Reports an Australian study that investigated the proportion of elementary students previously taught about stranger abduction who detected they were being followed. Observations of 15 children who were followed once a week for four weeks indicated the children only detected they were being followed 3% of the time. (SM)

Reports findings from the final year of a tobacco use prevention project for junior and senior high school students. After three years of intervention with junior high students, researchers assessed the relative effectiveness of continued, lapsed, and delayed interventions in high school. In grade 11, continued intervention students had the lowest…

Research indicates that leisure participation enhances health at various levels, reducing stress and promoting better physical and mental health. Participation in personally meaningful leisure activities serves as a buffer to life's stressful events. Leisure professionals must work to promote leisure as a priority in people's lives. (SM)

Research shows that parks and recreation services provide people with opportunities that have substantial positive health effects, resulting in massive public-health cost savings. In a rapidly changing world, the ability to adapt and collaborate is critical for leisure services professionals. Recreation and parks must be reconceptualized to remain…

Compared physical activity patterns among Asian, African, white, and Hispanic, American college students. Self-report data indicated that nearly half of the sample did not engage in vigorous physical activity, and 16.7 percent were inactive. Weight-training, youthful physical activity, and television viewing accounted for a significant portion of…

A research review discusses individual versus societal responsibility as it relates to health promotion among African Americans. The paper suggests that blacks should hold themselves more personally responsible for solving their own problems while rejecting debilitating forms of extreme self-blame. Recommendations for improving the health of…

Reports a study that examined the physical activity habits of African-American college freshmen at a historically African-American institution. Self-report measures of physical activity and assessment of height and weight indicated males were more active than females. Overall, the students, especially females, had low physical activity levels. (SM)

Presents survey data on low-income elderly people. Examined sociocultural and quality-of-life variables as they affected use of health care and transportation services. More than half of respondents did not receive medical care despite reporting multiple symptoms. Most participants relied upon public transportation to obtain health services. (RJM)

Examines the prevalence of self-reported enrollment, attendance, and participation in school physical education, noting dietary patterns among students in grades 9-12 from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Percentages of students participating varied significantly. Males participated and exercised more than females. Very few students…

Costs and benefits that adolescents perceive for engaging or not engaging in potentially health-harming behaviors of alcohol use and nonmarital sexual intercourse were studied for over 2,400 seventh through twelfth graders. Perceptions of costs and benefits are related to gender, age, and the behaviors themselves. (SLD)

Berkeley Nutrition Study followed 180 children longitudinally to investigate whether child rearing practices, health beliefs, demographics, and parental characteristics related to childhood obesity. Results indicated a high mother-daughter correlation. Other factors included how often per day the child ate, irregular eating patterns, and parental…

Adolescents privately recorded open-ended descriptions of problematic social situations related to sex. Issues mentioned included birth control, pregnancy, condom use/nonuse, violence, alcohol use, and rape. Few mentioned concerns about sexually transmitted diseases. Subjects who included alcohol as a problem were more likely to describe a variety…

Investigated determinants of participation in moderately and vigorously intense physical activity among African-American and Caucasian adolescent female high school students. Survey results indicated differences in psychosocial predictors of physical activity by type of activity and ethnic group. Self-efficacy and school sport participation were…

Assessed the impact of school organizational characteristics on outcomes of a teacher health behavior change program. Organizational, dietary, and psychologic data from intervention and control schools indicated that teachers at intervention schools with high organizational climate, organizational health, and job satisfaction reported better…

Investigated whether college level peer educators were adequately prepared to teach peers about sexual health, sexual assault, and substance abuse. They completed 20 hours of training on the issues and on public speaking, leadership, and presentation skills. Pretesting and posttesting indicated that the program increased students' factual…