The health and wellness of children is a growing concern as the number of children that are unhealthy continues to increase. Schools can play a pivotal role in promoting wellness among children and teenagers through implementing school-wide wellness initiatives that provide students multiple opportunities to learn and use healthy behaviors (Center…

The policies and practices of early childhood teaching in Aotearoa New Zealand have been an ongoing site of political, economic, social and cultural contestation. Competing values and beliefs regarding experiences of both the child and the teacher have been central to the contesting. Helen May (2001, 2009) tracks these tensions through the waxing…

Background: Despite small- and wide-scale prevention efforts to curb obesity, the percentage of children classified as overweight and obese has remained relatively consistent in the last decade. As school personnel are increasingly pressured to enhance student performance, many educators use food as a reward to motivate and reinforce positive…

Sport is an increasingly important area of society both inside and outside of the school environment although this has not always been the case. Greater interest in sports policy is also emerging at both a European and International level with the prospective of a "Rights" based approach developing. The safety of those playing sport is…

Purpose/Objectives: The goal of this study was to explore unique issues that rural school nutrition professionals face in operating successful school meal programs, and their strategies for overcoming those barriers. Methods: This study was conducted through 10 key informant interviews and three focus groups with rural school nutrition…

Social determinants of health (SDOH), the conditions in which children are born, grow, live, work or attend school, and age, impact child health and contribute to health disparities. School nurses must consider these factors as part of their clinical practice because they significantly and directly influence child well-being. We provide clinical…

Introduction: The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has reached epidemic status with some states with rates as high as 20%. The most effective interventions for combating inactivity target children before inactivity develops in their adolescent years. If effective, school-aged physical activity (PA) interventions would decrease…

Time spent in the outdoors has been proven to benefit individuals of all ages mentally and physically. For example, exposure to nature reduces stress levels, induces relaxation, and provides Vitamin D. Prior research has linked free play outdoors to helping elementary children focus better in the classroom, reducing symptoms of attention deficit…

Many children in U.S. K-12 schools struggle with childhood obesity. A healthy lifestyle taught in a child's early years is essential for student learning, and it can set the pace for healthy choices to be made in adulthood. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore the experiences of parents in Montgomery County, Ohio, who…

Eleanor Guetzloe shares her unique professional history in a conversation. Eleanor outlines her views on the history of the field and provides the reader with her insights on the future of the field. She offers valuable advice to those entering this field and shares what she sees as the areas where we can provide better support for children with…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) is an essential advocate for the health and well-being of all students. Promoting a safe and secure environment is vital to the educational success and emotional development of children. The…

School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an innovative and effective way to address California's severe health care access problem among children. By providing critical health care services to kids in school, SBHCs ensure children get the medical, mental health, and dental care they need to be healthy and safe, and to support their ability to…

This paper presents a set of strategies and options that California can use to leverage Medi-Cal, the State's Medicaid program, to move toward an equitable, advanced health delivery system for its children. Close to five million children are enrolled in Medi-Cal, more than two-thirds of whom are Black and Brown children. California's program alone…

To promote children's healthy development and give them opportunities to flourish, families need a wide range of support services. These services are often disconnected from each other. Early care and education (ECE) has a particularly fragmented system (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018). Systems with myriad processes…

Prior to the pandemic, close to 8 million young people in kindergarten through 12th grade were in afterschool programs where they had the opportunity to engage in academically enriching activities, take part in physical activities, build friendships, gain confidence, learn how to make responsible decisions, and seek advice and support from caring…