This is an introductory health psychology text that shows how biological, psychological, gender and socio-cultural factors interact to impact on health and healthcare. It takes a lifespan approach to show how health concerns change from childhood through to old age and covers such topics as AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse, eating and nutrition and stress. In-depth discussions on methods and programs for health promotion are provided and vignettes, examples and cases appear throughout to hold the student's interest in this rapidly changing field.