The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of health-risk behaviors: injury-inviting behaviors, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. This report summarizes results from the national survey, 35 state surveys, and 16 local surveys conducted among high…

Video and computer games have assumed a prominent role in the culture of U.S. children and adolescents. The paper examines the health effects of these games, suggests criteria upon which parents and teachers may evaluate the games, and notes some implications for health educators. (SM)

The health needs of adolescent Mexican Americans are not adequately addressed by the health care system. The article presents a sociodemographic profile of this group, describing how degree of ethnic identification, acculturation, and other risk factors may contribute to problem behavior. Recommendations to increase culturally appropriate…

This paper examines levels of participation in and correlates of AIDS-related risk behavior for adolescents in high risk communities. Seventh through ninth graders completed surveys regarding attitudes, behaviors, and resistance skills related to sexual intercourse and substance use. Grade, race, and sexual activity correlated with drug use.…

This study investigated risks for transitioning from nonsmoking to smoking during three transition periods as a function of gender, predisposing attributes, and participation in social influences education, examining four dispositional factors. Survey data indicated that dispositional factors were important determinants of smoking onset and that…

Describes objectives of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health multisite intervention study which develops behavioral school health education plans. It targets third through fifth graders, stressing cardiovascular health behaviors (e.g., eating habits, physical activity, and smoking). Curricula, school environmental change, and…

This study examined the nature of mothers' beliefs about children's health, the manner in which these beliefs influence maternal affect and teaching tactics during health socialization, and the effects of these parenting strategies on children's healthy and safe behavior. Findings suggest that mothers' socialization of children's health may be…

This article examines the potential for open, distance, and flexible learning (ODFL) to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people. Based on experience from a field study in Mozambique and South Africa, the authors show how ODFL can support and extend the work of existing infrastructures supporting vulnerable youth. As neighboring…

Declines in the welfare caseload in the late 1990s brought significant change to the lives of many low-educated, single mothers. Many single mothers left welfare and entered the labor market and others found different ways to avoid going on public assistance. These changes may have affected the health and health behaviors of these women. To date,…

Since the global item of subjective health has emerged as a strong predictor of important health outcomes such as mortality, there have been many attempts to uncover its correlates. In this study, we tested whether personality as assessed via the five-factor model of personality predicted subjective health when physician-rated health and…

To date, few studies have examined the relationship between health behavior risk factors and cigarette smoking in Hungary. From 1995 to 1999, the prevalence of current smoking increased from 35.9 to 46.0% among secondary students in Budapest, Hungary. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between smoking and other…

A study into the relevance of cultural factors in predicting condom-use intentions among Antillean migrants in the Netherlands is described in this article. The association between the intention to use condoms with a new sexual partner and a perceived taboo on discussing sex, beliefs about sex education and machismo beliefs on gender and power…

Although the percentage of overall AIDS diagnoses remains low among Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in the United States compared with other racial/ethnic groups, research on API risk behaviors and health status suggest that the low number of AIDS cases may not provide a full picture of the epidemic and issues faced by this understudied and…

Young adults are at risk for Hepatitis B infection. Little is known about their attitudes and beliefs concerning Hepatitis B, which are determinants of getting immunized. This investigation examined risk perceptions and behavioral intentions concerning Hepatitis B among a convenience sample of 1070 young adults, 18-24 years old who participated in…

This paper reviews the recent literature on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence, CVD-related mortality, physiological CVD risk factors, and behavioral CVD risk factors in adults with mental retardation (MR). The literature on the potential influences of modifiable behavioral CVD risk factors and the physiological CVD risk factors are also…