A high level of work-related and recreational noise has led to a high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss in rural students. Teachers can help prevent this problem by integrating hearing conservation education with existing curricula. Educators could be trained about hearing conservation by professional audiologists. (LP)

This paper examines the meaning of "rural" in rural education research and the relationship of this meaning to the research project's design and purpose. In traditional, comparative research designs, "rural" becomes a part of research that involves or implies comparisons with the nonrural. In contrast, emergent, interpretive…

With the advent of a Scottish Parliament and a Minister and Parliamentary Committee for Rural Affairs, there is now a broad consensus that policies are needed to generate "quality jobs" for young people in rural Scotland. This agenda is politically appealing, since it addresses various rural problems, including retention of young people…

Results of three national surveys suggest that the prevalence of drinking was lower in nonmetropolitan areas than in metropolitan areas. However, nonmetro and metro areas were similar in the presence of risk for heavy, dependent, and problem drinking. Therefore, they probably share similar risks for health consequences of such levels of…

More research into illicit substance abuse in rural African-American communities is needed. The existing literature indicates that patterns of use for licit substances (alcohol and cigarettes) are either similar for rural Blacks and Whites or lower for Blacks. However, the negative health and social consequences of smoking and abusive drinking are…

This report examines the development of law-related education (LRE), discusses the extent of its implementation in rural Illinois, and describes the efforts made by the Illinois Institute for Public Understanding About the Law (IIPUAL) in bringing LRE to rural schools. The goals of LRE are to provide students with an understanding of the law and…

This document synthesizes research findings to formulate a theory to guide relaxation training in educational settings, particularly rural schools. Young people experience many intense life events that require coping skills or relaxation. Family-related stress factors include instability in the home, lack of a support system, conflicting values,…

According to the definition that a rural school district is one in which 75% or more of the population lives outside Standard Metropolitan Areas or in which student density is equal to or less than 10 pupils per square miles, 36 or 65% of West Virginia's 55 counties are classified as rural. State school policies do not specifically recognize the…

Of Virginia's 139 school districts (which are called "divisions"), 75 (or 54%) are classified as rural. A rural school district is defined as one in which 75% or more of the population lives outside Standard Metropolitan Areas or in which student density if less than or equal to 10 pupils per square mile. While there are large…

With the exception of four major metropolitan areas--Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville--Tennessee is a predominantly rural state with 56% (or 79) of its 142 school districts classified as rural. A rural school district is defined as one in which 75% or more of the population lives outside Standard Metropolitan Areas or in which…

Historically, little has been written or researched about British rural youth. Since the late 1970s, however, largely as a result of initiatives within the Youth Service, rural youth have become identified as a separate, definable area of concern and study. The present trend toward high unemployment is hitting young people particularly hard,…

A review of a medical database examined health risks to children living and working on farms. Numbers of at-risk children and the laws governing child farm work are discussed. Farm youth experienced exposures to potentially harmful chemicals and disproportionately high rates of work-related fatalities. Long-term health effects of chemical exposure…

The Illinois Rural Life Panel, a sample of approximately 2,000 residents living in Illinois' 76 nonmetropolitan counties, is surveyed annually about various issues. The 1993 survey results are reported in four brief summaries. In the first summary, which discusses health care, panelists indicated dissatisfaction with the current health-care…

In Kentucky, 105 of 178 school districts, or 59%, are classified as rural. State law and administrative regulations presume that most school districts are both rural and isolated. The environment for rural schools in the state is heavily influenced by the fact that the majority of school districts are rural. Each school district must have a…

Little is known about preventing alcohol use by youth in rural America, and almost no rural alcohol prevention program has been evaluated. To address these deficiencies, this paper critically examines the issue of alcohol use by rural youth within a public health framework. The literature is reviewed to identify what is known about the prevalence…