TAR WARS is an interactive, anti-tobacco program for fifth graders designed to promote positive health choices by increasing students' awareness of attitudes regarding tobacco use and the effects of tobacco on the body. The program encourages health care provider involvement in community health activities and mobilizes community support against…

Evaluated the effectiveness of a prenatal-education program in increasing prenatal care utilization, improving maternal weight gain, and reducing low-birthweight births among adolescents. Data from weekly program reports and state vital statistics and health services information indicated that program participants were less likely to have…

The children's crisis in the U.S., along with the looming crisis in physical education, suggests that it is time to mobilize, plan, and act collaboratively and strategically. This paper raises critical questions that teachers, teacher educators, and researchers must consider and answer responsibly if physical education is to fulfill its social…

There is a need for standardization in the behavioral outcome measures employed in HIV prevention research. This paper reviews the need for a minimum dataset and proposes a candidate dataset that would provide a link between reported sexual behavior and quantitative estimates of risk reduction, thereby facilitating cross-study comparison among…

Addresses the problem of child abuse, domestic violence, and interpersonal/community violence as leading causes of injury and death to young ethnic minority children, particularly males. It reviews some of the interdisciplinary collaborative strategies that have been offered by leaders in medicine and education and presents evaluative commentary…

A review of literature on nutrition education and eating disorders suggests that some school health promotion practices may influence children's obsession with body weight and food. Health education should include a broader perspective of the psychological aspects of body image and self-concept. (SK)

Explores conceptions of health and health promotion that have emerged over the past decade, considering implications for school health personnel and presenting activities that incorporate the emerging ideas. Discusses health promotion principles and values; implications for school health personnel; and a community-level quality of life model that…

Collaboration between a community coalition and a nursing school in Chicago resulted in a primary health care clinic, school-based health centers, family education and counseling programs, and screening services. It provides a unique opportunity to combine service delivery and academic education. (SK)

Describes Safety Makes Sense, a multidimensional, school-based injury prevention initiative that integrates unintentional injury prevention into comprehensive school health education and is implemented by interdisciplinary teams within a coordinated school health program. The initiative integrates safety and music education and includes…

Issues of health education programming for people with intellectual disability are discussed. Three aspects of health education programming are considered: physical activity, general health knowledge, and social supports for health. Continuity of information is viewed as important in policy development as well as interprofessional coordination and…

Describes a 4-year school-community health improvement project which addressed fragmentation and underutilization of services among at-risk students. Surveys of and focus groups with participants were used to develop a population profile, set health and safety priorities, and guide program planning. The project increased parental involvement in…

Pilot-tested a developmentally appropriate cancer prevention education curriculum for grades K-6, assessing its feasibility and acceptance. Pretesting and posttesting of students who participated in the program indicated that students made significant gains in conceptual understanding for cancer causality and prevention. They also made significant…

The National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health developed a professional consensus statement about adolescent sexual health. Its report for policymakers recommends that adults face the facts about adolescent sexuality and that public policies on adolescent sexual health be based on appropriate knowledge, accurate data, current theory, ongoing…

Describes adolescent girls' responses to an after-school physical activity program, examining how it functioned as a listening tool within a social marketing approach to promoting physical activity. Focus groups and interviews indicated that girls enjoyed and valued the program. Though the program did not increase girls' physical activity levels,…

Presents five articles on children's fitness and health: "Relaxation: Every Child's Right to Simply Be" (Patrice Thomas and Wendy Shepherd); "Infant Massage" (Carolyn Oleson); "Fitness and the Young Child" (James M. Poole); "Partners in Health: Helping Families Advocate for Their Children's Health Care" (Karen Sokal-Gutierrez); and "Preventing…