Healthy Lifestyle Check. A computerized health screening program

The Healthy Lifestyle Check program is a computerized tool used to survey current health status and risk factors for potential ill health as well as to promote a healthy lifestyle. The program is an innovative teaching tool for student nurses, facilitating the integration of practice, education, and research. The program required self-report answers to questions relating to health history and current health-related behaviors with results of cholesterol, blood pressure, height, and weight assessment. Feedback to participants was provided by use of on-screen displays and printed reports containing public health messages, as well as counseling by the nurses. Results indicated that participants had not been screened for testicular, prostatic, and cervical cancers, or breast self-examination and medical checkups, and that they indulged in high levels of risk-taking behaviors such as high levels of alcohol consumption and low levels of exercise. The Healthy Lifestyle Check program is a valuable research tool that collects data and provides health information to participants, and has been used to teach nursing students the application of education and research to nursing practice.