Children and adults in communities of color and low-income communities face disproportionately high exposures to environmental hazards and, consequently, greater risk of experiencing adverse health impacts from these exposures. Almost two thirds of children under 6 with elevated blood lead levels are children of color living in disadvantaged…

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) increasingly is being used to study and address environmental justice. This article presents the results of a cross-site case study of four CBPR partnerships in the United States that researched environmental health problems and worked to educate legislators and promote relevant public policy. The…

As babies, toddlers, and preschoolers spend more and more time in child care programs, those programs have an increasingly significant effect on their healthy social and emotional development. The impact and quality of caregivers' relationships with children contribute to the quality of young children's mental health. A mental health consultant…

Physical activity levels begin to decline in childhood and continue falling throughout adolescence, with girls being at greatest risk for inactivity. Schools are ideal settings for helping girls develop and maintain a physically active lifestyle. This paper describes the design and implementation of "Lifestyle Education for Activity Program", or…

A random population survey administered by mail to examine lay people's views of children's food policies and their associations with demographics, personal values and confidence in authorities was conducted among adults in Victoria, Australia. Three hundred and seventy-seven people responded (response rate 57.6%). The questionnaire contained 35…

The increase in childhood obesity over the past several decades, together with the associated health problems and costs, is raising grave concern among health care professionals, policy experts, children's advocates, and parents. Patricia Anderson and Kristin Butcher document trends in children's obesity and examine the possible underlying causes…

The purpose of this research was to examine the characteristics of older Canadians with dementia (compared to those without dementia), their use of health care services, and the impact of place (rural/urban) on use of services. Andersen and Newman's Behavioural Model of Health Services Use (1973) guided the study. A cross-sectional design used…

This report examines the results of the "Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire" given to 48,297 pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 in the United Kingdom. Survey services are tailored to suit a cooperative method of working between different agencies supporting health promotion at community level. Survey origin, development over time,…

Most discussions of welfare reform ignore two factors: its effect on children; and the fact that a welfare reform law, the Family Support Act of 1988 (FSA), already exists. FSA created state Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) welfare-to-work programs, and if the JOBS program is adequately funded, it can improve the lives of welfare…

New threats to the health of American children, often psychosocial in nature due to societal changes, must be addressed. The Minnesota School Health Education Model is based on the integration of four primary components: (1) school health education goals aimed at health promotion, disease prevention, and long-term positive health effects on…

This report consists of brief descriptions of projects that, for the most part, are current or were completed in the last 3 years by the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. The first section, "Problem-Oriented Services for Children and Families," describes 27 studies involving children's problems and the systems…

These two 1995 issues of the journal "Offspring," a publication of the Michigan Council of Cooperative Nursery Schools, cover a variety of topics familiar to nursery school and day care providers including the mission of the publication. Articles are short pieces useful to practitioners and are frequently accompanied by classroom activities.…

A study examined the preparation of sick children's nurses to work in communities in the United Kingdom. Data were collected from the following: literature review; mail survey of the 43 colleges of nursing currently conducting the United Kingdom's Child Branch program for children's nursing (response rate, 81%); 18 focus group interviews with a…

This guide provides states, local agencies, policy makers, and early childhood service providers with an understanding of the provisions of two laws, the reauthorization of Head Start and the reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It presents background information and important issues on early childhood care and…

This booklet provides a guide for adults, parents, older siblings, and caregivers to help children develop constructive attitudes about present and future drug use. The first part of the guide focuses on role models in early childhood and implications of their behavior for children's future drug use, noting that parents, family, and the community…