The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to understand the impact of prior exposure to sexual health education on middle and high school students' sexual health knowledge, self-efficacy, and intentions. The study analyzed a secondary dataset that included pre- and posttest results collected for program evaluation purposes by a…

This action research project is intended to determine the effects of Chromebook technology on student engagement in the secondary classroom. The study involved a classroom of first-year students enrolled in a health course. These students used Chromebooks for the first time as part of the one-to-one (1:1) initiative. Chromebooks were utilized as a…

Background: While vaccines have reduced the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine hesitancy threatens the re-emergence of childhood infectious diseases. Purpose: This randomized controlled study evaluated an online vaccine education program to advance vaccine acceptance among middle-school students. Methodology: Study participants…

Background: Youth mental health needs have worsened following COVID-19. Rising demand for school mental health services is straining capacity. Several states have added policies requiring mental health education, yet these vary widely and barriers to operationalization exist. Purpose: This paper explores the onerous landscape of mental health…

A post-hoc study was conducted to ascertain the effect of comprehensive sex education on of 7th graders' knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes regarding sexual health and sexual identities in a small city school district in the Midwest USA. All five middle schools in the district participated, three of which used a comprehensive curriculum and two…

Sexual health education in the United States is seeing increased attention and is often viewed as a controversial topic. To better understand young adolescents' experiences within an LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual health education program ("Get Real"), we utilized Situated Expectancy-Value Theory to investigate 53 responses from 30 students…

Electronic cigarette use during middle school and high school has become an alarming public health concern. Educating youth about the risks of using e-cigarettes through a prevention program can be instrumental in curbing the growing numbers. Our Extension team implemented a prevention program, Escape Vapes, which adapted three Stanford University…

This article aims to showcase instructional strategies in a middle and high school health education classroom. The strategies highlighted include word(s) and pictures(s) of the day postings, journaling, a scavenger hunt, writing a one-minute paper, conducting a three-part interview, and playing a myth versus truth game.

We used mixed methods to identify middle school students' conceptions and misconceptions of energy in the domain of health and fitness. We selected a total of 24 middle schools from six school districts in a Southeastern state of the U. S. through stratified sampling. Students were first given a standardized knowledge test to establish their…

Information about state and local education policies regarding sexually transmitted infections, including human immunodeficiency virus, and unintended pregnancy prevention is available, yet less is known about school-level implementation of such policies. We examine trends in the percentage of US secondary schools teaching sexual and reproductive…

Studies on human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention education and its educational effects for elementary school students are necessary. This study aimed to examine the effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention education on knowledge about cervical cancer, HPV, immunization, and attitude about immunization among girls in the sixth grade…

Background: This study aimed to establish the effectiveness of a hypertension knowledge education intervention among Indian adolescents to foster lifestyle changes aimed at preventing hypertension. Methods: The Hypertension Knowledge Test (HKT) was used to assess changes in knowledge using a repeated-measures one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).…

Whole grain foods have been associated with health benefits, yet they are under consumed by youth compared to recommendations. This study evaluated impacts of a school-based curriculum among children in grades 3-5 to address barriers to intake (2018-2019) (n = 1,748). Surveys before and after the program indicated youth were more willing to try…

Adolescents are in a dynamic period of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. School-based interventions that focus on social-emotional learning, including the development of self-regulation skills, have been shown to have positive impacts on students' mental health and academic achievement. In this qualitative study, we examine health…

Adolescents are in a dynamic period of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. School-based interventions that focus on social-emotional learning, including the development of self-regulation skills, have been shown to have positive impacts on students' mental health and academic achievement. In this qualitative study, we examine health…