Earn Money for Your School By Completing a CYI Survey

Each year, the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) provides more than $1 million to support comprehensive student health services in Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville area schools designed to help students be the healthiest and most academically productive possible.

In an effort to make the free programs the best they can be, WPHF would like your feedback. Parents are invited to complete the electronic survey posted on this website and provide thoughts and suggestions. Your child’s school will receive $1 for each completed survey, to be used for healthy school activities.

A paper version will be included in the elementary school edition of the next Healthy Kids Today newsletter that should arrive at your homes this week.

Please click here to take the electronic version of the survey by June 15. Please complete no more than one survey per family per school.

Text Messages May Help Teens Remember Medication

Text messaging may be just the tool parents and medical providers need to keep teens and adolescents on schedule with medications.

A researcher at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, whose asthma patients don’t properly take their medication, is studying whether a daily medication reminder sent via text message could improve compliance.

Read the complete story on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.

Hookah Popularity a Concern Among Medical Experts

Hookah smoking has become increasingly popular, especially with college students, causing concern among medical experts.

Many think that hookahs, also called water pipes–made up of a long tube attached to a glass or plastic container that holds water–filter out cigarette toxins.  But experts say that is not true. They recommend prevention messages be aimed at students on college campuses.

Read the complete Medlineplus story by clicking here.

Facebook and Florida Agree On Internet Safeguards for Youth

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has announced that Florida has joined 48 states and the District of Columbia in an agreement with Facebook, the popular Internet social networking site. The agreement focuses on several changes Facebook will make to better protect children from predators and inappropriate content and to participate in a task force on implementation of age and identity verification software.

“All too often, children are careless about what they share with strangers online, and we must continue working to protect our children from predators who may exploit social networking sites to locate their next victim,” he said.

As a result of the agreement, Facebook has agreed to make several changes, including a measure of protection to address a behavior known as “grooming,” where predators lie about their age online in order to seduce victims.

To read more click on the Florida Attorney General’s website.

Get Your Vaccination Before Summer Vacation

The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) will offer free immunizations for children, birth to age 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at the OCHD office at 832 West Central Blvd., Orlando, 32805.

Remember to bring the child’s shot record. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and a valid ID is required.

For more information on this event, call 407-836-2502, or visit : www.orchd.com

Depressed Teens Who Self-Medicate Could Develop More Serious Mental Illness

Millions of American teens report experiencing weeks of hopelessness and loss of interest in normal daily activities and many of these depressed teens are using marijuana and other drugs, making their situation worse, according to a new White House report.

The report, from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), reveals that marijuana use can worsen depression and lead to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety and even suicide.

Read the complete story on the ONDCP website.

 

Soccer’s a Winner for Building Bone Health in Girls

The sport of soccer gets an A plus when it comes to helping girls prevent low bone density when they get older.

Sports like soccer, which has a combination of weight-bearing exercise and repetitive “impact-loading” activities including jumping and running, help build bone density better than some other sports.

To read the complete HealthDay story and find out other things kids can do to build strong bones, go to the Medlineplus website.