This health and human development curriculum for grades 1-6 contains tips for teachers and overviews of the philosophy behind teaching these topics to elementary school students. The section on health education is structured around ten content strands: (1) health knowledge, attitudes, decisions, and behavior; (2) emotional and social health; (3)…

Research has demonstrated that perceived health, while related to objective determinants of health, is a separate determination of individuals using different information than others. To investigate the relationship of ego development to perceptions of health, 192 subjects (64 college students, 64 adult community residents, and 64 retired older…

Traditionally, the elderly have not been viewed as appropriate candidates for dynamic psychotherapy. To examine the effectiveness of a psycho-dynamically oriented group (focusing on the issues of aging, conflict resolution, and self-actualization) on 6 older adult participants, ages 63 to 87 years, systematic clinical observations of group…

In contrast to the view of the elderly as helpless and handicapped, some older adults may engage in helping activities and place considerable importance on this involvement. This study examined the characteristics which may distinguish those elderly persons engaged in the highest amounts of altruistic activity from those reporting lesser degrees…

Recent research has established that the well-being of older adults is very much influenced by the quality and the quantity of their social relationships and their social support network. Weiss has argued that for adults in general, different relationships are needed to meet the diverse requirements of well-being. In this study the Weiss model was…

Although psychosocial problems have always been a source of concern for mankind, with the vast sociocultural changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution and lately by telecommunication technology, psychosocial issues have become the crucial issue of our time. The increasing complexity of conditions under which people live and work today…

The welfare of American families improved steadily for over 20 years after World War II. After the War on Poverty of the 1960s, the number of people living in poverty fell, reaching its lowest point in 1973. During the 1980s, homeless families, including those living in the streets, in cars, and in shelters seemingly appeared out of nowhere. As…

Although a connection between physical health and emotional well-being has long been recognized, health caregivers have only recently begun to focus on the influence of illness or disability on attitudes and behaviors. Groups have been organized for therapeutic, supportive, or orientational purposes with general medical-surgical patients. Group…

Designed for teachers of one-semester courses in health education at the high school level, this course guide helps students develop self-awareness of lifestyle choices through the use of self-assessments. Emphasis is placed on assuming responsibility for health status, maintaining and improving stress reduction techniques, and understanding how…

Congregate living may offer great potential for serving the frail elderly in public housing. To examine the short- and long-term outcomes of relocation to congregate housing, a 4-year longitudinal study compared the health, well-being, and satisfaction of 67 single individuals who moved into the Chicago Housing Authority's first congregate housing…

This two-page information review presents a brief review of research literature which reinforces the belief that regular physical education programs included in school curricula produces physical, psychological, and intellectual benefits. Eighteen references are cited. (JD)

Early predictors of two major areas of teenage outcome -- substance use and psychiatric symptoms -- were analyzed and specific developmental paths leading to each teenage outcome were identified in this long-term, follow-up study. Substance "use" rather than "abuse" and psychiatric "symptoms" rather than…

Outlines a complex research agenda for understanding the contributions of informal social support to the quality of later life. Suggests a conceptual model for investigating informal support networks and well-being for the elderly and offers suggestions for operationalizing the model. (NRB)

Presents findings on the work disincentives which are expected to be removed by the 1983 Amendments to the Social Security Act. Summarizes evidence on labor market conditions which may encourage early retirement. Discusses implications of this evidence for public policy and for the economic well-being of older Americans. (Author/ABB)

The results of a study to determine whether health behavior contracting was effective in changing health styles among 190 college freshmen are reported. Methodology is described. (JL)