Background: Involving communities in school health has been purported as a practice integral to supporting a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) approach. Although community collaboration is often included in school-based health initiatives, there is little research considering methods for increasing community engagement. The purpose…

Background: This study examined the association between participation in school-based and/or community-based activity and major depressive episodes (MDE) in adolescents using nationally representative data. Methods: This study utilized cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019. Nine screening questions…

Background: Farm-to-school interventions are recommended strategies to improve dietary behaviors among school-aged children. Tools are needed to assess community readiness and capacity to optimize farm-to-school implementation. The objective of this study was to identify and prioritize factors to inform tailored farm-to-school implementation by…

Background: The context in which school-based health-promoting interventions are implemented is key for the delivery and success of these interventions. However, little is known about whether school culture differs by school deprivation. Methods: Using data from PromeSS, a cross-sectional study of 161 elementary schools in Québec, Canada, we drew…

Background: School efforts to promote health among students are more successful when families and community members are involved. Methods: We conducted a scoping review to summarize and categorize family and community engagement strategies used in US school and out-of-school time (OST) interventions to address physical activity (PA) and nutrition…

Background: Frameworks such as the WSCC model provide evidence-based guidance for addressing school health at the school, district, and regional level. However, frameworks do not implement themselves; they require the mobilization and collaboration of stakeholders within communities and an understanding of the unique resources and barriers within…

Background: Youth mental health rates of depression and anxiety continue to climb. Schools have a role to play to support youth mental health but often struggle to navigate community expectations. Methods: Focus groups (n = 17) were conducted with over 100 participants to understand community perceptions on the role of schools. Results: Three…

Background: We developed the Tobacco Prevention Toolkit (Toolkit) to enhance the impact of school-based tobacco education. This study describes the process of developing the Toolkit, its contents, and reach. Methods: Qualitative community-based participatory research (CBPR), including focus group discussions (N = 152) and working groups with…

Background: Food insecurity (FI) is a significant predictor of feelings of isolation in children, as well as suicide ideation and depression. Using a census of public middle school-aged children, we seek to determine whether FI is associated with suicide ideation and feelings of hopelessness and how individual and school community factors can…

Background: The Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) is administered biennially to adolescents; it covers knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about risk and protective factors. Purpose: This study explored 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students' attitudes and beliefs about current trends regarding drugs, alcohol, and mental health. Methods: We asked…

Background: The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework supports the "whole child" across 10 domains. This study assessed state law and district policy WSCC coverage. Methods: Primary legal research was used to compile relevant district policies and state laws for a stratified random sample of 368 public school…

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…

Background: Although there are several evidence-based recommendations directed at improving nutrition and physical activity standards in schools, these guidelines have not been uniformly adopted throughout the United States. Consequently, research is needed to identify facilitators promoting schools to implement these recommendations. Therefore,…

Background: In approaches to health promotion in adolescents, unhealthy behaviors are no longer regarded as independent processes, but as interrelated. This article presents a systematic literature review of school-based interventions targeting multiple adolescent behaviors simultaneously. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed…

Background: This study is part of a larger community-based participatory research (CBPR) project to develop, implement, and evaluate the physical activity component of a school-based wellness policy. The policy intervention is being carried out by community stakeholders and academic researchers within the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention…