As obesity and physical inactivity rates continue to rise in the United States, Kentucky ranks third in childhood obesity rates (10-17 year olds) and 50th in physical inactivity. The public school environment is a logical place to examine practices and closely discern how time is spent. Federal legislation over the past 50 years has largely…

Objective: We assessed changes in the frequency of self-reported physical activity (PA) among tween girls exposed and not exposed to the VERB [TM] Summer Scorecard (VSS) intervention in Lexington, Kentucky, during 2004, 2006, and 2007. Methods: Girls who reported 0-1 day per week of PA were classi?ed as having "little or no" PA. Girls…

The "14 Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula" identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health promote teaching ideas designed to personalize information and engage students through activities which are both student centered and interactive. Effective health education efforts…

Bullying can be defined as a repeated negative interpersonal relationship characterized by an imbalance of power targeted at a person that is perceived to be weaker or more vulnerable, without apparent provocation. When bullying is not addressed, the effects are substantial. Bullying affects the targets (anxious, afraid, and failure to concentrate…

Intimate or romantic relationships for young people today play an integral role in their health and quality of life. Between the ages of 11 and 13 students become more interested in the opposite sex and as a result they begin to develop more intimate relationships. Around this age students are learning to deal with these feelings of attraction and…

Unhealthy coping mechanisms become more widely available to young people during their teenage years. Students frequently choose these unhealthy activities as avenues for dealing with the stress of physical and social changes that confront them during adolescence. For these reasons, a need exists for intervention programs that teach adolescents to…

This article describes a program entitled "Staying Alive" to help teachers prevent molestation of elementary school children. Child molestation is defined, methods of coercion are described, and survival tips and relevant learning activities are suggested. (Author/MT)

Natural history museums are ideal places to supplement the teaching and learning of health. (MM)

This report gives a partial listing of some of the major activities of the American School Health Association during 1978. (JMF)

Several of the American Heart Association's education programs are described. The newest program is Heart Health Education in the Young, designed to stress the importance of early risk factor education. (JMF)

A school-based fluoride program promises to decrease the amount of dental decay among elementary school children. (JD)

The current status of research in cardiovascular disease education is reported for asymptomatic youth, symptomatic adults, and ongoing efforts. (JMF)

A new approach to elementary health education involves the use of a series of health-related games. The games address a variety of issues including nutrition, substance abuse, and dental health education. The story "Floss is the Boss" is used as an example. (JN)

The Go for Health project uses interventions based on school change and social learning theory to facilitate changes in diet and exercise behavior by elementary school children. A summary of both school and student outcomes is given, and the intervention model is described. (Author/MT)

Ways to overcome classroom restrictions, equipment costs, and a lack of knowledge or training in the teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation are discussed. (CMJ)