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School Activities (school + activity)
Selected AbstractsRelationships among perceptions of parent involvement, time allocation, and demographic characteristics: Implication for policy formationJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Shulamit N. Ritblatt Variables that facilitate or hinder parent involvement (PI) in education and schools were explored, along with the amounts of time parents spent in various activities. A total of 506 participants from San Diego and Imperial Counties completed the first part of the study (1) designed to assess parents' beliefs about involvement with their child's school and education. Of these same participants, 357 self-selected parents also chose to complete a second part of the study (2) that assessed the amount of time parents spend in education-related activities. Factor analysis of the 506 participant responses revealed four school perception factors related to parent attitudes: (a) communication, (b) familiarity, (c) sensitivity, and (d) support. Factor analysis of the 357 participant responses to the time factors also revealed four involvement areas: (a) general school issues, (b) specific school issues, (c) extracurricular school activities, and (d) specific help. Significant relationships were found among three of the attitudinal factors (sensitivity, familiarity, and support) and various time factors, including total involvement time, general issues, specific problems, and extracurricular issues. Further, significant differences among means were found for both the school perception factors and the time factors based on ethnic background, income, and marital status. Recommendations for increasing parent involvement and formulating public policy are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] School-Based Obesity Prevention: Research, Challenges, and RecommendationsJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 10 2006Geraldine M. Budd Schools represent a logical site for prevention because children spend 6-8 hours a day there during most of the year. Although reports of school-based overweight or obesity prevention programs exist, there are no summaries specifying which interventions are effective in preventing weight gain in the school environment. Researchers generally consider randomized controlled trials to be the most reliable and valid findings; so, naturally they are the best for providing evidence on which to base curriculum and policy guidelines. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of school-based randomized controlled studies intended to prevent increases in schoolchildren's body weight or body mass index. This paper addresses the successes and other positive health outcomes, as well as the limitations of the school-based research. The goal of this paper is to assist school health administrators with curriculum decisions related to overweight or obesity prevention in schools. Following the critique, the challenges of childhood overweight or obesity prevention are discussed, and recommendations for further research, school activities, and policy changes are made. (J Sch Health. 2006;76(10):485-495) [source] School nurse perceptions of barriers and supports for children with diabetesJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 4 2005Laura Nabors These youth often do not receive the support needed to manage their diabetes during or after school. Nurses (n = 110) from 3 states responded to a survey examining perceptions of barriers to and supports for diabetes management during school and after school activities. Results indicated that adolescents need more support at school. Support could be facilitated by education of school staff; improved communication among youth, parents, school nurses, teachers, and physicians; and more communication from adolescents to others about what they need to manage well in school. Open-ended questions allowed nurses to provide recommendations for supporting youth and ideas for addressing barriers to management at school. Future studies should address ways to enable adolescents to communicate about their diabetes and ways to educate the school team. (J Sch Health. 2005;75(4):119-124) [source] A School-Community Partnership for At-Risk Students in PennsylvaniaJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 2 2001Beth McMahon ABSTRACT: This four-year, school-community health improvement project addressed fragmentation and under-utilization of services of an at risk population in a county in central Pennsylvania. A population profile was developed that included demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral information as well as information related to liabilities and assets that affect resiliency and decrease or increase the likelihood of academic success. The profile was used in the planning and implementation of risk-reduction strategies that promote a healthy family and, in turn, a healthy community. More than 50 local, state, and national organizations as well as individuals volunteered or provided services at each school. The project produced a 22% increase in parental involvement in school activities; a 15% increase in parental involvement in educational sessions; a 22% increase in volunteers within the school; and a 75% decrease in truancy. (J Sch Health. 2001;71(2):53-55) [source] Adherence and health-related quality of life in adolescent liver transplant recipientsPEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 3 2008Emily M. Fredericks Abstract:, Adolescence is a particularly high-risk period for non-adherence with post-transplant medical regimens. There remains a lack of research investigating factors related to non-adherence in adolescent LT recipients. The present study empirically assessed the relationship between adherence and HRQOL in adolescent LT recipients. Participants included 25 adolescents (mean = 15.1 yr, range 12,17.9) and their parent/guardian(s). Adherence was assessed using multiple indices including clinician-conducted interviews, rate of clinic attendance, and s.d. of consecutive tacrolimus blood levels. HRQOL was examined using self-report and parent-proxy report on well-validated assessment measures. Results indicated that 76% of participants were non-adherent on at least one measure of adherence, and HRQOL was significantly lower than normative data for healthy children. Tacrolimus s.d. were significant related to poor HRQOL across domains of physical, school, and social functioning. Non-adherent adolescents reported poorer health perceptions, self-esteem, mental health, family cohesion, and more limitations in social and school activities related to physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. These results suggest that empirically based assessment of HRQOL may help identify those at highest risk for behavior, emotional and school difficulties, as well as non-adherence. The examination of tacrolimus s.d. may also help identify patients who may benefit from intervention to promote adherence and HRQOL. Prospective investigations are necessary to further identify the impact of HRQOL on adherence and long-term health outcomes to further guide clinical intervention. [source] Measuring childhood materialism: Refining and validating Schor's Consumer Involvement ScalePSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 7 2010Paul A. Bottomley This paper examines the measurement of childhood materialism using Schor's (2004) Consumer Involvement Scale. Schor treated consumer involvement empirically as a unidimensional construct, though she suggested that conceptually it may be multidimensional. Using confirmatory factor analysis procedures on data collected from children in the U.S. and U.K., the psychometric superiority of a three-factor structure is established, comprising dissatisfaction, consumer orientation, and brand awareness components. Additional analyses demonstrate distinct associations between each of these components and other constructs, including self-esteem, outside school activities, and child,parent relations. The scale's generalizability across boys and girls is also confirmed. The results suggest that Schor's Consumer Involvement Scale will be useful for researchers interested in studying the important topic of materialism in children. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Psychological Functioning, Nonadherence and Health Outcomes After Pediatric Liver TransplantationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 8 2007E. M. Fredericks The present study empirically assessed the relationships between adherence behaviors and HRQOL, parent and child psychological functioning and family functioning, and investigated the relationship between adherence behaviors and health outcomes in children who were within 5 years of their liver transplantation. Participants included 38 children (mean = 8.5 years, range 28 months to 16 years) and their parent/guardian(s). HRQOL and psychological functioning were examined using well-validated assessment measures. Measures of adherence included the rate of clinic attendance and standard deviations (SDs) of consecutive tacrolimus blood levels, which were collected and evaluated retrospectively. Measures of child health status included the frequency of hospital admissions, liver biopsies, episodes of rejection and graft function for the year prior to study participation. Results indicated that nonadherence was related to lower physical HRQOL, more limitations in social and school activities related to emotional and behavioral problems, parental emotional distress and decreased family cohesion. Nonadherence was also related to frequency and duration of hospitalizations, liver biopsies and rejection episodes. These results suggest that empirically based assessment of HRQOL, parenting stress and family functioning may help identify patients at risk for nonadherence, and may allow for the need-based delivery of appropriate clinical interventions. [source] Mothers' perceptions of children's quality of life following early diagnosis and treatment for retinoblastoma (Rb)CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005Linda Sheppard Abstract We describe the Quality of Life (QoL) and IQ of survivors of retinoblastoma (Rb), both in relation to the normal population and between subgroups of Rb patients differing in relative risk (i.e. unilateral vs. bilateral disease). The sample included 54 children (28 males, age-range 8,16 years) and their mothers. Mothers completed standardized questionnaires to report their own QoL and that of their child. Children completed a brief IQ test. Compared with population norms, mothers reported lower levels of QoL for their child on total QoL and for sub-scales measuring Physical and Psychosocial function. Mothers reported their own QoL to be comparable or higher than norms on all but one of eight sub-scales (energy/vitality). Compared with population norms, children with no visual impairment scored in the normal range for tasks measuring Verbal IQ, but below the mean on tasks measuring Performance IQ. According to their mothers, survivors of Rb have excellent school attendance and take part in most school activities. However, based on standardized questionnaire, they show compromised QoL. We consider that excellent survival rates in Rb are matched with good QoL according to mothers' report. [source] | ||||||||||