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This report describes selected eating and exercise patterns among a sample of 2,237 Nebraska youth in grades 9-12 selected from a random sample of 24 junior and senior high schools. The eating patterns reported cover food selection, body image, weight management, and weight loss methods. The exercise patterns relate to the frequency of "hard" physical activity, participation in community recreation, the effect of physical education classes, the incidence of hard physical exercises in such classes, and television watching. Results reported in this document include the following: (1) approximately 3 of 10 adolescents did not eat a single serving of green or yellow vegetables or fruit or fruit juice on the day prior to the survey; (2) almost 29% of females said they were too fat, as did almost 17% of the males; (3) despite 61% claiming that their weight was just about right, only 33.7% said they were not doing something to change their weight; (4) exercise was the most popular weight loss method; (5) in the 14 days prior to the survey, 17.7% had not exercised "hard," with males being more likely than females to be frequent "hard" exercisers; (6) two-thirds had not participated in any community recreation activity in the previous 14 days; (7) more than half indicated that they do not take, or do not attend, physical education classes; and (8) the greatest percentage (33.7) watched television more than one hour but less than three hours per day. (ABL)

This report describes a range of adolescent behaviors related to their safety and the safety of others. The behaviors reported here range from ordinary safety precautions such as only swimming in supervised areas and wearing helmets when riding a motorcycle to less talked about behaviors such as using condoms during sexual intercourse and carrying a weapon for self-protection. The information described in this report came from a survey of Nebraska students (N=2,237) in grades 9 through 12. Results reported in this document include the following: (1) of the 40% who reported riding on a motorcycle, less than half reported wearing a crash helmet; (2) only 15% of Nebraska students use their seatbelts always or most of the time when riding in a car or truck driven by someone else; (3) almost half had ridden in a vehicle with a driver who had been drinking or using drugs in the last 30 days; (4) over one-third reported swimming without a lifeguard or adult supervision four or more times the previous summer; (5) nearly 30% had thought seriously about committing suicide; (6) 54% had had sexual intercourse at least once; (7) one-third reported using alcohol and/or other drugs the last time they had sexual intercourse; and (8) almost 10% claimed they had ever been pregnant or had gotten someone pregnant. (ABL)

This paper chronicles the development of the New Zealand-based Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Education (FADE) and critically reviews this development. FADE's objectives deal with preventing and reducing the use of alcohol and other drugs by young people. FADE chose to operate separately from traditional governmental and nongovernmental alcohol and other drug prevention agencies. Its stated areas of responsibility were: (1) production of educational materials; (2) assistance to schools; (3) communication to the public; (4) development of primary prevention strategies; and (5) documentation of alcohol and other drug use among New Zealand teenagers. This review discusses the significant tensions that arose between FADE and its various constituencies over the course of FADE's development and the consequences of those tensions. FADE provided new approaches to old problems; learning from these approaches can expand the body of knowledge of health education practices. Tensions recognized as creative and dynamic forces can effect change in positive ways. (IAH)

This report presents the results of a survey of over 1,500 Nebraska students in grades 8 and 10 in 1988. Students in 37 schools were asked about their involvement in physical fights; about their access to weapons; about being victims of robbery, physical assault, threats and attempts at forced sex; about their attitudes toward violence and coercion; and about attitudes toward and attempts at suicide. Some of the results reported in this document include: (1) over half of 8th-grade and 10th-grade males reported having been in a physical fight at least once during the past year; (2) a substantial majority of the 10th-grade males reported that they could get a gun if they wanted to; (3) 8th-grade males, followed by 8th-grade females were most likely to have been robbery victims; (4) almost half of the students reported having been threatened with physical assault; (5) almost 20% of students were actually attacked either at school or outside of school; (6) a substantial proportion of both males and females reported that attempts were made to force them to have sex; (7) 35% of the females and 18% of the males indicated that they had often felt sad or hopeless in the past 30 days; and (8) a considerable proportion had known someone who had attempted suicide. The report concludes that even though violence is a multifaceted problem, enough is known to develop potentially effective prevention programs. (ABL)

The diffusion and adoption of new knowledge is an important outcome of education. This study used the results of two annual cross sectional surveys in a largely rural state, Nebraska, one of school administrators and one of students. The purpose of the survey was to identify how widespread Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education is and the degree to which students in grades 9-12 receive new information on HIV/AIDS and how this information affects their behavior. A total of 1,241 students were surveyed in 1989 and a total of 2,237 students were surveyed in 1990 using a different sample of schools. Principals in all Nebraska schools including grades 7-12 were surveyed by mail about the nature and extent of the HIV/AIDS education programs they offered. The results indicated: (1) an increased proportion of Nebraska schools offered some form of HIV/AIDS education at every grade level; (2) the proportion of young people who were aware of the added effort to help them learn about HIV/AIDS and who reported knowing where to go for additional information increased; (3) despite educational efforts, the percentage of students who answered incorrectly if a person can get HIV/AIDS infected by donating blood increased; (4) there was no evidence that sexual intercourse behaviors changed. These data show the value of carefully monitoring changes that are occurring as a result of educational responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. (ABL)

This report presents information from a survey of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Nebraska adolescents (N=1,240) in grades 9-12 related to the Human-Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Schools were selected at random from each of the six classifications of Nebraska schools, and two or three classrooms for each grade were then randomly selected within each sampled school. The report is divided into four parts. Part 1 deals with students' acceptance of HIV/AIDS instruction and of people with HIV/AIDS. Part 2 describes students' access to HIV/AIDS information. Part 3 is about students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Part 4 discusses Nebraska adolescents' practices that increase the risk of HIV/AIDS. Among results of the survey are the following: (1) a majority of students indicated that they would be willing to be in a classroom with someone with HIV/AIDS; (2) less than half of the students had spoken with their parents about HIV/AIDS; (3) more than half reported that they had had sexual intercourse at least once; (4) 25.3% of those who were sexually active reported having more than one partner; and (5) 35.9% reported using condoms regularly. Results from this study were comparable to a previous one conducted in 1988. (ABL)

This report describes the dieting practices of 796 Nebraskans in grades 8 and 10. The results presented in this report are based on questions from the 1989 National Adolescent Health Survey administered to a total of 1,689 adolescents. These topics are covered: (1) incidence of dieting in adolescent males and females; (2) methods used by dieters to control weight which showed that females were more likely than males to use the methods of eating less, avoiding sweets, choosing only low calorie foods, and eating only salads, males were more likely to choose liquid diets and use laxatives; (3) comparison of the usage of little or no salt, avoiding butter, cutting off fat, and removing skin from chicken between dieters and non-dieters; (4) incidence of skipping meals between dieters and non-dieters; (5) snacking practices of dieters and non-dieters; (6) nutrition knowledge of dieters and non-dieters; (7) effects of a health education course for dieters and non-dieters; and (8) relationship of knowledge scores and snacking practices. The implications of the findings for the levels of school environment, personality, and behavior are discussed. It is noted that the promotion of health-enhancing behavior change through nutrition and/or health education can be developed at each of these levels. (ABL)

This report on adolescent tobacco use in Nebraska focuses on grades 8 and 10. The results presented are based on over time; (2) the changing nature of tobacco use from smoking to use as a chew or snuff; (3) the viewing of smoking and chewing as one health issue of tobacco exposure; (4) definition of a smoker for purposes of this study; (5) data from studies of smoking rates in Nebraska adolescents in 1980 and 1988 which indicate that although the rate of smoking had not changed, females were smoking at a younger age; (6) a comparison of the incidence of smoking in Nebraska students in 8th and 10th grades to that of students nationwide which indicated that in general the rates were no higher for Nebraska students, except for 8th grade females whose rates were higher than the rates nationwide; (7) the proportion of Nebraska 8th- and 10th-grade males who smoked and chewed (this was found to be significantly higher than in the nation as a whole); (8) the proportion of the Nebraska 8th- and 10th-grade males who were tobacco exposed (this was found to be significantly higher than across the nation as a whole); (9) rates of tobacco exposure for Nebraska females (these were higher than for the nation also); (10) the history of adolescent tobacco use; (11) the nature of adolescent tobacco use; and (12) explanations for the lack of decline in adolescent tobacco use. (ABL)

An applied anthropological study was done of college student drinking games for insight into their role and function. Historical evidence suggests that drinking games have existed since ancient times, that such games encourage heavy drinking, and that despite awareness of the dangers associated with high levels of alcohol consumption, drinking games are common. The study was conducted through a set of extensive structured interviews with a sample group of self-declared game players. Results of the interviews suggested a tentative set of theories for the motivation to play drinking games. Particularly, students play games to facilitate social functioning; they participate in order to get drunk; males play to exert power and control over others; players participate to gain a closer relationship with someone; players wish to establish relationships and to establish their place in the order of the group; and students in established friendship groups move on from competitive games to non-competitive games. Analysis also suggests that drinking games are seen by the players as a "no loss option" group activity. Most participate to meet a social need, and those who fail to meet that need can blame their failure on drunkenness rather than take responsibility for their actions. (7 references) (JB)

With the objective of describing the use of the nurse's office or sick room in a rural elementary school, data was gathered from administrative records relating to sick room utilization and absenteeism. Monthly variations in use of the sick room, utilization by grade level, consistency of usage, complaints presented, and absenteeism were the main foci of data analysis. Results indicated that elementary students use the school sick room in a manner comparable to the way adults use the physician's office and clinic. Females make more visits than males. There is good evidence that many visits are unnecessary. Implications point to a need in health education to address the problem of improper use of health care systems. (DS)

This paper reports an investigation on the educational impact of warning labels on cigarette packages on adolescents. Subjects were asked to identify the locations of warning labels on cigarette packages and advertising and to restate the warning label. Results indicated that official warnings may be well known in general terms but poorly known in specific terms. It is suggested that if mass public warning statements about health are educational devices, they should be developed and pretested with care and evaluated before they are widely disseminated. (JD)

This paper describes an attempt to use a model of behavioral intention as a diagnostic tool to provide useful data for the preparation of health education programs for adolescents in the area of cigarette smoking. The theory of this model is that a person's behavior is a function of their behavioral intention which, in turn, is a function of their attitude towards a behavior and their perception of subjective or social norms concerning that behavior. Participants in testing this model were high school students in the upper three grades. Questionnaires were designed to indicate students' attitudes on smoking, reasons for smoking or not smoking, and the extent of the influence of significant others on their decisions. It is stated that use of this model provides a qualitative as well as a quantitative understanding of cigarette smoking by high school students. Included in this document are samples of questionnaires submitted to participants and tabular analysis of results. (JD)

This research report describes alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among a representative sample of 7,187 Nebraska junior and senior high school students. The research is from an ongoing project: the Nebraska Adolescent Drug Use survey, which was initiated in 1982. The stated purpose of the project is to provide baseline and updated survey estimates of adolescent drug use in Nebraska to the Nebraska public, to educators charged with the responsibility of providing health education and intervention programs to the youth of the state, and to policymakers. The data upon which the report is based were collected during the spring of 1988. The report includes information on the self-reported use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, lysergic acid diethylamide, cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, amphetamines, tranquilizers, stimulants, other narcotics, and glue/inhalants. The report has three sections. The first describes current drug use among adolescents in Nebraska. The second compares current use among Nebraska high school seniors with current use among high school seniors in the United States as a whole. The third compares 1988 use in Nebraska with use as measured by the Nebraska Adolescent Drug Use Survey in 1982. Descriptions of the sample, the questionnaire, and methods used in the survey are provided at the end of this report. (ABL)

In 1983 the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse began a project to develop and evaluate an educational program designed to discourage young people from taking up the smoking habit and to encourage those who smoke to quit. The second evaluation of this smoking curriculum had two components: a 1-year follow-up evaluation of the curriculum based on an assessment of smoking attitudes, knowledge, and behavior of the students taught in the first year of this project; and an evaluation of the effectiveness of a slightly revised version of the curriculum taught to a different group of classes in the second year of the project. Subjects included 736 students at the 1-year followup. This longitudinal project presents significant encouragement to those involved in tobacco education. with 1 day of inservice and a well-prepared curriculum, a typical teacher can effect significant knowledge increases in students. This project showed that when teachers do present an educational program, well-grounded in theory, that long-term effects are visible as much as a year later. These long-term effects include an increase in self-reported ability by young people to resist pressures to smoke, a reduction in the number of people who think they will smoke in the future, and a reduction in the expected rate of smoking behavior. (LLL)

During the 1983-1986 academic years, the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse cooperated with the Omaha Public Schools to assess the effects of the videotape-based educational program "Resisting Pressures to Drink and Drive. " The effects of the program on two cohorts of 9th-grade students, one which participated through their Social Studies classes, and another which participated in their English classes, were compared and analyzed. The first analysis completes the second year evaluation of student learning in the experimental English classes, the second compares student learning and alcohol related behavior of the English (N=48) and Social Studies (N=51) experimental classes. The results of the Social Studies implementation show that the knowledge scores for those who had participated in the curriculum were significantly higher than for those who had not, at both post-test and follow-up. There was not significant difference between the group's self-reported riding with a drinking driver. Results for the experimental group in the English cohort showed that: (1) curriculum significantly increased knowledge measures; and (2) riding with a drinking driver for students in the experimental group did not decrease. The number of students who had ridden with a drinking driver in the last 30 days increased for both the English and the social studies groups. To conduct the same kind of long-term evaluation as for the Social Studies classes, the 1 year follow-up results of the first English experimental group are compared with the 1 year follow-up measurements of the Social Studies control group. (LLL)

During the 1984-1986 academic years, the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse again cooperated with the Omaha Public Schools to assess the effects of the videotape-based educational program, "Resisting Pressures to Drink and Drive." This report summarizes the activities of the 1984-1985 year and presents an assessment of the effects of those activities. This educational program was presented to 48 classes of 9th-graders in their English classes. The specific risk reduction strategies taught in this curriculum include learning and practicing techniques to delay decisions to drink and drive, recruiting friends to help counter peer pressure, interpreting one's self-worth as reason enough to avoid risky alcohol situations, and the application of some specific ways to say no to peers and adults. Because this is a skill-based program it was important that students participated in skills-related classroom activities. To encourage actual practice, these skills were illustrated on the videotapes, and a number of exercises in the student/teacher workbook were provided to aid in skills development. Overall, the group exposed to the curriculum did not report significant differences in the alcohol-related behaviors, especially when compared with the control group. However, although this curriculum did not significantly affect immediate behavior over the short term, it may well have affected behavior over the long term. The relationship between knowledge of risk and risk-taking behavior remains unclear. (LLL)

During the 1983-1985 academic years, the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse cooperated with the Omaha Public Schools to assess the effects of the videotape-based educational program "Resisting Pressures to Drink and Drive." This report is based upon curriculum activities of the 1983-1984 academic year and presents an assessment of the long-term effects of those activities in 1985. This educational program was presented in 51 Social Studies classrooms. The research project described in this report addresses the critical problem of high rates of alcohol-related automobile accidents involving adolescents. In response to this ongoing situation, a videotape-based curriculum was developed to help ninth grade students resist pressures to drink; drink and drive; and ride with a driver who had been drinking. The curriculum was targeted at 9th-grade students since education on these topics is relevant to students who are about to reach legal driving age and who also have relatively easy access to alcohol. As in the first year evaluation, the data were aggregated and analyzed by classroom. Curricula based on the principle of educational immunization are not necessarily expected to elicit immediate changes in behavior. Yet, according to the methodology used in this analysis, the curriculum did affect risk-taking behavior significantly after 1 year. (LLL)

Study examined the extent to which health and nutrition instruction affected eighth and tenth graders' knowledge, eating behavior, and dieting practices. Dieting was most common among girls. Exposure to health and nutrition instruction resulted in some increased knowledge. There was a low overall score for nutrition knowledge among all students. (SM)

Reviews the usage patterns of educational materials distributed to health agencies by the Nebraska Alcohol and Drug Information Clearinghouse. Results of a telephone survey indicated only 30 percent of requestors distributed all material. About a third of the material was wasted. Suggests a rationale for improved usage of material. (JAC)

Tested an alcohol/drug education curriculum in 25 Nebraska junior high schools involving 1,800 students. Using teacher training and student age as independent variables, gains in knowledge and decision-making ability were assessed. Results showed teacher training was a critical variable in curriculum innovation, especially for older students. (JAC)

This article reviews the scope and dynamics of heart, lung, and blood diseases and explains the need for research on primary prevention programs for children. Suggestions for school health education programs that contribute to disease prevention are delineated. (Author/DF)

This paper reports on a survey conducted to assist the health education faculty of the Nebraska Center for Health Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The objectives of the study were to: (1) gather base line data on the health knowledge and behavior of a sample of Nebraska junior high school students; (2) compare Nebraska junior high school students' achievement scores on a nationally standardized test to national norms; (3) compare achievement scores of students who have benefited from a health education experience with those who have not; and (4) compare achievement scores of health students taught by trained and untrained health teachers. Three tables giving the results of the survey are included. Table one gives the comparison of Nebraska scores and national norms. Table two offers an analysis of student performance in selected health education content areas by educational experience. Table three presents the students' mean scores as related to the training background of their teachers. (JD)