Reporting topics |
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Drug and alcohol abuse
Sources
Monitoring the Future – ongoing studies of drug, alcohol and cigarette use among high school students, college students and young adults
The Gordie Foundation – information on alcohol, binge drinking and hazing
Mental health
Story ideas
Doctors prescribe untested psychiatric drugs for children
Medicines for kids largely untested, despite incentives
One in 8 N.Y. foster children get psychiatric drugs
Antipsychotic may be approved to treat children
Frontline explores bipolar diagnosis in children
AHCJ article
Powerful drugs prescribed off-label to children
Tip sheets
Foster children and psychiatric drugs
Programs that Improve the Mental Health of American Children, Teens & Parents
Reports and studies
The impact of prescribed psychotropics on youth
School Mental Health: Role of the SAMHSA and Factors Affecting Service Provision
GAO: Some states, federal agencies address transition of young adults with serious mental illness
Sources
School Mental Health Project at University of California-Los Angeles
Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland
National Association of School Psychologists
Nursing and general school health
American School Health Association
National Association of School Nurses
List of state nurse associations
Story idea
School-based health programs
Tip sheet: Long-term sustainability and growth of school-based health centers
Visit to the Bronx provides insight into school-based health programs
Multimedia presentation: Visit to a school-based health program
Presentation (PDF): Margee Rogers, F.N.P., training and education coordinator, Montefiore School Health Program
Audio: Introduction to school-based health centers (MP3, 29:40)
Handout: New York State's School-Based Health Care Program
A panel, "Covering children's access to care,"at the 2007 Urban Health Journalism Workshop looked at school-based health programs:
• Moderator Meredith Matthews, editor of Current Health 2, introduces the panelists
[MP3: 413KB; 1 minute, 10 seconds]
• Roger Platt, M.D., director, Office of School Health for New York City
[Multimedia presentation – Narration with slides]
[MP3: 4MB; 12 minutes] [PDF of PowerPoint presentation]
• David Appel, M.D., director, Montefiore Medical Center's School Health Program
[Multimedia presentation – Narration with slides]
[MP3: 5.5MB; 16 minutes] [PDF of PowerPoint presentation]
• Georges Benjamin, M.D., executive director, American Public Health Association
[Multimedia presentation – Narration with slides]
[MP3: 4.4MB; 13 minutes] [PDF of PowerPoint presentation]
• Audience Q&A
[MP3: 10.2MB, 30 minutes]
Nutrition
Reporting guide
Covering Obesity – This downloadable slim guide produced by AHCJ offers facts and resources to help reporters cover obesity, including a chapter on covering overweight kids.
Story ideas
Series seeks solutions to childhood obesity epidemic
Lack of food knowledge fuels obesity epidemic, British chef says
Sources
USDA oversees the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
Center for Science in the Public Interest – studies food marketing to children, school meals, selling food to children outside of meals, getting junk food out of schools, state school food report cards
Let's Move – U.S. government campaign to end childhood obesity
Physical education & athletic injuries
National Association for Sport and Physical Education
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Story ideas
Schools weigh costs, benefits of defibrillators for athletes
With no monitoring system, cheerleading injuries go unrecorded
High school players at risk of 'second-impact syndrome'
Tip sheets
Gymnastics injuries: Compilation of the literature
Reporting on sports injuries in school-age children
Vaccinations
Story ideas
Online maps show Toronto student vaccinations
Thousands of Atlanta children unvaccinated, violate state law
Despite law, day care centers allow unvaccinated children
Lack of vaccinations may hurt ‘herd immunity’
AHCJ article
Atlanta reporter checks up on school vaccination compliance
Autism
Story ideas
Autism therapy scarce, expensive, often uncovered by insurance
CDC: Nearly 1 percent of U.S. kids have autism
Autism and vaccines: A failure to communicate
Tribune: Lupron to treat autism is ‘junk science’
Survey: Minority, low-income students less likely to receive autism diagnosis
School violence
Sources
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
Security on Campus – College campus crime reporting
Story idea
Center for Public Integrity's series about sexual assault on campus
Sexual and reproductive health
Source
Special education
Sources
U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Surveys and data
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (data on all kinds of issues: bicycle helmets and seat belt use, driving under the influence, weapons in schools, fighting, drug, alcohol and tobacco use, obesity, sexual activity, asthma)
School Health Profiles Survey – monitors the status of school health education requirements and content; physical education requirements; school health policies related to HIV/AIDS, tobacco-use prevention, and nutrition; asthma management activities; and family and community involvement in school health programs
Kids Count – Ranks states on measures of child well-being, including infant mortality, teen deaths, teen pregnancy, children without health insurance, immunizations
Child Trends DataBank – data on reproductive health, binge drinking, dating violence, physical activity, students carrying weapons, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, disabilities, drug use
Education Commission of the States – information on state policies regarding drugs and alcohol, special education, physical education classes, nutrition, sex education, teen pregnancy, suicide prevention
National Conference of State Legislatures – state policies on children’s insurance coverage, immunizations/vaccinations, restrictions on tanning or tattoos/body piercings for adolescents
Other story ideas
Three cancer patients, one seventh grade class
More health risks for students in schools near industrial plants
