Introduction: There is evidence of a gap between individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who need treatment for self-injurious behavior (SIB) and those who receive treatment. The purpose of this study (n = 15) was to begin to understand the treatment gap from the perspective of family caregivers. Methods: In…

Falls are a significant medical and economical concern worldwide. Younger individuals with visual impairment (VI) may be more susceptible to falling and fall-related injuries when compared to peers without a VI. Self-perceived balance confidence is a psychological construct that may predict and/or mediate fall- or other health-related outcomes in…

Background: Prevention has been identified as a primary strategy for reducing health care costs, with potential Medicare savings up to $142.8 billion annually. Falls alone resulted in $28.2 billion in direct care costs. A growing body of research documents significant benefits of tai chi (TC) for balance and prevention and management of chronic…

The purpose of the study was to describe the range of relative backpack weights of one group of elementary-aged children and the extent to which they exceeded recommended levels. A second purpose was to explore whether gender and age help predict the relative weight of children's backpacks. Ninety-five 8- to 12-year-old elementary school students…

Study objective: To describe a successful approach to teaching principles and practices of behaviour change through a behaviour change plan (BCP) initiative to improve personal health while advancing health knowledge and general education intellectual skills. Students' perspectives of obstacles, behaviours important towards goal attainment and the…

The purpose of this study was to (a) explore the lived experiences of school district employees who have sustained on-the-job injuries with specific attention to employee perceptions of employer response after injury and (b) examine whether purposeful empathetic response from the employer after workplace injury was related to changes in employee…

Background: Whereas much attention has been focused on adolescent risk behaviors such as substance use, much less has been devoted to self-injury in the general adolescent population. Purpose: This study had two purposes: (1) describe the prevalence of self-injury among early adolescents in the general middle school population, and (2) identify…

As an undergraduate student with cerebral palsy, I found it difficult to achieve my goal of starting a regular exercise program at my school, the University of Central Florida. However, when I started a program called Assisted Workouts in spring 2003. the struggle proved to be well worth it. The program is not only beneficial to me, but it has…

Estimated benefits from systematic early referral of injured workers for vocational rehabilitation services. Used data from Florida workers' compensation cases closed in 1985 to estimate gains from referral for evaluation not later than six months from injury date. Concludes that social benefits could be nearly $10 million annually and that…

Research is important to the image, visibility, and viability of school nursing. Each state school nursing association should evaluate member commitment to school nursing research based on their unique set of financial, educational, and organizational resources. A 3-round Delphi study was conducted in which Florida school nurses identified…

There is a strong relationship between students' socioeconomic status and their levels of academic achievement. Although educators should be held accountable for improving the performance of all students, including those living in poverty, schools alone can't eliminate the negative factors associated with poverty that lead to a large achievement…

A community-wide and preschool bicycle helmet program was developed to educate the public about the importance of helmets for children and to offer helmets at reduced prices. Results of the project showed that education efforts in conjunction with an incentive component led to increases in the purchasing of helmets. (SM)

The "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" ("MMWR") Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data in the weekly "MMWR" are provisional, based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. This issue of "MMWR" contains the following studies: (1) Youth Risk Behavior…