We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a new public education outreach program designed to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time. The program is a collaboration of four Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):…

Over the past several years, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases have drawn greater attention to the problem of low immunization rates in the U.S. In response to this problem, the federal government created the Vaccines for Children program as a foundation for a new national immunization policy to ensure proper and timely immunizations for…

To become effective health promoting establishments which achieve the maximum impact on children, young people and families and on the local community, schools and pre-school centres need to operate within a strategic framework developed at the highest levels within their local council and community area. Effective councils are committed to…

Through an effective wellness program, one can improve his/her lifestyle to achieve a healthy, long life. The concept of wellness is defined in the beginning of this booklet. Next, the benefits of a wellness program are noted. A section is devoted to a "healthstyle" self-test developed by the U.S. Public Health Service. Once the…

History shows that humankind has always had an appetite for psychoactive substances. Since young people are especially vulnerable to drug abuse, the etiology, epidemiology, and prevention literature on substance use by school-aged children are examined in this booklet. It gives information on, and examples of, preventive approaches and programs in…

To meet the challenge of teaching safer sexual behavior to teens, peer education--individuals teaching others in their own or similar age group--is an effective teaching method. Teenagers report that they are more likely to listen and talk to their peers about sexuality issues than to their parents, guardians, or health care providers. Effective…

Noting that managed care organizations face numerous challenges as they respond to adolescents' special health care needs, this report provides the managed care industry with practical information about opportunities for strengthening their health care delivery to adolescents. The report is organized around two goals for health plans. The first…

There were 2.7 million incidents of child abuse or neglect reported to authorities in one year. Between 1986 and 1992, the total number of children killed by firearms rose by 144 percent. A 1990 survey of inner-city young people in Baltimore found one in four teenagers had witnessed a murder and three in four knew someone who had been shot. What…