Compared adopted and nonadopted adolescents across variety of measures. Found that adopted adolescents were at higher risk in all domains examined, including school achievement and problems, psychological well-being, and physical health. Effect sizes for group differences were larger for males, younger or older adolescents, Hispanics or Asians,…

Examines current social issues and the challenge of raising children under such conditions. Discusses elements of a socially toxic environment such as violence, poverty, disruption of family relationships, trauma, and alienation, and their effects on child development. Encourages a commitment to improve the quality of the social environment to…

Most discussions about narrowing the achievement gap focus on ways to provide disadvantaged children with schooling comparable to that received by middle-class kids. Addressing deficiencies in children's social environment, health, housing, and family income would be more effective and would probably reduce special-education spending. (MLH)

Delineates observations about the experiences of youth and how well they are being prepared for adulthood in the twenty-first century in the following areas: adolescent life stage; family; peer relationships; health and well-being; education and employment; civic engagement, government, and inter-group relations; media and information technology;…

Discusses common misconceptions about physical activity among children (e.g., children are fragile, children are miniature adults, girls are not interested in physical activity, and all skills are motor skills), offering alternatives for change (e.g., recognizing children's unique physical activity needs, promoting opportunities for girls, and…

Presents information on physical activity levels in young children. Provides guidelines for appropriately promoting physical activity in early childhood classrooms, focusing on movement concepts of body, space, effort, and relationship. Includes appropriate teaching strategies and activities. Concludes that guided movement instruction helps…

Infants under age 1 constituted the most deaths recorded for any age group among Native people on the Yakama Indian Reservation (Washington), between 1914 and 1964. Poverty conditions, including poor diet and unsanitary housing; social anomie; and lack of adequate health care contributed to infant deaths. Data tables and figures detail infant…

Healthy Families Alaska is a program that identifies families at risk of having children with poor health outcomes and provides intensive paraprofessional home visitation services specific to individual family needs and culturally relevant to Native families. Program goals, elements of effective home visitations, enrollment procedures, service…

A study of 150 children and adolescents with reactive attachment disorder found that inpatient admission was related to limited psychosocial strengths, previous hospitalization, and history of sexual abuse. Most children admitted to inpatient care were rural and had never received community-based services. Implications for public health education,…

This paper provides further evidence to challenge the scepticism of successful interprofessional working. It is a story of a project to support families and children, more specifically, isolated mothers, and the use of continuous quality improvement and action research methodologies to engage a community and change service provision. Based on…

Reaffirming its leadership role toward better oral health for all Americans, the ADA has produced a white paper that also challenges policy-makers and the US to improve access to dental services. The white paper, "State and Community Models for Improving Access to Dental Care for the Underserved," was presented October 1 to the House of…

This article discusses the social fabrication of risk and ill health in the United Kingdom and how it affect the physical education curriculum and physical education teachers. It is now well over 60 years since the publication in Britain of the Board of Education?s (1933) "Syllabus For Physical Training For Schools." It was a remarkable…

Do parental marital conflict and dissolution influence the risk trajectory of children's physical health risk? This paper reviews evidence addressing this question in the context of understanding how early environmental adversities may trigger a succession of risks that lead to poor health in childhood and greater risk for chronic health problems…

Academic achievement and high test scores are not the only indicators of a successful school. A good school is also a safe school. Unfortunately, every year in the United States, approximately 3.7 million students suffer an injury at school severe enough to require medical attention or to limit activity. Most of the injuries are preventable. Data…

This Technical Assistance Paper offers guidance to programs regarding the implementation of the "Head Start Program Performance Standards" on child health and developmental services, child health and safety, and child nutrition. The paper examines how physical health influences children's development and how child health and development…