapters, only weblinks are provided as citations. If the link is broken, there is no title, author, journal or year for reference. Figures included without citations (ex: Social Readjustment Rating Scale).
Did not notice overt grammatical errors.
Includes examples and text of people of multiple races and ethnicities. Is not inclusive based on sexual orientation and in terms of the way it discusses marriage and relationships.
The cover does not appropriately capture what the book includes. It could be more representative of health than just a sports field/physical activity. Health is multi-dimensional and includes in addition to physical - mental, emotional, spiritual, occupational aspects, which the book acknowledges in the text. Hair and clothing style of people on cover also look outdated.
This book was developed for a Health 100 class. It covers a wide variety of personally relevant health topics, with segments defining health, discussing "your bodies response to stress," describing threats to environmental health, and offering a... read more
This book was developed for a Health 100 class. It covers a wide variety of personally relevant health topics, with segments defining health, discussing "your bodies response to stress," describing threats to environmental health, and offering a guide to "understanding your health care choices," which includes both nationally relevant and California-specific information. The index is detailed and specific. There is no glossary.
This textbook would be appropriate for a lower division personal health course. Some components would be useful in an introductory public health course, such as the "Introduction to Health," "Infectious Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections," and "Health Care Choices" secgments.
The text is not appropriate for a "Fundamentals of Health Education" or "Health Promotion" course aimed at future Health Educators.
Book provides accurate information with clear references to unbiased sources (such as the CDC for rates of diseases).
Content is releveant and timely.
The book is appropriately accessible for lower division students, with clear definitions of relevant vocabulary.
Good internal consistency.
The segmentation of the book into 14 topical sections, each with subsections, makes it easy to assign appropriate chunks of reading and/or draw pieces from this text for use in other courses, such as an introductory public health course.
Well-organized.
Easy to navigate.
Easy to read.
Good discussion of health disparities, acknowledges cultural components in health. Is not insensitive or offensive.
No
The Health Education book covered all the components usually found in other basic health books. It can be utilized as an Open Textbook for students taking the introduction to health or the basic health course, such as HED 151 - Personal and... read more
The Health Education book covered all the components usually found in other basic health books. It can be utilized as an Open Textbook for students taking the introduction to health or the basic health course, such as HED 151 - Personal and Community Health.
The author could use a picture that exhibits diversity on the cover.
Some of the data is just a little outdated but can be updated very easily with an article or current chart.
Clarity is okay.
Consistency is good!
Should be an easy read for students.
Organization and flow are great!
Text can use some more pictures and charts, especially in Chapter 1.
Did not notice any grammar errors in scanning over the book.
The cover should be a picture that depicts diversity as well as showing more diversity throughout the book.
Overall, the book serves its purpose. It is good!
The textbook successfully covers a wide array of health education topics. The chapters on "Relationships & Love" and "Health Care Choices" were excellent additions to what you find in many health books. Overall, I would have liked to have seen... read more
The textbook successfully covers a wide array of health education topics. The chapters on "Relationships & Love" and "Health Care Choices" were excellent additions to what you find in many health books. Overall, I would have liked to have seen more case studies, illustrations, examples, and quick quizzes to reinforce the content presented and to reach students with different learning styles. Many of the sub-topics could be even more robust with the addition of information on auto-immune disorders for example or a section on health education professionals like personal trainers and health coaches or information on what to do if you suspect a food-borne illness and how to access help.
The contributors have done a great job of presenting accurate information but it is now outdated in many sections and chapters which is what happens in textbooks generally. The language and presentation of material appears unbiased. The addition of more graphics and examples that cross demographics, cultures, and races would be a welcome addition. I found no factual errors but did question the notion that gluten-free diets can assist with anemia and wondered if research about the resilience gene in children might be referenced.
The research presented is all 2015 or before with an emphasis on 2008 information. Sections about marijuana and cannabis, infertility, social disorder, and smoking need refreshing. It would be helpful to have information about genetic testing (23 and me and Live Wello) added, functional fitness addressed, and infectious disease content brought up to date. So much has happened affecting people's health has transpired since 2015 that it is time for updating. Also, more information in sections like how baby birth weight can predict chronic disease development and mindfulness as a practice for improved quality of life.
Content is presented in clear, concise and appropriate language. Every once in a while there is a sentence structure issue or a word ordering that is clarified by a re-read. There is not an emphasis on jargon or overuse of idioms in my opinion. All terminology was defined or given reference as to where to locate additional information. Again the use of diagrams, illustrations, more examples would also improve clarity and accessibility for some. I did not recall seeing information on how many calories are in a gram of protein, carbohydrate and fat presented. And relevance affects clarity. For example, including language about portal of entry and exit in the infectious disease section.
Having a quick quiz at the end of every chapter would have added consistency. Also standardized formatting for charts and graphics would improve the textbook overall as well. The chapters, sections and headings all appear consistently presented. There was nothing presented that was jarring or appeared out of context. References looked similar and were all summarized at the end of each chapter.
Modularity was this textbook's strength. Large chunks of information were broken down into manageable sections and sub-sections and the white space was appreciated. Because of this, the information did not seem overwhelming or "too much too fast." Students can take breaks and not lose track of where they were or forget critical information. Again, more examples, quizzes or case studies could also improve modularity and add an interest factor. The table of contents was thorough.
Time was taken to decide which chapters and topics should be presented in which order. The flow was organic, natural and later sections built on previous information. The structure of the textbook made sense and usually my questions about a topic or subject were answered within the same page. I had no complaints about organization and could find sections easily based on the table of contents.
No interface issues for me, but I was reading on a personal computer and perhaps on a tablet or phone there would be.
The paragraph spacing was not what I would have chosen. There were some inconsistencies. There are contractions like isn't which I prefer not to see in textbooks because it is too casual a style for me. Many instances of punctuation coming after quotations, but this may have been a style choice. The font seemed appropriate but more bolding or color would keep the reader's attention. There are spelling errors on the food chart on p. 236. Some issues with singular vs. plural. For example on P. 64 "nightmares" needs to be plural. A few places where punctuation is missing.
The text is not culturally insensitive, but without additional examples, graphics, and diverse charts it becomes a bit bland. The reference to a handgun on p. 56 was uncomfortable for me. Under weight management, there could be more information presented on how different cultures appreciate varying body types and have different food rituals and discussion on how not to "fat shame" others. Some examples of cultural influences could be presented in the infectious disease section like how practices for burying the dead can lead to disease and how food preparation affects disease management.
I thought it was comprehensive and well organized. If it were not for relevance issues, I would choose to use this book in our general health class.
Health education is an enormous subject area but this text does an excellent job covering the most important topics. The comprehensive nature of it topic coverage does come at the cost of not being comprehensive within any single topic- this book... read more
Health education is an enormous subject area but this text does an excellent job covering the most important topics. The comprehensive nature of it topic coverage does come at the cost of not being comprehensive within any single topic- this book is an overview that provides an excellent framework for further study and exploration.
Topics within Health Education are inherently subject to bias- religious, cultural and generational perspectives often influence the scientific and open-minded exploration of issues in topics like sexuality, nutrition, and relationships. This book clearly strives to support perspectives with research and did not shy away from topics like abortion and gender roles.
The greatest weakness of this text is that it often feels outdated. Health information is dynamic and no text can always be current, but there are sections that are clearly too old to be considered useful unto themselves. Examples:
The narcotic abuse epidemic is absent. This is a major issue in substance abuse and the text primarily looks at heroin abuse without examining the larger issue of prescription narcotic gateways to abuse, or even other narcotics of abuse.
The use of PrEP for reducing HIV transmission has been available since 2012 but is not mentioned.
The section covering sexual orientation and gender identity cites the 1993 Janus Report for its source of statistics.
There is no publication date listed in the text- the latest citation that I noticed was 2015 but most come well before 2010, making the text a decade old in a field that changes rapidly.
The text is well-written and easy to comprehend.
The Acknowledgements page at the front of the book states that it was "compiled by..." and this speaks to the way the text appears. There is no consistency is the writing of the book. Some chapters are broken down into Sections, brief (often only a paragraph long) collections of sentences that seem to address a behavioral objective that we do not see. Other chapters are written like a standard text and then some appear in a question-and-answer format. None of these are inherently problematic, but the changing style may trouble some readers.
Chapters and chapter sections are clearly delineated.
Chapters are well organized- there is no logical order into which one must teach the various issues of health. The readings of this text could easily be sequenced as desired by the instructor.
The interface is clean and simple. There are few images/illustrations- they would be a welcome addition.
The text is well-written and contains no grammatical/spelling errors that I noticed.
Overall the text seems fair and cites studies to provide evidence of its claims, though some sections simply feel less than open-minded. In the discussion of marriage vs. cohabitation (does anyone use that word anymore?), the text lists advantages of being married that include less likely to commit crimes and less addiction. Statistically, perhaps, but is there a causal relationship? A single paragraph addressing "spiritual health" states: The spiritual dimension plays a great role in motivating people’s achievement in all aspects of life. Some people, yes, but it's not a global truth. Race is never addressed as a topic within the text, though it is commonly listed when a risk factor of disease, health care disparity, etc.
If updated, this would be a superb book. As it stands, it provides an excellent framework for a college course in General Health from which the instructor, or students, could be directed to contemporary writings on these issues. An instructor could readily assign chapter readings and then short research projects that would that could be shared with the class as a whole to assure present day relevance.
The textbook covers a variety of topics in a choppy sequence jumping from three chapters on sexuality and sexual health to substance abuse then onto nutrition. The book was limited in depth and many areas needed additional explanation. There are... read more
The textbook covers a variety of topics in a choppy sequence jumping from three chapters on sexuality and sexual health to substance abuse then onto nutrition. The book was limited in depth and many areas needed additional explanation.
There are many lists that did not have the background explanations to support the lists.
Several areas were lacking details and were not at college level.
The text was generally accurate, but lacked backup documentations.
Several phrases or statements appeared subjective without the supportive documentation that could lead to misinterpretation. For example, page 107, Section 6.6, Sexual Frequency is covered in one paragraph. In it a statement, “although satisfaction is lower in women,” is delivered with no backup explanation.
On page 149, section 7.11, Sexually Transmitted Infections begins with a list of twenty different infections without clarity of an opening explanation.
The textbook was written in 2018 and is still current today. Because of the changing nature of health, it will need updating.
The text was basic and often used lists without additional explanations. Many sections were too brief leaving the reader confused. Page 210 contained an example of a diet list. The list for 4 healthy diet approaches was followed by confusing numbering.
The structural set up of headings and subheadings were consistent, but occasionally spacing was off.
The use of headings and subheadings were helpful. The table of contents clear and easy to follow. Often the sub headings were very short and needed additional information to validate their statements. As an OER text, sections could be assigned as resources to courses outside of health.
The topics were arranged with an unusual flow. Having three chapters on sexuality before nutrition changed the flow and weight of importance.
The text is free of significant interface issues. The chapter headings in the table of contents allows for easy navigation. The use of charts, color displays, photos would have assisted in explaining the topics. The chapter’s would benefit with a more engaging approach. Introspective questions or activities would help to relate material to students lives.
The text contains no significant grammatical errors. However, spacing and formatting needed consistency. For example, on page 86, five definitions all begin with the same exact phrase, throwing off the reader’s flow. On pages 285-86 the formatting/spacing is off.
The text should make greater use of photos/drawings that are reflective of a variety of gender, races, and backgrounds.
Grateful to the author for contributing to OER resources.
Covers a variety of health topics that are typical to a personal and community health course. However, the information is very brief. read more
Covers a variety of health topics that are typical to a personal and community health course. However, the information is very brief.
Content is accurate. However, some chapters tend to be limited with reference information.
Some chapters include a limited number of statistics and references but could be updated.
Information is basic and easy to follow.
Terminology used is consistent throughout the text.
The information can be divided into modules to use throughout the course.
Topics are organized and easy to follow.
There were not any features in the text that seemed to be distracting or confusing.
There were no glaring grammatical errors.
The text was very basic and seemed to be written for a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
Would have been helpful to have more self-appraisals for readers to complete and make information personable.
I think this book does a great job of making the material presented easy to understand. Many similar textbooks are more advanced due to more challenging word/term choices, but this book would work well for anyone taking an intro level class in... read more
I think this book does a great job of making the material presented easy to understand. Many similar textbooks are more
advanced due to more challenging word/term choices, but this book would work well for anyone taking an intro level class in
health.
The book doesn't cover any of the topics in an in-depth manner. Since it's an intro-level textbook, there aren't many complicated
ideas to present where accuracy could be a problem. I think some areas, like nutrition, are missing more up to date info, but that could be remedied by incorporating more recent articles and info from various health journals.
Since this text provides an easy to understand overview of health, it would be easy to update. There are no cutting edge or controversial views expressed in the book, so it does have longevity, but again, there will be a need to present more up to date info to supplement the general understanding that the students will have after reading this text. I like the section on sexual health/identity/orientation in the Sexuality chapter. One more chapter that I appreciate is the chapter on psychology: the most common mental health disorders that college-aged students encounter is important and the section on resilience in both the psychology chapter and the stress management chapter are greatly needed.
The book is very clear and understandable. After having taught a health class every term for the past twenty years, I think the way this book is written would appeal to most students.
I did not catch any inconsistencies in this text. Topics discussed in early chapters might come up in later chapters at times, but the info presented the second time around is consistent with earlier explanations of ideas and terms.
Larger type on chapter headings would help improve the ability to divide the book into smaller reading sections, it's easy to miss the start of a new chapter when scrolling through the text. Once you are in a chapter, the subheadings are helpful in dividing the chapter into smaller reading sections. I wish the chapter on cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease and stroke) was limited to those two diseases, without including a section on cancer. I think the topic of cancer deserves its own chapter.
The text is well organized and chapters flow into each other in logical ways. There are enough chapters to spread this out over a ten or 15 week term/semester. The chapters are short enough that you could easily assign one and a half chapters or two chapters for one week's worth of classes.
I would have liked to see more photos, although there are plenty of graphs, and I enjoyed the interactive quiz called The Big 5 Personality Test, I would have liked to see more. Some of the links listed in resources are no longer working, and one link in the Fitness chapter is not working, (Adding Physical Activity to Your Life) and I had been looking forward to exploring the topic in more depth. The MyPlate.gov website has been significantly changed, around the time that this book was published, so some of the links to that site no longer work.
I usually notice grammatical and spelling errors, as well as missing words, but I did not encounter anything obviously wrong in my reading.
The text could use more cultural references. I would have liked to see more acknowledgement of cultural differences and references to the health of people from other cultures, especially as it relates to changes they may encounter once a person from another country moves here.
Great overview of the various topics covered in a 100 or 200 level college health class. I will use sections of this book to help simplify some of the topics that my students find challenging, for instance, the fitness and heart health chapters/sections. Due to the inclusion of many of the mental health disorders that our students encounter, I will fit in some of the sections in the psychology chapter. I look forward to implementing some of the material in this text into my health classes.
This textbook includes very similar topics to most of the college level health education books that are available today. While the book includes many of the main points related to each topic, it does not go into too much depth. However, this... read more
This textbook includes very similar topics to most of the college level health education books that are available today. While the book includes many of the main points related to each topic, it does not go into too much depth. However, this limitation can be solved by supplementing the book with scholarly articles. Based on the number of chapters and the amount of information, I think this book would be beneficial for a 10 week or 16 week term.
The book cites quality sources, however it would be helpful to include in-text citations since the references are only at the end of the chapters and it is difficult to know where the information is coming from. This is especially important for time sensitive information such as statistics. Also, some information seems to be directly from the sources, but it is not cited.
The information is mostly up to date, however as stated before, including in-text citations would help readers have a better idea of the relevance of the material. Also, there are limited references for each chapter.
The material is delivered in a clear and concise way. Adequate context is provided for terms and concepts.
The format of the text-book is consistent as is the type of delivery for the information.
The text includes a good amount of headings and sub-headings, which makes it easy to break the information down into smaller reading sections.
The book has a good flow to it. Each section within the chapters is well-organized and provides a logical progression.
The book is free of any significant interface issues, however there are some small issues such as spacing and formatting errors. Additionally, some small changes such as larger title pages for each chapter would be helpful as well as more graphics and pictures.
I did not notice a significant number of grammatical errors.
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. Like most textbooks, it could provide more examples that navigate the relationship between health and different backgrounds.
I would use this textbook, along with other supplemental materials for my course. It reviews the main topics I currently cover in my course and has less limitations than many overly-priced books.
This textbook covers the myriad of required topics for an Introductory Health Course. The table of contents includes all of the topics I cover in my classes. No textbook is perfect and this book is no different but one should not rely on textbooks... read more
This textbook covers the myriad of required topics for an Introductory Health Course. The table of contents includes all of the topics I cover in my classes. No textbook is perfect and this book is no different but one should not rely on textbooks only anyway. This free textbook is an excellent launching point for any contemporary health education course.
One of the greatest challenges in teaching health is to be unbiased given so many factors affect our health like politics, economics, zip code etc. The textbook does a fine job of explaining the role of government. For example: generic drugs and the abortion debate. Any areas in question can be used by the instructor to create a discussion with the students for better/different alternatives or ideas.
Health is very dynamic so the textbook will need to be updated on a regular basis.
This is an easy to read text. The majority of college students will have no issues with the terminology.
For a textbook that is not professionally published I found the terminology and framework sufficient for my needs. Anything missing can easily be added by the instructor and used as a discussion or research assignment for the students.
Maybe the best feature of the text is the modularity. Each section of the table of contents is hyperlinked so one could easily pick and choose the topics assigned to the students.
The organization follows the same logical fashion as all of the top rated professionally published Health Education textbooks.
There are a couple formatting issues but nothing that affects clarity in my opinion. I think because this is free I have lower expectations vs a professionally published textbook and I am ok with this.
I did not notice any obvious grammatical errors.
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive but it could include in-depth analysis of health status in relation to one's race, culture and zip code. As I mentioned previously this is a topic that can easily be supplemented by the professor.
This free textbook meets all the requirements for an introductory health course. It leaves room for me to do my job to engage my students in more detail by discussing controversial topics while giving them the opportunity to be critical thinkers. I appreciate all of your efforts on this project.
It gives a lot of information, but it isn't very "in-depth." Admittedly, it would be a challenge to be very in-depth with one book that covers so many topics. This book certainly lacks sufficient images/pictures. The amount of information varies... read more
It gives a lot of information, but it isn't very "in-depth." Admittedly, it would be a challenge to be very in-depth with one book that covers so many topics. This book certainly lacks sufficient images/pictures. The amount of information varies by topic. For some reason, some topics (that don't seem as important in relation to other priority issues) have much more text and information, while other topics lack in comprehensive quality to a large extent. Types of intimate partner violence is incredibly insufficient. There are LOTS of ways that people are abusive, those 5 bullets are not enough. There are lots of incomplete sections. It seems like most sub-topics are hand-selected.
There are biases in the information. For example, mental health is described with an emphasis on college-aged students. Why? Mental health issues affect everyone. This makes it seem like a college student problem. Another example, on page. 57 a strategy to cope with stress is to "give in once in a while." What are we promoting here? I have taught health education and stress management for years. There is a better way to phrase the point they are getting to.
It seems like it is up-to-date as of right now, but health facts are only good for five years.
Sometimes more jargon is necessary. Too much relying on cultural metaphor.
Not all facts have footnotes so that the reader can find the source of the information. Why do some have a reference footnote but other facts do not? How can we dig deeper and fact-check? The reference sections are hyperlinks, which come and go. Why are the references lacking any actual APA, MLA, or other format? APA would be appropriate. Students emulate what they find in textbooks. Some seem to be in some formal form, but others are not and the formatting is not correct.
Yes, very much so.
Some topics fit in multiple categories, so there should be some in-document link to information.
Some sections have a space between paragraphs... some do not.. it is not consistent or visually appealing (Example, p. 23). Figure 1 on page 51 seems to have highlighting and blurriness on the image. Look on p. 122, what is that symbol before the "Copper IUD"? WHy does it say it twice? Is there a heading that wasn't bold? What is going on?
I don't know if you call this "grammar" per-se, but formatting is not consistent. For example, on p. 55 there is no consistency in capitalization of first words in bullet points. That just seems sloppy and unprofessional.
Don't refer to sexual arousal as being "turned on," as that is a cultural metaphor. Some language needs to be technical because this book is supposed to provide information. There is lots of evidence of attempts at cultural competence, but it doesn't provide enough of that. There are lots of lifestyles that are OK even if they don't fit our Western model.
To be honest, it seems like portions of this book are plagiarized. Is this a rough draft?
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Introduction to Health
- Chapter 2: Psychological Health
- Chapter 3: Stress Management
- Chapter 4: Relationships and Communication
- Chapter 5: Gender and Sexuality
- Chapter 6: Sexual Health
- Chapter 7: Infectious diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI's)
- Chapter 8: Substance Use and Abuse
- Chapter 9: Basic Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- Chapter 10: Weight Management
- Chapter 11: Physical Fitness
- Chapter 12: Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Chapter 13: Environmental Health
- Chapter 14: Health Care Choices
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
Readers will learn about the nature of health, health education, health promotion and related concepts. This will help to understand the social, psychological and physical components of health.
About the Contributors
Author
College of the Canyons