Pilot-tested a developmentally appropriate cancer prevention education curriculum for grades K-6, assessing its feasibility and acceptance. Pretesting and posttesting of students who participated in the program indicated that students made significant gains in conceptual understanding for cancer causality and prevention. They also made significant…

The National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health developed a professional consensus statement about adolescent sexual health. Its report for policymakers recommends that adults face the facts about adolescent sexuality and that public policies on adolescent sexual health be based on appropriate knowledge, accurate data, current theory, ongoing…

Describes adolescent girls' responses to an after-school physical activity program, examining how it functioned as a listening tool within a social marketing approach to promoting physical activity. Focus groups and interviews indicated that girls enjoyed and valued the program. Though the program did not increase girls' physical activity levels,…

Presents five articles on children's fitness and health: "Relaxation: Every Child's Right to Simply Be" (Patrice Thomas and Wendy Shepherd); "Infant Massage" (Carolyn Oleson); "Fitness and the Young Child" (James M. Poole); "Partners in Health: Helping Families Advocate for Their Children's Health Care" (Karen Sokal-Gutierrez); and "Preventing…

Provides teachers and coaches with basic safety information they must know when dealing with blood, focusing on: the likelihood of disease transmission; use of universal precautions when blood is involved (e.g., washing hands and wearing protective equipment); wearing gloves; cleaning up blood spills; and handling special situations (e.g., loss of…

Focus groups with diverse low-income women generated ideas about cardiovascular disease interventions. Women preferred programs that: addressed multiple risk factors; emphasized staying healthy for themselves; taught skills for adopting heart-healthy behaviors; and offered choices in effecting behavior change. Women stressed the need for health…

Describes the development and testing of Reach Out For Health, a peer-led, church-based breast cancer education program for African American and Hispanic communities. Pretest-posttest evaluation of screening practices and attitudes among women over age 40 indicated that the intervention was associated with improved attitudes toward mammography,…

Examines risk factors for osteoporosis that are especially relevant to the college health setting, focusing on bone development, inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake, cigarette smoking and alcohol use, steroid use and high protein diets, and physical inactivity and excessive exercise. Also presents intervention strategies for college health…

Introduces computerized tailoring and provides a brief overview of its elements and applications as well as of the papers of this issue. The articles describe the application of behavioral change theories to this new approach, advantages of computer-tailored intervention over more general mass media approaches, their effectiveness and future…

Resistance training may enhance cardiovascular health, improve body composition, increase bone mineral density, reduce anxiety and depression, reduce the risk of injury during other sports, and increase muscular strength and endurance. The paper describes the effects of resistance training on: the cardiovascular system, energy expenditure and body…

Interviewed students in grades 4-7 to determine correlates of regular participation in anti-tobacco activities and their willingness to participate if given the opportunity. Correlates of both regular participation and willingness to participate included parental discussion of tobacco use, exposure to school anti-tobacco courses, and belief that…

Defines bullying and sexual harassment, identifying characteristics of aggressors and victims, describing implications for school nurses, examining relevant federal laws, and reviewing a 10-Point Action Plan. A survey tool to assess bullying and teaching plans for parents of victims and aggressors are provided. Suggested linkages among relevant…

This 1978 paper provides school nurses with a conceptual framework for structuring their practice. In discussing each of the five concepts, the paper presents a definition, a rationale for its inclusion, and examples illustrating its applicability to school nursing practice. The five concepts are: public health, adaptation, helping relationships,…

Evaluated an intervention, conducted through black churches, to increase fruit and vegetable intake. Churches received either standard intervention; culturally sensitive, multicomponent self-help with one telephone cue call; or culturally sensitive multicomponent self-help with one cue call and three counseling calls (with motivational…

Unfortunately, for many mental health professionals classroom teachers and other educators are, at best, viewed primarily or solely as useful sources of information about a child, and their broader, invaluable roles as members of the "mental health team" are diminished or dismissed. This article examines the conceptual rationale and empirical…