Addresses the following issues confronting health and safety in child care: minimizing injuries, controlling diseases, managing classroom environment, and promoting health. (HOD)

The number of overweight children and adolescents in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2000, the CDC estimated that 15 percent of the nation's youth were overweight. Overweight children and adolescents are exposed to many health risks, most notably the increased risk…

The Child Care Bureau is reissuing the minimum standards as a "Health and Safety Guide" for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Tribal Lead Agencies in conjunction with the 2005 Tribal Cluster Trainings, "Supporting the Physical, Social, and Emotional Wellness of Our Tribal Children." These voluntary guidelines represent the baseline from which…

Twenty-first century contagious diseases require more than basic health lessons to prevent transmission. This Digest examines ways to prevent disease transmission in school settings. Section 1 discusses key concepts in contagion education: all people are potentially contagious; germs that cause diseases are present on many parts of the body; hand…

Noting that venereal diseases are reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S., author urges a straightforward program of informing students of the symptoms and how to get care, plus increased school-parent cooperation in understanding the problem in order to combat it. (PD)

Health educators may be expecting the public to accept too much personal responsibility for disease. Genetic, environmental, and other factors may be as important as health-promoting behavior in avoiding disease. If health educators overstate the role of personal responsibility for health, they may lose credibility with the public. (PP)

A junior college nursing student surveyed fellow students on their past exposure to health education and their interest in having such a course on campus. Results indicated both a need for and interest in a course. The course "Health Maintenance through the Life Cycle" was developed as a result of the survey. (PP)

The goals of research, it is suggested, must reflect the needs of the times. Recent research showing that much disease and illness may be preventable is the impetus for government sponsorship of health promotion/disease prevention activities in the medical community. (MLW)

Health systems agencies are federally funded, health planning agencies responsible for regulatory activities concerning health issues in specific geographic locations. A case history discusses how health educators worked with a health systems agency to improve school health education. (JN)

Health education at the college level has developed a variety of new curriculum approaches which emphasize behavior change. With the assumption that life-style contributes most to student health, a health course divided into four parts--diagnosis, prescription, action, and accountability--was developed. An attitude survey acted as an evaluation…

Fitness is defined as both freedom from disease and as a state of physical and emotional well being. In 1977, the City of New Rochelle launched City Fit, its own approach to fitness. City Fit was developed to take fitness programs and demonstrations to the general population. (JN)

A model cardiovascular disease prevention program for young children is described. Components include physical examinations, health education (anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system), nutrition instruction, first aid techniques, role modeling, and environmental engineering. (JN)

Discusses problem of low rates of immunization for African American children and identifies ways social workers can play a role in ensuring more immunizations. Improving access to existing public programs, facilitating community organization efforts, assisting communities through self-help and mutual-aid initiatives, and supporting national…