Background: Comprehensive school-based physical activity programs consist of physical education and other physical activity opportunities including recess and other physical activity breaks, intramurals, interscholastic sports, and walk and bike to school initiatives. This article describes the characteristics of school physical education and…

This study was conducted to determine the significance of physical activity in the lifestyles of a selected group of female adolescents. Two groups of girls in their mid-teens, identified through a pilot study, were operationally defined as activity seekers (N=14) and non-activity seekers (N=14). In order to determine the characteristics of both…

This report describes the results of the 1993 Utah Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and summarizes results of the 1992 Utah School Health Education Survey. Many health problems experienced by youth are caused by a few preventable behaviors, such as alcohol abuse and unprotected sexual intercourse. Tobacco use, dietary patterns that cause disease,…

A study focused on developmentally delayed children who participated in a home-based, parent intervention motor development program. The major question considered was: Is there any difference in gross and fine motor mean scores obtained on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (field test edition), received by children who participated in the…

Nutrition is well-recognized as a necessary component of educational programs for physicians. This is to be valued in that of all factors affecting health in the United States, none is more important than nutrition. This can be argued from various perspectives, including health promotion, disease prevention, and therapeutic management. In all…

A study guide for the Health Support Area II examination of the University of the State of New York Regents External Degree Program is presented. The examination tests the use of the nursing process to support the health of the client at risk for major health problems throughout the life cycle. Emphasis is placed on nursing actions related to…

This paper categorizes the many benefits of physical activity, offering information concerning the type of dose necessary to get that benefit. In 2000, Health Canada and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other agencies, sponsored a symposium to determine whether there was a dose-response relationship between…

In spring 2001, 5,654 American Indian high school students attending schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) completed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The survey examined youth behaviors in the areas of motor vehicle safety, weapons, violence, suicide, current and lifetime tobacco use, current and lifetime drug and alcohol use,…

This report describes results from the 1997 Utah Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 1996 Utah School Health Education Profile (SHEP). The YRBS surveyed 9th-12th graders in a random sample of schools about their behaviors that risk their health. Results indicated that students still engage in behaviors that put them at risk for injury or…

This article provides background information on heart transplantation in general, focusing on pediatric heart transplantation and offering suggestions for teachers regarding the unique concerns of students with heart transplants (exercise, physical appearance, immunosuppressive medications, transplant rejection, infection, and psychological…

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…

The Colorado Department of Health formed the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Coalition to address Colorado's problem with CVD. The article describes the work of the Coalition's Physical Activity Subcommittee, the Subcommittee's Exer-Deck tool to promote increased physical activity, and the training of professionals to work collaboratively…

Heart-rate monitors can be effective in physical education teacher preparation programs and physical education classrooms. The article explains how to use heart-rate monitors and describes the coursework and lab experiences that introduce students to the monitors and teach a higher level of understanding and use of the technology. (SM)

This study assessed ninth graders for evidence of ethnic and gender differences in the relationships between television viewing and adiposity, physical activity, and dietary fat intake. Television viewing related to increased dietary fat intake, and cultural factors influenced the susceptibilities of children to the effects of television viewing.…

Relationships between self-reported past and present physical activity levels and self-image, sense of mastery, gender role identity, self-perceived physical ability, and self-perceived attractiveness were studied for 149 female high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Results are discussed in terms of adolescent emotional health. (SLD)