ABSTRACT
Few issues in this area are more important than preventing child and adolescent health problems, particularly those that may be linked to later chronic diseases and mortality. A conceptual model is needed to help guide our efforts in reducing risk factors for our nation’s youth. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified a heuristic tem plate of six behavioral risk factors that cause youth morbidity and mor tality. They include:
1. behaviors that may cause intentional or unintentional injuries; 2. substance abuse; 3. early/unprotected sexual activity that contributes to unwanted
pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases; 4. tobacco use; 5. poor nutrition leading to disease; and 6. low levels of physical activity. (CDC, 2000) A natural setting for developing these types of preventive programs
is schools because they are a site where youth are educated about the de velopment of healthy behaviors (Brink, Simons-Morton, Harvey, Par cel, & Tiernan, 1988). Programs that best promote school health strategies involve multi-component interventions, including classroom curricula, parental education, changes in school environment, and com munity reinforcement (Kelder, Edmundson, & Lytle, 1997). Although schools have the potential to impact youth health behaviors, effective programming is not being implemented by the majority of U.S. schools (Kelder, Edmundson, & Lytle, 1997). Unfortunately, a large gap still exists between research and practice in the development and implemen tation of validated school health prevention programs.
