Young children receive higher doses of pesticides than any other age group. The younger a child is the more difficulty the body will have in coping with toxins in general. Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) do not adequately protect children. Evidence of harm from a pesticide often has to be overwhelmingly strong before anything is done about it.…

Describes phase two of an ongoing initiative to help public schools meet the health and education needs of students with chronic health conditions. The Health and Education Leadership Project encourages participation and support of school administrators, who assemble health teams; respects the multiple demands placed on educators; and helps…

Data from a nationwide survey of school districts were used to contrast roles of nurses and health assistants in school health programs. Results indicated that nurses were underused in school health education. Health assistants tended to administer medication and basic first aid, and nurses provided technically involved clinical services. (SM)

Presents the position of the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants regarding delegation of school health services to unlicensed personnel, explaining what school health means, what safe delegation of school nursing activities requires, and how the nurse uses professional judgment to determine which activities may be delegated and…

A sick school building has indoor air problems that pose health risks for everyone inside. The paper discusses what makes a school sick and what interested parties can do about it by targeting the problem together, making classroom changes, and making schoolwide changes. Resources for further information are included. (SM)

The playground safety movement has made great strides since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued its "Handbook for Public Playground Safety." The movement has been helped by compliance with American Society for Testing and Materials standards. Improvements in supervision, equipment, and surfacing have significantly reduced…

Describes several legislative initiatives concerning indoor school environments, such as the Healthy and High Performance Schools Act of 2001, and the problem of lack of funding appropriations even for initiatives that gained lawmakers' support. (EV)

Evaluated effects on children in Bosnia and Herzegovina of a 5-month psychosocial intervention program of weekly group meetings for mothers. Found that although all participants were exposed to severe trauma, their distress varied considerably. The intervention program had a positive effect on mothers' mental health, children's weight gain, and…

Describes adolescents' use of school-based health clinics (SBCs) for family planning and sexually transmitted disease (STD)-related services, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results indicated that 13 percent received family planning and 8.9 percent received STD-related services from SBCs. Factors affecting the…

Identifies professional responsibilities, educational requirements, and current use of certified athletic trainers in prevention and care of high school sports injuries, using literature from the MEDLINE and Health STAR databases. Whereas most high school sports injuries are minor, adequately trained personnel should be present to ensure early…

Analysis of data from the Puerto Rican Maternal and Infant Health Study found that recent migrants to the U.S. mainland experienced fewer stressful life events and engaged in fewer negative health behaviors during pregnancy than U.S.-born Puerto Rican women. Recent migrants also exhibited better infant health outcomes than childhood migrants or…

Examined neuropsychological functioning of survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia who underwent central-nervous-system prophylactic treatment. Findings replicated past research in showing survivors perform poorly on visual-motor integration tasks and develop a Nonverbal Learning Disability. Findings offer recommendations for future research and…

Examined health care policies and services for children under 46 state welfare agencies. Found that most states had written policies regarding health care for foster children, but half had no management system to record health care data. Most states did not meet standards set by the Child Welfare League of America for health care of these…

One goal of physical education is to help children carry a physically active lifestyle over from childhood to adulthood. To motivate children in this direction, activity must be fun. This article discusses what makes games fun and describes how one elementary school developed low-organization games, evaluated student enjoyment levels, and…

Individuals are bombarded every day with data on obesity and its health consequences, with information on weight loss treatments and their successes and failures, and with tips on how to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity. Obesity has become a global epidemic, termed globesity (World Health Organization, 2003), and seen by many…