Using a new method to measure identity, we attempt to capture salient identities of young children developing into "good students." Using a nationally representative sample of American kindergarteners who advance to the first grade, derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, we examine identities based on socio-economic status,…

Children and adults in communities of color and low-income communities face disproportionately high exposures to environmental hazards and, consequently, greater risk of experiencing adverse health impacts from these exposures. Almost two thirds of children under 6 with elevated blood lead levels are children of color living in disadvantaged…

Unhealthy diets, lack of fitness, and obesity are serious problems in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control, Surgeon General, and Department of Health and Human Services are calling for action to address these problems. Scientists and educators at Baylor College of Medicine and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute teamed…

A meta-analysis of eight studies, involving 192 subjects, was performed to ascertain the efficacy of hospitalization of children with nonorganic failure to thrive. Hospitalization was found to approximately double the probability of catch-up physical growth for the children, but psychosocial development was only modestly hastened by…

Examines young children's physical development and how growth is linked to cognitive and social development. Discusses problems in American children's diets and the use of height-for-age and weight-for-height as indicators of physical maturity. Considers complexities of the physical-cognitive relationship and identifies possible ways that social…

Surveyed Japanese high school students' health risk behavior patterns, examining clustering and accumulation of health risk behaviors. Physical inactivity and alcohol use were the most common risk behaviors. Prevalence rates for most risk behaviors varied by demographic variables. Smoking, drinking, and sexual intercourse clustered among both…

Investigated relationships between physical activity and athletic participation and body-size perceptions, diet, and weight-control practice among high school students, noting racial and gender differences. Surveys indicated that diet quality improved and weight-loss attempts increased as physical activity and athletic participation increased.…

Background: In an earlier series of studies, we documented the effects of feeding practices and postnatal maternal mood on the growth and development of 226 Barbadian children during the first few months of life. In this report, we extend our earlier studies by examining predictive relationships between infant size, feeding practices and…

National surveys that have tracked weight and physical activity in the United States for more than 40 years have shown a continuing increase in the number of overweight children and adolescents. Overweight children and adolescents are showing an increase in diseases related to overweight: Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and…

The health practices of school nurses affect our role as advocates and educators to promote the health of youth. This study describes the health practices of a convenience sample of 388 school nurses who attended the business meeting at an annual school nurse conference. A self-administered, 40-item questionnaire identified health practices of…

Very little is known about body satisfaction among minority children. This study examined the relationship between perceived and actual body size and Body Mass Index among 43 low-socioeconomic Hispanic 3rd-graders. Researchers measured participants' Body Mass Index; students self-reported Perceived Ideal Self Image and Perceived Actual Self Image…

We investigate whether underweight, normal-weight, overweight, and obese Americans differ in their evaluations of positive and negative aspects of their interpersonal relationships. Analyses are based on data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study, a survey of more than 3,000 adults ages 25 to 74 in 1995. We find no…

Critically reviews the influential study "Malnutrition and Environmental Enrichment" by Winick et al. (1975) and highlights what are considered to be statistical flaws in its analysis. Data in the classic study of height, weight, and IQ changes in three groups of adopted, malnourished Korean girls are reanalysed and conclusions…

Sex, body size, several sociocultural variables, and status rank were measured in mixed-sex small groups. The intervening sociocultural variables explained some but not all of the interrelationships. Results underscore the empirical vulnerability of social-psychological explanations of sex-role behavior and signal the need for further research.…

Tested Jessor's (1987) model of three overlapping domains relevant to adolescent health promotion using multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS). MDS yielded three dimensions--labeled positive coping resources, conventional/unconventional, and underweight/overweight--that revealed clusters of behaviors largely coinciding with Jessor's three…