This study examined relationships between children's participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and their beliefs about physical activities and participation as well as perceptions of their parents' beliefs. Children's beliefs about their MVPA significantly predicted variance in self-reported MVPA. Children's perceptions of…

Focus groups at four middle schools examined the health topic areas of most concern to young adolescents, noted interrelationships among health issues, and gathered opinions on how to improve classroom health instruction. Sex, drugs, and violence were students' main health concerns. Students had numerous suggestions for improving classroom…

Purpose: To determine (1) the prevalence of use, (2) risk and protective factors for use of inhalants in Florida youth. Methods: The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey 2004 is a comprehensive assessment of youth substance abuse attitudes and practices obtained by sampling youth from sixty-five counties. Results: The sample consisted of 60,345…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of V.I.K. (Very Important Kids), a school-based, multi-component intervention designed to prevent teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among fourth through sixth grade students. The effectiveness of the V.I.K. intervention was evaluated using a pre-post…

We examined whether childhood factors predict age of first arrest in adolescent girls referred for placement and treatment for serious delinquency problems (N = 62). Measures included child characteristics (i.e., age of menstrual onset, childhood ADHD, and IQ), family environmental factors (i.e., severe punishment, parental transitions, and sexual…

Though AIDS case rates among Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIs) in the United States remain relatively low, the number has been steadily increasing. Scholars, policy makers, and service providers still know little about how confident APIs are in carrying out different HIV risk reduction strategies. This article addresses this gap by…

College students who are no longer fully adolescent and not yet fully adult are frequently at risk for developing habits of excessive alcohol use, with consequent poor study habits and aberrant socialization patterns. "Weeding out" such trends is the work of prevention programs on campus. "Seeding" with other pro-social norms becomes the second…

In the United States, nearly two-thirds of all deaths among young people 10-14 years of age result from only five causes: motor-vehicle crashes (22.1%), other unintentional injuries (16.7%), cancer (12.9%), suicide (6.8%), and homicide (4.7%). Leading causes of illness and death in all age groups in the United States are related to the following:…

Research documenting links between levels of education and health outcomes suggests people with higher educational attainment may have a health advantage. Health literacy issues that go beyond basic skills include health information communication; literacy and health as cultural and social practices; a relationship among health information,…

The Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (ALT-YRBS) is one component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), which monitors six categories of health risk behaviors among youth and young adults. The 1998 ALT-YRBS measured priority health risk behaviors among students at alternative high schools. It used a three-stage…

A study examined the ways a group of people experiencing poverty, poor housing, and stress assessed the impact of these factors on their health through participating in a course called "Health Issues in the Community." It involved people from a range of socioeconomically excluded areas and groups throughout Scotland in identifying and…

Primary schools can play a significant preventative role in addressing drug-related harm in young people's lives. "One and All" is a programme aimed at assisting schools to plan and implement drug prevention in the middle primary years through developing students' social and emotional competence and nurturing their resilience. It is part…

In this study indicators associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a nationwide representative sample (N = 3,184) of Danes aged 16-35 years were examined. The study was cross-sectional and had three aims: (1) to draw a profile of persons with and without suicidal tendency established on a combined quartered variable on current…

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a middle school physical activity and healthy eating intervention, including an environmental and computer-tailored component, and to investigate the effects of parental involvement. A random sample of 15 schools with seventh and eight graders was randomly assigned to one of three…

This study reports on CHAMPS, a youth tobacco and prevention program intervention that focused on peer-led educational activities. Nineteen schools implemented a CHAMPS tobacco prevention program in grades 5, 6, and 7. Six schools served as nonintervention comparison sites. Baseline and follow-up questionnaires were completed by 1,412 students.…