Further Research

Evaluation of West Virginia House Bill 2816

House Bill 2816 was designed to address the growing problem of childhood obesity in West Virginia. The legislation includes school-based requirements for physical and health education, fitness testing, body mass index assessments, and allowable beverages. Through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Childhood Obesity Program grant, the HRC plans to evaluate the implementation and impact of the legislation on students, parents, school systems, and health care providers throughout the state.

RHEP Interdisciplinary Session (IDS) on Rural Health Beliefs

Stemming from the research findings of the NHLBI grant, the HRC created a SOLE IDS for students completing their RHEP rotations. The session was developed to guide students in critically thinking about the health beliefs of their patients and how those beliefs impact health behavior. Students enrolled in the session are provided with an overview of health behavior theories, the NHLBI grant, health beliefs common to residents of Appalachia, barriers/facilitators to participation in health screenings, and sources of health information. Through a series of reflective questions and cultural sensitivity quizzes, students are encouraged to evaluate their own health beliefs and their impact on patient/practitioner interactions.