Background: Childhood obesity is a national epidemic that disproportionately affects Hispanic children. Evidence suggests that increased acculturation among this population adversely affects diet and other healthy lifestyle characteristics, leading to higher rates of overweight and obesity. Healthy lifestyle characteristics must be understood in…

This study provides information about prevention and control practices in intervention and comparison secondary schools 2 years after the start-up of the Texas Tobacco Prevention Initiative. The intervention, which was funded through the Texas Department of State Health Services, consisted of guidance, training, technical assistance, and…

School districts are increasingly initiating random drug-testing (RDT) programs in an effort to curb substance-use rates among students, yet little is known about student attitudes toward RDT and potential obstacles to program acceptance and effectiveness. The authors surveyed 1011 9th through 11th grade students in 2 rural high schools in North…

The influence of the physical and economic presence of tobacco crops on smoking behavior and related attitudes of students in tobacco-raising regions was measured by a Tobacco Crop Intensity variable. Implications for government agricultural and educational policy are discussed. (Author/DF)

This paper describes five key trends in the ways the rules for education are changing, the potential implications of the changes, and challenges for those promoting school health education. (SM)