Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) is quickly growing in the United States, despite the unknown health implications and unregulated device contents. Although research is emerging around e-cigs in general, there continues to be a lack of scientific evidence regarding the safety and risks of e-cig use on maternal and fetal health, even though…

This essay responds to recent philosophical interest in the Anthropocene by asking (Trachtenberg in "Inhabiting the Anthropocene: how we live changes everything," 2016): Can and should educators adopt, form, transmit, teach ways of living to maintain, if not enhance Earth's habitability, especially its habitability for diverse children?…

Consideration is given in this article to the provision, practice and positioning of universal parenting programmes in Northern Ireland. The article commences with an outline of the provision of programmes that currently exist in Northern Ireland, progressing to an overview of the practice and the positioning of these programmes. This is followed…

Background: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish nutritional standards for all foods sold in schools participating in federally funded meal programs. These foods, known as competitive foods, are commonly found in school cafeterias, vending machines, fundraisers, and snack bars…

The purpose of this study was to determine Pennsylvania principals' perceptions and understanding of the physical and psychosocial impact of childhood obesity, whether they believe schools should be addressing the issue, who they feel should be leading efforts within schools, what actions they believe are taking place to address the issue within…

The food stamp program (SNAP) is one of the most important elements of the social safety net and is the second largest anti-poverty program for children in the U.S. (only the EITC raises more children above poverty). The program varies little across states and over time, which creates challenges for quasi-experimental evaluation. Notably, SNAP…

Background: Over 40 million children participate in organized sport in the United States annually, but each day approximately 8,000 children are treated in emergency departments (EDs) due to sport-related injuries, resulting in over $925 million in health care costs. Exercise-based preventive training programs (PTPs) used as a team warm-up can…

Children experience toxic stress if there is pronounced activation of their stress-response systems, in situations in which they do not have stable caregiving. Due to their exposure to multiple poverty-related risks, African American children may be more susceptible to exposure to toxic stress. Toxic stress affects young children's brain and…

Research Findings: The Scottish government is in the process of transforming their early childhood learning and care landscape by doubling the number of free hours of childcare for families and by requiring that all children in care spend a significant portion of each day outdoors. Thus, the government is promoting outdoor play programs. We…

The estimated number of forcibly displaced persons around the globe is at a record high--nearly 70.8 million (UNHCR 2019)--75 percent of whom are women and children. This includes 34 million adolescent girls and young women, who are among the groups with the highest risk for health concerns. Indeed, many of the countries with the worst maternal…

By the time a child graduates from high school, they will have spent an estimated 15,600 hours at school. Because a significant amount of children's daily water intake comes from school water fountains, ensuring their access to safe drinking water at school is essential for their overall health. And one key health challenge that schools across the…

Almost two years into the pandemic, its widespread impact continues to deepen, increasing poverty and entrenching inequality. While some countries are recovering and rebuilding in a 'new normal', for too many, COVID-19 remains a catastrophe. The unequal rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is putting entire communities at risk. And as new variants…

Early infant feeding practices are a critical part of education and care programs within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. With an increasing number of children attending ECEC services from a young age, adherence to best practice infant feeding will improve long-term health outcomes. This paper uses inductive and deductive…

In this commentary of Neil Humphrey's "Are the Kids Alright? Examining the Intersection between Education and Mental Health" (EJ1247696), Diahann Gallard shares her views based on her experiences as an academic, a researcher, an ex-school teacher and a parent of teenage children. She concludes that like Humphrey, she believes there is…

School nurses are well positioned to assess, intervene, and evaluate efforts to positively impact students who are overweight or obese. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore the experiences of school nurses providing care to children living with overweight and obesity. Data were collected through face-to-face,…