iHealth: An Interactive Framework

iHealth: An Interactive Framework is a new kind of health learning system — an integrated print-digital learning system designed to meet the needs of today’s students and instructors. iHealth is composed of two essential components:

A brief text that provides a guiding framework for teaching key personal health concepts in a limited amount of time. The book is organized into three key areas: Health Behaviors, Health Risks and Consequences, and Consumer Health. These personal health essentials are what students use to practice healthier behaviors, avoid the consequences of unhealthy behaviors, and to be critical consumers of health information and health care.

iHealth is also an online homework system that offers a library of 66 current readings that enable instructors to focus on and integrate those special topics, themes, and perspectives that are most important to them personally, whether the environment, diversity, genetics, globalization, mind / body, technology, consumerism, or culture. The online readings are drawn primarily from mainstream media (newspapers, magazines, reliable Internet sites) and scientific journals. They have been chosen for their relevance to students’ lives and for their ability to promote behavior change.

Note - The iHealth mandatory package above includes the print book and Connect Plus (access to the eBook version of iHealth for one semester)

Phillip B. Sparling is a Professor of Applied Physiology and Health Behavior in the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and masters and doctorate from the University of Georgia. In addition to being a teacher and researcher at Georgia Tech for three decades, he has been a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cape Town Medical School in South Africa, a Senior Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, and a Visiting Research Professor in the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland in Australia. He has published some 70 peer-reviewed articles in scientific and medical journals. Dr. Sparling is a Fellow of the AAHPERD Research Consortium, American College of Sports Medicine, National Academy of Kinesiology, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. His current work focuses on real-world projects that enable individuals and communities to change lifestyle behaviors to prevent and control chronic diseases.

Kerry J. Redican is a Professor of Health Education and Health Promotion in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. His education includes a bachelors degree from California State University at Long Beach, M.S. in health education from the UCLA School of Public Health, Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and MPH in health administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a faculty member at Virginia Tech for over two decades, he has been actively involved in development, implementation, and evaluation of health education programs in schools and communities. He is a co-author of four textbooks and has over 60 publications in health journals. Dr. Redican is a Fellow of the American School Health Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Association for Health Education and as President of the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.