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News
THE ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND TERRITORIAL STATE OFFICIALS
Adolescent and High School Health Update
Volume 4; Number 3 - March 1, 2001
Welcome to the ASTHO Adolescent and School Health Update. This is a monthly newsletter which we hope will be an informative and interesting update on adolescent and school health issues. The newsletter is distributed to state health officials and adolescent and school health contacts and staff within each state. Forward the newsletter or portions of it when appropriate, and feedback is always encouraged. As a source of communication for you and your colleagues, you are encouraged to send your comments, articles or news to be include in the Update to Rachelle Johnsson-Chiang at: rjohnsson-chiang@astho.org
FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE:
- School-Based Health Centers Continue Strong Expansion Across the U.S., National
- Survey Finds
- United States Ranks First in Fatal Injuries
- Survey Shows Younger Children Facing Increased Sexual Pressures
- Smoking, Dieting Linked Among Teen Girls
- Childhood Obesity Linked to Consumption of Soft Drinks
- Article Reviews the Prevalence and Effects of Inhalant Abuse Among
Adolescents
- School-Based Program Proves Cost-Effective
- Novartis US Foundation
- Healthy Tomorrows Partnership Cooperative
- Grants for the Community Access Program
- SAMHSA Announces Two Funding Opportunities
- Upcoming HIV/AIDS Satellite Broadcast
- ASTHO Welcomes New Manager of Information Technology
- ASTHO Welcomes New Policy Analyst for Public Health Information and
Infrastructure Policy
- Texas Study Provides Additional Evidence that School-Based Tobacco Prevention
- Programs Work Best When Combined with Community Initiatives
- South Carolina Addresses Oral Health in Schools
- Youth and Violence: A Report to the Nation
- New Website from RWJ
- New Journal for Adolescent Health
- Online Training for Comprehensive School Health Education
- New Center to Study School-Based Health Education and Services, Programs
NATIONAL NEWS
School-Based Health Centers Continue Strong Expansion Across the U.S., National Survey Finds:
The number of school-based health centers in the United States climbed to 1,380 in school year 1999/2000, a 20 percent increase over two years and nearly a seven-fold increase over the past decade. The centers, which provide primary care and mental health services to children and teens, are now in 45 states plus the District of Columbia, according to a recent survey conducted by the Center for Health and HealthCare in Schools at The George Washington University.
Today, 33 states provide grant support to school-based health centers, 43 states permit them to bill Medicaid for patient care, and centers in 22 states are providers in Medicaid managed care networks. "These developments mark the transition of school-based health centers (SBHCs) from the margins to the mainstream of the American health care system," notes Julia Graham Lear, Ph.D., director of the center.
The centers, usually organized by a local hospital or health center, get health care to students early to prevent or treat common health problems of young people as well as chronic conditions. A mix of nurses, physicians and mental health professionals provide annual physicals, treat asthma, offer family counseling and work with school staff to address student problems.
SBHCs were originally created to deal with the health problems of teenagers, and have quickly emerged in elementary schools, where 38 percent of them are now located. Still, more than one-third of the centers focus on teens’ health and emotional issues. Teens have problems "that are difficult to face and can land them in serious trouble," James Marone and colleagues note in the most recent edition of Health Affairs. "However, ignoring the problems of adolescents can lead to even bigger troubles: one million unintended pregnancies a year, three million sexually transmitted diseases, more than four thousand suicides, and flashes of school violence." School-based health centers are "a reform well worth encouraging."
Over the decade, both funding and political support for school-based health centers has increased dramatically. "A major focus of my administration as governor of Delaware was strengthening families," says Tom Carper, now a U.S. senator. "I advocated for more school-based health centers to help advance that goal. They help parents deal with the tough issues their kids face—drug abuse, smoking, eating disorders or just getting convenient access to routine care. I’m proud that Delaware now has a center in nearly every public high school."
The survey found that the most rapid growth in centers has occurred in both historically conservative and liberal states. Since 1998, the number of centers in Mississippi and Illinois more than doubled in Wisconsin they grew by 65 percent and in Louisiana, by 31 percent. "School-based health centers ease our hospital charity care costs because kids don’t use the emergency room for routine care," says Republican State Senator Jay Dardenne. "We also feel the centers help to combat our illiteracy and school dropout rates."
Interestingly, suburbs have seen the largest recent increases in the numbers of school-based health centers, according to the survey. Some believe this suggests that the centers, originally designed to serve students unable to afford or find care, are enjoying a broader appeal. "This model of health care can work for all children, not just for those with poor access to care," says Paul Jellinek, vice president with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Like shopping malls, frozen dinners and online banking, part of the beauty of school-based health centers is their convenience. They make life easier for parents, for their employers and for the students they serve. As the pace of society becomes more hectic, I think their appeal will become more universal."
The results of the survey can be accessed online at www.healthinschools.org/sbhcs/survey2000.htm and www.healthinschools.org/sbhcs/sbhcs_table.htm.
For more information, please contact The Center for Health and Health Care In Schools at chhcs@gwu.edu or contact Julia Graham Lear at (202)466-3396
This article was taken from the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools press release on 3/1/01
United States Ranks First in Fatal Injuries According to new research from UNICEF, injury has become the leading cause of death of 1 to 14 year-olds in every industrialized country, accounting for almost 40 percent of fatalities a year. The UNICEF Innocenti Report Card ranks the United States among the worst countries, finding that the U.S. could save 4,700 children a year if it reduced its fatality rate to that of Sweden, the top-ranking country. Additional information can be found at www.unicef.org/newsline/01pr10.htm.
Survey Shows Younger Children Facing Increased Sexual Pressures Sexual pressures are "big problem[s]" for pre-teenagers, yet many parents are "especially likely to delay" conversations about puberty, sex and related issues, according to a national survey released today by children's entertainment network Nickelodeon in conjunction with Talking with Kids About Tough Issues, an ongoing campaign of the Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now. The national poll of 1,249 parents of children ages eight to 15 and 823 children ages eight to 15 conducted between Dec. 7, 2000 and Jan. 18, 2001, shows that 33% of 10- to 11-year olds feel sexual pressure, as 68% of eight- to 11-year olds say they know kids who already have boyfriends or girlfriends and 16% see other students kissing or making out in school.
By adolescence, such issues "loom even larger" in teens' lives, with 46% of 12- to 15-year olds wanting to know more about sexual decision making. Further, 41% of eight- to 11-year olds seek information about HIV/AIDS. Among parents, 49% with 8-11 year olds have discussed reproduction, and 49% of parents of 12- to 15-year olds have discussed sexual decision-making. Sixty-one percent of all parents of 8-11 year olds say that their child initiated the first conversation about reproduction, with 40% of parents indicating the child began discussions about puberty and 38% say they began discussions about HIV/AIDS. Tina Hoff, vice president of public health information and partnerships for the Kaiser Family Foundation, said, "It's not just the parents of teenagers anymore who stay up late worrying about their kids. Tough issues are confronting kids at younger ages. This is a wake-up call for parents to start talking early and often with their kids." But even when parents do talk, the message may not always get through. Fifty-nine percent of kids whose parents say they discussed HIV/AIDS do not recall the conversation, and parents say more often than their children that they talk "regularly" about tough issues. The Talking with Kids About Tough Issues is an ongoing campaign of the Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now to encourage earlier and more frequent parent-child communication.
RESEARCH
Smoking, Dieting Linked Among Teen Girls. A study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health ("Dieting and Smoking Initiation in Early Adolescent Girls and Boys: A Prospective Study") found that teenage girls who diet frequently also seem more likely to smoke, according to researchers from Boston’s Children’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health. In a study that followed 932 students from 6th and 7th grade to 8th and 9th grade, respectively, researchers found that girls who reported dieting more than once on a weekly basis were about four more times likely to smoke as their non-dieting peers. The abstract for the study is listed below.
Objectives: This analysis tested the relations between dieting frequency and risk of smoking initiation in a longitudinal sample of adolescents.
Methods: From 1995 to 1997, 1295 middle school girls and boys participated in a nutrition and physical activity intervention study. The prospective association between dieting frequency at baseline and smoking initiation two years later was tested.
Results: Compared with girls who reported no dieting at baseline, girls who dieted up to once per week had two times the adjusted odds of becoming smokers (odds ratio=2.0; 95% confidence interval=1.1, 3.5), and girls who dieted more often had 4 times the adjusted odds of becoming smokers (odds ratio=3.9; 95% confidence intervals=1.5, 10.4)
Conclusion: Dieting among girls may exacerbate risk of initiating smoking, with increasing risk with greater dieting frequency.
This abstract was taken directly from the American Journal of Public Health March 2001, Vol. 91, No.3. For the full article, please refer to this issue of the journal.
Childhood Obesity Linked to Consumption of Soft Drinks In a recently released study in the British medical journal The Lancet, researchers present the first evidence linking soft drink consumption to childhood obesity. They found that 12-year-olds that drank soft drinks and other sugar-laden drinks (fruit punch, lemonade, Kool-Aid) regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who didn’t. For each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed during the nearly two-year study, the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times. The abstract is presented below.
Background: The rising prevalence of obesity in children has been linked in part to the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. Our aim was to examine this relation.
Methods: We enrolled 548 ethnically diverse schoolchildren (age 11-7 years, SD 0-8) from public schools in four Massachusetts communities, and studied them prospectively for 19 months from October, 1995, to May, 1997. We examined the association between baseline and change in consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks (the independent variables), and difference in measures of obesity, with linear and logistic regression analyses adjusted for potentially confounding variables and clustering of results within schools.
Findings: For each additional serving of sugar-sweetened drink consumed, both body mass index (BMI) (mean 0-24 kg/m2; 95% CI 0.10-0.39; p=0.03) and frequency of obesity (odds ratio 1.60; 95% CI 1.14-2.24; p=0.02) increased after adjustment for anthropometric, demographic, dietary and lifestyle variables. Baseline consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks was also independently associated with change in BMI (mean 0.10 kg/m2 for each daily serving; 95% CI 0.09-0.27; p=0.02)
Interpretation: Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks is associated with obesity in children.
In reaction to the study, an article published on February 27, 2001 in The Washington Post entitled "Schools Hooked on Junk Food" highlighted the implications this may have for elementary, middle and high schools that are increasingly using profits from vending machine contracts with Coke and Pepsi to supplement budget shortfalls, thus making sodas and other non-carbonated high-sugar drinks easily accessible to students throughout the school day. In some areas, even rules that prohibit the sale of carbonated beverages during the school day have proven completely ineffective. In February, the USDA addressed this issue, delivering a stinging report to Congress recommending that all snacks sold in schools meet the federal government’s nutritional standards.
Ludwig, DS, Peterson, KE, Gortmaker, L. Relation Between Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks and Childhood Obesity: A Prospective, Observational Analysis. The Lancet 357: 505-508.
Nakamura, David. Schools Hooked on Junk Food. The Washington Post Feb 27, 2001: A01. Can be accessed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A59024-2001Feb26¬Found=true.
Article Reviews the Prevalence and Effects of Inhalant Abuse Among Adolescents Inhalant abuse is prevalent among adolescents, states a review article published in the March issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. The authors of the article look at how widely inhalants are used among U.S. adolescents, summarize the types of inhalants used, comment on the major physiologic effects of inhalants, and discuss prevention and medical management of inhalant abuse.
The authors report that according to various substance abuse studies the article reviews, 1) inhalant abuse is prevalent among adolescents ages 12 to 17, and many adolescents use inhalants for at least 1 year; 2) some of the most commonly abused substances include glues, paints and lacquers, correction fluid, butane, and gasoline; 3) some identified problems relating to inhalant abuse include cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary, hepatic, bone marrow, perinatal, and teratogenic disorders; and 4) inhalant abuse is associated with other risks such as polysubstance abuse and violent behaviors.
The authors acknowledge that interventions incorporating all the risk behaviors relating to inhalant abuse may be more effective than those that focus on inhalant abuse alone, and they recommend that health care providers "become more aware of inhalant abuse, its prevalence in the population they serve, commonly used products, and the medical consequences of intoxication and habitual use." The authors also suggest that education is an important part of preventing inhalant abuse among adolescents.
Kurtzman TL, Otsuka KN, Wahl RA. 2001. Inhalant Abuse by Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health 28(3):170-180.
School-Based Program Proves Cost-Effective The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine recently published an article entitled "Economic Evaluation of Safer Choices: A School-Based HIV, other STDs, and Pregnancy Prevention Program." The study, conducted by researchers from CDC and Education, Training and Research Associates (ETR) evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the Safer Choices program, the most recent curriculum to be identified as a "Programs That Work" by the CDC. The research yielded the following key findings:
- At an intervention cost of $105,243 (about $10,542 per school, across two years), Safer Choices achieved a 15% increase in condom use and an 11% increase in contraceptive use within one year among 345 sexually active students.
- An estimated 0.12 cases of HIV, 24.37 cases of chlamydia, 2.77 cases of gonorrhea, 5.86 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and 18.5 pregnancies were prevented.
- For every dollar invested in the program, $2.65 in total medical and social costs were saved.
- The Safer Choices program proved cost-effective and cost saving in most scenarios.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2000; 154: 1017-1024.
This article was taken from Education Development Center School Health Program News, Vol 6, No 1.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Novartis US Foundation supports the basic building blocks of positive development for young people: a healthy start, caring adults, safe and structured learning activities during non-school hours, and effective education in marketable skills. The Foundation plans to support health-related, school-to-work, and other programs that reflect the goals of the 1997 Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future. Components of school health that may be considered for funding include health education, health services, healthy school environment, and family/community involvement. For more information contact Sharon LeWinter at (908) 522-6825 or sharon.lewinter@group.novartis.com. The Foundation’s website can be accessed at www.us.novartis.com/us_foundation/more_about_foundation/grant_activities.html
Healthy Tomorrows Partnership Cooperative Agreement CFDA 93.11OVA The purpose of this funding is to support activities that improve access and delivery of maternal and child health services through governmental and professional partnerships. Specifically, the program is designed to promote problem-solving approaches that enhance community and provider participation. This provider partnership will encourage private sector and other support for improved coordination of and access to health resources at the community-level for pregnant women, infants and children. Specific program requirements include
- Analysis of obstacles (issues and contributing factors) to provider participation in the delivery of maternal and child health services to low-income pregnant women and children, as well as involvement in problem-solving at the community level;
- Development of strategies to (a) improve maternal and child health status and systems through collaboration with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, which promote problem solving at the community level, (b) encourage provider participation, and (c) encourage private sector and other support for improved coordination of and access to health resources at the community level;
- Dissemination and effective communication of concerns and information pertaining to the issues and strategies employed to their members and other national organizations.
Applications are available on April 2, 2001. A letter of intent is due by May 1, 2001. For further information contact Maurice Bryant at (301) 443-2340 or mbryant@hrsa.gov. The grant announcement is available online at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.htm.
Grants for the Community Access Program The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces the availability of up to $40 million to assist communities and their safety net providers in developing integrated health care delivery systems that serve the uninsured and underinsured with greater efficiency and improved quality of care. This funding is part of the $125 million appropriated for the Community Access Program (CAP) under the FY 2001 HHS Appropriations Act, of which $8.4 million is allocated for special projects and agency-wide programmatic investment. For those applications that were approved, but not funded in FY 2000, approximately $56 million will be made available pending the results of their validation site visits. The remaining $20 million will be made available later in the fiscal year in the form of grants to new communities or in the form of supplemental/expansion awards to FY 2000 grantees. Through this program, HRSA will support infrastructure development in communities that have already begun to reorganize and integrate their health care delivery systems. The purpose of the CAP program is to assist communities and consortia of health care providers to develop the infrastructure necessary to fully develop or strengthen integrated systems of care that coordinate health services for the uninsured and underinsured. The application deadline is May 7, 2001. To request an application kit, contact the HRSA Grants Application Center by calling 1-877-HRSA-123, faxing 1-877-HRSA-345 or emailing hrsagac@hrsa.gov.
SAMHSA Announces Two Funding Opportunities The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) announced the availability of funds to build statewide networks to improve services available for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances and their family members (GFA number SM-01-04). The networks will create or strengthen coalitions among family members, service providers and policy makers. Approximately $3 million will be available to fund a network grant award in every state. Up to $60,000 per year for a total of 3 years will be awarded to successful applicants. An additional $10,000 will be available for 10 grantees to include provisions for youth involvement in the network. Nonprofit private organizations that have a board of directors comprised of 51 percent or more of family members whose children are age 19 and under or under age 21 who remain in school and have a serious emotional disturbance will qualify for consideration. The organizational mission and scope of work must have a statewide focus on this service population. Existing Statewide Family Networks are eligible to apply. Eligibility is limited to family-controlled organizations because the goals of the program are to enable family organizations to have more influence over the services provided to children who have mental health problems.
CMHS also announced the availability of funds for a Technical Assistance Center for Statewide Family Networks grant program (GFA number SM-01-05). The Technical Assistance Center will provide training and support to the Statewide Family Network grantees. One award will be made for approximately $300,000 to $600,000 annually for up to three years.
Additional information for both funding opportunities can be found at www.samhsa.gov/grants/grants.html or by calling Liz Sweet, project officer at 301-443-1333, esweet@samhsa.gov. Interested parties may also contact the CMHS Clearinghouse at 1-800-789-2647 for complete application kits. The deadline for submission for both grants is May 21, 2001.
CDC NEWS
Upcoming HIV/AIDS Satellite Broadcast The Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the CDC announces a satellite broadcast entitled "The Impact of Stigma on HIV Prevention Programs," to take place on April 25, 2001 from 1:00-3:00 P.M. (EST). This broadcast will include discussions about the impact of stigma on health and HIV prevention efforts and how public health programs may send mixed messages that contribute to stigma. Presentations and interviews will provide an update on public health resources and innovative strategies to reduce or eliminate stigmatizing attitudes. Viewers may fax in questions and comments before and during the broadcast. Additional information for viewing, broadcast materials and registration can be found at www.cdcnpin.org/broadcast/current/2001/0425/start.htm.
ASTHO NEWS
ASTHO is pleased to welcome Mr. Daniel Ferrigno to the staff as our new Manager of Information Technology. Before joining ASTHO, Daniel served as Chief Information Officer at Savanet Inc., where he managed their day-to-day systems operations, including administration of network services, document management, and end-user training. Daniel has also had experience as an independent contractor with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Liquidation, and as a consultant. At the SBA he managed the day-to-day operations for a 25-user environment in the financial and legal departments, as well as providing general function support for those departments. As a consultant, Daniel advised on Internet site development and strategies, developed custom databases, and provided client recommendations and assistance with computer hardware and software purchases. He is a recipient of three Masters degrees: a MS in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University; a MP in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia; and a MA in Security Policy Studies from the George Washington University.
ASTHO also welcomes Ms. Kristine Kay Maxymiv to the staff as our new Policy Analyst for Public Health Information and Infrastructure Policy (PHIIP). A Merit Scholar, Kristine is currently enrolled in the Master of Public Health program at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and is specializing in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She received her B.S. in Health Sciences from the James Madison University. While in school, Kristine has worked as an Administrative Assistant in Hematology/Oncology at GWU Medical Faculty Associates and served as a counselor for children with special health needs at Camp Holiday Trails in Virginia. She is a Certified Nurse Aide and has worked at the Avnet Nursing Home and the Lewis Gale Clinic. In addition, Kristine is an active volunteer with Head Start
STATE HIGHLIGHTS
Texas Study Provides Additional Evidence that School-Based Tobacco Prevention Programs Work Best When Combined with Community Initiatives To give the Texas Legislature information about how the state’s tobacco settlement income can be used to improve health by promoting reductions in tobacco use, the Texas Department of Health in collaboration with the University of Texas School of Public Health and the Baylor College of Medicine conducted a field experiment to evaluate the short-term effects of media and community programs on tobacco use among children and adults. This report presents the estimated effects of three levels of media activity (no campaign, low-level campaign or high-level campaign) and five community program options (no programs, cessation programs, law enforcement programs, school-community programs or all three programs combined). These media activities and community programs were provided either singly or in combination in fourteen areas in Texas at an annual per capita media and/or program costs of $0.50 to $3.00. In studies of 9,799 6th graders in their first year of middle school and 7th graders in their first year of junior high school, school-community and multiple programs showed evidence of significant prevention effects which appeared to be enhanced by a high-level media campaign. In studies of 1,069 adult smokers, the highest daily smoking cessation rate was seen in the areas where high-level media campaigns were combined with community programs to promote cessation. In random sample surveys of 16,139 adults, a significant relative reduction in the prevalence of daily smoking was found in the area where a high-level media campaign was conducted in
combination with either school-community or multiple programs. Overall, the results show that significant short-term reductions in tobacco use among children and adults can be achieved with combinations of high-level media campaigns and multiple community programs. The full study can be accessed at www.tdh.state.tx.us/otpc/Pilot/Rep2.pdf.
South Carolina Addresses Oral Health in Schools South Carolina’s Department of Education is using funding from a cooperative agreement with CDC’s Division of Oral Health to address the oral health needs of at-risk school-aged children through the South Carolina Healthy Schools initiative. In spring 2000, SC Schools created a statewide Children’s Oral Health Coalition (COHC). Members represent school districts, school nurses, successful oral health programs, state agencies, the state’s dental school, nonprofit organizations, and the South Carolina dental and dental hygiene societies.
To assess the current school-based oral health delivery system and to identify needs and opportunities, the COHC surveyed all school nurses, principals, and lead health education teachers in the state. Results included the following:
- 75% of school nurses reported spending less than two hours per week on oral health education
- 90% of principals and 95% of nurses think that providing oral health education and services in the school setting is appropriate.
- 59% of lead health educators reported that not enough emphasis was placed on oral health in the curriculum.
- 56% of nurses reported that oral health screenings were provided in schools.
- Only 3% of students referred for dental care completed treatment.
- School nurses provide the majority of oral health education and services to students.
In response to these results, the COHC has worked closely with the SC Departments of Education and Health and Environmental Control to plan seminars to train school nurses. A train-the-trainer model is being developed to educate a cadre of educators and health professionals who can in turn educate school and community professionals to deliver oral health education in school settings. Based on the research, a draft classroom curriculum for elementary teachers is being developed and pilot-tested in two elementary schools. For more information on this program, contact Betsy Wolff at (803) 931-0540 or betsywolff@aol.com.
This article was taken from the Education Development Center's School Health Program News, Vol 6, No 1.
RESOURCES
Youth and Violence: A Report to the Nation was recently released by the Commission for the Prevention of Youth Violence. It is an advocacy report based on the scientific literature and the testimony of numerous experts, community workers, and youth for putting an end to the violence that is devastating families and communities throughout this country. The Commission highlights a number of realistic and practical steps for various community sectors interested in implementing the agenda. An extensive list of resources is also included for those who wish to learn more about this subject. The publication is available online at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3536.html or email Jim Lyznicki at jim_lyznicki@ama-assn.org.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Web Site, www.rwjf.org has launched a new Resource Center on "Substance Abuse," to coincide with publication of a terrific new chartbook on this topic. This is the first of what RJF hopes will be several topic-specific Resource Centers on the site. To see it, you can connect through Resource Centers on the home page, or go to the Center's unique address: http://www.rwjf.org/resourceCenter/substanceAbuse/index.jsp.
New Journal for Adolescent Health The Institute for Youth Development has just launched a new journal for adolescent health. Adolescent and Family Health is a peer-reviewed journal exploring factors that can help America’s young people lead healthy and successful lives. The Institute is offering a free 1-year subscription to all who register at their site: http://www.afhjournal.org/subscribe.asp.
Online Training for Comprehensive School Health Education The National Center for Health Education (NCHE) has partnered with eSchool Online® to build an interactive multimedia programming, Growing Healthy Online Training, that helps educators appreciate the importance of comprehensive school health education, and learn how to effectively implement and manage the proven effective K-6 Growing Healthy curriculum. The training, which melds video and web content, introduces teachers to grade-specific activities that familiarize them with student lessons while providing them with an understanding of comprehensive school health education as a component of a coordinated school health program. At the conclusion of Growing Healthy Online Training, teachers will have the knowledge and skills related to:
- Curriculum philosophy and its relationship to comprehensive school
health education
- Understanding essential health knowledge and overarching lifestyle
goals
- Dissecting and exploring specific body parts and systems through virtual
experience
- Integrating health across disciplines
- Advocating for school health education
The training will be available for purchase via CDROM in June 2001. For further information, contact Elaine M. Sheehan, M.Ed., Director of Education at (212) 334 9470 x 31 elaine@nche.org or see their website at www.nche.org/.
New Center to Study School-Based Health Education and Services, Programs Opening this month, George Washington University's new Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CCHHS) plans to study programs that provide health promotion and health care services to youths in schools. Inspired by research on the root causes of disease and premature death in this country, and on children’s unmet health care needs, CHHCS will explore how best to organize and fund two types of school-based health programs; those to help students learn how to maintain good health, and those that provide health care services to catch physical and emotional problems before they advance. In a "major first initiative," CHHCS will administer a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to help school-based health centers determine how to best provide dental and mental health care to students. CHHCS also plans to study the potential role of Medicaid and CHIP in school-based health education and primary care; practices for coordinating school-based health education and primary care services with the "overall health care delivery system"; and whether mandated health services for disabled children can "mesh" with other school-based health programs and the larger health care system. RWJF Senior Vice President Dr. Michael McGinnis said, "Outside of the home, schools offer the single most important place in the lives of our children. It makes sense to teach them healthy behaviors where they learn other essentials, and it's logical to place health care services where young people can most conveniently find them. More information is available at their website: www.healthinschools.org
Adapted from CHHCS press release 2/20
CALENDAR
April 24-26, 2001
Annual School Nursing and School Health Conference
Sponsored by Nursing, Consultant, Education and Health Services. The conference is designed to send the participant back to the school/work setting with increased knowledge, skills, and abilities and clinically, educationally and administratively trained for maximal success.
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact: (210) 698-8700
April 18-21, 2001
The Children's Defense Fund National Conference
The theme of the conference is Leave No Child Behind®: Transforming the World for Children.
Location: Washington, DC
Contact: www.childrensdefense.org/conference
April 26-27, 2001
The Second Annual Summit on Government Health Programs
Sponsored by the National Institute for Government Innovation, the theme of this conference is Measuring and Improving the Performance of Government Health Programs
Location: Washington, DC
Contact: (888) 670-8200, or visit www.nigi.org
April 30 - May 4, 2001
Implementing CSAP Model Programs
The Federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration is sponsoring this conference for professionals and others across the country. Participants will learn about science-based prevention and will be trained to implement model prevention programs. For full details on the CSAP Model Programs log onto www.samhsa.gov/centers/csap/modelprograms/default.htm
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Contact: Tania Garcia (888) EDC-CAPT or Gretchen Casey (888) 734-7476, or visit www.westcapt.org
June 24-26
National School-Based Health Care Conference
The theme of this conference is "School Based Health Centers and their Communities: A Catalyst for Children’s Health. The conference is sponsored by the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care along with numerous other sponsors, including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, University of Miami School of Nursing and the Health Foundation of Central Florida.
Location: Miami, FL
Contact: (202) 624-1747 (Meeting Management Services) or visit
www.nasbhc.org/
July 23-27, 2001
The First National School Health Institute Program
The theme of this program is "If Children Have a Safe Harbor, None Will be At Risk". It is sponsored by the Center for School Mental Health Assistance, The Center for Maternal and Child Health (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) and the Maryland State Department of Education.
Location: Timonium, MD
Contact: Sylvia Huntley, (888) 706-0980, or via email at shuntley@psych.umaryland.edu
SAVE THE DATE!!!
August 12-15, 2001
2001 National HIV Prevention Conference
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Contact: (404) 233-6446
Help keep our calendar up to date! Let us know if your state is releasing a report, hosting a meeting, or any other information or event that may be of interest to your colleagues. Send information to Rachelle Johnsson-Chiang at rjohnsson-chiang@astho.org by the 10th of every month. The Adolescent and School Health Update is produced monthly by ASTHO under Cooperative Agreement U87/CCU310224-06 with the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health.
Amy Greene
Project Director, Adolescent/School Health Policy
agreene@astho.org
Rachelle Johnsson-Chiang
Policy Analyst, Adolescent/School Health Policy
rjohnsson-chiang@astho.org
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