Health promotion and injury prevention behaviors of elementary school children

This cross-sectional study examined health and lifestyle behaviors of 302 urban elementary school children. Over half of the children considered themselves very healthy, with asthma and allergies the most commonly reported illnesses. The majority of children reported high levels of injury prevention and health promotion behaviors. Over 75% of the students reported that they did not smoke, drink, use guns or drugs; they looked both ways before crossing a street; took medicine only with parental permission; had a working smoke detector at home; and knew how to safely exit their home during a fire. Boys reported more risk-taking behaviors than did girls; White youth had lower injury-prevention scores than Black youth; and younger children and children with behavior or emotional disorders in specialized classrooms reported fewer health promotion activities related to nutrition, exercise, and dental hygiene. Findings suggest the need for tailoring health education efforts for different subgroups of children.