Most programs offered to students likely to drop out can be categorized as support programs, academic remediation or development programs, alternative programs or schools, work experience programs, or affirmative action job placement programs. This article cites 14 local and national programs and notes some critical factors in dropout prevention.…

In 1980 recommendations were made to prevent child injuries. They addressed the following topics: (1) motor vehicle safety; (2) home and neighborhood safety; and (3) the development of a national data base from which policy can be formulated. There is evidence that progress has been made since the morbidity and mortality rates for accidents have…

Presents major themes in the literature on depression in childhood and adolescence, discussing diagnosis, theories of origin, and interventions. Advocates research on specific symptoms and syndromes of depression at various developmental ages and levels to develop reliable criteria for diagnosis, enhance knowledge about risk factors and…

Mothers (N=67) with newborns who required intensive care were followed up six months after hospital discharge. Mothers' appraisals of risk and prevention were related to mood disturbance and attitudes toward future childbearing. The most important predictor of mothers' expectations of future pregnancies was whether the child was first born.…

Describes Growing Healthy, a 10-year longitudinal study of a comprehensive K-7 health education/substance abuse program sponsored by the American Lung Association. A summative 10-year evaluation shows a reduced percentage of students using alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, and stronger beliefs that students would not use either alcohol or drugs as…

Outlines deleterious health consequences of tobacco use, including lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, mouth diseases (from smokeless tobacco), and diseases linked to passive or involuntary smoking. Besides adopting stringent penalties for tobacco use on campus, educators need to develop a well-planned health education curriculum based on sequential…

Sports-related dental injuries are common but first aid is usually performed by non-dental personnel. This article describes basic procedures to be followed in order to diagnose the type and severity of the injury and to determine whether emergency treatment is required. Prevention of dental injuries is addressed. (Author/MT)

Case examples are presented of typical pressures felt by aerobic dance instructors, cheerleaders and majorettes, and wrestlers to illustrate how they may become susceptible to eating disorders. Suggestions are presented for coaches, parents, and administrators in preventing or intervening in eating disorders among athletes. (CB)

"A Blueprint for Success," a document containing principles that bring focus to issues, attitudes, and concerns essential for planning and implementing a successful dropout prevention program, lists principles for a dropout prevention program, involving: (1) programs starting during early childhood or elementary education; (2) work education…

Discusses aspects of the school dropout problem: figures and trends, related youth problems (unemployment, crime and vandalism, drug and alcohol abuse, political alienation, teen pregnancy and childbirth, homicide and suicide), and suggestions for solving the problem. (CT)

First-time parents completed questionnaires 3 months before childbirth and 1 and 9-10 weeks after birth. Found that 39 Lamaze-trained couples reported similar levels of marital satisfaction, state anxiety, and birth-related problems at all testings, while 37 non-Lamaze trained couples showed decreases in marital satisfaction and increases in…

A theoretical rationale for using peer leaders as a major strategy in school-based drug abuse prevention programs is provided. Available literature on such programs is reviewed. Practical issues involved in selecting and training peer leaders and teachers are discussed. (Author/MT)

Healthy hematologic adaptations to exercise are described. The benefits of increased performance for elite athletes and reduced risk of heart attack for the general population are stressed. The advisability of increased amounts of fish in the diet and low doses of aspirin to reduce coronary risk factors are discussed. (Author/MT)

Parents of preteens need to be aware of the rapidly increasing incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers and to begin talking to their preteens to help prevent or modify risky sexual experimentation during middle adolescence. (MT)

Eleven thousand eye injuries are suffered annually by 5- to-14-year-old youngsters during sports and recreational activities. Baseball-related accidents result in more eye injuries to youth than any other sport. Protective face gear is discussed and recommended. (MT)