As part of developing the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 4-H Common Measures system, we created resources for communicating results to stakeholders with research-based visual tools. We outline the creation of two tools that may be useful to CE personnel to use evaluation findings to better "tell their story" to a variety of…

Coaches serve in a unique role to oversee health and safety with their athletes especially when traveling with the team to sporting events. If there is no athletic trainer to take charge in prevention or management of injuries, the coach will need to assume that role. Coaches should understand the importance of their role and know how to implement…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released an update to the nutrition standards schools must meet in the breakfasts and lunches served to more than 30 million children. The last time USDA fully updated school meal standards was in 2012. Research on the impact of those changes found that the nutritional quality of school meals…

Typical health lessons are taught in a classroom setting, where students sit in their chairs and passively receive information. This instructional method may not be the optimal approach, as Ratey discovered in his famous experiment that the human brain is more aroused when the body is physically and actively engaged in the learning environment.…

In 2003 an executive order was issued banning industrially produced trans-fatty acids above a low level in food items in Denmark. To date, only a few other countries have followed Denmark's example. The way health consequences of trans fats were translated by the different actors enabled the creation of alliances between researchers, politicians,…

Coordinated School Health (CSH) is a framework for addressing health in schools, connects health with learning, and improves students' health and capacity to learn through the support of schools, families, and communities working together. This model encourages healthy lifestyles, provides needed support to students, and helps to reduce the…

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…

Extension educators across the United States are being asked to expand their direct education efforts to include policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes. However, professional development opportunities and tools are needed to familiarize Extension professionals with PSE change approaches, build their capacity to implement PSE change, and…

Background: Given the body image and disordered eating struggles prevalent in young adults, weight-inclusive anti-diet programs are needed on college campuses. Such programs replace weight loss advice with changes that center physical and mental well-being. Methods/Program Design: University health and wellness programs such as University Coaching…

This brief by Abt Associates discusses the application of digital tools to build capacity for both tracking activities and analyzing service quality and trends so providers can develop more responsive interventions. It describes the benefits of a CommCare-based, Abt-deployed Community-Based Events and Continuing Medication apps, developed for the…

Good nutrition during the 1,000-day window between pregnancy and 2 years old can give children the opportunity to reach their full potential. Conversely, malnutrition early in life can cause irreversible damage to a child's brain development and physical growth, leading to a lifetime of poor health and lost potential. Each year, malnutrition costs…

The Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health and Wellness calls on Extension professionals to operate in new ways that will shape "the context in which people grow, learn, work, and play" and to practice multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches in communities. In this article, we present three cases in Oregon as examples…

Piece it Together (PIT) is a comprehensive wellness program designed for transitional age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild neurodevelopmental disabilities that focuses on exercise, nutrition, socialization, and stress-reduction. The PIT Summer Program is a 6-week program, consisting of 90-min classes, twice a week. Each class…

Background: College students have been a difficult population to reach in extant health promotion initiatives that strive to prevent the development of lifelong disordered eating patterns. Incorporating electronic and mobile health (eHealth, mHealth) technologies within these efforts may be an effective means of reaching students. Purpose: This…

Nutrition is vitally important both during pregnancy and during a child's early years. Inadequate nutrition during this critical period can harm children's health and developmental outcomes throughout childhood and into adulthood. Thus, write Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach and Betsy Thorn, it's particularly important that young children have adequate…