Evidence supports increasing student physical activity in school, and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) can help students meet national physical activity goals to support their physical and mental health. Although strategies and frameworks are readily available to support schools in their efforts to implement successful…

Research shows children with poor oral health are nearly three times more likely to miss school than their healthier peers which can lead to lower academic performance and ability to succeed in school. Furthermore, poor oral health remains one of the top reasons why California students miss school, resulting in a loss of $28 million per year to…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that to protect and promote the health of all children, robust environmental health protections must be in place, and the inequities that lead to environmental injustice must be eliminated. The environment is a powerful social determinant of health and a critical factor in our…

Due to COVID-19, children have not been able to go to school and move enough since March 2020. In this process, the measures taken such as the prolongation of the stay at home, social isolation, and quarantine caused children to delay their physical activities and stay away from these activities. As a result, this may have caused weakness in the…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the management of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) infestations in school settings should not disrupt the educational process, including but not limited to the elimination of classroom screening, forced absences from school for nits and/or live lice and broad…

This paper presents a historical account of conceptual development at the intersection of American education and health. Beginning with early advancements from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the World Health Organization, the authors show the movement from early considerations of the codependency of health and…

To understand the broader societal context for supporting the healthy development and well-being of infants and toddlers, the following excerpt from the "State of Babies Yearbook: 2022 Executive Summary" presents key findings on the status of America's families with young children. As of August 2022, the reconciliation bill proposed in…

In the United States, childhood obesity continues to increase at unprecedented rates. School-based occupational therapists can play a more significant role in health promotion and obesity prevention efforts in the school setting. Since this is a relatively new role for occupational therapists, there is still a tremendous gap in the literature…

This article describes the adaptation of a parent-focused evidence-based childhood obesity intervention program for implementation by county-based Extension educators in coordination with school district personnel in rural Pennsylvania. The Lifestyle Positive Parenting Program was designed and evaluated in Australia in clinical settings. Several…

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) coordinate physical activity opportunities for school-age children through physical education, programs offered before/after school and during the school day, and those facilitated through staff involvement and community engagement. An active school is considered to implement quality physical…

Recent decades have seen a rise in mental health problems among children and adolescents. Despite a proliferation of studies describing effective school-based mental health programs, reviews of current research in this field suggest a strong lack of consensus concerning the definition of school mental health and its constructs. In the present…

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) health problems of children and adolescents in the United States (U.S.). A "collective" and "coordinated" national economic and social reconstruction effort aimed at shoring up services to promote children's MEB, like the Marshall Plan that helped…

Elevated blood lead levels in children--even at very low levels--contribute to learning deficits and behavioral and attentional problems. No federal law requires the testing of drinking water in schools, and recent reports from the Government Accountability Office reveal a dearth of lead testing of water or paint in school buildings. This NASBE…

When schools reopen in the fall, students and adults will return carrying stress and trauma arising from the sudden school closings, the social isolation, and the illness and unrest that many experienced over the summer. Rebecca London urges elementary school leaders to attend to students' mental health and emotional needs by offering recess time…

As obesity rates rise among youth, physical education classrooms have become a resource for teaching children how to make lifelong changes that will lead to improved overall health. In addition, new curricula and government mandates are focusing on health-related fitness content and its application to lifelong fitness. As these components become…