Elevated blood pressure (BP) in children and adolescents is determined on normative distribution of BP in healthy children. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of high normal and elevated BP among school children and to assess associated risk factors. The study comprised 965 children (48.7% girls) in 8th grade of primary school. Data were obtained from questionnaire and anthropome...

OBJECTIVE To consider implementation issues associated with the delivery of Bristol Girls Dance Project (BGDP) and to identify improvements that may aid the design of after-school physical activity (PA) interventions. DESIGN Two-armed cluster randomised control trial. The BGDP was a 20-week school-based intervention, consisting of two 75 min after-school dance sessions per week, which aimed t...

BACKGROUND From spring of 2012, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer is offered free of charge to all girls aged 10-12 years through a school-based vaccination programme in Sweden. The aim of this study was to explore how parents reason when they accept HPV vaccination for their young daughter and also their views on HPV-related information. METHODS Individual interviews...

AIM To compare body image and weight control behavior among adolescents in Lithuania, Croatia, and the United States (US), the countries with striking contrasts in the prevalence of overweight among adolescents. METHOD The study was carried out according to the methodology of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children collaborative survey. Nationally-representative samples of students, aged ...

In Egypt, girls have traditionally been educationally disadvantaged. This disadvantage, however, has been focused on the failure to enter school. Increasingly it is recognized that girls who ever-enroll are at least as likely to complete primary and secondary education as boys. Still the belief persists that girls, especially those from poor families, will be disadvantaged in terms of school ex...

BACKGROUND The onset of menstruation is a landmark event in the life of a young woman. Yet the complications and challenges that can accompany such an event have been understudied, specifically in resource-poor settings. As interventions aim to improve female attendance in schools, it is important to explore how menstruation is perceived and navigated by girls in the school setting. This resear...

A survey of over a thousand 8–11 year-old children in primary schools indicated that children in the more senior classes showed a marked decline in their enjoyment of school science. Older children found certain science topics – such as parts of the flower and evaporation – difficult, chiefly because of the complex terminology involved. There were clear differences between boys and girls: girls...

OBJECTIVE A child's opportunity for physical activity and the safety of engaging in activity are influenced by built environment (BE) elements. This study examined the relationship of neighbourhood type and socio-economic status (SES) with activity using a sampling frame that purposely located schools in varying neighbourhoods to ensure that there was variability in BE characteristics and SES. ...

This study uses cross-national evidence to estimate the effect of school peer performance on the size of the gender gap in the formation of STEM career aspirations. We argue that STEM aspirations are influenced not only by gender stereotyping in the national culture but also by the performance of peers in the local school environment. Our analyses are based on the Program for International Stud...

Previous narrative research by TANESA found rural primary school students in Mwanza Region to be sexually active from the age of 12 years. The Regional Education Office established a program to protect primary school girls from sexual abuse following 1995-96 reports to the rural School AIDS Committees (SACs) that female students were being sexually harassed and abused by primary school teacher...