Background: Schools may be an effective avenue for interventions that prevent childhood obesity. "I am Moving I am Learning/Choosy Kids"© (IMIL/CK) is a curriculum recommended by Head Start (HS) for education in nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyle habits. Methods: We formed an academic-community partnership (ACP), the…

This paper examines the U.S. social insurance system, which we define broadly to include both programs supported by dedicated taxes and other federal programs that provide income support, assistance in meeting basic needs, or services to improve economic opportunity. The paper considers the social insurance system as a whole as well as its…

This report presents findings from a review and analysis of literature on the importance, effectiveness, and availability of support services for participants in job training programs in the United States. It assesses current knowledge about these services by examining reports on training and education programs, as well as literature on the…

Geographical, economic, social and cultural barriers to accessing services in rural areas are widely reported. Less widely discussed are dilemmas posed by individual and community reluctance to address sensitive health issues. This article, focusing on the highly sensitive area of mental health, and employing a participatory action approach,…

The number of overweight and obese children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions, and recent federal surveys show that most school meals do not meet federal nutrition guidelines. Accordingly, there is growing interest in the nutritional quality of foods available in U.S. schools--and in the role of the government in helping to make…

Recent energy-related accidents and growing attention to health problems resulting from the production and use of energy have heightened public concern about the effectiveness of government's role in energy health and safety. At least 20 Federal agencies are involved in energy health and safety, each operating independently of the other. A central…

Many higher education institutions today are struggling with the costs of their retiree health plans. The answer to controlling these costs may come in the form of a defined contribution retiree health plan for both current and future retirees. This article examines how such a plan can maximize availability of Medicare Part D prescription…

Evaluates the impact of two health services projects for high-risk mothers and infants in two counties of northwest Mississippi which had shown high infant mortality and morbidity. Reports that one of the ICHP projects did improve prenatal care, but neither program significantly influenced pregnancy outcomes (as measured by low birth weights). (KH)

This second volume of the 1981 Report of the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health presents an examination of selected federal programs affecting maternal and child health and proposes detailed recommendations for federal legislative, regulatory, and other administrative improvements. Five federal programs, identified by the panel as…

This report reviews Federal funds awarded to VisionQuest National, Ltd., a profit-making organization that provides treatment programs for troubled youth. VisionQuest was one of several organizations selected in the early 1980s to assist the Federal government with the influx of Cuban refugees by providing services to adolescents and young adults…

Although California lags behind other states in insuring children of low-income working families, the state could provide assistance by building on existing public health programs. This report provides a primer on the problems of low-income uninsured children and explores the public policy building blocks needed to adequately and affordably insure…

This document summarizes some of the major developments now underway in health promotion and disease prevention and reviews the federal contribution to achievement of prevention objectives. The first chapter focuses on opportunities in health promotion which offer the key to many potential improvements in the national health status profile and…

The domestic health profile, family and community role, and federal efforts to help at-risk children are discussed. Federal efforts center on maternal and child health programs that strengthen the family, but other initiatives are necessary to give each child the security and stability needed for healthy development. (SLD)

Despite the positive contributions of the 1987 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (the McKinney Act), Federal emergency aid has failed to keep pace with the growing need for assistance. Less than one year after the passage of the McKinney Act, progress has been made toward meeting the emergency need for food, shelter, and health care…

Health needs and health services in rural America are key issues directly related to education as well as community well-being. This report examines rural America's access to basic health care services and discusses options for congressional consideration. The focus is on trends in availability of primary and acute rural health care and on factors…