Evaluation of the Inaugural Pennsylvania School Nurse Mentorship Program.

The role of a school nurse has evolved due, in part, to complex health conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, nurse burnout and early retirement are contributing to school nurse shortages across the United States. Interprofessional support, training, and mentorship are needed to support school nurses new to the field.

The adolescent health network: A unique approach to sustained adolescent stakeholder engagement.

At least 70% of premature adult deaths result from behaviors starting and reinforced in adolescence. The use of adolescent-centered outcomes and the necessity of creating space for the adolescent voice regarding research that directly impacts them is often overlooked. These omissions result in proposals and solutions that lack consideration of adolescent ingenuity, preferences, and needs.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pennsylvania School Nurse Management of Student Immunization Requirements.

School nurses play a significant role in the coordination of school-entry immunization requirements across the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the school landscape and introduced additional responsibilities to a school nurse's workload. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with  = 110 Pennsylvania school nurses to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on school-entry immunization compliance management.

Parent and child opinion on the use of standing desks in the classroom.

Objective: Standing desks present a novel approach to reduce sedentary time in the classroom and address cardiovascular risk factors at an early age. In the context of designing a standing desk study, parents and children were surveyed regarding their perceptions and current use of standing desks and other flexible seating.

Methods: Survey administered from January 31st to February 26th, 2024 to a convenience cohort of 50 parent-child pairs presenting for well or acute care at a pediatrics clinic affiliated with an academic institution (Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States).

Cooking with the Community: Addressing Food Insecurity Through Equipment Provision and Professional Instruction.

Introduction: Food insecurity is a common problem with many associated negative downstream health impacts. Despite government sponsored and private supports, many individuals struggle with making healthy, nutritious meals. Penn State's Cooking with the Community program was constructed with the objective of providing cooking equipment and instructions to increase knowledge of healthy cooking techniques and consumption of under-utilized food pantry ingredients.

Evaluating the Impact of Aevidum on Mental Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Help-Seeking Behaviors in High School Students: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Purpose: To compare Aevidum's school mental health curriculum vs the curriculum plus Aevidum clubs in a mixed-methods study including pre/post surveys, a randomized clinical trial, and qualitative interviews.

Design: Concurrent mixed-methods: Aim 1) pre-post surveys evaluated curriculum only vs curriculum plus club schools separately regarding changes in knowledge, help-seeking, and school culture; Aim 2) randomized clinical trial compared curriculum only to curriculum plus club schools; Aim 3) qualitative school staff interviews enhanced understanding of school culture changes.

Setting: Curriculum delivered to 9th graders at ten Pennsylvania high schools; 5 schools randomized to start clubs.

Lessons Learned from an Academic Partnership to Review Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services' Annual Survey.

Introduction: Pennsylvania's Student Assistance Program (SAP) began in the mid-1980s to address student barriers to academic success. SAP teams, groups of trained school and community professionals, review referrals, and connect students to services. State leadership conducts an annual SAP team survey, but capacity to evaluate data and affect change is limited.

Effects of a Primary Care-Based Engagement Intervention for Improving Use of ADHD Treatments.

Introduction: Uptake of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatments is low in primary care. A quasi-experimental study assessed the impact of a primary care-based engagement intervention to improve ADHD treatment use.

Method: Families of children with ADHD from four pediatric clinics were invited to participate in a two-stage intervention.

Evaluation of a stakeholder advisory board for an adolescent mental health randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: Community engagement in research is widely accepted as best practice, despite gaps in existing frameworks to evaluate its process, context, and impact on research. The Screening in High Schools to Identify, Evaluate, and Lower Depression (SHIELD) study evaluated the use of a school-based major depressive disorder screening tool in the identification of symptoms and treatment initiation among adolescents, and was developed, implemented, and disseminated in partnership with a Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB). We summarize outcomes of the evaluation strategy applied through our partnership with the SAB and explore gaps in the available engagement evaluation tools for mixed stakeholder populations including youth.

Impact of Wellness Policy Review, Wellness Council Activity, and Student Health Objectives on Overall School Wellness Climate.

Background: The whole school, whole community, whole child (WSCC) model suggests wellness councils, ongoing review of wellness policy, and a plan for evaluating set objectives are some of the key features needed to support school wellness infrastructure. This study explored the relationship between implementation of these infrastructure features and overall school wellness environment assessment scores among a sampling of Pennsylvania schools.

Methods: The Healthy Champions program provides Pennsylvania schools an opportunity to self-assess their wellness environments across several school wellness topics.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric weight: A retrospective chart review.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced United States school closures in March 2020. Students moved to online learning, fostering a sedentary lifestyle. As the pandemic heightened population disparities, the impact on weight gain may also be unequally distributed.

A qualitative analysis of participant experiences with universal school-based depression screening.

Screening in High Schools to Identify, Evaluate and Lower Depression (SHIELD) was a randomized clinical trial of school-based universal depression screening conducted with public high schools in Pennsylvania, United States. Screened adolescents were twice as likely to initiate depression treatment compared to peers who were not screened. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experience of communities participating in universal screening via SHIELD.

A Collaborative Analysis of Trends in Referrals to the Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program from 2013 to 2018.

Background: The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is mandated kindergarten to 12th grade in Pennsylvania schools to address barriers to student academic success. Following student referral, SAP teams use a systematic process to inform recommendations for school or community-based services. To evaluate program outcomes, a review of student SAP referral trends over a 5-year period was undertaken.

Insights on COVID-19, School Reopening Procedures, and Mental Wellness: Pilot Interviews With School Employees.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused interruptions to the K-12 US school landscape since spring 2020.

Methods: In summer 2020, we completed a pilot study utilizing interviews (n = 13) with school staff (ie, nurses, educators) from across the United States. We aimed to understand the status of school operation and re-entry plans after the primary period of school closure, along with resources needed for students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Treatment Engagement Following a Positive Mental Health Screening Questionnaire.

Introduction: Less than half of U.S. adolescents with major depressive disorder receive treatment.

Screening in High Schools to Identify, Evaluate, and Lower Depression Among Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) prevalence has nearly doubled in the past decade. The US Preventive Services Task Force endorses universal adolescent MDD screening in primary care; however, most adolescents lack preventive health care, resulting in worsening disparities in MDD screening and treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of universal adolescent MDD screening in the school setting in an effort to reduce disparities and improve MDD identification and treatment initiation.

The association between state-based provisional attendance periods and adolescent middle school-entry vaccination coverage.

The rise of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks calls for a deeper understanding of the impact of policy on school-entry vaccine compliance. Provisional attendance policies vary by state but permit under-vaccinated students a limited period to attend school while receiving their immunizations. The primary objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between annual immunization coverage and state provisional policies for a single-dose of school-entry-required adolescent vaccinations: tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), meningococcal conjugate (MCV4), and human papillomavirus (HPV).

"I wouldn't even know what to do," Adolescent and Parent Perspectives on Identifying, Understanding, and Seeking Help for Adolescent Depression.

Within the context of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of school-based depression screening, the study objective was to understand parent and adolescent perspectives on school-based depression screening and barriers to help-seeking for adolescent depression. From May-Nov. 2019, separate focus groups were held with adolescents (8 groups, n = 52) and parents (6 groups, n = 36).

National Survey of School Employees: COVID-19, School Reopening, and Student Wellness.

Background: During spring 2020, COVID-19 forced widespread United States school building closures in an unprecedented disruption for K-12 students and staff. Partnering with the American School Health Association (ASHA), we sought to identify areas of concern among school staff planning for school reopening with the goal of addressing gaps in resources and education.

Methods: This 16-item web-based survey was distributed via email to 7467 ASHA members from May to June 2020.

School Nurse Perspectives on COVID-19.

Pennsylvania responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by closing schools and moving to online instruction in March 2020. We surveyed Pennsylvania school nurses ( = 350) in May 2020 to assess the impact of COVID-19 on nurses' concerns about returning to school and impact on practice. Data were analyzed using χ tests and regression analyses.

Parent Views on School-Based Depression Screening: Findings From a National Survey.

Purpose: This study explored parent views on school involvement in screening and identification of adolescent depression.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional Internet-based survey with the C.S.