In the United States, more than 70 percent of all deaths among youth and young adults each year are related to four causes: motor vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Alcohol misuse and abuse contribute to each of these behaviors. Alcohol is the most frequently consumed mind-altering substance among…

Limited evidence exists concerning the health of young adults, most likely attributable to the fact that young adults perceive themselves to be insusceptible to infirmity. This lack of information extends into higher education sectors, places that have venues for dispensing health information/education to many young adults. What is important to…

Increasingly sedentary lifestyles are contributing to overweight and other health concerns as children spend less and less time outside engaged in active play. Outdoor play provides important opportunities to explore the natural world, interact with peers, engage in vigorous physical activity, and learn about our environment. However, outdoor…

African-American adolescents have lower rates of alcohol consumption than White youth. However, African-American youth suffer disproportionately more adverse social, mental, and physical health outcomes related to alcohol use. Affiliating with negative peers is a risk factor for alcohol initiation and consumption. Cultural variables have shown…

Background: Health is recognized as an important factor in children's educational achievement, and school-based health education programs are recognized for their potential long-term impact. However, the extent to which children conceptualize health similarly as adults, and the nature of their understandings of health, remain cloudy. Purpose:…

Parental and peer influence on adolescents account for a substantial portion of the variation in health behavior developing in late adolescence. Of high school students sampled, 50% describe the influence attempts of their mothers, fathers and peers as neutral on most health behavior. Smoking is the exception to the pattern with mothers and…

Health educators can play a very significant role in improving health status in the United States by fostering a belief in individuals that health behavior can and should be self-directed, and that people can understand more about health and thereby take more responsibility for their own health. (DS)

The author presents a strategy for changing health behavior by developing a sense of personal responsibility in the participant through a process of (1) personally defining the concept of health, (2) self-rating one's health status, and (3) deciding which aspects of poor health the subject is willing to change. (MB)

A study was designed to assess faculty health behaviors at the beginning of each of the three years of a Health Promotion/Disease Prevention grant for comparisons over time. This article reports the results of the first comparison between the two faculties. (CT)

The use of anabolic steroids is on the increase among athletes as well as other segments of the population. Data from the "Monitoring the Future" study showed a significant increase from 1998 to 1999 in steroid abuse among middle school students. During the same year, there was a decline in the percentage of 12th graders who believed…

This brief presents a review of more than 150 research studies on adolescent reproductive health to identify the factors that contribute to improving adolescent reproductive health. These and other findings are highlighted from the vantage point of adolescents as individuals and within the context of their families, peers, partners, schools, and…

A position statement is offered that clarifies the function, role, and emphasis of decision making within the field of health education, and a rationale that proposes that health decision-making efforts be limited to areas where evidence links a health behavior (i.e., smoking) to a health problem (i.e., lung cancer) is presented. (Author/CJ)

Cites statistics on such adolescent problems as pregnancy, drugs, and obesity as evidence of the serious neglect and alienation of this age group in an era of family instability and declining social roles for youth. Urges educators to give concerted attention to the physical, mental, and health needs of adolescents. (SJL)

Reviews etiology and prevention literatures, exploring relationships between problem and positive youth behaviors, commonalities among predictors, and implications for prevention. Risky/unhealthy/antisocial behaviors, poor mental health, and poor academic achievement are highly prevalent, posing critical dilemmas for adults. All behaviors are…

Makes a case for establishing clear common objectives for physical education (PE) that can provide the basis for future action, suggesting that PE has much to offer society and can be an effective change agent--especially in promoting public health. The paper outlines common objectives for PE and suggestions for change in the schools, colleges and…