Background: The rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled during the past 30?years. Research shows that prevention at an early age is more effective than treatment later in life. Energize is a multicomponent intervention incorporated into the school day that combines nutrition education and physical activity aimed at maintaining healthy…

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…

The 1998 National Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey measured health risk behaviors at alternative high schools. Many alternative students engaged in behaviors that made them high-risk for serious problems (e.g., motor vehicle safety, violence, nutrition, sexuality, exercise, and substance abuse). Their prevalence of high risk…

Summarizes results from 1999 national school-based surveys and trends during 1991-99 in selected youth risk behaviors as well as 33 state and 16 local school-based surveys. Prevalence of several injury-related behaviors and sexual behaviors have improved. Current smoking rates may be declining. Certain risk behaviors are more common among…

Investigated whether school violence among high school students related to substance use and availability of illegal drugs at school, examining the associations of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana and availability of illegal drugs with five school violence indicators. Data from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that school violence…

Managed care organizations (MCOs) and school health programs share some common goals and some competing, conflicting priorities. Partnerships between the two are important for the effective coordination and delivery of comprehensive adolescent health services. This paper discusses adolescent clinical preventive services, school health services,…

Summarizes results from the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and trends from 1991 to 1997 in selected risk behaviors. Results indicate that many high school students still practice behaviors that place them at risk for serious health problems, with some behaviors more likely among particular subgroups. Some behaviors vary considerably…

School health education programs and health services can directly help meet 34 objectives of the national disease prevention and health promotion strategy and can contribute to the attainment of 33 others. Objectives of the disease prevention strategy are discussed, and evolution of the project is recounted. (PP)

This article introduces school health programs in a comprehensive manner. These programs consist of health services, health education, school environment, health promotion, physical education, food service, counseling and psychology, as well as programs for faculty and staff. It serves as an introduction to an issue devoted to this concept. (MT)

School health education programs should fulfill five expectations: (1) increase understanding about individual and societal health; (2) increase individuals' decision-making skills about health behaviors; (3) increase individuals' abilities to engage in conducive health behaviors; (4) help individuals in their efforts to change health behavior;…

The School Health Policies and Programs Study assessed health education, physical education, health services, food service, and policies prohibiting violence, tobacco use, and alcohol and other drug use at state, district, school, and classroom levels. State questionnaires found several common themes across the components of school health…