Search

Background: Gardens are a promising intervention to promote physical activity (PA) and foster health. However, because of the unique characteristics of gardening, no extant tool can capture PA, postures, and motions that take place in a garden. Methods: The Physical Activity Research and Assessment tool for Garden Observation (PARAGON) was developed to assess children's PA levels, tasks, postures, and motions, associations, and interactions while gardening. PARAGON uses momentary time sampling in which a trained observer watches a focal child for 15 seconds and then records behavior for 15 seconds. Sixty-five children (38 girls, 27 boys) at 4 elementary schools in New York State were observed over 8 days. During the observation, children simultaneously wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Results: The overall interrater reliability was 88% agreement, and Ebel was .97. Percent agreement values for activity level (93%), garden tasks (93%), motions (80%), associations (95%), and interactions (91%) also met acceptable criteria. Validity was established by previously validated PA codes and by expected convergent validity with accelerometry. Conclusions: PARAGON is a valid and reliable observation tool for assessing children's PA in the context of gardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes a report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene which analyzed body mass index (BMI) data from public school children in kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) from the 2006-07 to 2010-2011 school years. Findings show that the overall prevalence of obesity in grades K-8 decreased by 5.5 percent during the periods. The need for continuous public health interventions to further reduce obesity is suggested.

Personal exposures to fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5), and to its traffic-related fraction, were investigated in a group of urban children with asthma. The relationships of personal and outdoor school-site measurements of PM2.5 and elemental carbon (EC) were characterized for a total of 40 fifth-grade children. These students, from four South Bronx, NY schools, each carried air pollution monitoring equipment with them for 24 h per day for ∼1 month. Daily EC concentrations were estimated using locally calibrated reflectance of the PM2.5 samples. Personal EC concentration was more closely related to outdoor school-site EC (median subject-specific: r=0.64) than was personal PM2.5 to school-site PM2.5 concentration (median subject-specific: r=0.33). Regression models also showed a stronger, more robust association of school site with personal measurements for EC than those for PM2.5. High traffic pollution exposure was found to coincide with the weekday early morning rush hour, with higher personal exposures for participants living closer to a highway (<500 ft). A significant linear relationship of home distance from a highway with personal EC pollution exposure was also found (up to 1000 ft). This supports the assumptions by previous epidemiological studies using distance from a highway as an index of traffic PM exposure. These results are also consistent with the assumption that traffic, and especially smoke emitted from diesel vehicles, is a significant contributor to personal PM exposure levels in children living in urban areas such as the South Bronx, NY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-age children spend a significant portion of their day at school where they can be exposed to asthma triggers, but little information exists regarding potential relationships between childhood asthma and school environmental factors. This study examined patterns of asthma hospitalization and possible factors contributing to asthma hospitalizations, including sociodemographics and school environmental factors, among school-age children (5-18 years) in New York State (NYS) over an 11-year period (1991-2001). Asthma hospitalization data from the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System and the 1990 and 2000 census population files were geocoded into NYS school districts statewide, and school district asthma hospitalization rates were then calculated. Building Condition Survey for each school was then utilized to create summary measures of school building conditions for each school district. Hospitalization rates were linked to district school building conditions by using logistic regression analysis that controlled for poverty. Calculation of time trends revealed overall declines in asthma rates among school-age children for NYS from 1991 to 2001. This general decline was found in each sociodemographic group. The mean rate for NYS from 1991 to 2001 was 27/10,000. Poorly rated building systems that were significantly associated with increased school district asthma hospitalization rates were roofing (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI95] = 1.13-2.74), windows (OR = 1.66; CI95= 1.08-2.54), exterior walls (OR = 2.24; CI95= 1.31-3.83), floor finishes (OR = 1.75; CI95= 1.14-2.69), and boiler/furnace (OR = 1.71; CI95= 1.99-2.94). This does not indicate a definite link between these systems and asthma hospitalizations since the available building system information is very general and crude. (J Sch Health. 2006;76(8):408-413) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the health and nutrition problems facing children in public schools in New York City. Influence of poor health and nutrition on learning capacity; Effect of social problems on education; Initiatives launched to extend the roles of schools.

The article discusses the prevalence of obesity in children in kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) in New York City from 2006-2007 to 2010-2011 academic years based on an analysis conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The analysis found a 5.5% reduction in child obesity in 2006-2007 and 20.7% in 2010-2011. Body mass index (BMI) data for public schoolchildren in K-8 was used in the analysis. White and Asian/Pacific Islander children aged 5-6 years showed greater decrease in obesity prevalence compared with Hispanic and African American children. Some factors that possibly contributed to the overall decrease in prevalence include regulations that require improved nutrition and increased physical activity among children. INSET: What is already known on this topic?.

The article presents a case study looking at the mobilization of the Long Beach, New York community to develop a school-based asthma management program in Long Beach after a sixth-grade boy who attended Long Beach Public Schools died from asthma in 2001. The article discusses the program's family asthma education, records of children's visits to the school nurse for asthma medications, smoking cessation programs for smoking parents, and the program's partnerships with organizations such as the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The article discusses the rural school health programs in Cattaraugus County, New York in 1930. The key features of the county's school health programs include physical examinations, nursing services in schools, regular classroom inspections by teachers, nurses' inspections and general publicity promoting the programs.

This article focuses on some of the highlights of health education in the public schools of Syracuse, New York. The principal and school nurse of Montgomery school were much concerned at the amount of candy which was being consumed daily by the pupils. Their attention was called to this fact more forcefully because of the many and constant complaints of headache, stomach ache and many colds. English and language work affords excellent opportunity for introducing health. The remarkable result of the project is that now there is almost never a complaint of headache and stomachache. An experiment with an eight-one health club was tried at the Lincoln Junior High School. A home economics teacher who had free time was in charge of this club. The children elected their own officers and conducted the club themselves. Topics which they would like to study were discussed and planned for the term. First they studied the sanitary and safety conditions of the school building and grounds. This included the ventilation system, the cafeteria, the water supply, fire protection and playgrounds. As a result of these investigations, the janitor was asked to increase the water pressure at certain fountains, to use a deodorant in the basement near the toilet and to repair rollers on some of the window shades.

The article reports on the establishment of a standardized health department initiated by Superintendent D. J. Kelley in Binghamton, New, York. It aims to insure the best health for the school children in the state. The departments include medical inspection, setting-up drills, instruction in hygiene and nutrition, organized supervised recreation and athletics, gymnastic drills and marching, and exceptional child study.

The article focuses on a witticism related to dog tags put into the bodies of school children in New York City. The tags were put as they could be identified after a nuclear attack. The mutant humor swarmed across the U.S. television and movie screens. A retired U.S. Air Force officer and two civilian veterans of the Cold War, a pop music historian and an editor have compiled a thick data of rare nuclear-age memorabilia.

Presents an article that appeared in the September 30, 1905 issue of "The Journal of the American Medical Association." Thoughts on the physical condition of school children at the beginning of the school year; Assertion that children should be in normal health in order to them to be successful in school; Details of a recent report by the Department of Health of New York; Health conditions that some of the children in the report suffered from; Other observations.

The article highlights a statement issued by I. H. Goldberger, director of Educational Hygiene of the Board of Education, regarding the benefit of eye inspection among school children in New York City. He claims that the detection of visual disorder in a child can avoid repeating his study thus reduces the costs of his education.

The article reports on the rules for pupils on pastimes to prevent the possible transmission of infantile paralysis germs from one child to another in New York. The rules were laid down by Dr. William J. O'Shea, Superintendent of Schools. The precautionary measures were incorporated in a circular letter to all principals in the district superintendents. One rule is instructing the pupils to go directly to their classrooms to avoid line and mass formation in play-yards, stairways and halls.