Background: In Colombia, the prevalence of overweight/obesity in children has increased by 26% in the past 5 years. School food environment may be an important contributor and offers opportunities for effective intervention. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 7- to 14-year-old schoolchildren from 10 schools in Bogotá, Colombia. We…

Objective: To assess college students' sexual and reproductive health (SRH) literacy experiences, specific to contraception use and STI prevention. Participants: In Spring 2015, participants (n = 43) from a large institution participated in six focus groups (two male and four females groups). Methods: Focus groups were guided by the health…

CDPHE [Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment], CDE [Colorado Department of Education] and the Governor's Office worked together to develop this guidance for Local Public Health agencies (LPHAs) and districts as they develop school plans. The guidance has been drafted in light of evolving scientific knowledge about the spread of…

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…

School health programs are united by their desire to promote health and health-related outcomes among youth. They are also united by the fact that their expected effects are contingent on successful program implementation, which is often impeded by a multitude of real-world barriers. Techniques used in management science may help optimize…

Heavy drinking among college students has been identified as a major public health concern in the United States. While research on college drinking is extensive, it is almost exclusively focused on white non-Hispanic populations, with minimal attention to ethnic minority groups--particularly the Hispanic college student. The aim of this study was…

Aims: The non-medical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is an emergent health behaviour among undergraduate college students. This study examined the prevalence, primary motivations and risk factors associated with lifetime and current NMUPS among undergraduates. Methods: An anonymous survey examining the NMUPS behaviour was administered…

Few empirical studies exist to guide researchers in determining the number of focus groups necessary for a research study. The analyses described here provide foundational evidence to help researchers in this regard. We conducted a thematic analysis of 40 focus groups on health-seeking behaviors of African American men in Durham, North Carolina.…

Physical activity declines among children in their tweens and teens. To address physical inactivity as a health risk, national organizations are endorsing the implementation of comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs). The purpose of this article is to describe the history of school-coordinated approaches to addressing health…

The preceding articles provide important examples and guidance for the provision of high-quality behavioral health services for children and adolescents in schools. In this article, we discuss (a) the conceptual framework that underlies the need to develop comprehensive integrated care, (b) the foundational implementation issues that need to be…

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between adolescents' adherence to the 5-2-1-0 goals and the number of completed Progressive Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) laps. Methods: Participants included 1792 students aged 10 to 16 years who were randomly selected across 9 data collection periods between 2012 and…

Objective: Fraternity and sorority members have one of the highest smoking rates among college students, yet little is known about the social influences on smoking within this subculture. The objective of this study was to examine sorority and fraternity member beliefs about smoking and alcohol use. Methods: In-depth individual interviews were…

Background: Adolescents with intellectual disability have high levels of unrecognized disease and inadequate health screening/promotion which might be addressed by improving health advocacy skills. Methods: A parallel-group cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate whether a health intervention package, consisting of…

A healthy lifestyle is important for mothers during the postpartum period. This study was conducted to determine the effects of a lifestyle educational package in primiparous women. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 220 mothers assigned to two groups using block randomization. In the intervention group, the mothers received…

Growing from a multi-year and multidisciplinary research and applied arts investigative team based in North America, this essay presents a model of how performative engagements contribute to individual behavioural change in wellness practices. To be even more specific, this essay analyses and theorises the mechanisms involved in the application of…