Background: About 20-30% of children worldwide report depressive symptoms. This study examined associations between children's depressive symptoms, life events, and family factors. Methods: Nationally representative data (n = 95,725) were drawn from the 2017 School Health Promotion Study in Finland. The respondents were 4th and 5th grade pupils…

Background: Physical activity (PA) has long been acknowledged to contribute health benefits among children. However, research has consistently shown that PA declines as children grow older. Thus, this study examined the factors which are associated to children's PA in order to identify potential barriers to PA. Methods: Using data from the…

Background: Although an ecological perspective suggests the importance of multiple levels of intervention, most bullying research has emphasized individual- and school-focused strategies. This study investigated community and family factors that influence school efforts to reduce odds of group bullying behavior and victimization. Methods: We used…

Background: School-based treatment and counseling services (TCSs) can integrate mind-body techniques (MBTs) to improve children's health, wellness, and academic performance. We aimed to describe the effect of school-based TCS on MBT-use among students experiencing difficulties with concentration, emotions, behaviors, and getting along (DCEBG).…

Background: Intrapersonal and external factors, including social pressures and the desire for acceptance from peers, influence sexual activity among adolescents. This study examined how personal characteristics, risky behaviors, normative beliefs, household factors, and engagement in extracurricular activities were related to high school freshman…

Background: Lifetime educational attainment is an important predictor of health and well-being for women in the United States. In this study, we examine the roles of sociocultural factors in youth and an understudied biological life event, pubertal timing, in predicting women's lifetime educational attainment. Methods: Using data from the National…

Background: Adolescents who perceive easy access to tobacco are more likely to acquire cigarettes and experience smoking. This study assesses area disparities in perceptions of access to tobacco and cigarette purchasing experiences among schoolchildren. Methods: Data on children's tobacco-related variables were obtained from the Control of…

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) influences students' school perceptions and affects their performance, engagement, and personal beliefs. This study examined the effects of school population SES and school resources on the association between student SES and student perceptions. Methods: School liking, classmate social relationships, family…

Background: Researchers in numerous disciplines have investigated the effects of the school environment on childhood obesity (CHO), one of the greatest current health concerns in the United States. There is a gap in current empirical evidence, however, on school personnel's perspectives of this issue. This study examined school personnel's…

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of lifetime cigarette use, daily use, and current use among young people (aged 15-19 years) and to examine the risk factors contributing to regular smoking. Methods: The number of students was determined proportionately to the numbers of students in all the high schools in the…

This article discusses problems involved in the design of effective health education programs addressed to smoking prevention. (PD)

Background: This study examines the differences among black, Hispanic, and white adolescent girls in their perceptions surrounding physical activity (PA), including support within the school climate, friend and family social support, and personal enjoyment. Methods: Participants included 1466 sixth-grade girls from 36 middle schools across the…

Background: Latino youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health problems including suicide and depression. Better understanding of underlying risk and protective factors on the part of school-based health professionals, teachers, and health care providers in their lives is warranted. The aims of this secondary analysis of 2004…

Kentucky public school students were surveyed to observe family influence on smoking behavior. Those children whose families were involved in tobacco production held more favorable attitudes towards smoking than their nontobacco family peers. Development of effective smoking education programs in major tobacco states is suggested. (Author/ DF)

Background: High trait anger and stress, ineffective patterns of anger expression, and coping are risk factors for the development of disease and negative social behaviors in children and adults. School connectedness may be protective against negative consequences in adolescents, but less is known about this in school-aged children. The purposes…