Background: Professional development (PD) and collaboration help ensure the quality of school health education. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in the percentage of lead health education teachers (LHETs) receiving PD on health topics and collaborating with other school staff on health education activities. Methods: This study…

Background: School-based risk behavior surveys traditionally have been administered via paper-and-pencil. This study assessed the feasibility of conducting in-class online surveys in US high schools. Methods: A paper-and-pencil questionnaire assessing computer availability and perceptions of online surveys was mailed to a nationally representative…

Background: The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs in the United States ever conducted. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts SHPPS every 6 years. In 2006, computer-assisted telephone interviews or self-administered mail…

Background: The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 examined 8 components of school health programs: health education, physical education and activity, health services, mental health and social services, nutrition services, healthy and safe school environment, faculty and staff health promotion, and family and community…

Background: School health education can effectively help reduce the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among students and have a positive influence on students' academic performance. This article describes the characteristics of school health education policies and programs in the United States at the state, district, school, and classroom…

This paper examined changes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related risk behaviors among high school students in the United States during 1991-2005. Data from 8 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted during that period were analyzed. During 1991-2005, the percentage of US high school students engaging in HIV-related sexual risk…

In the United States, 71% of all deaths among persons aged 10-24 years result from 4 causes: motor vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 2005 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicated that during the 30 days preceding the survey, many high school students engaged in behaviors that…

This study analyzed data from the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2000 to examine the relationship between school health councils and selected school health policies and programs. SHPPS 2000 collected data from faculty and staff in a nationally representative sample of schools. About two-thirds (65.7%) of US schools have school…

Analyzed data from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 to assess the relationship between school demographics and school health policies and programs, linking interviews with school faculty and staff to extant data on school characteristics. The presence of most policies and programs differed according to school type, urbanicity,…

Conducted a data quality substudy in conjunction with the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2000 to assess the quality of study questionnaires. Validity of state and district level questionnaires was examined via telephone interviews with original respondents. A test-retest reliability of the school and classroom level…

Examined national Youth Risk Behavior Survey data and state and local surveys of high school students to investigate behaviors contributing to unintentional injuries, violence, substance use, age at initiation of risk behaviors, substance abuse on school property, sexual behaviors contributing to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases,…

Examined race, ethnic, and gender specific differences in the association between television viewing and high school students' overweight, decreased physical activity, and unhealthy dietary behaviors. Data from the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that most students' television viewing exceeded recommended levels, many students were…

Analyzed data on physical education (PE) enrollment, daily PE attendance, and being physically active in PE among high school students, using 1991-97 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. Although PE enrollment did not change over time, the prevalence of students who attended PE daily and who were physically active more than 20 minutes per class…

Introduces an issue that examines state-, district-, and school-level policies and practices for eight school health program components, summarizing findings from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 by component (health education, physical education and activity, health services, mental health/social services, food service, school…

Describes findings from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 about state- and district-level requirements and policies, standards and guidelines, evaluation, collaboration, and staffing and professional preparation; also addressing school-level requirements and policies, standards and guidelines, student assessment, collaboration,…