The idea for this volume developed when we were co-teaching our introductory, mas­ ter's-level course in the Department of Health Behavior at the UAB School of Public Health, a core course for all masters of public health students in the school regardless of the department in which they enrolled or the focus of their studies. Hence, in the course we sought to provide both students in our department, as well as those who might not ever again take a health behavior course, with an overview that would both truly represent the field and substantially provide educational, research, and public health practice benefits. This was, and continues to be, a challenge with the diversity of students specializing in fields that include not only health behavior but also bio­ statistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health care organization and policy, international health, and maternal and child health. The course that we taught attempted to provide the students with an overview of some of the important health promotion and disease prevention theories, methods, and policy issues, while re­ viewing applications of these theories and methods to promoting health and pre­ venting disease through a variety of channels, for a variety of disease outcomes, and among a variety of populations. Since no one text provided this variety of readings, we depended on readings and guest lectures.

I. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: History and Areas of Importance.- 1 The Importance of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- 2 Historical and Conceptual Perspectives on Health Promotion.- II. Theoretical Models and Evaluation Methods in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- 3 Theoretical Approaches Guiding the Development and Implementation of Health Promotion Programs.- 4 Program Evaluation.- III. General Cross-Cutting Issues.- 5 Symptom Perception.- 6 Health-Care-Seeking Behaviors.- 7 Stress, Coping, Social Support, and Illness.- IV. Behavior Change for Risk Reduction.- 8 Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation.- 9 Obesity and Nutrition.- 10 Physical Activity.- 11 Alcohol and Drug Abuse.- V. Behavior Change for Preventing Disease and Disability Outcomes.- 12 Cardiovascular Diseases.- 13 Cancer Prevention and Control.- 14 Intentional Injury.- 15 Unintentional Injury.- 16 Pulmonary Disorders.- 17 Behavioral and Social Dimensions of Pain in Rheumatic Disease.- 18 Prevention of HIV/AIDS.- VI. Intervention Channels.- 19 Schools as a Setting for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- 20 Planning Community Health Interventions.- 21 Health Promotion in Health Care Settings.- 22 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Work Site.- VII. Special Populations and Issues.- 23 Promoting the Health of Women and Children.- 24 Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- 25 Older Populations.- 26 Women's Health and Health Behaviors.- 27 Sociocultural Factors and Prevention Programs Affecting the Health of Ethnic Minorities.- 28 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Developing Countries.- VIII. Policy Perspectives.- 29 The Role of Health Care Organization in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- 30 The Role of Governmental Public HealthAgencies.- 31 Determining the Cost-Effectiveness of Health Promotion Programs.- IX. Future Directions in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- 32 Promising Theoretical and Methodological Approaches and Future Directions in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research and Practice.