This study’s purpose is to examine the existing school climate literature in an attempt to constitute its definition from a historical context and to create a valid and reliable student-reported school climate instrument. Five historically common school climate domains and five measurement tools were identified, combined, and previewed by the target audience to determine face validity. The final student sample ( N = 2,049) was randomly split into exploratory and confirmatory samples and subjected to factor analytic and structural equation modeling techniques. Factor analysis results confirmed an eight-factor solution (loadings with absolute values > .40). Item factor loadings ranged from .42 to .87. Coefficient alphas ranged from .65 to .91. Preliminary analyses support the reliability and validity of the instrument. This is the first study to balance historical precedent (what to measure) and modern scale development procedures (e.g., structural equation modeling) into a single attempt to measure school climate. Implications and potential uses are discussed.

This study explored the relationships among weight perceptions, dieting behavior, and breakfast eating in 4597 public high school adolescents using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Adjusted multiple logistic regression models were constructed separately for race and gender groups via SUDAAN (Survey Data Analysis). Adjusted odds ratios [ORs] and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the strength of relationships. Approximately 42% of the sample reported not eating breakfast within the past 5 days, while 41% were trying to lose weight, and 37% were dieting to lose weight. Excessive dietary practices (eg, fasting, taking diet pills or laxatives, and vomiting to lose weight) were reported by approximately 25% of the sample. When compared to those eating breakfast within the past 5 days, all race and gender groups that did not report eating breakfast were significantly more likely to report fasting to lose weight (ORs = 1.70-2.97). In addition, all race/gender groups, with the exception of black females, were significantly more likely to perceive themselves as overweight (ORs = 1.44-1.61) and trying to lose weight (ORs = 1.40-1.72). Among males, not eating breakfast was significantly associated with taking diet pills to lose weight (ORs = 2.31-2.40), eating fewer calories to lose weight (ORs = 1.38-1.49), and inversely associated with trying to gain weight (ORs = 0.71-0.74). Results suggest that these adolescents may be skipping breakfast as part of a patterned lifestyle of unhealthy weight management and that efforts to encourage youth to eat breakfast will likely not ameliorate all dietary challenges that appear beyond the scope of increased breakfast offerings.

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Improving the health status of children and youth depends to an extent on the adequate preparation of elementary teachers to teach health education. This survey: 1) examined the status of health education preparation that preservice elementary education majors receive from Ohio colleges and universities (n = 50); 2) determined the type of health education courses that Ohio colleges and universities require for elementary education majors; and 3) assessed the extent to which Ohio colleges and universities incorporate health and pedagogy-related content in their courses for elementary education majors. Results showed that 40 of the 50 institutions offered a health course. Twelve different textbooks were used in the courses. Coverage of course content ranged from much to none for 10 survey items ranging from the National Health Education Standards to the K-6 Health Instruction Responsibilities and Competencies.

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