Describes multilevel recruitment strategies for High 5 Alabama, a school-based study designed to change fourth graders' fruit and vegetable intake. The paper discusses district-, school-, teacher-, and individual-level recruitment; compares participants to nonparticipants; and presents results from teacher perception surveys. Recruitment success…

Reviews current literature on school enrollment-based health insurance programs underway or pending in the United States, focusing on initiatives in Florida, New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Texas and discussing programs in several other states. The paper discusses problems with uninsuredness in the United States and examines innovations in child…

Investigated overweight adolescents' attitudes toward the development of school-based weight control programs, examining their level of interest in participating and noting outcomes they desired. Interviews with 61 adolescents indicated they were interested provided the programs were enjoyable, informative, caring, and supportive; did not conflict…

Children who are exposed to violence may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To effectively work with children's responses to trauma, school personnel must be familiar with symptoms of PTSD and prepare possible coping strategies. The paper presents examples of affective, cognitive, and behavioral coping strategies that are effective for…

CD-ROMs (compact disc read-only memory) are useful in teaching health education, though there are very few available. The paper describes CD-ROM use in classrooms, examining enhanced individual learning experiences and focusing on CD-ROM use in health education. It also offers a listing of health-related CD-ROMs that are currently available. (SM)

Discusses school health services, adolescent immunization, current school immunization practices, and support for school-based immunization programs. Children and adolescents can receive preventive health services, including immunizations and monitoring of immunization levels. Expanding school health services could improve the immunization levels…

This study examined state adolescent immunization requirements and the regulatory context in which immunization programs operate, identifying current state regulations on informed parental consent. Data from the LEXIS-NEXIS legal database and surveys of state immunization program officials indicated that parental consent was standard in 43 states.…

A new strategy to improve the delivery of vaccination services to adolescents and to integrate recommendations for vaccination with other adolescent preventive services promotes vaccination of young adolescents by establishing routine visits to their health care providers. Recommendations for vaccination are based on new or current information for…

This paper examines key steps in the integration of school-based health centers in Massachusetts into managed care and describes the administrative and clinical impact of these relationships. Strategies include enhancing communication between SBHCs and health maintenance organizations, standardizing school-based care, and mandating integration of…

Critical steps in developing these curricula included: selecting integrative theory to address multidimensional antecedents of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse among Native Americans; using ethnography to obtain input from target groups and community members to ensure developmental and cultural sensitivity; and using process and outcome evaluations of…

The Project Northland peer participation program tested the feasibility and effect of involving students in planning and promoting alcohol-free peer social activities. Longitudinal studies indicated nearly half of the student cohort participated. There was a relationship between students' involvement with planning and lower rate of alcohol use.…

This study examined how brief nurse consultations helped prevent alcohol use among urban youth. Surveys of sixth-eighth graders who did and did not complete the consultations indicated that intervention students reduced and control students increased their heavy drinking following the intervention. There were no differences on other alcohol use…

Presents a strategy for health and home economics teachers to use in evaluating secondary students' eating and nutritional patterns. Students keep two-day food journals then complete a colorful personal food pyramid with the results. This creates a personal pyramid of food choices that lets students explore their eating habits. (SM)

Describes three community health center projects to develop and expand school-based mental health and violence prevention services. Key project features include: customized services; effective referral systems; confidentiality measures; and appropriate space, location, and staffing. Principal issues are integration and coordination, funding, and…

This study examined how pharmaceuticals were dispensed in one Florida county's public elementary, middle, and high schools and in six private schools. Surveys indicated that of 28,134 children surveyed, 1,016 received 5,411 doses of medication from school personnel, who were not necessarily health care personnel. Methylphenidate was the most…