The
overall goal of CACHR is to reduce health-related problems and improve positive
health outcomes among young people. This goal is broadly defined to include all
aspects of physical and mental health. The focus of CACHR is on children and adolescents
because it is recognized that this age group may be particularly vulnerable. Moreover,
it is a developmentally important age and behavioral patterns established in childhood
and adolescence may carry over to or have consequences for later stages in the
lifespan.
CACHR
focuses on both environmental and individual factors affecting health behaviors
and health decisions by young people. Thus, research and prevention efforts within
CACHR include a consideration of national, state, local, and institutional policies;
the family and social environment; and individual beliefs, attitudes, and values. A
primary objective of CACHR is to bring together researchers and practitioners
with a wide range of interests and expertise regarding child and adolescent health.
To this end, CACHR is multi-disciplinary and involves individuals from throughout
PIRE and from other institutions. Participating
projects and scientists benefit from a degree of cross-site and cross-discipline
synergy and collaboration that is difficult for single projects to achieve. In
particular, CACHR provides the opportunity and incentive for researchers and practitioners
from within and outside of PIRE to form collaborative relationships that otherwise
would not occur. One outgrowth of this collaborative arrangement is the development
of a coherent set of sophisticated measurement instruments, theoretical approaches,
and methodologies that can be applied to a variety of research questions and practical
applications. -
Develop new emphasis areas and projects in child and adolescent health -
Obtain new funding for projects in important areas of child and adolescent health -
Shape the direction of research, funding, and practice at the state and national
level -
Train and encourage new and young researchers in the field of child and adolescent
health | 
