A well-developed playground in a park or school setting can greatly enhance childen's overall development, making playgrounds more than just fun. Playgrounds offer children opportunities to develop physically, mentally, and socially, improving academic readiness as well as overall health. The paper discusses the importance of movement, how…

For expanded school mental health programs to feature improved access, increased productivity, and improved behavioral outcomes, researchers, school-based mental health service providers, and educators must collaborate to move them beyond limiting constructs and approaches. The paper reviews these issues and offers an example of an ideal approach…

To successfully address mental health and psychosocial concerns in schools, practices must not be marginalized and must be implemented cohesively. Mechanisms and processes are needed to minimize marginalized and fragmented practice, link school and community resources, and develop comprehensive, multifaceted approaches. These include a…

Analyzes preventive strategies to reduce childhood injuries through education, environmental change, and enforcement of legislation and regulation, offering recommendations for steps to reduce the toll of injuries on children's lives. After discussing the magnitude, trends, and costs associated with childhood injuries and models for prevention,…

The social benefits of a well-educated population are probably considerable. Increased education is strongly and positively correlated with measures of health, strong families, children's well-being, a clean environment, and absence of violent crime. The book "The Social Benefits of Education" (Behrman and Stacey, editors) discusses…

Summarizes a case study that examines how art assists in the healing process of a person suffering from a life-threatening illness. Takes a qualitative approach to illustrate the participant's engagement with art in self-healing. Demonstrates how art can illuminate insights that emerge from the experiences of a critical illness, and how it can…

Discusses obstacles involved in the routine clinical practice for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, a disease associated with serious complications and co-morbidity. States that educating patients to take an active role in their care by changing their diet and habits is a challenge to health care educators. Lists tools patients will need to learn to help…

Introduces special issue that collectively presents a substance abuse prevention approach that is part of a program called Prevention Engineering. The model emphasizes the measurement of indicators of substance abuse problems, particularly with marijuana use. Articles include topics on epidemiology; evidence of the harmful and helpful uses of…

Explores the infusion of health education into a school-wide advisory program by developing or redesigning existing advisories to emphasize life skills training and health care. Considers ways health educators can participate in advisory programs. (JPB)

Public health, city planning, and transportation officials can work toward reducing the public health burden of physical inactivity by promoting the integration of walking and bicycling into daily routines. The paper discusses urban design challenges, promotion of walking and bicycling, and the importance of physical activity for children.…

Forty medical students were randomly assigned to write about personal traumatic events or control topics during the course of the program. Participants in the emotional expression group showed significantly higher antibody levels against hepatitis B at the four- and six-month follow-up. This finding provides further support for a link between…

Discusses the current status of immunizations, the latest immunization recommendations, and the important role of school nurses in ensuring that all students are properly immunized with the correct immunizations at the correct time. An alphabetical listing of immunizations provides specific details. The paper also discusses myths versus facts…

Compared groups of colleges where students' binge drinking either increased or decreased over 2 years of campus prevention efforts. More institutions reported decreases than increases. Certain kinds of prevention programs appeared to work. Important characteristics of effective programs included changing the campus social environment, using…

Used national telephone survey data to examine associations between adults' fruit and vegetable consumption and awareness of "5 A Day for Better Health," stage of change, taste preferences, self-efficacy, and perceived benefits, barriers, threats, social support, and norms regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. Strong associations…

Reviewed clinical- and cost-effectiveness studies, including quasi-experimental studies, of comprehensive, multifactorial worksite health promotion programs. Searching such sources as MEDLINE, ERIC, and ADI identified 15 studies. Results suggest that providing individualized risk reduction for high- risk employees within the context of…