The Florida School Violence Policies and Programs Study assessed characteristics of violence prevention and control policies and education in Florida's school districts. Most districts report increased student violence. They have responded with policies and programs to a greater extent than have districts nationwide. Most districts offer relevant…

Examined the relationship between self-esteem and smoking behavior among Japanese elementary and junior high school students. Surveys of students indicated that those who had never smoked had higher cognitive, family, and global self-esteem but lower physical self-esteem than did smokers. Grade and gender were significantly related to self-esteem,…

Assessed readiness to be or stay physically active among 5th and 6th graders using the Stage of Change paradigm. Student surveys indicated that 40% were in the precontemplation stage and 60% were in post-action stages. Significantly more boys than girls were in maintenance, and more girls than boys were in contemplation. Attitudes toward physical…

Examined trends in cigarette smoking among high school students in 11 states that collected Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data during the 1990s. Student self-reports indicated that in 6 states, the prevalence of current smoking and frequent smoking increased. For five smoking behaviors, trends among students in most of the states were…

Surveys on the collaborative experiences of colleges, state-level organizations, and school districts related to comprehensive school health programs (CHSP) in 12 states found four collaborative outcomes (training, consultation, research, and networking) and five dimensions of collaboration (interpersonal and organizational interactions, level of…

Evaluated two adolescent tobacco-cessation programs based on stages of change: an educational program for adolescents not yet thinking about quitting and a cessation program for adolescents ready to quit. Participant evaluation indicated that both interventions successfully helped reduce adolescent smoking. The educational program was the most…

Examined age, gender, ethnicity, self-esteem, physical activity, parental smoking, and socioeconomic status as predictors of smokeless tobacco use among middle-school students. Student surveys indicated that males, Hispanics, and older students were more likely to be current smokeless-tobacco users. Other influential factors were low self-esteem…

Tested the construct validity of an effective psychosocial smoking-prevention curriculum on mediating variables considered responsible for decreasing adolescent smoking initiation, examining Social Cognitive Theory constructs hypothesized as essential for program effectiveness. Results of data from 6th graders in treatment and comparison groups…

Investigated ethnic and gender differences in frequency of use and healthfulness of bag lunches at school. Surveys of middle school students and their parents indicated that one-half of students brought bag lunches, with boys doing so more often than girls. There were ethnic differences in the use of seven foods and whether foods were regular or…

Examines three disorders that can affect female athletes who focus on succeeding athletically and achieving a prescribed body weight: disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. The paper presents prevention and treatment suggestions for athletes with eating disorders, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Recommends that…

Investigated how European, national, and local goals of the European Network of Health Promoting Schools (ENHPS) have been realized in Finnish schools. Teacher surveys highlighted the substantial development related to health promotion in Finnish ENHPS schools. Safe school environments were emphasized. Networking with other schools was encouraged…

Helps school personnel become more proactive in identifying the educational implications of students' chronic illness, clarifying the definitions of relevant terms and estimating the size of the population. The potential impact of common disease processes, treatments, and medications are reviewed; risks of chronic absenteeism are noted; and…

Investigated the age at first cigarette use among rural and small town elementary students. Age-appropriate surveys of kindergarten through sixth-grade students indicated no significant difference in smoking between students in grades K-5, but smoking increased significantly in sixth grade. The strongest predictor variables were having tried…

Tested the efficacy of a modified nutrition education program for elementary students. Sixteen nutrition lessons were taught alternately by special resource teachers (SRTs) and classroom teachers (as opposed to 24 lessons taught by SRTs). Surveys, observations, interviews, and plate waste data indicated that treatment students had greater…

Describes an epidemiology of school injuries in Utah's public schools, analyzing 1990-97 school injury data from a standardized Student Injury Report form. Results find that 85 percent of the state's 44,565 school injuries were evaluated at a medical facility. High risk students were males and students in 4th-6th grades. Contributing factors…