With the increase of childhood obesity and sedentary behavior, it is essential to discover innovative ways to motivate youth to be more active. Many Hispanic children in the United States in obesogenic environments particularly lack opportunities for physical activity (PA). Exergames (i.e., motion-based video games) may enhance PA among at-risk…

Introduction and Purpose: UNESCO stated that literacy in the most general sense should include not only reading and writing, but also components of knowledge, thinking, communication, language, culture, and social practice (as cited in Lounsbery & McKenzie 2015). The main purpose of this study is to examine the perceived sports literacy of…

Objective: Studies conducted with Latina/o populations suggest there are gendered norms surrounding drinking behavior, but research examining alcohol use among Latina college students in the context of traditional feminine gender role (TFGR) norms, is scarce. Participants and Methods: 405 Latina undergraduates completed a web-based study of…

Objective: To examine the association of multiple health behaviors to mental health functioning in male and female collegiate athletes. Participants: Prospective National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletes (n = 183) completed a health and wellness survey in the summer prior to joining the athletic program. Methods: Health…

Early adolescents often hear messages like "Don't spend too much time on your phone!" Yet little is known about how middle school youth regulate their smartphone usage. To help fill that gap, the authors held a week-long summer workshop to explore early adolescents' perspectives on positive and healthy social media usage. A…

Background: Teen pregnancy continues to burden families, communities, and society. Programs continue to educate and impower youth and young adults to make positive behavioral decisions. Methods: We evaluated a program aimed at high-risk youth in after-school programs. The goal of the program was to instill a sense of community and empathy, as well…

Purpose: Mental health problems are a growing concern on college campuses. Although postsecondary institutions often provide mental health services to students free of charge, it is unclear which students access such treatment and why. Methods: This study examined predictors of mental health treatment among college students. 2,280 students…

This study aimed to determine whether problematic internet use and healthy lifestyle behaviors among high school students varied by gender, grade level, academic average, and school type variables and to investigate the relationship between problematic internet use and healthy lifestyle behaviors. The sample of the study consisted of a total of…

Following the widespread adoption of free primary education, African policymakers are now considering making secondary school free, but little is known about the private and social benefits of free secondary education. We exploit randomized assignment to secondary school scholarships among 2,064 youths in Ghana, combined with 12 years of data, to…

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems that can occur during…

Homelessness threatens the well-being of over 1.3 million school children in the United States. Many more students are believed to experience homelessness each year, but they go unrecognized. This report provides new estimates of student homelessness in high school, and the experiencing accompanying it, based on data from the 2019 Youth Risk…

Social marketing campaigns are effective in promoting health behavior changes in individuals and communities. Mississippi State University Extension Service's (MSU Extension) Office of Nutrition Education launched a statewide social marketing campaign branded HappyHealthy to target nutrition and healthy lifestyle-related behaviors of Supplemental…

Parkinson's disease is a progressive movement condition and, after Alzheimer's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Parkinson's disease has no proven cure. However, efforts are being made to improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson's. Quality of life encompasses a variety of domains, including nutritional health.…

How to foster wise decision-making generally and among young people in particular has been the subject of numerous studies. Professionals working in the field of student life struggle to accomplish two goals on campus: foster quality decision-making and curb irresponsible behavior. Given the range of choices confronting college students, it is no…

The Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is administered by the Montana Office of Public Instruction every two years to students in grades 7 through 12. The purpose of the survey is to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems…