Used a national survey of school based health clinic directors to assess the success of clinics in terms of longevity and service delivery, testing factors, particularly political factors, thought to impinge upon their ability to function effectively. Results indicated that factors most consistently and significantly associated with success…

Discusses the relationship between health literacy and advocacy for health and health education, identifying health advocacy competencies for students and teachers, delineating health education's role in developing health-literate citizens and training health educators as advocates, and examining recent initiatives in school health education and…

This literature review identifies characteristics and elements of promising school-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs, focusing on abstinence-based programs, abstinence- and contraceptive-based programs, life option enhancement programs, and role-playing programs. Results suggest that programs with a more comprehensive approach have…

Many attempts have been made to address the problem of teenage premarital sexual activity in order to reduce the number of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The authors review some of those efforts and attempt to identify effective approaches. Implications for research are also presented. (Author)

Describes the efforts, outcomes, and recommendations from an urban California school district's pilot program for vaccinating preteens in two diverse urban middle schools. Barriers and strategies included staff inexperience, educating students, informing parents, tracking vaccinations, coping with language diversity, and creating individualized…

Pretest-posttest results from 66 students in community nursing and 71 medical students in a family practice rotation showed that nursing students had significantly higher self-efficacy for health counseling at the posttest and 3 months later. Nurses' self-efficacy scores were significantly related to use of health promotion principles. (SK)

Discusses the importance of schools working to reduce youth violence and creating safe environments for students. Examines the causes of juvenile crime and looks at the juvenile justice system, parental responsibility, and five areas of public school responsibility (parent participation programs, school security procedures, safe school programs,…

This 1963 paper explains that physicians must help balance their patients' desire to live a pleasurable life with their desire to be healthy, noting that if they insist upon only health-promoting behaviors, their patients will view them as being "warriors against pleasure" and may not follow their advice. (SM)

Many recent grant initiatives have mandated coalition building as a key component of their health promotion efforts. Health service leaders are increasingly representing their organizations on coalitions and need to better understand the complexities involved in their creation and management. In this paper we focus on the implementation of a…

The 2002 Future of School Psychology Conference called for reform of current models of professional school psychology, including a paradigm shift toward a public health model of practice. This article explores the role of school psychologists in efforts to achieve an integrated public health and public education model for delivering comprehensive…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals often are called upon to work with groups that are seeking to create healthier communities. This article offers an expanded perspective on what it means to include a family focus in these discussions and it answers the question, How does a family perspective lead to different solutions for creating…

Health and educational leaders are sounding the alarm about the unhealthy condition of many students in America's K-12 schools. Each day, new scientific studies confirm that "The majority of American youth are sedentary and do not eat well. Sixteen percent of school-aged children and adolescents--or nine million--are overweight, a figure that has…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine determinants of teachers' intentions to teach physically active physical education classes (i.e., spend at least 50% of class time with the students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity). Based on the theory of planned behavior, a model was examined hypothesizing that teachers'…

According to a survey by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, over 76% of parents concerned about the escalating childhood obesity rates and the rise of Type II diabetes, see daily physical activity as key to optima health and academic success. Physical education program should help students develop health-related fitness,…

In recent years efforts have been made to emphasize the need for physical education by showing how physical activity helps students reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; strengthen bones and muscles; supply energy, reduce stress, and help maintain a healthy body weight. This article describes a variety of proactive fitness strategies…