In the fall of 2005, the New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (NM YRRS) was conducted in New Mexico public high schools, with 5,679 students in grades nine through twelve participating from 20 public high schools in the state. The NM YRRS is a tool that can assist administrators and policy makers in identifying health risk behaviors among…

The public health burden of obesity, overweight, and physical inactivity suggests schools be actively involved in prevention and treatment. Schools were challenged to take action by the Surgeon General in 2001. Few resources have been allocated to support the schools and in the presence of budget and high stakes testing pressure, resources are…

This White Paper summarizes findings from an extensive literature review that was conducted to identify the most promising models and approaches for meeting the needs of low-income children, youth, and families during the summer months. Special attention is paid to summer learning programs that serve diverse, urban low-income children and youth.…

This book examines the importance of advocating healthy lifestyles among minority adolescents, who are at increased risk for particular health problems. The three central themes: highlight similarities and differences across diverse ethnic groups of adolescents while respecting their heterogeneity; emphasize innovative and culturally based…

This self-assessment and planning guide is designed to help schools evaluate their physical activity and nutrition policies and programs based on national standards and guidelines. It assists schools in identifying strengths and weaknesses of their health promotion policies and practices, developing action plans for improving student health, and…

This paper discusses some of the health implications of data produced in the course of a research project that explored the usefulness of the concept of "social capital" in relation to the health and well-being of children. The research used qualitative methods to explore 12-15 year olds' subjective experiences of their neighbourhoods,…

In January through April 2007, the Children's Trust sponsored a population-based survey of parents of children ages birth through 17 in Miami-Dade County to provide a baseline of data on child health and well-being, and to discern unmet needs for services in the Trust's primary impact areas and strategic investments. The survey was conducted by…

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…

Focus in this preventive medicine monograph for health professionals is on consumer health education and the current and potential effects of mass communication on the quality of medical care. Following an introduction, the content is presented in four chapters. Chapter 1 covers the state of the art in consumer health education and discusses three…

The mechanisms through which lifelong learning affects health were examined by analyzing research from the fields of education, the economics of education, the economics of health, medical sociology, health promotion, health psychology, health inequalities, and medicine. The first part of the analysis dealt with the correlations between education…

This article examines health promotion and disease prevention from the perspective of social cognitive theory. This theory posits a multifaceted causal structure in which self-efficacy beliefs operate together with goals, outcome expectations, and perceived environmental impediments and facilitators in the regulation of human motivation, behavior,…

This volume presents 64 abstracts of keynote and parallel paper presentations of the Irish National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning's (NAIRTL) conference on the theme of flexible learning. The Flexible Learning conference was a joint initiative by NAIRTL and the Learning Innovation Network. The keynote presentations can…

To monitor priority health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). The YRBSS includes national, state, territory, and local school-based surveys of high school students in grades 9-12. In addition, some states, territories, and cities…

This guide contains innovative learning activities and teaching ideas to enhance classroom instruction. The 40 papers are divided into 12 areas: "Health Attitudes and Values" (e.g., understanding elementary students' perceptions of health through art, narrative and discussion); "Mental Health" (e.g., building community through…

This report reviews current statistics on the state of girls' lives in the United States at the end of the 20th century. Six chapters cover: (1) "Framing Gender, Identity, and Adolescence" (trends in research on adolescent girls, exploring identities, how girls are doing, and conditions that support or hinder girls' healthy sense of…