The authors used the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (J. F. Fagan, L. T. Singer, J. E. Montie, & P. A. Shepherd, 1986) to examine preferences for novelty and to evaluate several indicators of attention (off- and on-task indexes and durations) in 6- and 9-month-old infants who had been prenatally exposed to cigarette smoke only or to cocaine plus…

Healthy Families America is a national, voluntary, home visiting program model designed to help expectant and new parents get their children off to a safe and healthy start. Since 1992, it has been successfully replicated in over 440 communities in the U.S. and Canada. This article describes the program's reflective, relationship-based model and…

In 1999 Planned Parenthood[R] Federation of America (PPFA[R]) launched teenwire.com[SM], a Web site for young people. This study was designed to determine teens' reproductive health information needs. Selected for analysis were 1,219 submissions to the Ask the Experts section of the Web site. Each submission was independently coded by three of the…

This article focuses on psychosocial barriers to sexual health and their implications on the design and delivery of mass media-based public health campaigns. A family planning campaign that attempted to address barriers to seeking sexual health information and services by promoting positive attitudes toward couple's communication about sexual…

This analysis examined differences in health instruction among teachers of required health education classes or courses who had received or wanted staff development on health topics, teachers who had a degree in health education, and teachers who were Certified Health Education Specialists. Classroom-level data were collected from teachers of a…

As a nation, Kenya hopes to achieve Education for All (EFA) by the year 2015. This is an uphill task given the various challenges in the education sector. The year 2015 is also significant globally because it is the target year for the fulfillment of the eight-millennium goals. Kenya looks forward to have her people achieve the millennium goals…

The study in this article investigated how academic preparation, career development skills, parental assistance, and social/environmental barriers predicted inner-city adolescents' psychological preparation to transition into high school. Results showed that academic preparation, parents' instrumental assistance, adolescents' career development…

Until recently, teen pregnancy and birth rates had declined steadily in the United States in recent years. Despite these declines, the United States has the highest teen birth rate and one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among all industrialized nations. To help young people reduce their risk for pregnancy and STIs,…

Until recently, teen pregnancy and birth rates had declined in the United States. Despite these declines, U.S. teen birth and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates remain among the highest in the industrialized world. Given the need to focus limited prevention resources on effective programs, Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews…

One hundred twenty-eight Latina and African American girls from high-risk environments (e.g., poverty, family history of teen parenting, etc.) were studied from age 13 through age 19 to prospectively identify the protective factors that might guard against teenage pregnancy. Results indicated that involved and strict parenting during early…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived role of African-American fathers in educating their sons about sex and HIV prevention. Given that some studies have shown a relationship between parent-adolescent sexual communication and adolescent sexual behavior, and the disproportionately high rates of teen pregnancy and HIV (and other…

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). "Doorways I: Student Training Manual on School-Related Gender-Based Violence…

This brochure describes the meeting of 63 representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Washington Business Group on Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and the education community convened to develop an action plan for American health care that would be responsive to children's needs. Highlighted problems included the lack of…

This paper systematically reviews research on the effectiveness of collaborative school-linked programs. It first briefly discusses the history and current stage of practice of such programs, and then summarizes the design and findings of 55 school-linked programs with collaborative elements. Advocates of collaborative programs believe that making…

According to current estimates, approximately 5.5 percent of all American pregnant women use an illicit drug during pregnancy. National concern for drug-exposed infants prompted interest in the needs of substance using pregnant women and in the development of drug treatment programs for them. A total of 147 comprehensive programs have been funded…