A study attempted to assess the nutrition knowledge of children in kindergarten through the sixth grade. Knowledge of seven broad concepts in nutrition was tested using the Nutrition Achievement Test. Results of the study indicated a widespread ignorance of nutrition on the part of school age youth. (JN)

To promote good personal hygiene practices in students, school health personnel must be informed about dental pit and fissure sealants and related programs. Adoption and maintenance of such programs may depend on the success of school health personnel in educating administrators and policymakers. (SM)

Describes schoolwide asthma screening in an inner-city Minneapolis elementary school, discussing the effectiveness and feasibility of the screening efforts. Screening methodology resulted in a simple, noninvasive, efficient approach for identifying children with current asthma in a school setting. The paper proposes how such a screening program…

Measured asthma outcomes after initiating an inner-city elementary school health center that emphasized asthma detection and treatment. Pre- and post-intervention comparison of students indicated that: hospitalization rates for asthma decreased; outpatient visits for care in the absence of symptoms doubled; numbers of students seeing an asthma…

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…

School-based programs offer an efficient means of promoting the health of a large number of children. The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program was designed to decrease risk factors for chronic disease in elementary school children and includes separate coordinated interventions for child nutrition services, physical education (PE),…

The author describes a comprehensive health services program of treatment health education and vigorous follow-up designed to meet the needs of primarily low-income, minority children (k, 3-6) in Harlem. (MB)

The use of group discussions, somewhat structured at first, to help youngsters know themselves and one another, is described by a school nurse and principal who helped establish such a program in a Denver school. (CJ)

A survey of the responses of 3,309 Louisiana students was used to determine students' meal and snacking habits at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. Student responses concerned: (1) where and why food was consumed; (2) vitamin supplements; (3) reasons meals were omitted; and (4) reaction to school lunches. (PP)

A nationwide campaign to improve and maintain immunization levels for selected preventable childhood diseases was instituted in 1977, and another program, whose goal was to eliminate indigenous measles by 1982, was instituted in 1978. Immunization levels have improved so much that attention is now focused on ways to maintain these high levels.…

Reports results from an evaluation of "Living with Sunshine," a resource to help teachers encourage positive sun-related conduct by children ages 6-8. Results indicate that children who used the materials were knowledgeable about the sun's effects and aware of sun protection methods. Both teachers and students responded enthusiastically…

Describes the "Unpuffables Program" in which two states tested receptivity to and feasibility of a smoking prevention activity package for fourth through sixth graders and parents. High awareness and participation rates were seen, and "Unpuffables" provided an opportunity to discuss smoking at home, motivating smokers to…

Minnesota Heart Health Program involved a project to reduce cardiovascular disease via school-based physical activity and health promotion. Researchers took seven annual waves of measurements from sixth graders in intervention and control communities. Results indicate school behavioral education together with community strategies can produce…

Elementary students with asthma from 74 Milwaukee schools participated in the Awesome Asthma School Day program to improve their health. Pre- and post-program surveys indicated that participants lived with many asthma-related problems and lacked asthma self-care tools. The program improved their expectations about play and sleep and their…