BACKGROUND Governments use law to constrain aspects of private activities for purposes of protecting health and social wellbeing. Policymakers have a range of perceptions and beliefs about what is public or private. An understanding of the possible drivers of policymaker decisions about where government can or should intervene for health is important, as one way to better guide appropriate poli...

BACKGROUND In September 2010, Vancouver, Canada enacted a smoke-free bylaw in parks and on beaches. OBJECTIVE To examine demographic and attitudinal factors associated with the public opinion on Vancouver's outdoor smoke-free bylaw. METHODS From 496 randomly selected Vancouver residents, information on demographics, smoking status, and opinions and support for or opposition to the smoke-fre...

BACKGROUND Physical activity is a modifiable behaviour that can help curtail the increasing worldwide problem of childhood obesity. Appropriate recreational opportunities, including neighbourhood parks, are particularly important for promoting physical activity among children. Because children's use of parks is mainly under the influence of their parents, understanding parents' preferences is e...

This paper describes alcohol use by White, Black, and Hispanic men in eight different social settings. Data were obtained from a multi-stage probability sample of the household population of White, Black, and Hispanic adults aged 18 years and over, residing in the 48 contiguous United States. The response rate was 73 percent for Whites, 76 percent for Blacks, and 72 percent for Hispanics. Resul...