Research has pointed to a critical need for primary prevention and intervention strategies. This has only been magnified since the COVID-19 pandemic and with the shortages of school-based mental health providers. Active Minds is a national organization dedicated to "changing the conversation about mental health" (Active Minds, n.d.-b) by…

This report of the development of an intervention in practice outlines the design, delivery, and evaluation of a tailored, school-based, group adolescent sleep intervention utilising youth participation methodology and an intervention mapping protocol as a framework. The intervention also included supplementary video support. The intervention was…

Background: School health education, including sexual health education, plays a crucial role in shaping adolescents' protective health behaviors, experiences, and outcomes. Adolescents need functional knowledge and skills to practice, adopt, and maintain healthy behaviors for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human…

Health systems often fail to tap the expertise of the developmental disabilities community support and service system. In this 9-month pilot health system-level quality improvement project, a multi-disciplinary team of physician, pharmacist, and disabilities advocate reviewed electronic records of patients with Down syndrome in advance of…

Effective strategies to improve health education, food choices, and physical activity are vital for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), as their sedentary lifestyles and high fat diets are contributing to poor health, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, Type II diabetes, and obesity. This study…

The goal of physical education (PE) is to assist students in the development of physical activity habits that will last a lifetime. To achieve this, PE teachers must shift beyond only teaching sports and games during instructional periods. Strength and conditioning programming is one alternative available to PE teachers. This article provides an…

Today's physical educators are more taxed than ever before, attempting to deliver health benefits, socialization, sport and movement skills, and health education all while class sizes are expanding and resources are dwindling. A potential mode of exercise that promises health benefits while leaving time for other student learning outcomes is…

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…

This reflective essay is written based on the author's experience as a study abroad program visiting resident director in Japan during the 2019-2020 academic year. As the resident director, the author served as the front line of communication and support for the international students on this program during an unprecedented crisis that impacted…

Background: Given its ability to exacerbate health inequities through its disproportionate impact on low-income communities, the need exists to better understand factors that influence substance use among adolescents. Moreover, given its multi-etiological nature, preventing adolescent substance use requires addressing intrapersonal, interpersonal,…

Poor nutrition, limited physical activity, unsafe food practices, and food insecurity are significant health concerns. Poor health disproportionately affects minority and low-income populations. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provides opportunities for low-income youth…

Young African American and Latina women aged 15 to 24 are more likely to adopt short-acting forms of contraception over long-acting reversible contraception. Mobile applications and other forms of digital media may be useful for providing adolescents with information about sexual and reproductive health both inside and outside of the health care…

A high school in the northwestern United States has a student population composed primarily of low income and minority students. Yet something that sets the school apart is a four-year graduation rate of 95%. While it is difficult to determine all of the factors that contribute to this academic success, this article explains students' perceptions…

Since 1969, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has reached more than 32.5 million low-income families and youth, teaching them to improve their diets, be more physically active, stretch their food dollars, and handle their food safely. This paper details the…

The Tennessee Department of Education's office of coordinated school health (CSH) works with every school district in the state to address all aspects of student health, with a special emphasis on reducing Tennessee's childhood obesity rates. Encouraging adequate physical activity and providing physical education for all students are the central…