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Healthy Choices: Family Life Education
National Health Education Week 2005
Healthy Choices: Family Life Education
Family life education is an important health topic for youth
and adolescents in the U.S. Responsible decision making, respect
for others and communication are just some of the important issues
teachers and parents face when raising their children to become
productive members of society. Researchers have found that the
younger a child is when they start learning about health choices,
the more receptive they will be to these ideas and integrate them
into their daily lives. Encouraging brain maturation in young
children, when the neural circuitry is especially sensitive to
growth, provides special "windows of opportunity" for
intellectual development and ingrained patterns of behavior. Thus,
the earlier and more profound the educational intervention, the
greater potential for its effectiveness.
Health in Children
Risky behaviors in high school students are becoming more and
more evident and are a clear reflection of the type of health
promotion that needs to occur in early childhood before these
negative behaviors become ingrained as habits. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2003 Youth Behavior
Risk Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey results, the facts are
as follows:
-Thirty-three percent of high school students were in a physical
fight within the past year,
-Fifty-eight percent had smoked a cigarette,
-Fifty-percent had drunk alcohol within the past month,
-Fifteen percent were at risk for becoming overweight, and
-Seventy-six percent did not attend physical education classes
daily.
Importantly, these risky behaviors contribute to the main causes
of death in youth aged 10-24. Additionally, behaviors and attitudes
about health that are initiated during childhood are responsible
for most of the leading causes of death, illness, and disability
in the United States today, according to Dr. Lloyd Kolbe, former
director of the Division of Adolescent School Health at the CDC.
Clearly, it is important to start early and sustain health education
efforts throughout a child's school experience that focus on healthy
choices. In a study conducted by Gary D. Nelson and Charlotte
M. Hendricks, it was stated that health promotion and disease
prevention efforts, which includes making healthy choices and
encouraging a supportive family life, should appropriately include
participation by parents as well as educators in public and private
preschool, elementary, and secondary schools.
One way to advocate for healthy choices and family life education
is to work together to help children make healthy choices a life-long
habit. The National Center for Health Education (NCHE) has announced
that the theme for National Health Education Week (NHEW) 2005
will be Healthy Choices: Family Life Education. NHEW 2005
will be celebrated October 17-23, 2005.
NCHE has developed a variety of materials for schools, parents,
public health professionals, and organizations to promote healthy
decision-making nationwide. NHEW 2005 materials include classroom
lesson plans for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 and parent/teacher resources
(tips for parents/families, online resources, and books of interest).
NHEW 2005 curriculum materials are based on The National Health
Education Standards and the National Science Content Standards.
To highlight local NHEW 2005 celebrations, NCHE is sponsoring
a contest featuring successful community efforts. See the contest
application form below.
We are inviting interested individuals, communities, and organizations
to promote and participate in this national initiative to help
people develop healthy decision-making habits for life. If you
or your organization would like to donate materials, such as pamphlets,
posters, or brochures, to support NHEW 2005, please contact Jeanne
Chun, Associate Program Director, at jeanne@nche.org
or 212-463-4057.
All NHEW 2005 materials are posted electronically below. You
may download these materials free of charge. You many request
hard copy materials for a minimal cost. If you would like to receive
a hard copy or have any questions, please contact Jeanne Chun,
Associate Program Director, at jeanne@nche.org
or 212-463-4057.
National Health Education Week 2005 Materials
Healthy Choices: Family Life Education
Grades K-2: Lesson Plans and Activities
Grades 3-5: Lesson Plans and Activities
Grades 6-8: Lesson Plans and Activities
Parent/Teacher Packet
NHEW 2005 Contest
NHEW 2005 Evaluation Form
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