WorldWideScience

Sample records for school health csh

  1. The Impact on Anxiety and Depression of a Whole School Approach to Health Promotion: Evidence from a Canadian Comprehensive School Health (CSH) Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dassanayake, Wijaya; Springett, Jane; Shewring, Tania

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we examine the impact of adopting a comprehensive school health (CSH) approach on reducing anxiety and depression of school-age children. We use the data from 245 schools that received government funding support to adopt a CSH approach in order to build health promoting school environments in Alberta. Using a linear multi-level…

  2. Barriers and Facilitators to Sustaining School Health Teams in Coordinated School Health Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Karen; Lesesne, Catherine A; Rasberry, Catherine N; Kroupa, Elizabeth; Fisher, Deborah; Robin, Leah; Pitt Barnes, Seraphine

    2017-05-01

    Coordinated school health (CSH) programs address multiple factors related to students' overall health, thereby increasing their physical and mental readiness to learn. A formative evaluation of three school districts in 2010-2011 examined strategies for sustaining the school health teams (SHTs) that lead CSH efforts. Qualitative data from 39 interviews and 13 focus groups revealed facilitators and barriers for sustaining SHTs. Quantitative data from 68 questionnaires completed by SHT members and school principals examined factors associated with having more active SHTs and district and school characteristics SHT members believed to be important to their schools' efforts to implement CSH. Facilitators of sustaining SHTs included administrative support, staff engagement in the SHT, and shared goals and responsibility. Barriers to sustaining SHTs included limited time and competing priorities, budget and funding constraints, and staff turnover. Findings provide valuable insight into challenges and potential solutions for improving the sustainability of SHTs to enable them to better support CSH efforts.

  3. Costs of implementing and maintaining comprehensive school health: the case of the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohinmaa, Arto; Langille, Jessie-Lee; Jamieson, Stuart; Whitby, Caroline; Veugelers, Paul J

    2011-01-01

    Comprehensive school health (CSH) is increasingly receiving renewed interest as a strategy to improve health and learning. The present study estimates the costs associated with implementing and maintaining CSH. We reviewed the accounting information of all schools in the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools (AVHPS) program in 2008/2009. We considered support for nutrition and physical activity programs by the public system, grants, donations, fundraising and volunteers. The annual public funding to AVHPS to implement and maintain CSH totaled $344,514, which translates, on average, to $7,830 per school and $22.67 per student. Of the public funding, $140,500 was for CSH, $86,250 for breakfast programs, $28,750 for school food policy programs, and the remainder for other subsidized programs. Grants, donations and fundraising were mostly locally acquired. They totaled $127,235, which translates, on average, to $2,892 per school or $8.37 per student. The value of volunteer support was estimated to be equivalent to the value of grants, donations and fundraising combined. Of all grants, donations, fundraising and volunteers, 20% was directed to physical activity programs and 80% to nutrition programs. The public costs to implement and maintain CSH are modest. They leveraged substantial local funding and in-kind contributions, underlining community support for healthy eating and active living. Where CSH is effective in preventing childhood overweight, it is most likely cost-effective too, as costs for future chronic diseases are mounting. CSH programs that are proven effective and cost-effective have enormous potential for broad implementation and for reducing the public health burden associated with obesity.

  4. Essential conditions for the implementation of comprehensive school health to achieve changes in school culture and improvements in health behaviours of students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate E. Storey

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Comprehensive School Health (CSH is an internationally recognized framework that holistically addresses school health by transforming the school culture. It has been shown to be effective in enhancing health behaviours among students while also improving educational outcomes. Despite this effectiveness, there is a need to focus on how CSH is implemented. Previous studies have attempted to uncover the conditions necessary for successful operationalization, but none have described them in relation to a proven best practice model of implementation that has demonstrated positive changes to school culture and improvements in health behaviours. Methods The purpose of this research was to identify the essential conditions of CSH implementation utilizing secondary analysis of qualitative interview data, incorporating a multitude of stakeholder perspectives. This included inductive content analysis of teacher (n = 45, principal (n = 46, and school health facilitator (n = 34 viewpoints, all of whom were employed within successful CSH project schools in Alberta, Canada between 2008 and 2013. Results Many themes were identified, here called conditions, that were divided into two categories: ‘core conditions’ (students as change agents, school-specific autonomy, demonstrated administrative leadership, dedicated champion to engage school staff, community support, evidence, professional development and ‘contextual conditions’ (time, funding and project supports, readiness and prior community connectivity. Core conditions were defined as those conditions necessary for CSH to be successfully implemented, whereas contextual conditions had a great degree of influence on the ability for the core conditions to be obtained. Together, and in consideration of already established ‘process conditions’ developed by APPLE Schools (assess, vision, prioritize; develop and implement an action plan; monitor, evaluate, celebrate

  5. School-based health promotion and physical activity during and after school hours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vander Ploeg, Kerry A; McGavock, Jonathan; Maximova, Katerina; Veugelers, Paul J

    2014-02-01

    Comprehensive school health (CSH) is a multifaceted approach to health promotion. A key objective of CSH is to foster positive health behaviors outside of school. This study examined the 2-year change in physical activity during and after school among students participating in a CSH intervention in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This was a quasi-experimental, pre-post trial with a parallel, nonequivalent control group. Intervention schools had to be located in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. In the spring of 2009 and 2011, pedometer recordings (7 full days) and demographic data were collected from cross-sectional samples of fifth grade students from 10 intervention schools and 20 comparison schools. A total of 1157 students participated in the study. Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders and the clustered design. Relative to 2009, children in 2011 were more active on schools days (1172 steps per day; P affect children's physical activity during and outside of school. Results of this study justify broader implementation of effective CSH interventions for physical activity promotion and obesity prevention in the long term.

  6. Implementing Comprehensive School Health in Alberta, Canada: the principal's role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Erica; McLeod, Nicole; Montemurro, Genevieve; Veugelers, Paul J; Gleddie, Doug; Storey, Kate E

    2016-12-01

    Comprehensive School Health (CSH) is an internationally recognized framework that moves beyond the individual to holistically address school health, leading to the development of health-enhancing behaviors while also improving educational outcomes. Previous research has suggested that principal support for CSH implementation is essential, but this role has yet to be explored. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the role of the principal in the implementation of a CSH project aimed at creating a healthy school culture. This research was guided by the grounded ethnography method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with APPLE School principals (n = 29) to qualitatively explore their role in creating a healthy school culture. A model consisting of five major themes emerged, suggesting that the principal played a fluid role throughout the CSH implementation process. Principals (i) primed the cultural change; (ii) communicated the project's importance to others; (iii) negotiated concerns and collaboratively planned; (iv) held others accountable to the change, while enabling them to take ownership and (v) played an underlying supportive role, providing positive recognition and establishing ongoing commitment. This research provides recommendations to help establish effective leadership practices in schools, conducive to creating a healthy school culture. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Support for healthy eating at schools according to the comprehensive school health framework: evaluation during the early years of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orava, Taryn; Manske, Steve; Hanning, Rhona

    2017-09-01

    Provincial, national and international public health agencies recognize the importance of school nutrition policies that help create healthful environments aligned with healthy eating recommendations for youth. School-wide support for healthy living within the pillars of the comprehensive school health (CSH) framework (social and physical environments; teaching and learning; healthy school policy; and partnerships and services) has been positively associated with fostering improvements to student health behaviours. This study used the CSH framework to classify, compare and describe school support for healthy eating during the implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150). We collected data from consenting elementary and secondary schools in a populous region of Ontario in Time I (2012/13) and Time II (2014). Representatives from the schools completed the Healthy School Planner survey and a food environmental scan (FES), which underwent scoring and content analyses. Each school's support for healthy eating was classified as either "initiation," "action" or "maintenance" along the Healthy School Continuum in both time periods, and as "high/increased," "moderate" or "low/decreased" within individual CSH pillars from Time I to Time II. Twenty-five school representatives (8 elementary, 17 secondary) participated. Most schools remained in the "action" category (n = 20) across both time periods, with varying levels of support in the CSH pillars. The physical environment was best supported (100% high/increased support) and the social environment was the least (68% low/decreased support). Only two schools achieved the highest rating (maintenance) in Time II. Supports aligned with P/PM 150 were reportedly influenced by administration buy-in, stakeholder support and relevancy to local context. Further assistance is required to sustain comprehensive support for healthy eating in Ontario school food environments.

  8. Support for healthy eating at schools according to the comprehensive school health framework: evaluation during the early years of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy implementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taryn Orava

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Provincial, national and international public health agencies recognize the importance of school nutrition policies that help create healthful environments aligned with healthy eating recommendations for youth. School-wide support for healthy living within the pillars of the comprehensive school health (CSH framework (social and physical environments; teaching and learning; healthy school policy; and partnerships and services has been positively associated with fostering improvements to student health behaviours. This study used the CSH framework to classify, compare and describe school support for healthy eating during the implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150. Methods: We collected data from consenting elementary and secondary schools in a populous region of Ontario in Time I (2012/13 and Time II (2014. Representatives from the schools completed the Healthy School Planner survey and a food environmental scan (FES, which underwent scoring and content analyses. Each school’s support for healthy eating was classified as either “initiation,” “action” or “maintenance” along the Healthy School Continuum in both time periods, and as “high/increased,” “moderate” or “low/decreased” within individual CSH pillars from Time I to Time II. Results: Twenty-five school representatives (8 elementary, 17 secondary participated. Most schools remained in the “action” category (n = 20 across both time periods, with varying levels of support in the CSH pillars. The physical environment was best supported (100% high/increased support and the social environment was the least (68% low/decreased support. Only two schools achieved the highest rating (maintenance in Time II. Supports aligned with P/PM 150 were reportedly influenced by administration buy-in, stakeholder support and relevancy to local context. Conclusion: Further assistance is required to sustain comprehensive support for healthy

  9. Coordinated School Health and the Contribution of a District Wellness Coordinator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westrich, Lisa; Sanchez, Monika; Strobel, Karen

    2015-01-01

    Background: A San Francisco Bay Area school health initiative was established in fall 2010 to improve wellness programs in 4 local school districts using the Coordinated School Health (CSH) model. This study examines the role of district-wide wellness coordinators and the ways in which they contribute to intentional coordination of health and…

  10. Lessons Learned from the Whole Child and Coordinated School Health Approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasberry, Catherine N.; Slade, Sean; Lohrmann, David K.; Valois, Robert F.

    2015-01-01

    Background: The new Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, designed to depict links between health and learning, is founded on concepts of coordinated school health (CSH) and a whole child approach to education. Methods: The existing literature, including scientific articles and key publications from national agencies and…

  11. Long-term effects of comprehensive school health on health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, health behaviours and weight status of adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ofosu, Nicole Naadu; Ekwaru, John Paul; Bastian, Kerry Ann; Loehr, Sarah A; Storey, Kate; Spence, John C; Veugelers, Paul J

    2018-04-18

    APPLE Schools is a Comprehensive School Health (CSH) project, started in schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas where dietary habits are poor, physical activity (PA) levels are low, and obesity rates are high. Earlier research showed program effects whereby energy intake, PA and weight status of students in APPLE Schools had reached similar levels as that of students in other schools. However, it is unknown whether the effects of CSH are sustained when children grow into adolescents. Effects of APPLE Schools on health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, diet, PA, and weight status, seven years after the start of the project, when students were in junior high and high school were assessed. We hypothesised that APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates will remain at similar levels for these indicators. In the 2015/16 school year, junior high and high school graduates (grades 7-12) in Northern Alberta, Canada participated in a Youth Health Survey. Participants included graduates from APPLE elementary schools (n = 202) and comparison elementary schools (n = 338). Health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, diet (24-h dietary recall), PA (pedometer step count) and weight status were assessed. Mixed effects regression was employed to assess differences in these outcomes between APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates. Comparisons between elementary school (2008/09) and junior high/high school (2015/16) of self-efficacy, PA and weight status were also conducted. APPLE School graduates did not significantly differ from comparison school graduates on any outcomes (i.e. knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, diet, PA, and weight status). Additionally, no significant differences existed in the comparisons between 2008/09 and 2015/16. Our findings of no difference between the APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates suggest that the effects of APPLE Schools may continue into adolescence or the new

  12. What Can Secondary School Students Teach Educators and School Nurses about Student Engagement in Health Promotion? A Scoping Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Amy J.; Reilly, Sandra M.

    2017-01-01

    Student engagement represents a critical component of a comprehensive school health (CSH) approach to health promotion. Nevertheless, questions remain about its implementation. This scoping review updates the field of student engagement in health promotion. Of the 1,388 located articles, 14 qualify for inclusion in this study. An analysis reveals…

  13. Rietveld refinement of the structures of 1.0 C-S-H and 1.5 C-S-H

    KAUST Repository

    Battocchio, Francesco

    2012-11-01

    Low-Q region Rietveld analyses were performed on C-S-H synchrotron XRD patterns, using the software MAUD. Two different crystal structures of tobermorite 11 Å were used as a starting model: monoclinic ordered Merlino tobermorite, and orthorhombic disordered Hamid tobermorite. Structural modifications were required to adapt the structures to the chemical composition and the different interlayer spacing of the C-S-H samples. Refinement of atomic positions was done by using special constraints called fragments that maintain interatomic distances and orientations within atomic polyhedra. Anisotropic crystallite size refinement showed that C-S-H has a nanocrystalline disordered structure with a preferred direction of elongation of the nanocrystallites in the plane of the Ca interlayer. The quality of the fit showed that the monoclinic structure gives a more adequate representation of C-S-H, whereas the disordered orthorhombic structure can be considered a more realistic model if the lack of long-range order of the silica chain along the c-direction is assumed. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Chemical alteration of calcium silicate hydrates in saline groundwater. Mechanism of sorption of Na on C-S-H and effect of NaCl on leaching of Ca from C-S-H

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, Daisuke; Fujita, Tomonari

    2004-01-01

    In the concept for TRU waste disposal in Japan, cement is a potential waste packaging and backfilling material and is expected to provide chemical containment. In the presence of some reactive ions in a saline groundwater, the chemical properties of cement materials should be affected. In this study, the mechanism of sorption of sodium (Na) on C-S-H and the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration on dissolution of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) are discussed by measuring the sorption isotherm of sodium onto C-S-H gel (Ca/Si = 0.65-1.2). Based on the experimental results, it is showed that sodium sorbs by substitution for Ca in C-S-H phases and leaching of Ca from C-S-H is enhanced in NaCl solution ( -1 mol dm -3 ). The results of sorption experiments are reasonably well modelled by the ion-exchange model assuming some calcium sites with different ion-exchange log K values. It is also suggested that the dissolution of C-S-H can be modelled reasonably well by considering the effect of ionic strength on activity coefficients of aqueous species for high Ca/Si ratio of C-S-H, and the effect of exchange of sodium with calcium of C-S-H on leaching of Ca becomes obvious for lower Ca/Si ratio of C-S-H. (author)

  15. Stability of uranium(VI) doped CSH phases in high saline water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolter, Jan-Martin; Schmeide, Katja [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Surface Processes

    2017-06-01

    To evaluate the long-term stability of U(VI) doped calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) phases at high saline conditions, leaching experiments with NaCl, NaCl/Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and NaCl/NaHCO{sub 3} containing solutions were performed. Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were applied to study the U(VI) binding onto the CSH phases and to get a deeper understanding of structural changes due to leaching. Results indicate that neither NaCl nor Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} affect the structural stability of CSH phases and their retention potential for U(VI). However, carbonate containing solutions lead to a decomposition of CSH phases and thus, to a release of incorporated uranium.

  16. From "best practice" to "next practice": the effectiveness of school-based health promotion in improving healthy eating and physical activity and preventing childhood obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background In 2005, we reported on the success of Comprehensive School Health (CSH) in improving diets, activity levels, and body weights. The successful program was recognized as a "best practice" and has inspired the development of the Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating (APPLE) Schools. The project includes 10 schools, most of which are located in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The present study examines the effectiveness of a CSH program adopted from a "best practice" example in another setting by evaluating temporal changes in diets, activity levels and body weight. Methods In 2008 and 2010, we surveyed grade 5 students from approximately 150 randomly selected schools from the Canadian province of Alberta and students from 10 APPLE Schools. Students completed the Harvard Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, questions on physical activity, and had their height and weight measured. Multilevel regression methods were used to analyze changes in diets, activity levels, and body weight between 2008 and 2010. Results In 2010 relative to 2008, students attending APPLE Schools were eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming fewer calories, were more physically active and were less likely obese. These changes contrasted changes observed among students elsewhere in the province. Conclusions These findings provide evidence on the effectiveness of CSH in improving health behaviors. They show that an example of "best practice" may lead to success in another setting. Herewith the study provides the evidence that investments for broader program implementation based on "best practice" are justified. PMID:22413778

  17. An estimation of applicable thermodynamic data for C-S-H gel to PHREEQC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Hiroshige; Honda, Akira

    2004-07-01

    Cementitious materials will be used extensively in the TRU waste repository. The dissolution/precipitation of cementitious materials will affect the chemical condition of pore waster of TRU waste repository. Thus, it is important for estimation of chemical condition of pore water to apply the dissolution/precipitation of cementitious materials appropriately. A C-S-H gel (poorly crystallized calcium silicate hydrate) is a major component in cementitious materials which determined the mechanical characteristics of cementitious materials. The hydraulic condition of cementitious materials is strongly affected by the dissolution/precipitation of C-S-H gel due to the change of porosity accompanied with the dissolution/precipitation processes. Further, the chemical condition of pore water will be dominated by the dissolution/ precipitation of C-S-H gel for a long period. Therefore, an importance of the dissolution/precipitation of C-S-H gel has been recognized internationally, and several dissolution/precipitation models of C-S-H gel have been proposed. The principal scopes of the C-S-H gel models are description of an incongruent dissolution/precipitation behavior of C-S-H gel. On the other hand, PHREEQC is a compute program, which has been used generally for the geochemical calculation. PHREEQC can provide the state of chemical equilibrium of system defined by chemical equations and equilibrium constants (log K). In JNC, reference model groundwater determined by calculation using PHREEQC in HLW study will be also used in TRU waste study. In addition, PHREEQC will be used for calculation of the cement-water reaction. Therefore, applicability of the presented dissolution/precipitation models of C-S-H gel to PHREEQC was estimated. As a result of estimation of the applicability, Atkinson model and Reardon model were selected as suitable models to the PHREEQC. The chemical equations and log K values of C-S-H gel were derived from these models and tested using PHREEQC. The

  18. From "best practice" to "next practice": the effectiveness of school-based health promotion in improving healthy eating and physical activity and preventing childhood obesity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fung Christina

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In 2005, we reported on the success of Comprehensive School Health (CSH in improving diets, activity levels, and body weights. The successful program was recognized as a "best practice" and has inspired the development of the Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating (APPLE Schools. The project includes 10 schools, most of which are located in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The present study examines the effectiveness of a CSH program adopted from a "best practice" example in another setting by evaluating temporal changes in diets, activity levels and body weight. Methods In 2008 and 2010, we surveyed grade 5 students from approximately 150 randomly selected schools from the Canadian province of Alberta and students from 10 APPLE Schools. Students completed the Harvard Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, questions on physical activity, and had their height and weight measured. Multilevel regression methods were used to analyze changes in diets, activity levels, and body weight between 2008 and 2010. Results In 2010 relative to 2008, students attending APPLE Schools were eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming fewer calories, were more physically active and were less likely obese. These changes contrasted changes observed among students elsewhere in the province. Conclusions These findings provide evidence on the effectiveness of CSH in improving health behaviors. They show that an example of "best practice" may lead to success in another setting. Herewith the study provides the evidence that investments for broader program implementation based on "best practice" are justified.

  19. Rietveld refinement of the structures of 1.0 C-S-H and 1.5 C-S-H

    KAUST Repository

    Battocchio, Francesco; Monteiro, Paulo J.M.; Wenk, Hans-Rudolf

    2012-01-01

    Low-Q region Rietveld analyses were performed on C-S-H synchrotron XRD patterns, using the software MAUD. Two different crystal structures of tobermorite 11 Å were used as a starting model: monoclinic ordered Merlino tobermorite, and orthorhombic

  20. Temperature Effects on Tensile and Compressive Mechanical Behaviors of C-S-H Structure via Atomic Simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Xin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available An atomic scale model of amorphous calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H with Ca/Si ratio of 1.67 is constructed. Effects of temperature on mechanical properties of C-S-H structure under tensile and compressive loading in the layered direction are investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. Results from present simulations show that (1 the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of C-S-H structure significantly decrease with the increase of the temperature; (2 the water layer plays an important role in the mechanical properties of C-S-H structure; (3 the compressive strength is stronger than tensile strength, which corresponds with the characteristic of cement paste.

  1. [Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) complicated by bilateral occipital lobe infarction: two case reports].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kudo, Kanae; Naraoka, Masato; Shimamura, Norihito; Ohkuma, Hiroki

    2013-04-01

    Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) is a common disease that is treated with burr hole drainage by neurosurgeons. The outcome of CSH is mostly favorable. We treated 2 cases with bilateral occipital lobe infarction due to CSH. A 57-year-old woman was ambulatory when she visited a clinic for evaluation of headache. One hour after the CT was taken, she developed acute impairment of consciousness, so that she was referred to our hospital. The second patient was a 73-year-old woman with a history of depression who was involved in a traffic accident 5 weeks before admission to our hospital. She was at first admitted to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation of gait disturbance. Three weeks after she was admitted to the psychiatric hospital, she fell into a coma. She was referred to our hospital. Their brain CT on admission revealed compressed ambient and interpeduncular cistern and bilateral CSH. Although burr hole drainage surgery was performed, the 2 patients developed severe sequelae due to occipital lobe infarction caused by central transtentorial herniation.

  2. Role of interatomic bonding in the mechanical anisotropy and interlayer cohesion of CSH crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dharmawardhana, C.C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri—Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110 (United States); Misra, A. [Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 (United States); Aryal, S.; Rulis, P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri—Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110 (United States); Ching, W.Y., E-mail: ccdxz8@mail.umkc.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri—Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110 (United States)

    2013-10-15

    Atomic scale properties of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), the main binding phase of hardened Portland cement, are not well understood. Over a century of intense research has identified almost 50 different crystalline CSH minerals which are mainly categorized by their Ca/Si ratio. The electronic structure and interatomic bonding in four major CSH crystalline phases with structures close to those found in hardened cement are investigated via ab initio methods. Our result reveals the critical role of hydrogen bonding and importance of specifying precise locations for water molecules. Quantitative analysis of contributions from different bond types to the overall cohesion shows that while the Si-O covalent bonds dominate, the hydrogen bonding and Ca-O bonding are also very significant. Calculated results reveal the correlation between bond topology and interlayer cohesion. The overall bond order density (BOD) is found to be a more critical measure than the Ca/Si ratio in classifying different CSH crystals.

  3. Effect of temperature on the microstructure of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gallucci, E., E-mail: gallucci.emmanuel@ch.sika.com; Zhang, X.; Scrivener, K.L.

    2013-11-15

    Temperature affects the properties of concrete through its effect on the hydration of cement and its associated microstructural development. This paper focuses on the modifications to C-S-H induced by isothermal curing between 5 and 60 °C. The results show that as the temperature increases (within the range studied) the C/S ratio of C-S-H changes only slightly, with a higher degree of polymerisation of silicate chains, but there is a significant decrease in its bound water content and an increase of apparent density of 25%. This increase seems to come from a different packing of C-S-H at the nanoscale. As a consequence of these changes, the microstructure of the cement paste is much coarser and porous, which explains the lower final strengths obtained by curing at elevated temperatures. -- Highlights: •C-S-H structure studied at the atomic level •Multiple analytical techniques used •Studies conducted at temperatures above and below normal temperatures.

  4. Interaction of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), the main components of cement, with alkaline chlorides, analogy with clays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Viallis-Terrisse, H.

    2000-01-01

    This work, belonging to a more general study on the structure and reactivity of cement, deals with the experimental and theoretical analysis of the interaction of alkaline chlorides with calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), the main components of cement paste. The interaction of alkaline cations with C-S-H is interfacial, involving both electrostatic and surface complexation mechanisms. The C-S-H surface is constituted of silanol sites, partially dissociated due to the high pH of the interstitial solution. The calcium ions, present in large amounts in the equilibrium solution of C-S-H, constitute potential determining ions for the C-S-H surface. The alkaline ions seem to compete with calcium for the same surface sites. The adsorption isotherms show that caesium presents a better affinity than sodium and lithium for the C-S-H surface. Moreover, solid-state NMR suggests that caesium forms with the surface sites inner-sphere complexes, whereas sodium seems to keep its hydration sphere. These results are in agreement with zeta potential measurements, which let suppose a specific adsorption of caesium ions, and an indifferent behaviour of both other alkaline ions. A model for the C-S-H surface was proposed, from the electric double layer model, and mass action laws expressing the complexation of the different ionic species with the silanol sites. The whole study relies on a structural analogy with smectites, some clays presenting well-known cationic adsorption properties. The structural similarity between both minerals is enhanced by some similarities of reactivity, though significant behaviour differences could also be noted. (author)

  5. Ettringite and C-S-H Portland cement phases for waste ion immobilization: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gougar, M.L.D.; Scheetz, B.E.; Roy, D.M.

    1996-01-01

    The formation, structure and chemistry of the ettringite and C-S-H phases of Portland cement have been reviewed as they relate to waste ion immobilization. The purpose of this review was to investigate the use of Portland cement as a host for priority metallic pollutants as identified by the Environmental Protection Agency and as a host for radioactive waste ions as identified in 40 CFR 191. Ettringite acts as host to a number of these ions in both the columnar and channel sections of the crystal structure. Substitutions have been made at the calcium, aluminum, hydroxide and sulfate sites. C-S-H also hosts a number of the waste species in both ionic and salt form. Immobilization mechanisms for C-S-H include sorption, phase mixing and substitution. The following ions have not apparently been reported as specifically immobilized by one of these phases: Ag, Am, Np, Pu, Ra, Tc, Th and Sn; however, some of these ions are immobilized by Portland cement

  6. Compositional Evolution of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) Structures by Total X-Ray Scattering

    KAUST Repository

    Soyer-Uzun, Sezen; Chae, Sejung Rosie; Benmore, Chris J.; Wenk, Hans-Rudolf; Monteiro, Paulo J. M.

    2011-01-01

    High-energy X-ray diffraction was employed to study the structural characteristics of a set of C-S-H samples with 0.6 ≤ C/S a;circ 1.75. It has been observed that Si is tetrahedrally coordinated to O for all samples irrespective of chemical composition and the Ca-O coordination number gradually decreases from ∼7 to ∼6 with increasing C/S ratio. This suggests that the C-S-H structure evolves from a tobermorite-like structure into a jennite-like structure as a function of increasing C/S ratio as the interlayer space decreases from ∼1.3 to ∼1 nm. Evolution of these short- and medium-range order structural characteristics in the C-S-H system is associated with the alteration of the Ca-O layers and silicate depolymerization with increasing C/S. © 2011 The American Ceramic Society.

  7. Compositional Evolution of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) Structures by Total X-Ray Scattering

    KAUST Repository

    Soyer-Uzun, Sezen

    2011-12-09

    High-energy X-ray diffraction was employed to study the structural characteristics of a set of C-S-H samples with 0.6 ≤ C/S a;circ 1.75. It has been observed that Si is tetrahedrally coordinated to O for all samples irrespective of chemical composition and the Ca-O coordination number gradually decreases from ∼7 to ∼6 with increasing C/S ratio. This suggests that the C-S-H structure evolves from a tobermorite-like structure into a jennite-like structure as a function of increasing C/S ratio as the interlayer space decreases from ∼1.3 to ∼1 nm. Evolution of these short- and medium-range order structural characteristics in the C-S-H system is associated with the alteration of the Ca-O layers and silicate depolymerization with increasing C/S. © 2011 The American Ceramic Society.

  8. Thermodynamic description of the solubility of C-S-H gels in hydrated Portland cement. Literature review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soler, J.M.

    2007-11-01

    The objective of this study is to compile the available information published in the scientific literature regarding the solubility of C-S-H (calcium silica hydrate) gels, which are the main components of hydrated Portland cement. Modeling the thermodynamic properties of C-S-H, including its incongruent dissolution behavior, is an important requirement to understand the evolution and degradation of hydrated cement and concrete. The thermodynamic modeling of C-S-H started with the use of empirical or semi-empirical models and evolved to the application of solid solution models. Most of the experimental work has been performed at or near 25 deg C and the models are in principle applicable to temperatures near 25 deg C. One of the models provides an explicit dependence on temperature. (orig.)

  9. The uptake of Cs, Cl, I, Co, U and Pu by C-S-H, portlandite and ettringite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Callonnec, C.; Richet, C.; Ayache, R.

    2000-01-01

    The aim of this work is to study the retention of Pu, Cs, Cl, U, Co and I onto the three phases of a cement paste: calcium silicate hydrates or C-S-H (Ca/Si=1.65), portlandite (Ca(OH) 2 ) and ettringite (Ca 6 Al 2 S 3 O 21 .32H 2 O). C-S-H of Ca/Si molar ratio of 1.65 and ettringite were prepared in suspension, while portlandite was provided by an industrial laboratory. The sorptive power for each ion was determined by a batch model at 20 degrees Celsius. The uptake of ions onto the phases has been obtained by introducing a very small volume of radioactive Cs, Co, Cl, I, U and Pu solution in each batch. Aliquots of solution were periodically removed for analysis. The results show that there are two kinds of ions whatever the solid phase: those which are poorly sorbed: Cs, Cl, I and Co, U and Pu which are strongly sorbed (by a factor 100 to 10000). Elsewhere, the comparison between the sorptive power of each phase reveals that C-S-H develops a significant sorption potential for pluri-valent ions (Pu, U, Co) as well as for Cl. The retention capacity of portlandite mainly towards pluri-valent cations is one or two orders of magnitude weaker than C-S-H capacity. Ettringite only plays a sorptive role relatively to Cs. However, iodine does not have a strong affinity for any solid at all. The data allow us to calculate a global sorption coefficient Kd of the cement paste for each ion. Assuming that the proportion of C-S-H, portlandite, ettringite is respectively 65%, 15% and 5% in a Portland cement, the global sorption coefficient is in good agreement with literature regarding on U, Cs, I and Cl. Cementitious materials appear to be an interesting chemical barrier that can limit the diffusion of pluri-valent cations. As C-S-H represent from 60% to 75% of the cement paste, this study leads to underline that C-S-H is mainly responsible for the retention capacity of cementitious materials specially towards U, Pu, Co, Cl although its sorption power is limited concerning

  10. Effect of the hydration temperature on the microstructure of Class G cement: C-S-H composition and density

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahafid, Sara; Ghabezloo, Siavash; Duc, Myriam; Faure, Pamela; Sulem, Jean

    2017-01-01

    Curing temperature has a significant influence on cement paste microstructure and the properties of its principal hydrate C-S-H. In this paper, the effect of the hydration temperature in the range of 7 °C to 90 °C on the microstructure of a class G oil-well cement is studied. This is done by combining various experimental methods, including X-ray diffraction associated with the Rietveld analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry and porosity evaluation by drying. The experimental results show an increase of the capillary porosity and a decrease of the gel porosity by increasing the hydration temperature. This is attributed to a decrease of the C-S-H intrinsic porosity and a corresponding increase of the C-S-H density for higher curing temperatures. The experimental results are used in a simple analysis method to evaluate the density of C-S-H, as well as its C/S ratio and H/S ratio in dry and saturated conditions. The evaluated C-S-H density varies from 1.88 g/cm 3 at 7 °C to 2.10 g/cm 3 at 90 °C. The results also show a decrease of molar C/S ratio with increasing hydration temperature from 1.93 at 7 °C to 1.71 at 90 °C and of the H/S ratio from 5.1 at 7 °C to 2.66 at 90 °C.

  11. Binding of the cSH3 domain of Grb2 adaptor to two distinct RXXK motifs within Gab1 docker employs differential mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Caleb B; Seldeen, Kenneth L; Deegan, Brian J; Bhat, Vikas; Farooq, Amjad

    2011-01-01

    A ubiquitous component of cellular signaling machinery, Gab1 docker plays a pivotal role in routing extracellular information in the form of growth factors and cytokines to downstream targets such as transcription factors within the nucleus. Here, using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) in combination with macromolecular modeling (MM), we show that although Gab1 contains four distinct RXXK motifs, designated G1, G2, G3, and G4, only G1 and G2 motifs bind to the cSH3 domain of Grb2 adaptor and do so with distinct mechanisms. Thus, while the G1 motif strictly requires the PPRPPKP consensus sequence for high-affinity binding to the cSH3 domain, the G2 motif displays preference for the PXVXRXLKPXR consensus. Such sequential differences in the binding of G1 and G2 motifs arise from their ability to adopt distinct polyproline type II (PPII)- and 3(10) -helical conformations upon binding to the cSH3 domain, respectively. Collectively, our study provides detailed biophysical insights into a key protein-protein interaction involved in a diverse array of signaling cascades central to health and disease. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Conductivity And Thermal Stability of Solid Acid Composites CsH2PO4 /NaH2PO4/ SiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norsyahida Mohammad; Abu Bakar Mohamad; Abu Bakar Mohamad; Abdul Amir Hassan Kadhum

    2016-01-01

    Solid acid composites CsH 2 PO 4 / NaH 2 PO 4 / SiO 2 with different mole ratios of CsH 2 PO 4 and NaH 2 PO 4 to SiO 2 were synthesized and characterized. Preliminary infrared measurements of CsH 2 PO 4 and its composites indicated that hydrogen bonds breaking and formation were detected between 1710 to 2710 cm -1 , while the rotation of phosphate tetrahedral anions occurred between 900 and 1200 cm -1 . The superprotonic transition of CsH 2 PO 4 / NaH 2 PO 4 / SiO 2 composite was identified at superprotonic temperatures between 230 and 260 degree Celcius, under atmospheric pressure. This study reveals higher conductivity values for composites with higher CsH 2 PO 4 (CDP) content. Solid acid composite CDP 613 appeared as the composite with the highest conductivity that is 7.2x10 -3 S cm -1 at 230 degree Celcius. Thermal stability of the solid acid composites such as temperature of dehydration, melting and decomposition were investigated. The addition of NaH 2 PO 4 lowers the dehydration temperature of the solid acid composites. (author)

  13. The hydrogen dynamics of CsH5(PO4)2 studied by means of nuclear magnetic resonance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gradisek, A; Dimnik, B; Vrtnik, S; Dolinsek, J; Wencka, M; Zdanowska Fraczek, M; Lavrova, G V

    2011-01-01

    We have investigated the hydrogen dynamics of cesium pentahydrogen diphosphate, CsH 5 (PO 4 ) 2 , by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, in order to address the question of why there is no superprotonic phase transition in this compound, in contrast to other structurally similar hydrogen-bonded ionic salts, where a superprotonic transition is frequently found to be present. The analysis of the NMR spectrum and the spin-lattice relaxation rate revealed that the temperature-dependent hydrogen dynamics of CsH 5 (PO 4 ) 2 involves motional processes (the intra-H-bond jumps and the inter-H-bond jumps at elevated temperatures, as a mechanism of the ionic conductivity) identical to those for the other H-bonded superprotonic salts. The considerably stronger H-bond network in CsH 5 (PO 4 ) 2 prompts the search for a higher superprotonic transition temperature. However, due to the relatively weak bonding between the {[H 2 PO 4 ]} ∞ planes in the [100] direction of the CsH 5 (PO 4 ) 2 structure by means of the ionic bonding via the cesium atoms and the small number of H bonds in that direction (where out of five H bonds in the unit cell, four are directed within the {[H 2 PO 4 ]} ∞ planes and only one is between the planes), the bonds between the planes become thermally broken and the crystal melts before the H-bond network rearranges via water release into an open structure typical of the superprotonic phase. Were the coupling between the {[H 2 PO 4 ]} ∞ planes in the CsH 5 (PO 4 ) 2 somewhat stronger, the superprotonic transition would occur in the same manner as it does in other structurally related hydrogen-bonded ionic salts.

  14. The C-S-H gel of Portland cement mortars: Part I. The interpretation of energy-dispersive X-ray microanalyses from scanning electron microscopy, with some observations on C-S-H, AFm and AFt phase compositions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Famy, C.; Brough, A.R.; Taylor, H.F.W.

    2003-01-01

    Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microanalyses of the calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel in Portland cement pastes rarely represent single phases. Essential experimental requirements are summarised and new procedures for interpreting the data are described. These include, notably, plots of Si/Ca against other atom ratios, 3D plots to allow three such ratios to be correlated and solution of linear simultaneous equations to test and quantify hypotheses regarding the phases contributing to individual microanalyses. Application of these methods to the C-S-H gel of a 1-day-old mortar identified a phase with Al/Ca=0.67 and S/Ca=0.33, which we consider to be a highly substituted ettringite of probable composition C 6 A 2 S-bar 2 H 34 or {Ca 6 [Al(OH) 6 ] 2 ·24H 2 O}(SO 4 ) 2 [Al(OH) 4 ] 2 . If this is true for Portland cements in general, it might explain observed discrepancies between observed and calculated aluminate concentrations in the pore solution. The C-S-H gel of a similar mortar aged 600 days contained unsubstituted ettringite and an AFm phase with S/Ca=0.125

  15. Leaching of both calcium hydroxide and C-S-H from cement paste: Modeling the mechanical behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carde, C.; Torrenti, J.M.; Francois, R.

    1996-01-01

    This paper deals with the effect of the leaching process of cement based materials on their mechanical properties. This process induces mainly a total leaching of Ca(OH) 2 and a progressive decalcification of C-S-H which leads to a gradient of C/S ratio in the leaching zone. In a previous work, the authors venture the hypothesis that the dissolution of calcium hydroxide was the essential parameter governing both decrease in strength and increase in porosity in the case of a paste sample made with an OPC cement which leads to a 20% content of calcium. In order to quantify the effect of the decrease of C/S ratio in C-S-H, the authors have performed experiments on paste samples with the admixture of silica fume to reduce the content of calcium hydroxide and thus emphasize the effect of C/S ratio decrease of the C-S-H. The leaching process was achieved by the use of a 50% concentrate solution of ammonium nitrate. Compression tests were conducted on micro-cylinder samples (10, 12, 14, 20 and 30 mm of diameter) because of the slow kinetics of degradation due to the leaching. The deterioration of the cement paste and the mortar exposed to the action of the ammonium nitrate was indicated by a peripheral zone of less resistance. The experimental results allow the modeling of the mechanical behavior of cement pastes in relation to the ratio of degraded area over total area of the sample A d /A t . The model thus defined allows separation of the effect of calcium hydroxide leaching and C-S-H leaching, and shows the importance of the first one. The current research program tries to characterize the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the concrete surrounding radioactive wastes, due to the water flow during storage

  16. Textural and mechanical characterization of C-S-H gels from hydration of synthetic T1-C3S, β-C2S and their blends

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dolado, J. S.

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The textural and mechanical characterization of C-S-H gels formed from the hydration of pure T1-C3S, β-C2S and their blends are studied by Nitrogen sorption and nanoindentation experiments. The surface area and nanoporosity of C-S-H gels formed from the hydration of β-C2S and the 30-70 (T1-C3S and β-C2S mixture are higher than those from hydration of T1-C3S, and 70-30, with the difference decreasing with hydration age. Such changes are well supported by findings of nanoindentation study, which shows the greater relative volume of C-S-H phases with lower densities in the β-C2S and the 30-70 pastes. With the increase in hydration age, the relative volume of C-S-H phases with higher densities increased at the expenses of those with lower density. Important quantitative correlations were found among these textural characteristics and the mean chain length, determined from 29Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS NMR, of the C-S-H gels.La caracterización textural y mecánica de geles C-S-H formados a partir de la hidratación de muestras puras de T1-C3S, ß-C2S y sus mezclas ha sido estudiada por medio de adsorción de nitrógeno y nanoindentación. El área superficial y la nano-porosidad de los geles formados durante la hidratación del ß-C2S y la mezcla 30-70 (T1-C3S- ß-C2S son mayores que los correspondientes a los geles del T1-C3S, y la mezcla 70-30; esta diferencia disminuye con el tiempo de hidratación. Estos cambios coinciden con los resultados de nanoindentación que indican un aumento de volumen relativo de las fases C-S-H con una densidad menor en el caso del ß-C2S y la mezcla 30-70. Al aumentar el tiempo de hidratación, el volumen relativo de fases C-S-H de mayor densidad aumenta a expensas de aquellas de menor densidad. Importantes correlaciones cuantitativas se establecen entre las características texturales y la longitud de cadena media del gel C-S-H, determinada mediante RMN-MAS de 29Si.

  17. Textural and mechanical characterization of C-S-H gels from hydration of synthetic T1-C3S, β-C2S and their blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goni, S.; Guerrero, A.; Puertas, F.; Hernandez, M. S.; Palacios, M.; Dolado, J. S.; Zhu, W.; Howind, T.

    2011-01-01

    The textural and mechanical characterization of C-S-H gels formed from the hydration of pure T1-C 3 S, β-C 2 S and their blends are studied by Nitrogen sorption and nano indentation experiments. The surface area and nano porosity of C-S-H gels formed from the hydration of β-C 2 S and the 30-70 (T1-C 3 S and β-C 2 S mixture) are higher than those from hydration of T1-C 3 S, and 70-30, with the difference decreasing with hydration age. Such changes are well supported by findings of nano indentation study, which shows the greater relative volume of C-S-H phases with lower densities in the β-C 2 S and the 30-70 pastes. With the increase in hydration age, the relative volume of C-S-H phases with higher densities increased at the expenses of those with lower density. Important quantitative correlations were found among these textural characteristics and the mean chain length, determined from 2 9Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR, of the C-S-H gels. (Author) 36 refs.

  18. Protonic Conductors for Intermediate Temperature Fuel Cell Electrolytes: Superprotonic CsH2PO4 Stabilization and in-Doped SnP2O7 Structure Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez Salinas, Heber Jair

    Proton conductor solid electrolytes CsH2PO4 and In-doped tin pyrophosphate have been investigated as candidates to fill a gap of suitable electrolytes for fuel cells at the intermediate temperature range due their unusually high conductivities between 200 and 300 °C. Unfortunately, in the case of CsH2PO4, complicated experimental conditions, like a humidified environment, or high pressure, are needed to preserve the sought high conducting phase. In the first stage of this work, X-ray diffraction on CsH2PO 4 samples performed in air, and under normal conditions of humidity and pressure, evidence of the cubic phase of CsH2PO4 was observed during short intervals of temperature and time, starting at 215 °C and disappearing completely at 265 °C into a dehydrated phase. An AC impedance spectroscopy experimental setup has been assembled and data has been successfully collected on undoped, and doped CsH2PO 4 samples to investigate the effects of chemical and environmental modifications. Measurements performed in the temperature range 200 - 260 °C, and using the frequency range 1 - 6 MHz, showed that the high conducting phase of undoped CsH2PO4 was present for a very short interval of temperature. Additionally, these measurements showed that nano-silica-doped CsH2PO4, and CsH2PO4 under a humidified environment achieve the highest values of conductivity, above 10-2 S cm-1 among the samples tested. In the second stage of this investigation, AC impedance spectroscopy measurements were successfully performed on CsH2PO4 samples in air, at temperatures from 200 - 260 °C, and in the frequency range 1 - 6 MHz, inside a hermetically sealed stainless-steel chamber, which was designed and assembled in-house. Results showed that the highly conducting phase of CsH2PO 4 was achieved at temperatures measured above 230 °C, reaching conductivity values up to 1.7 x10-2 S cm-1, and remaining stable for over 40 hours. Consequent X-ray diffraction analysis of such samples showed that a

  19. Structural and nano-mechanical properties of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) formed from alite hydration in the presence of sodium and potassium hydroxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendoza, Oscar; Giraldo, Carolina; Camargo, Sergio S.; Tobón, Jorge I.

    2015-01-01

    This research evaluates the effect of sodium and potassium hydroxide on the structure and nano-mechanical properties of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) formed from the hydration of pure alite. Monoclinic (MIII) alite was synthesized and hydrated, using water-to-alite ratios of 0.5 and 0.6 and additions of 10% NaOH and KOH by weight of alite. Based on results of X-ray diffraction, isothermal calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and nanoindentation, two different effects of the alkaline hydroxides on the hydration reaction of alite, both at early and later ages, can be identified: (i) a differentiated hydration process, attributed to an enhancement in calcium hydroxide (CH) precipitation and a stimulation of the C-S-H nuclei; and (ii) an increase in the elastic modulus of the C-S-H aggregations, attributed to an electrostatic attraction between positive charges from the alkaline cations and negative charges from the C-S-H structure

  20. Structural and nano-mechanical properties of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) formed from alite hydration in the presence of sodium and potassium hydroxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendoza, Oscar, E-mail: oamendoz@unal.edu.co [Grupo del Cemento y Materiales de Construcción (CEMATCO). Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Minas, Medellín (Colombia); Giraldo, Carolina [Cementos Argos S.A., Medellín (Colombia); Camargo, Sergio S. [Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro/COPPE, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Tobón, Jorge I. [Grupo del Cemento y Materiales de Construcción (CEMATCO). Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Minas, Medellín (Colombia)

    2015-08-15

    This research evaluates the effect of sodium and potassium hydroxide on the structure and nano-mechanical properties of Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) formed from the hydration of pure alite. Monoclinic (MIII) alite was synthesized and hydrated, using water-to-alite ratios of 0.5 and 0.6 and additions of 10% NaOH and KOH by weight of alite. Based on results of X-ray diffraction, isothermal calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and nanoindentation, two different effects of the alkaline hydroxides on the hydration reaction of alite, both at early and later ages, can be identified: (i) a differentiated hydration process, attributed to an enhancement in calcium hydroxide (CH) precipitation and a stimulation of the C-S-H nuclei; and (ii) an increase in the elastic modulus of the C-S-H aggregations, attributed to an electrostatic attraction between positive charges from the alkaline cations and negative charges from the C-S-H structure.

  1. Textural and mechanical characterization of C-S-H gels from hydration of synthetic T1-C{sub 3}S, {beta}-C{sub 2}S and their blends; Caracterizacion textural y mecanica de geles C-S-H formados en la hidratacion de muestras sinteticas T1-C{sub 3}S, {beta}-C{sub 2}S y sus mezclas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goni, S.; Guerrero, A.; Puertas, F.; Hernandez, M. S.; Palacios, M.; Dolado, J. S.; Zhu, W.; Howind, T.

    2011-07-01

    The textural and mechanical characterization of C-S-H gels formed from the hydration of pure T1-C{sub 3}S, {beta}-C{sub 2}S and their blends are studied by Nitrogen sorption and nano indentation experiments. The surface area and nano porosity of C-S-H gels formed from the hydration of {beta}-C{sub 2}S and the 30-70 (T1-C{sub 3}S and {beta}-C{sub 2}S mixture) are higher than those from hydration of T1-C{sub 3}S, and 70-30, with the difference decreasing with hydration age. Such changes are well supported by findings of nano indentation study, which shows the greater relative volume of C-S-H phases with lower densities in the {beta}-C{sub 2}S and the 30-70 pastes. With the increase in hydration age, the relative volume of C-S-H phases with higher densities increased at the expenses of those with lower density. Important quantitative correlations were found among these textural characteristics and the mean chain length, determined from {sup 2}9Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR, of the C-S-H gels. (Author) 36 refs.

  2. Computational Material Modeling of Hydrated Cement Paste Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) Chemistry Structure - Influence of Magnesium Exchange on Mechanical Stiffness: C-S-H Jennite

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-04-27

    MODELING OF C-S-H Material chemistry level modeling following the principles and techniques commonly grouped under Computational Material Science is...Henmi, C. and Kusachi, I. Monoclinic tobermorite from fuka, bitchu-cho, Okoyama Perfecture. Japan J. Min. Petr. Econ . Geol. (1989)84:374-379. [22...31] Liu, Y. et al. First principles study of the stability and mechanical properties of MC (M=Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Hf and Ta) compounds. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. (2014) 582:500-504. 10

  3. First-principles study of paraelectric and ferroelectric CsH2PO4 including dispersion forces: Stability and related vibrational, dielectric, and elastic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Troeye, Benoit; van Setten, Michiel Jan; Giantomassi, Matteo; Torrent, Marc; Rignanese, Gian-Marco; Gonze, Xavier

    2017-01-01

    Using density functional theory (DFT) and density functional perturbation theory (DFPT), we investigate the stability and response functions of CsH2PO4 , a ferroelectric material at low temperature. This material cannot be described properly by the usual (semi)local approximations within DFT. The long-range e--e- correlation needs to be properly taken into account, using, for instance, Grimme's DFT-D methods, as investigated in this work. We find that DFT-D3(BJ) performs the best for the members of the dihydrogenated alkali phosphate family (KH2PO4 , RbH2PO4 , CsH2PO4 ), leading to experimental lattice parameters reproduced with an average deviation of 0.5%. With these DFT-D methods, the structural, dielectric, vibrational, and mechanical properties of CsH2PO4 are globally in excellent agreement with the available experiments (<2 % MAPE for Raman-active phonons). Our study suggests the possible existence of a new low-temperature phase of CsH2PO4 , not yet reported experimentally. Finally, we report the implementation of DFT-D contributions to elastic constants within DFPT.

  4. Mechanistic study and modeling of radionuclides retention by the hydrated calcium silicates (HCS) of cements; Etude mecanistique et modelisation de la retention de radionucleides par les silicates de calcium hydrates (CSH) des ciments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pointeau, I

    2000-09-01

    This work attempts to investigate the modelling of radioisotopes (Cs{sup +}, Pb{sup 2+}, Eu{sup 3+}) immobilization in cement matrix, in the frame of the design of engineered barrier of a deep radwaste repository. The model development concept consists of three major steps: - surface chemistry modelling of the calcium silicate hydrate CSH, used to simulate hydrated cement behaviour; - solid analysis of the batch sorption experiments: identification of the uptake mechanism; - both previous steps are used, with isotherm data, in the modelling of the radioisotopes immobilization in the CSH matrix. Final results: (all modelling are available for all the range of studied Ca/Si ratios and have been validated with predictive calculations). - A thermodynamic modelling of the CSH surface chemistry has been developed. The labile calcium and proton sorption constants on silanol sites (>SiOH) have been extracted. - Cs{sup +} is sorbed on two sites. The silanol site (weak site) has a high site density (10 sites.nm{sup -2}), which accounts for the CSH unsaturation in high [CS{sup +}]. A strong site is also identified. - Pb{sup 2+} immobilization in CSH matrix is modelled with surface equilibria and solubility equilibrium. - Eu{sup 3+} fixation has been investigated with solid analysis: Site-Selective anti Time-Resolved Luminescence Spectroscopy, XPS and SEM-EDS. Eu{sup 3+} thus does not precipitate in CSH water but is sorbed on the CSH surface (high hydroxylated environment). Europium is also (minority site) inserted in the CSH framework. (author)

  5. Radionuclides retention in C-S-H, main phases of cement matrices for low and intermediate-level wastes; Retencion de radionuclidos en C-S-H, principales fases de matrices de cemento para desechos de bajo y medio nivel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Badillo A, V. E.; Lopez R, C.; Vidal M, J. [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Gutierrez B, O., E-mail: veronica.badillo@inin.gob.mx [Instituto Tecnologico de Toluca, Av. Tecnologico s/n, Exrancho La Virgen, Metepec, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

    2014-10-15

    Knowing that the behavior of cementitious materials based on hydraulic binder called cement is essentially determined by the physicochemical evolution of the cement paste (water + cement) which constitutes it, the evolution of the cement paste in contact with different aqueous solutions is studied since one of the main risks in safety of systems is composed of surface and groundwater, which contribute to the alteration of the different barriers and represent the main way of radionuclides transport. The calcium silicates CSH are the main phases that compose the systems based on Portland cement. The hydrates calcium silicates possess a high degree of structural complexity which includes crystalline, partially crystalline and amorphous phases. In this study the microstructures of the CSH phases as well as the retention of radionuclide Sr (II) are studied through the {sup 87m}Sr in formulations of water/cement w/c = 0.55; experimental values of K d low around 20 ml g{sup -1} are obtained in function of hydration time of the cement paste in equilibrium with aqueous solutions. (Author)

  6. Health-promoting schools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kwan, Stella Y L; Petersen, Poul Erik; Pine, Cynthia M

    2005-01-01

    Schools provide an important setting for promoting health, as they reach over 1 billion children worldwide and, through them, the school staff, families and the community as a whole. Health promotion messages can be reinforced throughout the most influential stages of children's lives, enabling...... them to develop lifelong sustainable attitudes and skills. Poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on children's quality of life, their performance at school and their success in later life. This paper examines the global need for promoting oral health through schools. The WHO Global School...... Health Initiative and the potential for setting up oral health programmes in schools using the health-promoting school framework are discussed. The challenges faced in promoting oral health in schools in both developed and developing countries are highlighted. The importance of using a validated...

  7. Tobermorite/jennite- and tobermorite/calcium hydroxide-based models for the structure of C-S-H: applicability to hardened pastes of tricalcium silicate, β-dicalcium silicate, Portland cement, and blends of Portland cement with blast-furnace slag, metakaolin, or silica fume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richardson, I.G.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to discuss the applicability of the tobermorite-jennite (T/J) and tobermorite-'solid-solution' calcium hydroxide (T/CH) viewpoints for the nanostructure of C-S-H present in real cement pastes. The discussion is facilitated by a consideration of the author's 1992 model, which includes formulations for both structural viewpoints; its relationship to other recent models is outlined. The structural details of the model are clearly illustrated with a number of schematic diagrams. Experimental observations on the nature of C-S-H present in a diverse range of cementitious systems are considered. In some systems, the data can only be accounted for on the T/CH structural viewpoint, whilst in others, both the T/CH and T/J viewpoints could apply. New data from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are presented. The 'inner product' (Ip) C-S-H in relatively large grains of C 3 S or alite appears to consist of small globular particles, which are ∼4-8 nm in size in pastes hydrated at 20 deg. C but smaller at elevated temperatures, ∼3-4 nm. Fibrils of 'outer product' (Op) C-S-H in C 3 S or β-C 2 S pastes appear to consist of aggregations of long thin particles that are about 3 nm in their smallest dimension and of variable length, ranging from a few nanometers to many tens of nanometers. The small size of these particles of C-S-H is likely to result in significant edge effects, which would seem to offer a reasonable explanation for the persistence of Q 0 (H) species. This would also explain why there is more Q 0 (H) at elevated temperatures, where the particles seem to be smaller, and apparently less in KOH-activated pastes, where the C-S-H has foil-like morphology. In blended cements, a reduction in the mean Ca/Si ratio of the C-S-H results in a change from fibrillar to a crumpled-foil morphology, which suggests strongly that as the Ca/Si ratio is reduced, a transition occurs from essentially one-dimensional growth of the C-S-H particles to

  8. Radionuclides retention in C-S-H, main phases of cement matrices for low and intermediate-level wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badillo A, V. E.; Lopez R, C.; Vidal M, J.; Gutierrez B, O.

    2014-10-01

    Knowing that the behavior of cementitious materials based on hydraulic binder called cement is essentially determined by the physicochemical evolution of the cement paste (water + cement) which constitutes it, the evolution of the cement paste in contact with different aqueous solutions is studied since one of the main risks in safety of systems is composed of surface and groundwater, which contribute to the alteration of the different barriers and represent the main way of radionuclides transport. The calcium silicates CSH are the main phases that compose the systems based on Portland cement. The hydrates calcium silicates possess a high degree of structural complexity which includes crystalline, partially crystalline and amorphous phases. In this study the microstructures of the CSH phases as well as the retention of radionuclide Sr (II) are studied through the 87m Sr in formulations of water/cement w/c = 0.55; experimental values of K d low around 20 ml g -1 are obtained in function of hydration time of the cement paste in equilibrium with aqueous solutions. (Author)

  9. Facilitators to promoting health in schools: is school health climate the key?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucarelli, Jennifer F; Alaimo, Katherine; Mang, Ellen; Martin, Caroline; Miles, Richard; Bailey, Deborah; Kelleher, Deanne K; Drzal, Nicholas B; Liu, Hui

    2014-02-01

    Schools can promote healthy eating in adolescents. This study used a qualitative approach to examine barriers and facilitators to healthy eating in schools. Case studies were conducted with 8 low-income Michigan middle schools. Interviews were conducted with 1 administrator, the food service director, and 1 member of the coordinated school health team at each school. Barriers included budgetary constraints leading to low prioritization of health initiatives; availability of unhealthy competitive foods; and perceptions that students would not eat healthy foods. Schools had made improvements to foods and increased nutrition education. Support from administrators, teamwork among staff, and acknowledging student preferences facilitated positive changes. Schools with a key set of characteristics, (presence of a coordinated school health team, nutrition policies, and a school health champion) made more improvements. The set of key characteristics identified in successful schools may represent a school's health climate. While models of school climate have been utilized in the educational field in relation to academic outcomes, a health-specific model of school climate would be useful in guiding school health practitioners and researchers and may improve the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving student dietary intake and other health behaviors. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  10. Characteristics of health education among secondary schools--School Health Education Profiles, 1996.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grunbaum, J A; Kann, L; Williams, B I; Kinchen, S A; Collins, J L; Kolbe, L J

    1998-09-11

    School health education (e.g., classroom training) is an essential component of school health programs; such education promotes the health of youth and improves overall public health. February-May 1996. The School Health Education Profiles monitor characteristics of health education in middle or junior high schools and senior high schools. The Profiles are school-based surveys conducted by state and local education agencies. This report summarizes results from 35 state surveys and 13 local surveys conducted among representative samples of school principals and lead health education teachers. The lead health education teacher is the person who coordinates health education policies and programs within a middle or junior high school and senior high school. During the study period, almost all schools in states and cities required health education in grades 6-12; of these, a median of 87.6% of states and 75.8% of cities taught a separate health education course. The median percentage of schools that tried to increase student knowledge on certain topics (i.e., prevention of tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, violence, or suicide; dietary behaviors and nutrition; and physical activity and fitness) was > 72% for each of these topics. The median percentage of schools that tried to improve certain student skills (i.e., communication, decision making, goal setting, resisting social pressures, nonviolent conflict resolution, stress management, and analysis of media messages) was > 69% for each of these skills. The median percentage of schools that had a health education teacher coordinate health education was 33.0% across states and 26.8% across cities. Almost all schools taught HIV education as part of a required health education course (state median: 94.3%; local median: 98.1%), and more than half (state median: 69.5%; local median: 82.5%) had a written policy on HIV infection

  11. Effet de la poudre de verre sur le fluage du C-S-H

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danilova, Maryna

    Glass is a unique inert material that could be recycled many times without changing its physical and chemical properties. Nevertheless, for some reason, large quantities of glass are still not recycled and therefore are stored as a waste. Its alternative recycling has become, since long, a major environmental problem. Moreover, glass is a potentially useful material for the development of ecological concrete, consequently, this way valorization seems to be imminent. In this research, characterization of the creep of concrete incorporating waste glass in powder form, i.e. glass powder (GP) as a supplementary cementitious material (GP-concrete) was carried out at a macro- and nanolevels. First, results from experimental study on the under load behaviour of GP-concrete are presented. Different types of strain occurring under load or after unload were discussed: quasi-instantaneous deformation, total mechanical deformation due to the maintained uniaxial compressive load during 1 year, total creep, basic creep, elastic recovery and total recovery. Shrinkage under drying conditions and endogenous shrinkage were also studied. After 1 year creep, the effects of constant load and drying on residual strength were also examined. A comparison was made concerning the final state of the porosity. Afterwards, the thesis reveals the results of tests conducted on the cement paste, going down to its composition and properties of the hydrated phases, in particular of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H). All of this, in order to conclude on the harmlessness use of GP regarding to the creep. Keywords : Glass powder, Air-entrained concrete, Creep, Shrinkage, C-S-H, Nanoindentation

  12. Interaction of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), the main components of cement, with alkaline chlorides, analogy with clays; Interaction des silicates de calcium hydrates, principaux constituants du ciment, avec les chlorures d'alcalins. Analogie avec les argiles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viallis-Terrisse, H

    2000-10-06

    This work, belonging to a more general study on the structure and reactivity of cement, deals with the experimental and theoretical analysis of the interaction of alkaline chlorides with calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), the main components of cement paste. The interaction of alkaline cations with C-S-H is interfacial, involving both electrostatic and surface complexation mechanisms. The C-S-H surface is constituted of silanol sites, partially dissociated due to the high pH of the interstitial solution. The calcium ions, present in large amounts in the equilibrium solution of C-S-H, constitute potential determining ions for the C-S-H surface. The alkaline ions seem to compete with calcium for the same surface sites. The adsorption isotherms show that caesium presents a better affinity than sodium and lithium for the C-S-H surface. Moreover, solid-state NMR suggests that caesium forms with the surface sites inner-sphere complexes, whereas sodium seems to keep its hydration sphere. These results are in agreement with zeta potential measurements, which let suppose a specific adsorption of caesium ions, and an indifferent behaviour of both other alkaline ions. A model for the C-S-H surface was proposed, from the electric double layer model, and mass action laws expressing the complexation of the different ionic species with the silanol sites. The whole study relies on a structural analogy with smectites, some clays presenting well-known cationic adsorption properties. The structural similarity between both minerals is enhanced by some similarities of reactivity, though significant behaviour differences could also be noted. (author)

  13. Facilitators to Promoting Health in Schools: Is School Health Climate the Key?*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucarelli, Jennifer F.; Alaimo, Katherine; Mang, Ellen; Martin, Caroline; Miles, Richard; Bailey, Deborah; Kelleher, Deanne K.; Drzal, Nicholas B.; Liu, Hui

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Schools can promote healthy eating in adolescents. This study used a qualitative approach to examine barriers and facilitators to healthy eating in schools. METHODS Case studies were conducted with 8 low-income Michigan middle schools. Interviews were conducted with 1 administrator, the food service director, and 1 member of the coordinated school health team at each school. RESULTS Barriers included budgetary constraints leading to low prioritization of health initiatives; availability of unhealthy competitive foods; and perceptions that students would not eat healthy foods. Schools had made improvements to foods and increased nutrition education. Support from administrators, teamwork among staff, and acknowledging student preferences facilitated positive changes. Schools with a key set of characteristics, (presence of a coordinated school health team, nutrition policies, and a school health champion) made more improvements. CONCLUSIONS The set of key characteristics identified in successful schools may represent a school’s health climate. While models of school climate have been utilized in the educational field in relation to academic outcomes, a health-specific model of school climate would be useful in guiding school health practitioners and researchers and may improve the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving student dietary intake and other health behaviors. PMID:25099428

  14. Intersectoral action for health equity as it relates to climate change in Canada: contributions from critical systems heuristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buse, Chris

    2013-12-01

    Intersectoral action (ISA) has been at the forefront of public health policy discussions since the 1970s. ISA incorporates a broader perspective of public health issues and coordinates efforts to address the social, political, economic and environmental contexts from which health determinants operate and are created. Despite being forwarded as a useful way to address and treat complex or 'wicked' problems, such policy issues are still often addressed within, rather than across, disciplinary silos and ISA has been documented to fail more often than it succeeds. This paper contributes to an understanding of ISA by outlining and applying critical systems heuristics (CSH) theory and methods. CSH theory and methods are described and discussed before applying them to the example of addressing climate change and health equity through public health practice. CSH thinking provides useful tools to engage stakeholders, question relations of power that may exist between collaborating partners, and move beyond power inequalities that guide ISA initiatives. CSH is a compelling framing that can improve an understanding of the collaborative relationships that are a prerequisite for engaging in ISA to address complex or 'wicked' policy problems such as climate change. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Phase diagram of the CsH/sub 2/AsO/sub 4/-CsH /SUB 0. 1/ D /SUB 1. 9/ AsO/sub 4/ System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rakhimov, K.; Karapetyan, F.S.; Kozhenkov, V.Y.; Polyakov, Y.A.; Zhigarnovskii, B.M.

    1986-05-01

    The authors determined the melting point of dueterated cesium hydrogen arsenate of composition CsH /SUB 0.1/ D /SUB 1.9/ AsO/sub 4/ melts. Specimens for investigation of the system were prepared by fusion of appropriate amounts of CsH/sub 2/AsO/sub 4/ and CsH /SUB 0.1/ D /SUB 1.9/ AsO/sub 4/ in sealed quartz ampuls. In addition, the unit-cell parameters of the phases of the specimens practically did not differ from the corresponding parameters of the starting products over the entire range of concentrations.

  16. Reflexões sobre o estatuto epistemológico das CSH: uma revisão das categorias verdade, sujeito e subjetividade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamella Rochelle Oliveira

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available O presente ensaio teórico tem como objetivo discutir o conceito de verdade com ênfase nas obras de Friedrich Nietzsche e Michel Foucault, percebendo a temática como um dos conceitos chaves para se pensar o estatuto epistemológico das Ciências Sociais e Humanas (CSH na atualidade, já que o mesmo se faz intrinsicamente ligado a condições de possibilidades dadas, incidindo por sua vez na questão da produção de subjetividades, bem como do próprio sujeito, na medida em que estes são produzidos a partir e numa teia de relações invisíveis pautada em jogos de verdades e relações de poder. Para tanto, optamos num primeiro momento por realizar uma breve discussão acerca dos principais conflitos epistemológicos no campo das CSH, entre eles a antiga dualidade entre individuo x social, bem como a questão de causa e feito.

  17. Health promotion in Swedish schools: school managers' views.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persson, Louise; Haraldsson, Katarina

    2017-04-01

    Schools are recognized worldwide as settings for health promotion, and leadership has a bearing on schools' ability to be health promoting. School managers have a great influence on what is prioritized in school, which in turn affects students' school performance and health. There is lack of research into school managers' views on health promotion, and what they consider to be central to health promotion. The aim was therefore to examine school managers' views about what health promotion in schools include. An explorative design, qualitative content analysis, was performed. In-depth interviews were conducted with all 13 school managers of a middle-sized municipality in central Sweden. The analysis had both manifest and latent content and three categories: 'Organization and Collaboration', 'Optimize the arena' and 'Strengthen the individual', and 10 subcategories emerged. The theme, 'Opportunities for learning and a good life', describes the latent content of these categories. Taking into account the views of school managers are important because these views help form a more complete picture of how school managers work with health promotion and what is needed to enhance health promotion to improve students' opportunities for learning and a good life. The Ottawa Charter for Health promotion is thereby transformed into practice. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. School Health Services

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    School health services reduce absenteeism and improve academic achievement according to research. If you have school-aged children, you'll want to listen to this podcast to learn more about healthy school environments and the link between health and academic achievement.

  19. Synthesis and crystal structure of hydrogen phosphites RbH2PO3, CsH2PO3, and TlH2PO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosterina, E.V.; Troyanov, S.I.; Kemnits, Eh.; Aslanov, L.A.

    2001-01-01

    The crystal acid phosphites RbH 2 PO 3 , CsH 2 PO 3 and TlH 2 PO 3 were separated during reaction of Rb, Cs and Tl carbonates with phosphorous acid solution. The crystal structure of the compounds was analyzed by X-ray diffraction method at 150 K. CsH 2 PO 3 has a monoclinic system, a = 7.930(2), b = 8.929(2), c = 13.163(3) A, β = 104.84(3) Deg, V = 900.9(4) A 3 , Z 8, sp. gr. P2 1 /c, R 1 = 0.239. In the structure hydrogen bonds integrate the PHO 3 tetrahedrons in the unlimited zigzag chains [HPHO 3 ] n n- laying at the layers, which are alternate to the layers of metal cations. The layers of anion chains have a wavy form [ru

  20. School Health Services

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2017-09-13

    School health services reduce absenteeism and improve academic achievement according to research. If you have school-aged children, you’ll want to listen to this podcast to learn more about healthy school environments and the link between health and academic achievement.  Created: 9/13/2017 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/13/2017.

  1. Healthful School Living: Environmental Health in the School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowe, Daryl E.

    1987-01-01

    Environmental health, as it relates to schools, is defined. Site, chemical, biological, and physical health hazards are identified. Recommendations and precautions to help achieve optimal health, safety, and comfort are presented. Resources are noted. (Author/MT)

  2. Building a partnership to evaluate school-linked health services: the Cincinnati School Health Demonstration Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Barbara L; Mansour, Mona; Kohake, Kelli

    2005-12-01

    The Cincinnati School Health Demonstration Project was a 3-year collaboration that evaluated school-linked health services in 6 urban elementary (kindergarten to eighth grade) schools. Partners from the Cincinnati Health Department, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati wanted to determine if levels of school-linked care made a difference in student quality of life, school connectedness, attendance, emergency department use, and volume of referrals to health care specialists. School nurses, principals and school staff, parents and students, upper-level managers, and health service researchers worked together over a 2.5-year period to learn about and use new technology to collect information on student health, well-being, and outcome measures. Varying levels of school health care intervention models were instituted and evaluated. A standard model of care was compared with 2 models of enhanced care and service. The information collected from students, parents, nurses, and the school system provided a rich database on the health of urban children. School facilities, staffing, and computer technology, relationship building among stakeholders, extensive communication, and high student mobility were factors that influenced success and findings of the project. Funding for district-wide computerization and addition of school health staff was not secured by the end of the demonstration project; however, relationships among the partners endured and paved the way for future collaborations designed to better serve urban school children in Cincinnati.

  3. Impact of a School Health Coordinator Intervention on Health-Related School Policies and Student Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Liam M.; Polacsek, Michele; MacDonald, Pamela B.; Ellis, Jacqueline; Berry, Susan; Martin, Maurice

    2010-01-01

    Background: Health-related, school-based interventions may serve to prevent disease and improve academic performance. The Healthy Maine Partnerships (HMP) initiative funded local school health coordinators (SHCs) as a part of Maine's Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) beginning in January 2001. SHCs established school health leadership teams…

  4. Mexico: perspectives in school health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allensworth, D M; Greene, A G

    1990-09-01

    The school health program in Mexico, directed by the Office of School Hygiene (la Unidad de Higiene Escolar), is in a state of flux. The program will change substantially if an initiative between the national offices of health and education is enacted. The initiative would establish a national commission to be replicated at state, county, and district levels. Commissions would oversee integration of the health services component, social participation, and research into the school health program which currently only focuses on health instruction and a healthy school environment. The initiative would restore and improve a former model that incorporated health services as a part of the school health program. The history of the school health program, which can trace its roots to 1861 and President Benito Juarez, is provided.

  5. The Organizational Health of Urban Elementary Schools: School Health and Teacher Functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Tara G; Atkins, Marc S; Frazier, Stacy L

    2013-09-01

    This study examined the factor structure of the Organizational Health Inventory-Elementary version (OHI-E; Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991) in a sample of 203 teachers working in 19 high-poverty, urban schools and the association of organizational school health with teacher efficacy, teacher stress, and job satisfaction. Results indicated a similar factor structure of the OHI-E as compared with the population of schools in the original sample (Hoy et al., 1991), and that specific components of organizational health, such as a positive learning environment, are associated with teacher efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Overall, teachers' relations with their peers, their school leadership, and their students appear especially critical in high-poverty, urban schools. Recommendations for research and practice related to improving high-poverty, urban schools are presented.

  6. School Health: Policy Issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Constance M.

    1994-01-01

    Despite data suggesting a relationship between investment in children's health and improved academic performance, school health financing is inadequate, inequitable, and fragmented. Strategies for improving school health programs include leadership from the nursing profession; collaboration among health professionals; consolidation of funding…

  7. M-Health, New Prospect for School Health Education through Mobile Technologies at Lebanese School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jabbour, Khayrazad Kari

    2013-01-01

    Supporting school health programs to improve the emotionally and physically health status of Lebanese students has never been more important. The use of mobile and wireless technologies to promote school health programs has the potential to transform the school health education and service delivery in Lebanon. This article explores the possibility…

  8. The Organizational Health of Urban Elementary Schools: School Health and Teacher Functioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Tara G.; Atkins, Marc S.; Frazier, Stacy L.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the factor structure of the Organizational Health Inventory-Elementary version (OHI-E; Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991) in a sample of 203 teachers working in 19 high-poverty, urban schools and the association of organizational school health with teacher efficacy, teacher stress, and job satisfaction. Results indicated a similar factor structure of the OHI-E as compared with the population of schools in the original sample (Hoy et al., 1991), and that specific components of organizational health, such as a positive learning environment, are associated with teacher efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Overall, teachers’ relations with their peers, their school leadership, and their students appear especially critical in high-poverty, urban schools. Recommendations for research and practice related to improving high-poverty, urban schools are presented. PMID:23935763

  9. On thermal expansion of RbD2PO4, CsH2PO4 and CsDrPO4 crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vlokh, O.G.; Shchur, Ya.I.; Klymiv, I.M.

    1994-01-01

    Thermal expansion of RbD 2 PO 4 , CsH 2 PO 4 , CsD 2 PO 4 crystals in a wide range of temperatures embracing points of phase transitions was studied. An explanation of anomalous behaviour of thermal expansion factor along directions b and c in the course of RbD 2 PO 4 transfer into intermediate phase was suggested. 10 refs., 4 figs

  10. Health Promotion and School Health: the Health Visiting Role in Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venetia Notara

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. Schools intend to help pupils acquire the knowledge and develop the skills theyneed to participate fully in adult life. School is regarded as constituting a very important arena for health education among children and young people and furthermore, it is seen as an important context for health promotion, mainly because it reaches a large proportion of the population for many years. A large body of evidence strongly support the fact that education and health are two concepts purely interdependent in many ways and children cannot make the most of educational opportunities if their health is impaired. One of the core elements of Health Visiting profession should be safeguarding children by conducting school visits and implement screening tests, health education programmes and school health programmes in general. Some of the best opportunities for positively influencing the health of young people and preventing the initiation of the health risk behaviors are found in the school setting.Conclusions: A whole school approach and community development work can be particularly effective in building the health capacity of communities.

  11. Reminiscing on School Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Charles C.

    2001-01-01

    This 1958 paper examines how former and current school health programs differ (e.g., school nurses moved from simply treating minor injuries and communicable diseases to working cooperatively with physicians and school staff to develop policies and procedures, and health education moved from simple anatomy and physiology to broader personal and…

  12. Rethinking School Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bundy, Donald, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    School health and nutrition programs can contribute to achieving the goals of the Education for All initiative (EFA) by helping children enroll on time, complete their education, and realize their cognitive potential. Achieving these goals depends on reaching the children most in need. One strong feature of school health and nutrition programs is…

  13. Evaluating School Health Appraisal scheme in Primary Schools ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives: This study assessed school health appraisal implementation in primary schools within Abakaliki Metropolis. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study of the forms of health appraisal in all 31 primary schools in Abakaliki metropolis. Relevant information was obtained from the head ...

  14. School Health: Findings from Evaluated Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Public Health Service (DHHS), Rockville, MD. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

    This publication presents findings from evaluations of many school health programs from across the United States. Each program includes at least one of the following eight components of a comprehensive school health program: health education, clinical services, counseling and mental health services, school environment, school food programs,…

  15. Evaluation of school health instruction in public primary schools in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Evaluation of school health instruction in public primary schools in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers state. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... Background: Effective school health instruction in primary schools is ...

  16. The Copenhagen School Health Records Register

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baker, Jennifer L; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

    2011-01-01

    The Copenhagen School Health Records Register is an electronic register of health examination information on 372,636 children who attended school in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1936 to 2005.......The Copenhagen School Health Records Register is an electronic register of health examination information on 372,636 children who attended school in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1936 to 2005....

  17. Learning about health: The pupils' and the school health nurses assessment of the health dialogue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borup, Ina K.

    Public health, health promotion, empowerment, experiental learning, HBSC, health survey, qualitative interviews, grounded theory, school children, adolescents, health dialogue, school health nurse......Public health, health promotion, empowerment, experiental learning, HBSC, health survey, qualitative interviews, grounded theory, school children, adolescents, health dialogue, school health nurse...

  18. School Health Connection Goes Electronic: Developing a Health Information Management System for New Orleans' School-Based Health Centers. Program Results Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rastorfer, Darl

    2011-01-01

    From February 2008 through April 2011, School Health Connection, a program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute, developed an electronic health information management system for newly established school-based health centers in Greater New Orleans. School Health Connection was established as part of a broader effort to restore community health…

  19. Health promotion in schools: a multi-method evaluation of an Australian School Youth Health Nurse Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banfield, Michelle; McGorm, Kelly; Sargent, Ginny

    2015-01-01

    Health promotion provides a key opportunity to empower young people to make informed choices regarding key health-related behaviours such as tobacco and alcohol use, sexual practices, dietary choices and physical activity. This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot School Youth Health Nurse (SYHN) Program, which aims to integrate a Registered Nurse into school communities to deliver health promotion through group education and individual sessions. The evaluation was guided by the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) framework. The objectives were to explore: 1) whether the Program was accessible to the high school students; 2) the impacts of the Program on key stakeholders; 3) which factors affected adoption of the Program; 4) whether implementation was consistent with the Program intent; and 5) the long-term sustainability of the Program. Research included retrospective analysis of Program records, administration of a survey of student experiences and interviews with 38 stakeholders. This evaluation provided evidence that the SYHN Program is reaching students in need, is effective, has been adopted successfully in schools, is being implemented as intended and could be maintained with sustained funding. The nurses deliver an accessible and acceptable primary health care service, focused on health promotion, prevention and early intervention. After some initial uncertainty about the scope and nature of the role, the nurses are a respected source of health information in the schools, consulted on curriculum development and contributing to whole-of-school health activities. Findings demonstrate that the SYHN model is feasible and acceptable to the students and schools involved in the pilot. The Program provides health promotion and accessible primary health care in the school setting, consistent with the Health Promoting Schools framework.

  20. School Based Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Children's Aid Society, 2012

    2012-01-01

    School Based Health Centers (SBHC) are considered by experts as one of the most effective and efficient ways to provide preventive health care to children. Few programs are as successful in delivering health care to children at no cost to the patient, and where they are: in school. For many underserved children, The Children's Aid Society's…

  1. Learning about health: The pupils' and the school health nurses' assessment of the health dialogue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borup, Ina K.

    Public health, health promotion, empowerment, experiential learning, health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC), health survey, qualitative interviews, grounded theory, school children......Public health, health promotion, empowerment, experiential learning, health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC), health survey, qualitative interviews, grounded theory, school children...

  2. Mental health work in school health services and school nurses' involvement and attitudes, in a Norwegian context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skundberg-Kletthagen, Hege; Moen, Øyfrid Larsen

    2017-12-01

    To explore school nurses' experiences with and attitudes towards working with young people with mental health problem in the school health services. Worldwide, 10%-20% of children and adolescents are affected by mental health problems. When these occur during youth, they constitute a considerable burden and are one of the main causes of disability among adolescents. School nurses are at the forefront of care for children and adolescents, identifying pupils struggling with physical, mental, psychosocial or emotional issues. A qualitative, explorative study was performed based on open-ended questions in a cross-sectional study of 284 school nurses in Norway. Inclusion criteria were as follows: working as a school nurse in the school health services with children and adolescents between the ages of 11-18 years. A qualitative inductive content analysis was conducted. Three generic categories emerged: perception of their role and experiences with mental health: the school nurses acknowledge their important role in work with adolescents focusing on their mental health. Perception of their professional competence: the school nurses described a lack of confidence and unmet training needs concerning mental health problems. Experiences with collaboration: the school nurses requested more knowledge about inter- and multidisciplinary cooperation regarding follow-up of pupils with mental health problems. The school nurses lacked knowledge and confidence in respect of working with children and adolescents suffering from mental health problems. This may be a barrier to giving pupils adequate aid. Nurses need to acquire more knowledge about mental health problems among children and adolescents as this is a growing public health issue. Educational programmes for school nurses need to be revised to achieve this. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. School Mental Health Resources and Adolescent Mental Health Service Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Jennifer Greif; McLaughlin, Katie A.; Alegría, Margarita; Costello, E. Jane; Gruber, Michael J.; Hoagwood, Kimberly; Leaf, Philip J.; Olin, Serene; Sampson, Nancy A,; Kessler, Ronald C.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Although schools are identified as critical for detecting youth mental disorders, little is known about whether the number of mental health providers and types of resources they offer influence student mental health service use. Such information could inform the development and allocation of appropriate school-based resources to increase service use. This paper examines associations of school resources with past-year mental health service use among students with 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders. Method Data come from the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), a national survey of adolescent mental health that included 4,445 adolescent-parent pairs in 227 schools in which principals and mental health coordinators completed surveys about school resources-policies for addressing student emotional problems. Adolescents and parents completed the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and reported mental health service use across multiple sectors. Multilevel multivariate regression was used to examine associations of school mental health resources and individual-level service use. Results Roughly half (45.3%) of adolescents with a 12-month DSM-IV disorder received past-year mental health services. Substantial variation existed in school resources. Increased school engagement in early identification was significantly associated with mental health service use for adolescents with mild/moderate mental and behavior disorders. The ratio of students-to-mental health providers was not associated with overall service use, but was associated with sector of service use. Conclusions School mental health resources, particularly those related to early identification, may facilitate mental health service use and influence sector of service use for youths with DSM disorders. PMID:23622851

  4. School superintendents' perceptions of schools assisting students in obtaining public health insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickard, Megan L; Price, James H; Telljohann, Susan K; Dake, Joseph A; Fink, Brian N

    2011-12-01

    Superintendents' perceptions regarding the effect of health insurance status on academics, the role schools should play in the process of obtaining health insurance, and the benefits/barriers to assisting students in enrolling in health insurance were surveyed. Superintendents' basic knowledge of health insurance, the link between health and learning, and specific school system practices for assisting students were also examined. A 4-page questionnaire was sent to a national random sample of public school superintendents using a 4-wave postal mailing. Only 19% of school districts assessed the health insurance status of students. School districts' assistance in helping enroll students in health insurance was assessed using Stages of Change theory; 36% of superintendents' school districts were in the action or maintenance stages. The schools most often made health insurance materials available to parents (53%). The perceived benefits identified by more than 80% of superintendents were to keep students healthier, reduce the number of students with untreated health problems, reduce school absenteeism, and improvement of students' attention/concentration during school. The 2 most common perceived barriers identified by at least 50% of superintendents were not having enough staff or financial resources. Most superintendents believed schools should play a role in helping students obtain health insurance, but the specific role was unclear. Three fourths of superintendents indicated overwhelmingly positive beliefs regarding the effects of health insurance status on students' health and academic outcomes. School personnel and public policy makers can use the results to support collaboration in getting students enrolled in health insurance. © 2011, American School Health Association.

  5. School health and education: An interdisciplinary connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga N. Makhubela-Nkondo

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available For South Africa, the continent and the world as a whole, formal health literacy begins at school. Higher Education in South Africa is challenged to take heed of the World Health Organization’s (WHO (1996 definition of school health. For the WHO, school health is not merely hygiene, health promotion, health literacy or health education but a ‘combination of services ensuring the physical, mental and social well-being of learners so as to maximize their learning capabilities’. The WHO Expert Committee on School Health asserts that school health can advance public health, education, social and economic development, and that the global expansion of school health attests to the value placed internationally on such programmes (WHO 1996.

  6. Health programmes for school employees: improving quality of life, health and productivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolbe, Lloyd J; Tirozzi, Gerald N; Marx, Eva; Bobbitt-Cooke, Mary; Riedel, Sara; Jones, Jack; Schmoyer, Michael

    2005-01-01

    School health programmes in the 21st century could include eight components: 1) health services; 2) health education; 3) healthy physical and psychosocial environments; 4) psychological, counselling, and social services; 5) physical education and other physical activities; 6) healthy food services; and 7) integrated efforts of schools, families, and communities to improve the health of school students and employees. The eighth component of modern school health programmes, health programmes for school employees, is the focus of this article. Health programmes for school employees could be designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and productivity of school employees by partially focusing each of the preceding seven components of the school health programme on improving the health and quality of life of school employees as well as students. Thus, efforts to improve the quality of life, health, and productivity of school employees may be distinct from, but integrated with, efforts to improve the quality of life, health, and education of students. School employee health programmes can improve employee: 1) recruitment; 2) morale; 3) retention; and 4) productivity. They can reduce employee: 5) risk behaviours (e.g., physical inactivity); 6) risk factors (e.g., stress, obesity, high blood pressure); (7) illnesses; 8) work-related injuries; 9) absentee days; 10) worker compensation and disability claims; and 11) health care and health insurance costs. Further, if we hope to improve our schools' performance and raise student achievement levels, developing effective school employee health programmes can increase the likelihood that employees will: 12) serve as healthy role models for students; 13) implement effective school health programmes for students; and 14) present a positive image of the school to the community. If we are to improve the quality of life, health, and productivity of school employees in the 21st century: school administrators, employees, and

  7. Educators' perceptions of school climate and health in selected primary schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanus Pretorius

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available The aims in this research were to determine the perceptions of school climate held by educators of primary schools in the southern Cape. Six primary schools with a staff complement of 178 educators participated in the investigation. Two instruments were used: the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE and Dimensions of Organisational Health Inventory of Elementary Schools (OHI-E. The results indicated that primary school educators in the southern Cape perceived their relations with their principals as closed, while educator-educator relations were perceived as more open. An engaged school climate was taken as the typical prototype for the relevant primary schools. Average health profiles were drawn for the overall organisational health of primary schools. A significant relationship was found between primary schools' perceptions of organisational climate and organisational health. A significant difference was found between perceptions held by educators from different primary schools regarding the various dimensions of organisational climate and health. These findings have significant implications for the implementation of change in schools, educators' job satisfaction, motivation, productivity, well-being, and learner achievement.

  8. School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide. Middle School/High School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrios, Lisa C.; Burgeson, Charlene R.; Crossett, Linda; Harrykissoon, Samantha D.; Pritzl, Jane; Wechsler, Howell; Kuester, Sarah A.; Pederson, Linda; Graffunder, Corinne; Rainford, Neil; Sleet, David

    2004-01-01

    The "School Health Index" is a self-assessment and planning guide that will enable schools to: (1) identify the strengths and weaknesses of school policies and programs for promoting health and safety; (2) develop an action plan for improving student health and safety, and (3) involve teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving…

  9. School Disciplinary Style and Adolescent Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Claudia; Wong, Mitchell; Dudovitz, Rebecca

    2018-02-01

    Parenting style is strongly associated with adolescent health. However, little is known about how school disciplinary style relates to health. We categorized adolescents' perceptions of their schools as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful, and test whether perceived school disciplinary style is associated with health. We analyze data from the RISE Up study (Reducing Health Inequities Through Social and Educational Change Follow-up), comprised of baseline (eighth grade) and 2-year follow-up surveys (10th grade) from 1,159 low-income minority adolescents in Los Angeles attending 157 schools. At 10th grade, students' ratings of school support and structure were used to categorize perceived school disciplinary style as authoritative (highest tertile for support and structure), authoritarian (low support, high structure), permissive (high support, low structure), neglectful (low on both dimensions), and average (middle tertile on either dimension). Mixed effects logistic regressions controlling for sociodemographic factors, parenting style, grades, and baseline health tested whether school disciplinary style was associated with substance use, violence, bullying, and depression symptoms. Risky behaviors varied by school disciplinary style. After adjusting for covariates, compared with an average school disciplinary style, a neglectful school was associated with higher odds of substance use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.3, p authoritative school was associated with lower odds of substance use (AOR .6, p = .049), violence (AOR .6, p = .03), and bullying (AOR .5, p = .001). Structured and supportive school environments may impact the health of vulnerable adolescents. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. School Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Douglas

    2010-01-01

    Maintaining student health, safety, and welfare is a primary goal for any K-12 school system. If a child becomes sick, is injured, or seems in any other way incapacitated at school, it is the understood responsibility that the school will provide care and, if necessary, contact the parents and direct the child to outside treatment. Beyond that…

  11. Health Problems at School

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the Word Shop AAP Find a Pediatrician Ages & Stages Prenatal Baby Toddler Preschool Gradeschool Fitness Nutrition Puberty School Teen Young Adult Healthy Children > Ages & Stages > Gradeschool > School > Health Problems at School Ages & Stages ...

  12. Managing Food Allergies at School: School Mental Health Professionals

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2015-01-20

    This podcast highlights the role of school mental health professionals in the management of food allergies in schools. It also identifies CDC food allergy resources for schools.  Created: 1/20/2015 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 1/20/2015.

  13. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bains, Ranbir M.; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Background: We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Methods: Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were…

  14. Supporting Student Mental Health: The Role of the School Nurse in Coordinated School Mental Health Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohnenkamp, Jill H.; Stephan, Sharon H.; Bobo, Nichole

    2015-01-01

    School nurses play a critical role in the provision of mental health services in the school environment and are valuable members of the coordinated student mental health team. They possess expertise to navigate in today's complicated educational and health care systems, and it is estimated that school nurses spend 33% of their time addressing…

  15. Transformation of children's mental health services: the role of school mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Sharon Hoover; Weist, Mark; Kataoka, Sheryl; Adelsheim, Steven; Mills, Carrie

    2007-10-01

    The New Freedom Commission has called for a transformation in the delivery of mental health services in this country. The commission's report and recommendations have highlighted the role of school mental health services in transforming mental health care for children and adolescents. This article examines the intersection of school mental health programs and the commission's recommendations in order to highlight the role of school mental health in the transformation of the child and adolescent mental health system. Schools are uniquely positioned to play a central role in improving access to child mental health services and in supporting mental health and wellness as well as academic functioning of youths. The New Freedom Commission report articulated several goals related to school mental health: reducing stigma, preventing suicide, improving screening and treating co-occurring disorders, and expanding school mental health programs. The authors suggest strategies for change, including demonstrating relevance to schools, developing consensus among stakeholders, enhancing community mental health-school connections, building quality assessment and improvement, and considering the organizational context of schools.

  16. School Health Profiles 2014: West Virginia Rankings

    Science.gov (United States)

    West Virginia Department of Education Office of Research, Accountability, and Data Governance, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, and territories. Profiles surveys are conducted biennially by education and health agencies among middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers. Profiles monitors the current…

  17. School Nurse Role in Electronic School Health Records. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiltz, Cynthia; Johnson, Katie; Lechtenberg, Julia Rae; Maughan, Erin; Trefry, Sharonlee

    2014-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are essential for the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) to provide efficient and effective care in the school and monitor the health of the entire student population. It is also the position of…

  18. School health promotion--international perspectives and role of health care professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasla, Munira; Prasla, Shameer Ali

    2011-01-01

    Schools have great potential in health promotion; however, this is often neglected area and fewer efforts are done in exploring status of school health promotion in Pakistan. This paper attempts to outline brief historical background of school health promotion in Pakistan; presents critical review of some international school health promotion perspectives; and finally explore opportunities and role of healthcare professionals in Pakistan's context. A critical review of peer-reviewed literature divided into two broad themes of international perspectives on school health promotion, and role of healthcare professionals. Results are presented in cross-cutting themes and in narrative style. School health promotion is very diverse phenomenon, situated in respective cultural contexts. Programmes pesent a range of characteristics from focusing on integrated approach to health education to behavioural changes; and from involving youngsters to policy advocacy. Like the programmes, role of healthcare professionals is also varied and dynamic and without clearly defining their role, development of effective health promotion programmes is difficult. School health promotion could be facilitated by appropriate trainings for healthcare professionals and evidence-based policy changes.

  19. Comprehensive School Mental Health: An Integrated "School-Based Pathway to Care" Model for Canadian Secondary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Yifeng; Kutcher, Stan; Szumilas, Magdalena

    2011-01-01

    Adolescence is a critical period for the promotion of mental health and the treatment of mental disorders. Schools are well-positioned to address adolescent mental health. This paper describes a school mental health model, "School-Based Pathway to Care," for Canadian secondary schools that links schools with primary care providers and…

  20. What do health-promoting schools promote?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simovska, Venka

    2012-01-01

    -promotion interventions. Directly or indirectly the articles reiterate the idea that health promotion in schools needs to be linked with the core task of the school – education, and to the values inherent to education, such as inclusion, democracy, participation and influence, critical literacy and action competence......Purpose – The editorial aims to provide a brief overview of the individual contributions to the special issue, and a commentary positioning the contributions within research relating to the health-promoting schools initiative in Europe. Design/methodology/approach – The members of the Schools...... for Health in Europe Research Group were invited to submit their work addressing processes and outcomes in school health promotion to this special issue of Health Education. Additionally, an open call for papers was published on the Health Education web site. Following the traditional double blind peer...

  1. Availability of school health services for young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heneghan, A M; Malakoff, M E

    1997-10-01

    A survey to assess availability of school health services was distributed to 221 directors of Schools of the 21st Century, an educational model that provides integrated services to children and families. Of this distribution, 126 (57%) surveys were returned; 88% of respondents reported they provided some type of school health services for their students; 75% of schools had access to school nursing services, yet only 33% had a school nurse on-site; 50% had less than daily access to a school nurse. Despite a high reported prevalence of physical and mental health problems, other services such as acute care, nutrition counseling, dental screenings, or mental health services were provided less frequently. Barriers perceived as problematic for schools providing health services included inadequate funding, limited parental awareness, and opposition by school or community members. Respondents believed transportation, limited financial resources, and inadequate health insurance were barriers to care for children and families. Among this sample of schools, school health services varied in availability and comprehensiveness. Educators, health providers, and parents must work together to provide improved school health services for children.

  2. The School Health Programme : A Situational Revisit. | Akani ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    School Health Programme (SHP) refers to all the aspects of the total school programme which contribute to the understanding, maintenance and improvement of the health of the population, i.e. school children and staff. It consists of three main areas namely: school health services, school health instruction and healthful ...

  3. Frequent fliers, school phobias, and the sick student: school health personnel's perceptions of students who refuse school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrens Armstrong, Anna M; McCormack Brown, Kelli R; Brindley, Roger; Coreil, Jeannine; McDermott, Robert J

    2011-09-01

    This study explored school personnel's perceptions of school refusal, as it has been described as a "common educational and public health problem" that is less tolerated due to increasing awareness of the potential socioeconomic consequences of this phenomenon. In-depth interviews were conducted with school personnel at the middle school (N = 42), high school (N = 40), and district levels (N = 10). The findings focus on emergent themes from interviews with school health personnel (N = 12), particularly those themes related to their perceptions of and role in working with school-refusing students. Personnel, especially school health services staff, constructed a typification of the school-refusing student as "the sick student," which conceptualized student refusal due to reasons related to illness. Personnel further delineated sick students by whether they considered the illness legitimate. School health personnel referenced the infamous "frequent fliers" and "school phobics" within this categorization of students. Overarching dynamics of this typification included parental control, parental awareness, student locus of control, blame, and victim status. These typifications influenced how personnel reacted to students they encountered, particularly in deciding which students need "help" versus "discipline," thus presenting implications for students and screening of students. Overall, findings suggest school health personnel play a pivotal role in screening students who are refusing school as well as keeping students in school, underscoring policy that supports an increased presence of school health personnel. Recommendations for school health, prevention, and early intervention include the development of screening protocols and staff training. © 2011, American School Health Association.

  4. Does poor school satisfaction inhibit positive outcome of health promotion at school? A cross-sectional study of schoolchildren's response to health dialogues with school health nurses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borup, Ina; Holstein, Bjørn E

    2006-01-01

    Students with high school satisfaction were more likely to reflect on and discuss the content of health dialogues with school health nurses, and more likely to follow the nurse's advice. This was demonstrated among 5205 students ages 11-15-years, in a random sample of schools in Denmark....

  5. Mental health promotion in comprehensive schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onnela, A M; Vuokila-Oikkonen, P; Hurtig, T; Ebeling, H

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe a participatory action research process on the development of a professional practice model of mental health nurses in mental health promotion in a comprehensive school environment in the city of Oulu, Finland. The developed model is a new method of mental health promotion for mental health nurses working in comprehensive schools. The professional practice model has been developed in workshops together with school staff, interest groups, parents and students. Information gathered from the workshops was analysed using action research methods. Mental health promotion interventions are delivered at three levels: universal, which is an intervention that affects the whole school or community; selective, which is an intervention focusing on a certain group of students; and indicated, which is an individually focused intervention. All interventions are delivered within the school setting, which is a universal setting for all school-aged children. The interventions share the goal of promoting mental health. The purposes of the interventions are enhancing protective factors, reducing risk factors relating to mental health problems and early identification of mental health problems as well as rapid delivery of support or referral to specialized services. The common effect of the interventions on all levels is the increase in the experience of positive mental health. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Bringing Wellness to Schools: Opportunities and Challenges to Mental Health Integration in School Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Karen; Guo, Sisi; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Roya; Puffer, Maryjane; Kataoka, Sheryl H.

    2016-01-01

    Objective School-based health centers (SBHCs) reduce mental health access-to-care barriers and improve educational outcomes for youth. This qualitative study evaluates the innovations and challenges of a unique network of SBHCs in a large, urban school district, as they attempt to integrate health, mental health, and educational services. Methods The 43 participants sampled included mental health providers, primary care providers, and care coordinators at 14 SBHCs. Semi-structured interviews with each participant were audio-recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified and coded using Atlas.ti 5.1, and collapsed into three domains: Operations, Partnership, and Engagement. Results Interviews revealed provider models ranging from single agencies offering both health and mental health services to co-located services. Sites with the Health Agency providing at least some mental health services reported more mental health screenings. Many sites utilized SBHC coordinators and coordination team meetings to facilitate relationships between schools and Health Agency and Community Mental Health Clinic providers. Partnership challenges included confidentiality policies and staff turnover. Participants also highlighted student and parent engagement, through culturally sensitive services, peer health advocates, and “drop-in” lunches. Conclusions Staffing and operational models are critical in the success of health-mental health-education integration. Among the provider models observed, the combined health and mental health provider model offered the most integrated services. Despite barriers, providers and schools have begun to implement novel solutions for operational problems and family engagement in mental health services. Implications for future SBHCs as an integrated model are described. PMID:27417895

  7. Processes and outcomes in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simovska, Venka

    2012-01-01

    This is the second special issue of Health Education which features research, theory and practice based perspectives on what counts as desirable outcomes of health promotion in schools in terms of health as well as education, and the effective processes in schools which lead to these outcomes....... The focus in the first special issue was on highlighting the argument that the question about the outcomes of the health-promoting schools should not be limited to narrowly defined health outcomes but needs to be closely linked with the core tasks and values of the school. Building further on this argument......, the papers in this issue feature a number of research issues of relevance for the effectiveness of the health-promoting schools approach, as well as a variety of research and evaluation methodologies contributing to the debate about what counts as reliable evidence within the health-promoting schools...

  8. Oral health knowledge and attitudes of primary school teachers toward school-based oral health programs in Abha-Khamis, Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shreyas Tikare

    2017-01-01

    Conclusions: The oral health knowledge among primary school teachers was found to be good with positive attitudes toward school-based oral health programs. The most significant barriers in implementing a school oral health program were administrative barriers. There is a need for concerned school authorities and health policy makers to address these barriers and to promote oral health in the community.

  9. Coordinated school health program and dietetics professionals: partners in promoting healthful eating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Sandra M; Cinelli, Bethann

    2004-05-01

    Although research indicates that school meal programs contribute to improved academic performance and healthier eating behaviors for students who participate, fewer than 60% of students choose the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. School meal programs have a difficult time competing with foods that are marketed to young people through sophisticated advertising campaigns. Youth's preferences for fast foods, soft drinks, and salty snacks; mixed messages sent by school personnel; school food preparation and serving space limitations; inadequate meal periods; and lack of education standards for school foodservice directors challenge school meal programs as well. A coordinated school health program offers a framework for meeting these challenges and provides children and adolescents with the knowledge and skills necessary for healthful eating. This article identifies challenges facing school foodservice directors in delivering healthful meals and acquaints dietetics professionals with the coordinated school health program to be used as a tool for addressing unhealthful weight gain and promoting healthful eating.

  10. Study Protocol - an exploratory trial on health promoting schools at Dutch secondary schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincent Busch

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Recent studies show adolescent health-related behaviours to co-occur synergistically. This paper describes the study design for an exploratory trial on the effects of a comprehensive, whole-school health promoting school intervention. This intervention tackles seven different behavioural domains simultaneously via a combination of education, creating a healthy environment and introducing healthy behavioural policies. Additionally, extensive partnerships are formed between schools, parents, neighbourhoods and youth health authorities to coordinate health promotion efforts.Study design and data collection methods: The intervention will be implemented at two secondary schools. Results will be compared with two control schools (n≈1500. The intervention's effectiveness in changing student behaviours as well as physical and psychosocial health status along with qualitative lessons learned on the integration of youth health care services and school health education practices are the main aimed outcomes of this study. Data are collected via a mixed methods design combining an annual youth health (behaviour monitor with a qualitative process evaluation via interviews with key stakeholders.Data analysis: A multilevel analysis is performed combined with a systematic analysis of qualitative interview data.Conclusions: This study will produce an evaluation of a comprehensive health promoting school intervention that combines an integrated approach of schools, neighbourhoods, families and youth health services to improve adolescent health.

  11. Cement hydration from hours to centuries controlled by diffusion through barrier shells of C-S-H

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi-Aghdam, Saeed; Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Abdolhosseini Qomi, M. J.

    2017-02-01

    Although a few good models for cement hydration exist, they have some limitations. Some do not take into account the complete range of variation of pore relative humidity and temperature, and apply over durations limited from up a few months to up to about a year. The ones that are applicable for long durations are either computationally too intensive for use in finite element programs or predict the hydration to terminate after few months. However, recent tests of autogenous shrinkage and swelling in water imply that the hydration may continue, at decaying rate, for decades, provided that a not too low relative pore humidity (above 0.7) persists for a long time, as expected for the cores of thick concrete structural members. Therefore, and because design lifetimes of over hundred years are required for large concrete structures, a new hydration model for a hundred year lifespan and beyond is developed. The new model considers that, after the first day of hydration, the remnants of anhydrous cement grains, gradually consumed by hydration, are enveloped by contiguous, gradually thickening, spherical barrier shells of calcium-silicate hydrate (C-S-H). The hydration progress is controlled by transport of water from capillary pores through the barrier shells toward the interface with anhydrous cement. The transport is driven by a difference of humidity, defined by equivalence with the difference in chemical potential of water. Although, during the period of 4-24 h, the C-S-H forms discontinuous nano-globules around the cement grain, an equivalent barrier shell control was formulated for this period, too, for ease and effectiveness of calculation. The entire model is calibrated and validated by published test data on the evolution of hydration degree for various cement types, particle size distributions, water-cement ratios and temperatures. Computationally, this model is sufficiently effective for calculating the evolution of hydration degree (or aging) at every

  12. Chile: perspectives in school health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langdon, M C; Gazmuri, C; Venegas, L

    1990-09-01

    The leading health problems of children and adolescents in Chile is reviewed. The Chilean educational system and how the system addresses its principal health problems are described. A school health program is described as well as other educational programs designed and developed by nongovernmental institutions which have a smaller coverage. Current research studies regarding growth and development, child morbidity, nutritional level, and mental health studies are reviewed. In addition, principal challenges that include developing more efficient ways of referring children, enriching the curriculum and teacher training, assigning school hours for health teachers, and enlarging coverage of the health care evaluation programs are outlined. Of special importance is developing prevention programs for parents and children using school and community leaders to prevent health problems in areas such as human sexuality education, decision-making, social abilities, and alcohol and drug abuse. Main efforts should be directed toward low-income families and children to improve life conditions.

  13. Implementation of Local Wellness Policies in Schools: Role of School Systems, School Health Councils, and Health Disparities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hager, Erin R; Rubio, Diana S; Eidel, G Stewart; Penniston, Erin S; Lopes, Megan; Saksvig, Brit I; Fox, Renee E; Black, Maureen M

    2016-10-01

    Written local wellness policies (LWPs) are mandated in school systems to enhance opportunities for healthy eating/activity. LWP effectiveness relies on school-level implementation. We examined factors associated with school-level LWP implementation. Hypothesized associations included system support for school-level implementation and having a school-level wellness team/school health council (SHC), with stronger associations among schools without disparity enrollment (majority African-American/Hispanic or low-income students). Online surveys were administered: 24 systems (support), 1349 schools (LWP implementation, perceived system support, SHC). The state provided school demographics. Analyses included multilevel multinomial logistic regression. Response rates were 100% (systems)/55.2% (schools). Among schools, 44.0% had SHCs, 22.6% majority (≥75%) African-American/Hispanic students, and 25.5% majority (≥75%) low-income (receiving free/reduced-price meals). LWP implementation (17-items) categorized as none = 36.3%, low (1-5 items) = 36.3%, high (6+ items) = 27.4%. In adjusted models, greater likelihood of LWP implementation was observed among schools with perceived system support (high versus none relative risk ratio, RRR = 1.63, CI: 1.49, 1.78; low versus none RRR = 1.26, CI: 1.18, 1.36) and SHCs (high versus none RRR = 6.8, CI: 4.07, 11.37; low versus none RRR = 2.24, CI: 1.48, 3.39). Disparity enrollment did not moderate associations (p > .05). Schools with perceived system support and SHCs had greater likelihood of LWP implementation, with no moderating effect of disparity enrollment. SHCs/support may overcome LWP implementation obstacles related to disparities. © 2016, American School Health Association.

  14. The effect of special health care needs and health status on school functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuben, Cynthia A; Pastor, Patricia N

    2013-10-01

    Past studies have shown that specific child conditions are associated with poor school outcomes. A national health survey with noncategorical measures of health and indicators of school functioning offers the opportunity to examine this association. To compare links between two health measures (children with special health care needs and general health status) and multiple school outcomes. The analysis was based on 59,440 children aged 6-17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Child health was assessed using the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) screener and a question on general health status. CSHCN were classified by the complexity of their health care needs. Indicators of school functioning included special education use, many problem reports, repeated a grade, lack of school engagement, and many missed school days. Overall 22% of children were identified as CSHCN: 13% with more complex needs (C-CSHCN) and 9% with medication use only (CSHCN-RX). Approximately 17% of children were in less than optimal health. After controlling for a child's sociodemographic characteristics C-CSHCN had an increased risk of all of the negative school outcomes compared to children without SHCN, while CSHCN-RX had an increased risk of only one school outcome (many missed school days). Children in less than optimal health were at an increased risk of all negative school outcomes compared to children in optimal health. The CSHCN screener and health status question identify related, but distinct, groups of children with worse outcomes on the indicators of school functioning. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Health and School Performance among Danish adolescents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Claus D.; Andersen, Johan Hviid

    adult educational achievement. Data are taken from a birth cohort study of all adolescents born in 1989 (n=3,058) living in a rural county in Denmark. Information was obtained from questionnaires (sent to the adolescents and their parents) and from different national registers (e.g. hospitalization......This study examines the impact of a wide range of health measures on school performance at the end of compulsory school (9 years of school). The key questions raised are whether different health problems lowers school performance contributing to a health selection process that could lead to lower...... health and school performance....

  16. Children's Mental Health and School Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSocio, Janiece; Hootman, Janis

    2004-01-01

    An integrative review of literature was undertaken to examine the impact of children's mental health on their school success. The literature confirmed a confluence of problems associated with school performance and child and adolescent mental health. Poor academic functioning and inconsistent school attendance were identified as early signs of…

  17. Partners in Public Health: Public Health Collaborations With Schools of Pharmacy, 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiPietro Mager, Natalie A; Ochs, Leslie; Ranelli, Paul L; Kahaleh, Abby A; Lahoz, Monina R; Patel, Radha V; Garza, Oscar W; Isaacs, Diana; Clark, Suzanne

    To collect data on public health collaborations with schools of pharmacy, we sent a short electronic survey to accredited and preaccredited pharmacy programs in 2015. We categorized public health collaborations as working or partnering with local and/or state public health departments, local and/or state public health organizations, academic schools or programs of public health, and other public health collaborations. Of 134 schools, 65 responded (49% response rate). Forty-six (71%) responding institutions indicated collaborations with local and/or state public health departments, 34 (52%) with schools or programs of public health, and 24 (37%) with local and/or state public health organizations. Common themes of collaborations included educational programs, community outreach, research, and teaching in areas such as tobacco control, emergency preparedness, chronic disease, drug abuse, immunizations, and medication therapy management. Interdisciplinary public health collaborations with schools of pharmacy provide additional resources for ensuring the health of communities and expose student pharmacists to opportunities to use their training and abilities to affect public health. Examples of these partnerships may stimulate additional ideas for possible collaborations between public health organizations and schools of pharmacy.

  18. Beyond School Boundaries: New Health Imperatives, Families and Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rich, Emma

    2012-01-01

    This article draws upon research examining the impact of new health imperatives on schools in the United Kingdom. Specifically, it examines features of emerging surveillant relations, which not only speak to the changing nature of health-related practices in schools but have particular currency for broader understandings of theorisations of…

  19. Data Speak: Influencing School Health Policy through Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryberg, Jacalyn Wickline; Keller, Teresa; Hine, Beverly; Christeson, Elisabeth

    2003-01-01

    School nurses occupy a unique position in relation to school health policy. In addition to facing the demands of promoting and maintaining the health of students, they collect the information that is used to document the implementation of school health policy. Effective school health policy is guided by reliable, credible data regarding what…

  20. Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers: Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bains, Ranbir Mangat; Diallo, Ana F.

    2016-01-01

    Mental health issues affect 20-25% of children and adolescents, of which few receive services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to mental health services to children and adolescents within their schools. A systematic review of literature was undertaken to review evidence on the effectiveness of delivery of mental health services…

  1. School-Based Mental Health Program Evaluation: Children's School Outcomes and Acute Mental Health Service Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang-Yi, Christina D.; Mandell, David S.; Hadley, Trevor

    2013-01-01

    Background: This study examined the impact of school-based mental health programs on children's school outcomes and the utilization of acute mental health services. Methods: The study sample included 468 Medicaid-enrolled children aged 6 to 17 years who were enrolled 1 of 2 school-based mental health programs (SBMHs) in a metropolitan area…

  2. Perception of primary school teachers to school children's mental health problems in Southwest Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerebih, Habtamu; Abrha, Hailay; Frank, Reiner; Abera, Mubarek

    2016-11-12

    Teachers perception of child mental health problems and their attitude to school-based mental health services helps in designing early intervention strategies aimed at promoting the service. However, little is known in this regard among primary school teachers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study assessed perceptions and attitude of primary school teachers to child mental health problem and school-based mental health programs in Jimma town, southwest Ethiopia in 2013. A cross-sectional study design was implemented among 568 primary school teachers in Jimma town, from 1 to 30 October 2013. Perceptions and attitude of teachers to children with mental health problems and school mental health related information were assessed using a structured self- administered questionnaire. About 40% of teachers recognized the list of psychopathology items presented to them as child mental health problems while 54.4% of them rated child mental health problem as severe. Externalizing behaviors were perceived as the most severe problems. Teaching experience and teaching in public schools were significantly associated with the perception of severe type of child mental health problems. About 95% of teachers acknowledged that school-based mental health programs are important but limited availability was reported. Despite the high problem severity ratings, teachers' perception of the psychopathology as a mental health problem in children was low. There was also a favorable attitude on the importance and the need of school-based child mental health programs. Thus, creating mental health awareness for teachers and establishing school mental health services to intervene in child mental health problem is crucial.

  3. The Influence of School Health Education Programmes on the Knowledge and Behaviour of School Children towards Nutrition and Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keirle, Kathleen; Thomas, Malcolm

    2000-02-01

    A comparative investigation was conducted involving two school situations; one identified as being health promoting and having a comprehensive policy and a defined programme of health education, and the other not health promoting, having no policy and an unstructured programme of health education. A total of 367 students from two secondary and four primary schools participated in the study. The factors used to categorise schools are highlighted. A self-completion questionnaire was employed to assess students' knowledge and behaviour with regard to nutrition and health. Students' dietary intake was monitored by employing a frequency of consumption tick sheet. The results revealed that students from the more health promoting secondary school (School 1(H)) were more knowledgeable of what constitutes a healthy diet and the benefits and risks to health. The implications of these results are considered within the context of the many factors that could influence students' knowledge and behaviour.

  4. Health education in primary school textbooks in iran in school year 2010-2011.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Kazemian

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Health education in schools is one of the most effective ways of promoting health in a society. Studies have shown the effectiveness of health interventions aimed at improving students' knowledge, attitude, and behaviors about health issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate health issues in primary school textbooks in Iran.In school year 2010-2011, the contents of all primary school textbooks in Iran were assessed in accordance to their health-related teachings. Health lessons of these 27 textbooks in the form of picture and text were retrieved and analyzed using content analysis method.In total, 502 health-related lessons were found. The textbooks of the third grade contained the highest (144 and those of the fourth grade had the lowest (26 number of health lessons. Among health-related issues, the largest number (87 of lessons were about personal hygiene, while prevention of high risk behaviors comprised the least number (8. Some important health issues such as nutrition, oral health, and prevention of high-risk behaviors were not adequately discussed in the textbooks.The potential of primary school textbooks in delivering health messages has been neglected in Iran. Taking the critical importance of school ages into account, incorporating health issues in textbooks should be more strongly emphasized.

  5. Health education in primary school textbooks in iran in school year 2010-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazemian, Reza; Ghasemi, Hadi; Movahhed, Taraneh; Kazemian, Ali

    2014-09-01

    Health education in schools is one of the most effective ways of promoting health in a society. Studies have shown the effectiveness of health interventions aimed at improving students' knowledge, attitude, and behaviors about health issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate health issues in primary school textbooks in Iran. In school year 2010-2011, the contents of all primary school textbooks in Iran were assessed in accordance to their health-related teachings. Health lessons of these 27 textbooks in the form of picture and text were retrieved and analyzed using content analysis method. In total, 502 health-related lessons were found. The textbooks of the third grade contained the highest (144) and those of the fourth grade had the lowest (26) number of health lessons. Among health-related issues, the largest number (87) of lessons were about personal hygiene, while prevention of high risk behaviors comprised the least number (8). Some important health issues such as nutrition, oral health, and prevention of high-risk behaviors were not adequately discussed in the textbooks. The potential of primary school textbooks in delivering health messages has been neglected in Iran. Taking the critical importance of school ages into account, incorporating health issues in textbooks should be more strongly emphasized.

  6. Health promotion and schools: how to move forward

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Gardano Bucharles Mont’Alverne

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The health promotion action means, described by the 1986 Ottawa Charter, highlights the creation of supportive environments for health(1. Following this line of reasoning, several strategies have been adopted for implementing health promotion policies, including the Health Promoting School. In 1995, the Pan American Health Organization / Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO officially launched the Regional Health Promoting School Initiative. Since then, all the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have strengthened school health promotion actions, rethinking school health activities(2. To become a Health Promoting School, the institution must take a comprehensive view of human beings – especially children and adolescents – in their familiar, community and social environment. It must provide a healthy environment, building constructive and harmonious relationships and hence being able to awaken skills and attitudes within participants, fostering autonomy, creativity and participation of students and also the whole school community(3. Never before has so much been said about health and health promotion as today, i.e., there is a need for promoting health at school as an element for changing reality. The school plays an important political role within this context for being a place where ideology can be constructed, destroyed or perpetuated through the transmission of values and beliefs, besides being an environment that favors the development of health education actions. Childhood is the defining moment for the construction and solidification of habits and attitudes, hence the importance of school as an environment that enhances the development of a targeted, systematized and permanent work. “Through the Health Promoting School Initiative, school health has a chance to move forward and expand its conception and practices with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary view of the human being within a

  7. Health promotion and schools: how to move forward

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Gardano Bucharles Mont'Alverne

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The health promotion action means, described by the 1986 Ottawa Charter, highlights the creation of supportive environments for health(1. Following this line of reasoning, several strategies have been adopted for implementing health promotion policies, including the Health Promoting School. In 1995, the Pan American Health Organization / Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO officially launched the Regional Health Promoting School Initiative. Since then, all the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have strengthened school health promotion actions, rethinking school health activities(2. To become a Health Promoting School, the institution must take a comprehensive view of human beings – especially children and adolescents – in their familiar, community and social environment. It must provide a healthy environment, building constructive and harmonious relationships and hence being able to awaken skills and attitudes within participants, fostering autonomy, creativity and participation of students and also the whole school community(3. Never before has so much been said about health and health promotion as today, i.e., there is a need for promoting health at school as an element for changing reality. The school plays an important political role within this context for being a place where ideology can be constructed, destroyed or perpetuated through the transmission of values and beliefs, besides being an environment that favors the development of health education actions. Childhood is the defining moment for the construction and solidification of habits and attitudes, hence the importance of school as an environment that enhances the development of a targeted, systematized and permanent work. “Through the Health Promoting School Initiative, school health has a chance to move forward and expand its conception and practices with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary view of the human being within a

  8. The Battle River Project: school division implementation of the health-promoting schools approach: assessment for learning: using student health and school capacity measures to inform action and direct policy in a local school district.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleddie, Douglas L; Hobin, Erin P

    2011-03-01

    The Battle River Project (BRP) is a school division-level intervention in rural Alberta, Canada, built upon the health-promoting schools approach to health promotion. Using self-reported school and student-level data from administrators and students, the central aim of the BRP is to examine: 'How can the school environment and health behaviours (healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellness) of children and youth be improved when a health-promoting schools model, the Ever Active Schools program, is implemented with school division support?' Evidence used to inform school level changes included students' demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables linked to school environment data, comprised of school demographics and administrator-assessed quality of policies, facilities, and programs related to physical activity. Each participating school and the division were provided with a tailored report of their schools' results to reflect, plan and implement for positive health behavior change. The main lesson learned was that sharing school-specific evidence can operate as a catalyst for embedding health promoting policy and practices within the school and division culture.

  9. Adolescent Health Care in School-Based Health Centers. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2008

    2008-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) are considered one of the most effective strategies for delivering preventive care, including reproductive and mental health care services, to adolescents--a population long considered difficult to reach. National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) recommends practices and policies to assure…

  10. Teachers' Ideas about Health: Implications for Health Promotion at School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miglioretti, Massimo; Velasco, Veronica; Celata, Corrado; Vecchio, Luca

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: The study explores the relationships among teachers' health representations, their ideas about health promotion, their working conditions and their involvement in health-promotion activities at school. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 107 teachers in 86 schools in Milan (Italy). The questionnaire was structured in four…

  11. Public Health Interventions for School Nursing Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaffer, Marjorie A.; Anderson, Linda J. W.; Rising, Shannon

    2016-01-01

    School nurses (SNs) use public health nursing knowledge and skills to provide nursing services to school populations. The Public Health Intervention Wheel is a practice framework that can be used to explain and guide public health nursing interventions. SNs who were also members of the National Association of School Nurses completed an electronic…

  12. Characteristics of school-based health services associated with students' mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denny, Simon; Howie, Hamish; Grant, Sue; Galbreath, Ross; Utter, Jennifer; Fleming, Theresa; Clark, Terryann

    2018-01-01

    Objective School-based health services (SBHS) have been shown to improve access to mental health services but the evidence of their effectiveness on students' mental health is lacking. Our objective was to examine associations between variation in the provision of SBHS and students' mental health. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative health and well-being survey of 8500 New Zealand high school students conducted in March-November 2012. Students' mental health is related to data on school health services obtained from clinic leaders and clinicians from 90 participating high schools. Results After adjustment for socio-demographic differences in students between schools, increasing levels of services were associated with progressively lower levels of student-reported depressive symptoms (p = 0.002), emotional and behavioural difficulties (p = 0.004) and suicidality (p = 0.008). Services with greater levels of nursing hours (p = 0.02) and those that performed routine, comprehensive psychosocial assessments (p = 0.01) were both associated with lower levels of student-reported depressive symptoms. Greater levels of nursing hours and doctor hours were associated with lower self-reported suicidality among students. Conclusions Although a causal association between school-based health services and students' mental health cannot be demonstrated, these findings support the benefit of such services and the need for a cluster randomized trial.

  13. 78 FR 42788 - School-Based Health Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration School-Based... Gadsden County. SUMMARY: HRSA will be transferring a School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program... support the expansion of services at school-based health centers will continue. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...

  14. Health Improvement and Educational Attainment in Secondary Schools: Complementary or Competing Priorities? Exploratory Analyses From the School Health Research Network in Wales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Littlecott, Hannah J; Long, Sara; Hawkins, Jemma; Murphy, Simon; Hewitt, Gillian; Eccles, Gemma; Fletcher, Adam; Moore, Graham F

    2018-01-01

    Implementing health improvement is often perceived as diverting resource away from schools' core business, reflecting an assumption of a "zero-sum game" between health and education. There is some evidence that health behaviors may affect young people's educational outcomes. However, associations between implementation of school health improvement and educational outcomes remains underinvestigated. The study linked school-level data on free school meal (FSM) entitlement, educational outcomes, and school attendance, obtained from government websites, with data from the School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ) on health improvement activity collected in Wales (2015/2016). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and linear regression models tested the extent of association between health improvement activity and attendance and educational outcomes. SEQ data were provided by 100/115 network schools (87%), of whom data on educational performance were obtained from 97. The percentage of pupils entitled to FSM predicted most of the between-school variance in achievement and attendance. Linear regression models demonstrated significant positive associations of all measures of health improvement activity with attainment at Key Stage (KS) 3, apart from mental health education in the curriculum and organizational commitment to health. Student and parent involvement in planning health activities were associated with improved school attendance. There were no significant associations between health improvement and KS4 attainment. Implementing health improvement activity does not have a detrimental effect on schools' educational performance. There is tentative evidence of the reverse, with better educational outcomes in schools with more extensive health improvement policies and practices. Further research should investigate processes by which this occurs and variations by socioeconomic status.

  15. Reimbursement for school nursing health care services: position statement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Janet; Cagginello, Joan; Compton, Linda

    2014-09-01

    Children come to school with a variety of health conditions, varying from moderate health issues to multiple, severe chronic health illnesses that have a profound and direct impact on their ability to learn. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) provides medically necessary services in the school setting to improve health outcomes and promote academic achievement. The nursing services provided are reimbursable services in other health care settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and home care settings. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) believes that school nursing services that are reimbursable nursing services in other health care systems should also be reimbursable services in the school setting, while maintaining the same high quality care delivery standards. Traditionally, local and state tax revenues targeted to fund education programs have paid for school nursing health services. School nurses are in a strategic position to advocate for improving clinical processes to better fit with community health care providers and to align reimbursements with proposed changes. Restructuring reimbursement programs will enable health care funding streams to assist in paying for school nursing services delivered to students in the school setting. Developing new innovative health financing opportunities will help to increase access, improve quality, and reduce costs. The goal is to promote a comprehensive and cost-effective health care delivery model that integrates schools, families, providers, and communities.

  16. School Health Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs in California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Dian L.; Hebbeler, Kathleen; Davis-Alldritt, Linda; Anderson, Lori S.; Knauer, Heather

    2015-01-01

    Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are at risk for school failure when their health needs are not met. Current studies have identified a strong connection between school success and health. This study attempted to determine (a) how schools meet the direct service health needs of children and (b) who provides those services. The study…

  17. Health-promoting schools: evidence for a holistic approach to promoting health and improving health literacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Albert

    2009-01-01

    Chronic diseases are now the major causes of death and disability worldwide, and non-communicable diseases (NCD) account for the majority of the global health burden. About half of premature deaths are related to health-risking behaviours that are often established during youth and extend to adulthood. While these diseases might not be curable, they are preventable. Prevention is possible when sustained actions are directed at individuals and families, as well as at the broader social, economic and cultural determinants of NCD. A 'life-course' approach to promoting healthy behaviour should begin early in life. The aim of this article is to discuss the impact of the 'health-promoting school' (HPS) on improvements in youth health. HPS can be described as a holistic, whole-school approach in which a broad health education curriculum is supported by the environment and ethos of the school. HPS moves beyond individual behavioural change to consider organizational and policy change such as improving the physical and social environment of the school, as well as its curricula and teaching and learning methods. A positive culture for health would facilitate higher levels of health literacy by helping individuals tackle the determinants of health better as they build the personal, cognitive and social skills for maintaining good health. There is reasonable evidence to demonstrate that the whole-school approach using the HPS framework is effective in improving health, ranging from physical activities and healthy eating to emotional health. Schools adopting the HPS framework have demonstrated changes in culture and organizational practice to become more conducive to health improvement. These schools were reported to have better school health policies, higher degrees of community participation, and a more hygienic environment than non-HPS schools, and students in these schools had a more positive health behaviour profile. Health promotion and disease prevention is essential to

  18. Impact of school staff health on work productivity in secondary schools in Massachusetts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alker, Heather J; Wang, Monica L; Pbert, Lori; Thorsen, Nancy; Lemon, Stephenie C

    2015-06-01

    Healthy, productive employees are an integral part of school health programs. There have been few assessments of work productivity among secondary school staff. This study describes the frequency of 3 common health risk factors--obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking--and their impact on work productivity in secondary school employees. Employees of secondary schools in Massachusetts (N = 630) participated in a longitudinal weight gain prevention intervention study. Assessment completed at baseline, 1-year and 2-year follow-up included survey assessments of health risk factors as well as measurements for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). The survey also included a depression inventory and Work Limitations Questionnaire. Data analysis included multivariate mixed effect models to identify productivity differences in relation to BMI, depressive symptoms, and smoking in this population stratified by position type (teacher and other school staff). The sample included 361 teachers and 269 other school staff. Obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking were significantly associated with work productivity, including workdays missed because of health concerns (absenteeism) and decreases in on-the-job productivity because of health concerns (presenteeism). Three common health conditions, namely obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking, adversely affect the productivity of high school employees. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  19. Variation in school health policies and programs by demographic characteristics of US schools, 2006.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balaji, Alexandra B; Brener, Nancy D; McManus, Tim

    2010-12-01

    To identify whether school health policies and programs vary by demographic characteristics of schools, using data from the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006. This study updates a similar study conducted with SHPPS 2000 data and assesses several additional policies and programs measured for the first time in SHPPS 2006. SHPPS 2006 assessed the status of 8 components of the coordinated school health model using a nationally representative sample of public, Catholic, and private schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Data were collected from school faculty and staff using computer-assisted personal interviews and then linked with extant data on school characteristics. Results from a series of regression analyses indicated that a number of school policies and programs varied by school type (public, Catholic, or private), urbanicity, school size, discretionary dollars per pupil, percentage of white students, percentage of students qualifying for free lunch funds, and, among high schools, percentage of college-bound students. Catholic and private schools, smaller schools, and those with low discretionary dollars per pupil did not have as many key school health policies and programs as did schools that were public, larger, and had higher discretionary dollars per pupil. However, no single type of school had all key components of a coordinated school health program in place. Although some categories of schools had fewer policies and programs in place, all had both strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of school characteristics, all schools have the potential to implement a quality school health program. © Published 2010. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  20. [Health-Promoting Schools Regional Initiative of the Americas].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ippolito-Shepherd, Josefa; Cerqueira, Maria Teresa; Ortega, Diana Patricia

    2005-01-01

    In Latin America, comprehensive health promotion programmes and activities are being implemented in the school setting, which take into account the conceptual framework of the Health-Promoting Schools Regional Initiative of the Pan American Health Organization, Regional office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). These programmes help to strengthen the working relationships between the health and education sectors. The Health-Promoting Schools Regional Initiative, officially launched by PAHO/WHO in 1995, aims to form future generations to have the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary for promoting and caring for their health and that of their family and community, as well as to create and maintain healthy environments and communities. The Initiative focuses on three main components: comprehensive health education, the creation and maintenance of healthy physical and psychosocial environments, and the access to health and nutrition services, mental health, and active life. In 2001, PAHO conducted a survey in 19 Latin American countries to assess the status and trends of Health-Promoting Schools in the Region, for the appropriate regional, subregional, and national planning of pertinent health promotion and health education programmes and activities. The results of this survey provided information about policies and national plans, multisectoral coordination mechanisms for the support of health promotion in the school settings, the formation and participation in national and international networks of Health-Promoting Schools and about the level of dissemination of the strategy. For the successful development of Health-Promoting Schools is essential to involve the society as a whole, in order to mobilise human resources and materials necessary for implementing health promotion in the school settings. Thus, the constitution and consolidation of networks has been a facilitating mechanism for the exchange of ideas, resources and experiences to strengthen

  1. Community Empowerment for School Health: Action Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Mathew

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: One of the authors living in Yelagiri Hills incidentally noticed that the one government school and two hostels there, were facing acute issues with performance and multiple student health issues. Hence the action research was undertaken to address the problem and simultaneously to empower the local community. Methods: It was a mixed-method action research study comprising of quantitative surveys (before- after design and qualitative approach (participatory intervention. At baseline survey 177 children in two residential hostels and one government school were examined using a locally adapted Global School based Student Health Survey questionnaire. The hemoglobin level was estimated using WHO hemoglobin color scale. The participatory interventions were carried out through School Health Committee. Periodic health checkup with hemoglobin levels and school performance were examined. After one year, 230 children were examined in the follow up survey using the same questionnaire. Results: There was significant improvement in the personal hygiene and reduction in related morbidity among the children. The number of students of hemoglobin level less than 12gm% decreased from 31.4% to 11.3%.The number of students of hemoglobin level more than or equal to 12gm% increased from 68.6% to 88.7%. There was significant decline in anemia from 31.4% from baseline to 11.3% at follow up survey. There was also significant decrease in the malnutrition. Conclusion: The need based participatory health promoting school initiative for tribal children at Yelagiri hills led to a significant improvement in the school performance and general health conditions of the children. The school health committee has played a vital role in the sustainability of the project. The action research could bring positive improvements in health status of school children through active participation of students, parents, teachers and community members.

  2. Bringing Wellness to Schools: Opportunities for and Challenges to Mental Health Integration in School-Based Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Karen; Guo, Sisi; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Roya; Puffer, Maryjane; Kataoka, Sheryl H

    2016-12-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) reduce access barriers to mental health care and improve educational outcomes for youths. This qualitative study evaluated the innovations and challenges of a unique network of SBHCs in a large, urban school district as the centers attempted to integrate health, mental health, and educational services. The 43 participants sampled included mental health providers, primary care providers, and care coordinators at 14 SBHCs. Semistructured interviews with each participant were audio recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified and coded by using Atlas.ti 5.1 and collapsed into three domains: operations, partnership, and engagement. Interviews revealed provider models ranging from single agencies offering both primary care and mental health services to colocated services. Sites where the health agency provided at least some mental health services reported more mental health screenings. Many sites used SBHC wellness coordinators and coordination team meetings to facilitate relationships between schools and health agency and community mental health clinic providers. Partnership challenges included confidentiality policies and staff turnover. Participants also highlighted student and parent engagement through culturally sensitive services, peer health advocates, and "drop-in" lunches. Staffing and operational models are critical in the success of integrating primary care, mental health care, and education. Among the provider models observed, the combined primary care and mental health provider model offered the most integrated services. Despite barriers, providers and schools have begun to implement novel solutions to operational problems and family engagement in mental health services.

  3. Mental health in schools and public health

    OpenAIRE

    Adelman, Howard S; Taylor, Linda

    2006-01-01

    Health policy and practice call for health and mental health parity and for a greater focus on universal interventions to promote, prevent, and intervene as early after problem onset as is feasible. Those in the public health field are uniquely positioned to help promote the mental health of young people and to reshape how the nation thinks about and addresses mental health. And schools are essential partners for doing the work.

  4. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bains, Ranbir M; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-08-01

    We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were stratified by sex, ethnicity/race, and insurance status. Mental health visits accounted for the highest proportion of visits (31.8%). The proportion of mental health visits was highest at 8 years (42.8%) and at 13 years (39.0%). The proportion of mental health visits among boys (38.4%) was higher than among girls (26.7%). Hispanic students had a lower proportion of mental health visits than black students (23.5% vs 35.8%) in all but 2 age groups. Students in the white/other ethnicity category had higher proportions of mental health visits than Hispanic and black students between ages 12 and 15. Students with no health insurance (22.5%) had lower proportions of mental health visits than students covered by Medicaid (34.3%) or private insurance (33.9%). The percentage of mental health visits by students with private insurance was highest (37.2%-49%) in the 13-15 age range. Usage patterns for mental health issues show pronounced, nonrandom variation relative to age and other demographic characteristics especially with 8-year-old boys. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  5. Adolescent and School Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Search Form Controls Cancel Submit Search the CDC Adolescent and School Health Note: Javascript is disabled or ... help strengthen their capacity to improve child and adolescent health. More > DASH Home About DASH At A ...

  6. School-Based Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... care group, such as a community health center, hospital, or health department. A few are run by the school district itself. Centers often get money from charities and the government so they can give care ...

  7. World Health Organization approaches for surveys of health behaviour among schoolchildren and for health-promoting schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honkala, Sisko

    2014-01-01

    Adolescents make up about one-sixth of the world's population. Most of the healthy and detrimental habits are adopted during childhood and adolescence. In the mid 1980s, a cross-national Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey was created to increase information about the well-being, health behaviours and social context of young people by using standard school-based questionnaires adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) European office. The European Network of Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) was commenced in 1992, followed by the establishment of the WHO Global School Health Initiative in 1995. The initiative aims to improve the health of students, school personnel, families and other members of the community through schools by mobilizing and strengthening health promotion and educational activities at local, national, regional and global levels. The HBSC and HPS programmes have been accepted as activity areas for the WHO Collaborating Centre for Primary Oral Health Care in Kuwait. This article describes the HBSC and the HPS programmes and discusses the importance of establishing these programmes in Kuwait. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Evaluations of health promoting schools: a review of nine studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mũkoma, Wanjirũ; Flisher, Alan J

    2004-09-01

    The concept of 'health promoting schools' has been embraced internationally as an effective way of promoting the health of children, adolescents, and the wider school community. It is only recently that attempts have been made to evaluate health promoting schools. This paper reviews evaluations of health promoting schools and draws useful evaluation methodology lessons. The review is confined to school-based interventions that are founded explicitly on the concept of the health promoting school and employ the concept beyond one school domain. We included nine evaluations in this review. Seven of these were published in the peer reviewed scientific literature. Two were unpublished reports. One study was a randomized controlled trial, while a quasi-experimental research design with comparison schools was used in three studies. With three exceptions, combinations of quantitative and qualitative data were collected. There was evidence that the health promoting school has some influence on various domains of health for the school community. It is also possible to integrate health promotion into the school curriculum and policies successfully. However, the evaluation of health promoting schools is complex. We discuss some of the methodological challenges of evaluating health promoting schools and make suggestions for improving future evaluations.

  9. Establishing schools that promote health: Is it worth doing?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available School is a setting that plays a significant role in the physical, emotional, social and mental development of a child. Schools provide an exceptional opportunity for assisting millions of young children to acquire health supportive knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviors. The World Health Organization has launched a global school health initiative in order to establish and strengthen health promotional and educational activities at the local, national, and international levels for ensuring an improvement in the health of students, school personnel, families and other members of the community. The ultimate aim of this initiative is to enhance the number of "Health-Promoting Schools". A health promoting school is the one that continually strengthens its capacities as a healthy institute in living, learning and working. Various types of barrier, such as the unavailability of all components of school health services within the school premises, a lack of clear instructions and overlapping roles of different agencies involved,logistic concerns, parents’ and teachers’ reservations about the competence of healthcare personnel and the quality of services; lack of effective communication between nurses and physician have been recognized as relevant to  the global effort for increasing the number of health promoting schools worldwide. In view of the wide range of benefits associated with school health services, different strategies have been suggested to ensure a maximum coverage. The first and foremost priority is to develop national guidelines establishing the scope and range of services offered under the umbrella of school health services. Subsequently other measures that can be implemented in a time-bound phased manner to cover the entire country  include the following: ensuring the  availability of physicians and nurses, establishing  alliances with different national and international agencies, addressing identified barriers

  10. Indoor environmental health in schools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Small, B.M. [Envirodesic Certification Program, Stouffville, ON (Canada)

    1999-07-01

    Indoor health is a concern today because unhealthy environments can cause adverse health effects, poor learning and teaching and increased costs. The holistic view of the environment and human health links sick kids, absenteeism, teacher illness, education costs and mouldy schools. An historical perspective is provided on the problem and its treatment referring to: 1962 and chemical susceptibility, 1975 and open systems theory, 1978 and high risk groups, 1985 and pollution and education in Toronto, 1987 and health environments for Canadians, 1995 and the National Education Association in the U.S., 1997 and a U.S. Executive Order, 1998 and the Texas Dept. of Health, 1998 and the U.S. EPS website 'IAQ Tools for Schools', and 1998 and 'The air children breathe.' It is known that pollutants adversely affect health, that children are highly susceptible, that the role in schools has being known for decades, and that information is now available worldwide through the Internet. The reasons why mould is a problem are listed, and the effects of an unhealthy indoor environment are referred to. The benefits of a healthy indoor environment are listed, and the various means of creating a healthy indoor environment are outlined. New developments are referred to including: fresh air, building envelope, building leakage, airtightness of buildings, tight envelope and air supply, low-emission materials, maintenance and cleaning, strategy and financing, collaboration, and the possibility of healthy schools.

  11. Embedding Mental Health Support in Schools: Learning from the Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) National Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolpert, Miranda; Humphrey, Neil; Belsky, Jay; Deighton, Jessica

    2013-01-01

    The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme was a nationwide initiative that funded mental health provision in schools for pupils at risk of or already experiencing mental health problems. The implementation, impact and experience of this programme was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methodology involving three main…

  12. Mental Health Services at Selected Private Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Hoof, Thomas J.; Sherwin, Tierney E.; Baggish, Rosemary C.; Tacy, Peter B.; Meehan, Thomas P.

    2004-01-01

    Private schools educate a significant percentage of US children and adolescents. Private schools, particularly where students reside during the academic year, assume responsibility for the health and well-being of their students. Children and adolescents experience mental health problems at a predictable rate, and private schools need a mechanism…

  13. Towards environment and health promoting South African schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathee, A; Byrne, J

    1996-03-01

    This article describes the activities of the Greater Johannesburg Healthy Schools Program of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Healthy Cities Project in South Africa. Healthy Cities projects emphasize community participation, intersectoral action, supportive environments for health, and a settings approach. Children in South Africa, are exposed to environmental and health hazards in the school setting including poor building design, poor equipment, and understaffing. The Healthy Schools initiative in Greater Johannesburg, is a pilot for enhancing environmental quality, health, and well-being among students. Schools include those in an informal settlement in an industrial area, an inner city district, and in a suburban area. The initiative includes research, establishment of environmental and health committees, development of an action plan, and evaluation and feedback. The plan aims to promote environmental and health sustainability, to empower children to become full participants in the community, and to support teachers and parents in the promotion of health-enhancing school environments. The program builds upon the lessons learned from several local school initiatives. Initiatives include an anti-smoking poster competition involving over 10,000 students, special environmental and health awareness days, consciousness raising among high school students about air pollution, and local efforts to engage students in environmental clean-up days.

  14. Finnish parental involvement ethos, health support, health education knowledge and participation: results from a 2-year school health intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sormunen, Marjorita; Tossavainen, Kerttu; Turunen, Hannele

    2013-04-01

    A 2-year, participatory action research school health study focused on developing components for home-school partnerships to support children's health learning process. Two intervention schools implemented strengthened health and collaboration-orientated activities; two control schools followed the national core curriculum without extracurricular activities. The parents of fourth-grade pupils (10-11 years at baseline) completed questionnaires before intervention in spring 2008 (N = 348) and after intervention in spring 2010 (N = 358). A two-way analysis of variance was conducted to determine whether time (2008/2010) and group (intervention/control) influenced parents' perceptions and experiences of parental involvement, health education and health support received from the school. Compared with controls, the intervention schools' parents experienced greater involvement ethos (Cohen's d = 0.57, P education (Cohen's d = 0.60, P = 0.02) and health support (Cohen's d = 0.35, P = 0.02). Health education participation among parents increased only partially during the intervention (Cohen's d = -0.12, P = 0.193). School health interventions based on schools' needs may have the potential to influence positively the relationship between home and school and increase the visibility of health education. The study was undertaken within the Schools for Health in Europe program.

  15. Uses of Youth Risk Behavior Survey and School Health Profiles Data: Applications for Improving Adolescent and School Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foti, Kathryn; Balaji, Alexandra; Shanklin, Shari

    2011-01-01

    Background: To monitor priority health risk behaviors and school health policies and practices, respectively, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and the School Health Profiles (Profiles). CDC is often asked about the use and application of these survey data to improve…

  16. The picture of health: examining school-based health environments through photographs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kontak, Julia C H; McIsaac, Jessie-Lee D; Penney, Tarra L; Kuhle, Stefan; Kirk, Sara F L

    2017-04-01

    Health-promoting schools (HPS) is an effective approach to enhance the health and well-being of children and youth, but its measurement remains a challenge considering contextual differences across school environments. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the physical features of the school environment through photographs of schools that had implemented an HPS approach compared with schools that had not. This study used a descriptive approach, wherein physical features of the school environment were distilled through visual images and qualitatively analyzed. School environment data were collected from 18 elementary schools (10 HPS, 8 comparison schools) from a school board in rural Nova Scotia (Canada). Evaluation assistants captured photographs of the physical school environment as part of a broader environment audit. Overarching themes included the promotion, access and availability of opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity, healthy school climate and safety and accessibility of the school. The photographs characterized diverse aspects of the school environment and revealed differences between schools that had implemented an HPS approach compared with schools that had not. There were increased visual cues to support healthy eating, physical activity and mental well-being, and indications of a holistic approach to health among schools that implemented an HPS approach. This research adds to understanding the environmental elements of HPS. The use of photographic data to understand school environments provided an innovative method to explore the physical features of schools that had implemented an HPS approach. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. A school-based public health model to reduce oral health disparities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudovitz, Rebecca N; Valiente, Jonathan E; Espinosa, Gloria; Yepes, Claudia; Padilla, Cesar; Puffer, Maryjane; Slavkin, Harold C; Chung, Paul J

    2018-12-01

    Although dental decay is preventable, it remains the most common pediatric chronic disease. We describe a public health approach to implementing a scalable and sustainable school-based oral health program for low-income urban children. The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health, a nonprofit affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District, applied a public health model and developed a broad-based community-coalition to a) establish a District Oral Health Nurse position to coordinate oral health services, and b) implement a universal school-based oral health screening and fluoride varnishing program, with referral to a dental home. Key informant interviews and focus groups informed program development. Parent surveys assessed preventative oral health behaviors and access to oral health services. Results from screening exams, program costs and rates of reimbursement were recorded. From 2012 to 2015, six elementary schools and three dental provider groups participated. Four hundred ninety-one parents received oral health education and 89 served as community oral health volunteers; 3,399 screenings and fluoride applications were performed on 2,776 children. Sixty-six percent of children had active dental disease, 27 percent had visible tooth decay, and 6 percent required emergent care. Of the 623 students who participated for two consecutive years, 56 percent had fewer or no visible caries at follow-up, while only 17 percent had additional disease. Annual program cost was $69.57 per child. Using a broad based, oral health coalition, a school-based universal screening and fluoride varnishing program can improve the oral health of children with a high burden of untreated dental diseases. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  18. The Stellenbosch consensus statement on health promoting schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macnab, Andrew

    2013-03-01

    Health promotion uses a range of complementary approaches to provide individuals and communities with knowledge that will enable them to improve their own health and wellbeing. Encouraging children to adopt healthy lifestyle habits is a central objective, and health promotion at a community level, particularly through health promoting schools, may be an effective strategy. Health promoting schools are well within the capacity of even poor countries, as they focus on the school and its culture, and establishing health promoting schools requires a change in mindset and refinement of educational investment rather than the provision of major new resources, engagement of non-government organizations or obtaining international funding. A consensus of current evidence and essential concepts underlying health promotion in schools, principles that contribute to success or failure, and opportunities for implementation and engagement is presented, based on shared experience and dialogue at a 2011 international colloquium held at Stellenbosch University.

  19. Sex, Kids, and Politics. Health Services in Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emihovich, Catherine; Herrington, Carolyn D.

    This book examines practical, cultural, and political implications of placing health service programs in public schools, detailing three cases of Florida school districts, where a controversial statewide initiative for health services in schools recently went into effect. The plan supports programs to promote the health of medically underserved…

  20. Influence of school organizational characteristics on the outcomes of a school health promotion program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, K W; Baranowski, T; Baranowski, J; Hebert, D; deMoor, C; Hearn, M D; Resnicow, K

    1999-11-01

    Researchers assessed the possible moderating effects of school organizational characteristics (school climate, school health, and job satisfaction) on outcomes of a teacher health behavior change program. Thirty-two public schools were matched and randomly assigned either to treatment or control conditions. Organizational, dietary, and physiologic data were collected from third to fifth grade teachers over three years. Treatment schools received a teacher wellness program for two years. Psychometrics of most organizational scales achieved acceptable levels of reliability. Mixed model analyses were conducted to test for moderating effects. Treatment schools with high organizational climate and health scores reported higher fruit and juice and vegetable consumption at Year 2 compared with intervention schools with low scores. Treatment schools with high job satisfaction scores reported higher fruit and juice and lower-fat food consumption at Year 3 compared with intervention schools with low scores. These measures may be used as a tool to assess the environment in which school health promotion programs are presented. Future interventions may need to be tailored to the organizational characteristics of schools.

  1. The Complementary Roles of the School Nurse and School Based Health Centers. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ondeck, Lynnette; Combe, Laurie; Baszler, Rita; Wright, Janet

    2015-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the unique combination of school nursing services and school-based health centers (SBHCs) facilitate positive health outcomes for students. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) is responsible for management of the daily health…

  2. Horizontal schools-based health programme in rural Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogie, James; Eder, Ben; Magnus, Dan; Amonje, Onguko David; Gant, Martina

    2017-09-01

    Primary school children in low-income countries are at risk of many diseases and poor health affects attendance, cognition and ability to learn. Developing school health and nutrition strategies has been extensively highlighted as a global priority, with a particular focus on complex programme design. However, such programmes are relatively untested in low-income settings. We implemented a complex school health and nutrition programme in two schools in Western Kenya over 3 years. There were numerous elements covering health policy, skills-based health education, infrastructure and disease prevention. A local non-governmental organisation, with involvement from local government and the community, performed programme implementation. Height-for-age, weight-for-age,height-for-weight, anaemia prevalence, academic performance and school attendance were the primary outcome measures. The programme improved nutrition, academic performance and anaemia prevalence. The number of underweight children fell from 20% to 11% (OR 0.51 95% CI 0.39 to 0.68 p=effect on school attendance, the reasons for which are unclear. These results are encouraging and demonstrate that complex schools health programmes can lead to positive gains in health, nutrition and importantly academic performance. There is a need for further evaluation of comprehensive school health interventions in poor communities. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  3. School Oral Health Program in Kuwait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariga, Jitendra; Al-Mutawa, Sabiha; Nazar, Huda

    2014-01-01

    The School Oral Health Program (SOHP), Kuwait, is a joint venture between the Ministry of Health, Kuwait, and Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Mass., USA. This program provides oral health education, prevention and treatment to almost 280,000 public school children in Kuwait. Services are delivered through a system of center- and school-based clinics and preventive mobile teams. One of the recent developments is the effective use of portable dental units for the delivery of preventive care to children in schools without the need for children to go to dental clinics. Preventive procedures performed under this program are the biannual application of fluoride varnish and the placement of pit and fissure sealants on newly erupted permanent molars and premolars. During recent years, the SOHP has improved its coverage of children, with prevention up to 80%. This has resulted in a considerable reduction in treatment needs, which is evident from the reduced number of composite restorations performed under this program during the last 6 years. This indicates that the disease level is on a decline, which can be confirmed from the results of the ongoing National Oral Health Survey on Kuwaiti school children. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. School Nurses' perspectives on the role of the school nurse in health education and health promotion in England: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoekstra, Beverley A; Young, Vicki L; Eley, Charlotte V; Hawking, Meredith K D; McNulty, Cliodna A M

    2016-01-01

    The role of the school nurse is complex with many possible elements identified by previous research. The aim of this study is to understand perceptions of the role of the school nurse in order to support school nurses in the delivery of health education. The study used an inductive, qualitative research design involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Participants were recruited from four NHS trusts across England and final sample size was thirty one school nurses. Three focus groups and two interviews took place in person, and three interviews were over the phone. Data was thematically analysed. School nurses described six main themes. Four themes directly related to the school nurse role: the main roles of a school nurse, school nurses' role in health education, prioritisation of workload and activities, and community work. A further two other themes related to the delivery of health education: the school nursing system and educational resources. The role of the school nurse in England is very diverse and the school nurse role in health education is primarily to advise and support schools, rather than to directly deliver education. The study identified that tailored public health educational resources are needed to support school nurses.

  5. HEALTH STATUS OF CHILDREN UNDER SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES IN DOIWALA BLOCK, DEHRADUN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakesh Kakkar

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Background -The introduction of school health services in India dates back to 1909, when school children in the city of Baroda were given the first medical examination. School Health programme ,promoting basic check up of school children for a variety of health related problems, is a systematic effort in raising awareness about health issues among school children and their families. Good health increases enrollment and reduces absenteeism. It also ensures attendance of the poorest and most disadvantaged children to school, many of whom are girls. Aim- To study the morbidity status of the school children & elicit relationship of healthy habits with morbidity pattern. Study Type- Observational study Methodology- A cross sectional survey to find out the morbidity pattern was conducted on 757 school children (340 boys and 417girls, aged 5-16 years studying in class I-VIII in five different schools of Doiwala, Dehradun under Rural Health training centre, Rajeev Nagar. Results- Overall students attendance was 78.2%. Clinical anaemia was higher in Girls (46.7% as compared to Boys (34.1%. Worm infestation was higher in boys (65.1% as compared to Girls(57.3%. Over all abnormal Visual acquity(8.5% or eye abnormality (14% was noticed among study subjects. Dental Caries (53.1% and dermatitis (16.3% were more in boys. Healthy habits like daily bathing (82.6%, daily teeth brushing (61.1%, mouth rinsing after meal (53% and hair clean/combed (80.2% were more in girls as compared to boys while trimmed nail was equally (55% noticed among both the groups. Conclusion- Morbidities found amongst students are basically due to low awareness & negligent behaviour about personal hygiene are the key areas of concern and by active involvement of school teachers improvement in personal hygiene of school children and reduction in related morbidities can be achieved.

  6. HEALTH STATUS OF CHILDREN UNDER SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES IN DOIWALA BLOCK, DEHRADUN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakesh Kakkar

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Background -The introduction of school health services in India dates back to 1909, when school children in the city of Baroda were given the first medical examination. School Health programme ,promoting basic check up of school children for a variety of health related problems, is a systematic effort in raising awareness about health issues among school children and their families. Good health increases enrollment and reduces absenteeism. It also ensures attendance of the poorest and most disadvantaged children to school, many of whom are girls. Aim- To study the morbidity status of the school children & elicit relationship of healthy habits with morbidity pattern. Study Type- Observational study Methodology- A cross sectional survey to find out the morbidity pattern was conducted on 757 school children (340 boys and 417girls, aged 5-16 years studying in class I-VIII in five different schools of Doiwala, Dehradun under Rural Health training centre, Rajeev Nagar. Results- Overall students attendance was 78.2%. Clinical anaemia was higher in Girls (46.7% as compared to Boys (34.1%. Worm infestation was higher in boys (65.1% as compared to Girls(57.3%. Over all abnormal Visual acquity(8.5% or eye abnormality (14% was noticed among study subjects. Dental Caries (53.1% and dermatitis (16.3% were more in boys. Healthy habits like daily bathing (82.6%, daily teeth brushing (61.1%, mouth rinsing after meal (53% and hair clean/combed (80.2% were more in girls as compared to boys while trimmed nail was equally (55% noticed among both the groups. Conclusion- Morbidities found amongst students are basically due to low awareness & negligent behaviour about personal hygiene are the key areas of concern and by active involvement of school teachers improvement in personal hygiene of school children and reduction in related morbidities can be achieved.

  7. Support for Offering Sexual Health Services through School-Based Health Clinics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Michele Johnson; Barr, Elissa; Wilson, Kristina; Griner, Stacey

    2016-01-01

    Background: Numerous studies document support for sexuality education in the schools. However, there is a dearth of research assessing support for sexual health services offered through school-based health clinics (SBHCs). The purpose of this study was to assess voter support for offering 3 sexual health services (STI/HIV testing, STI/HIV…

  8. Evaluation of the National School Health Coordinator Leadership Institute

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ottoson, Judith M.; Streib, Greg; Thomas, John Clayton; Rivera, Mark; Stevenson, Beth

    2004-01-01

    In 1999 the American Cancer Society (ACS) launched the National School Health Coordinator Leadership Institute, a groundbreaking initiative designed to enhance and invigorate school health in the nation's schools by training individual school health coordinators to act as change agents. The Institute consisted of three, week-long summer training…

  9. Health promotion in primary and secondary schools in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Krølner, Rikke; Mortensen, Laust Hvas

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Schools are important arenas for interventions among children as health promoting initiatives in childhood is expected to have substantial influence on health and well-being in adulthood. In countries with compulsory school attention, all children could potentially benefit from health...... promotion at the school level regardless of socioeconomic status or other background factors. The first aim was to elucidate time trends in the number and types of school health promoting activities by describing the number and type of health promoting activities in primary and secondary schools in Denmark....... The second aim was to investigate which characteristics of schools and students that are associated with participation in many (≥3) versus few (0-2) health promoting activities during the preceding 2-3 years. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the 2006- and 2010-survey of the Health Behaviour...

  10. Primary school students' mental health in Uganda and its association with school violence, connectedness, and school characteristics: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thumann, Barbara F; Nur, Ula; Naker, Dipak; Devries, Karen M

    2016-07-29

    Few studies have explored risk factors for poor mental health in Ugandan primary schools. This study investigated whether individual- and contextual-level school-related factors including violence from school staff and other students, connectedness to school and peers, as well as school size and urban/rural location, were associated with mental health difficulties in Ugandan children. We also examined whether associations between violence exposure at school and mental health were mediated by connectedness as well as whether associations were different for boys and girls. The analytic sample consisted of 3,565 students from 42 primary schools participating in the Good Schools Study. Data were collected through individual interviews conducted in June and July 2012. Mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multilevel logistic regression was applied to investigate factors associated with mental health difficulties. Experiences of violence from school staff and other students in the past week were strongly associated with mental health difficulties (OR = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.31 to 1.90 and 1.81, 1.47 to 2.23, respectively). Children with a low school connectedness had 1.43 times (1.11 to 1.83) the odds of mental health difficulties compared to those with a high school connectedness. The OR comparing children never feeling close to other students at their school with those always feeling close was 1.86 (1.18 to 2.93). The effect of violence on mental health was not mediated through the connectedness variables. School size was not related to mental health difficulties, but attending an urban school increased the odds of mental health difficulties after accounting for other factors. We did not find evidence that the effect of one or more of the exposures on the outcome differed between boys and girls. These findings suggest that violence in school and low connectedness to school and peers are independently associated with mental health

  11. School Mental Health Resources and Adolescent Mental Health Service Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Jennifer Greif; McLaughlin, Katie A.; Alegria, Margarita; Costello, E. Jane; Gruber, Michael J.; Hoagwood, Kimberly; Leaf, Philip J.; Olin, Serene; Sampson, Nancy A.; Kessler, Ronald C.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Although schools are identified as critical for detecting youth mental disorders, little is known about whether the number of mental health providers and types of resources that they offer influence student mental health service use. Such information could inform the development and allocation of appropriate school-based resources to…

  12. Professional competences in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsson, Monica Susanne

    2015-01-01

    shows that ‘a production logic’ and economic values are emphasized in the motivation of the project and in the knowledge base underpinning the competency-framework. The discussion of the responsiveness of the formulations in relation to school health promotion points out that there are matches between......The purpose of the study is to critically explore the formulations of competencies and standards in the European project “Developing Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion Capacity Building in Europe”, and to discuss them in relation to school health promotion. The analysis...... these formulations, and essential values and approaches in school health promotion. However, by underemphasizing the potential of education and learning, and reducing changes at individual and group level to behavioral change, the formulations of competencies and standards are not in concert with essential values...

  13. Collaborative learning and competence development in school health nursing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordentoft, Helle Merete; Wistoft, Karen

    2012-01-01

    and the development of their competences in school health nursing. Practical implications The paper outlines how and why collaboration among school nurses should be introduced in a more systematic way in school health nursing. Originality/value The paper investigates the connection between informal educational....... Design/methodology/approach The article is based on data from a three-year health educational development project at primary schools in Denmark. These data are a) Observations from 12 reflective workshops with school nurses b) Two questionnaire surveys c) 5 focus group interviews with 5 of the 6......Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process and learning outcomes of peer collaboration in a Danish health developmental project in school health nursing. The paper explores how peer collaboration influences the school nurses’ collaborative learning and competence development...

  14. Health promotion strategies: situational diagnosis in elementary schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Berger Fadel

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To identify the existence of health-promoting actions in public and private schools. Methods: Exploratory and descriptive study with qualitative approach, conducted from June 2012 to June 2013, comprising 10 institutional managers of elementary schools of the public and private networks in the city of Ponta Grossa, PR. Data was collected through semistructured interviews, and examined with use of content analysis thus emerging thematic categories. Results: Regarding nutrition, monitoring is carried out by nutritionists in both types of school. Private schools provide theoretical guidance, while the public ones practice the orientations about personal care. With respect to the access to health services, public schools provide assistance to their students through the city’s Health Secretariat, whereas private schools are direct providers. The private network was also found to satisfy fully the human and social development. Concerning the structure, accessibility has been prioritized, both schools having implemented the necessary adaptations. As for security, although schools are equipped with monitoring cameras, violence and vandalism are more frequent in public schools. Conclusion: The institutions practice health-promoting actions, with significant differences between public and private schools, especially in the field of personal care, and social and human development. Approaching public and private networks is suggested, in order to perform an inter-institutional work, aiming to improve health promotion for the students. doi:10.5020/18061230.2014.p169

  15. An evaluation of school health services in Sagamu, Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2013-07-01

    Jul 1, 2013 ... scores (63.6%), while 96.2% of the private primary schools had poor health service evaluation scores. Conclusions: SHS are ... Key words: School Health Services, School Health Services Evaluation scale, Health knowledge, Nigeria ..... Since food and nutrition is an aspect of home economics, teaching.

  16. Global health education in Swedish medical schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehn, S; Agardh, A; Holmer, H; Krantz, G; Hagander, L

    2015-11-01

    Global health education is increasingly acknowledged as an opportunity for medical schools to prepare future practitioners for the broad health challenges of our time. The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of global health education in Swedish medical schools and to assess students' perceived needs for such education. Data on global health education were collected from all medical faculties in Sweden for the years 2000-2013. In addition, 76% (439/577) of all Swedish medical students in their final semester answered a structured questionnaire. Global health education is offered at four of Sweden's seven medical schools, and most medical students have had no global health education. Medical students in their final semester consider themselves to lack knowledge and skills in areas such as the global burden of disease (51%), social determinants of health (52%), culture and health (60%), climate and health (62%), health promotion and disease prevention (66%), strategies for equal access to health care (69%) and global health care systems (72%). A significant association was found between self-assessed competence and the amount of global health education received (pcurriculum. Most Swedish medical students have had no global health education as part of their medical school curriculum. Expanded education in global health is sought after by medical students and could strengthen the professional development of future medical doctors in a wide range of topics important for practitioners in the global world of the twenty-first century. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

  17. The promotion of oral health in health-promoting schools in KwaZulu ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background. Oral health promotion is a cost-effective strategy that can be implemented at schools for the prevention of oral diseases. The importance and value of school-based interventions in children has been identified in South Africa (SA). Although oral health strategies include integrated school-based interventions, ...

  18. Headteachers' prior beliefs on child health and their engagement in school based health interventions: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd, Charlotte; Christian, Danielle; Davies, Helen; Rance, Jaynie; Stratton, Gareth; Rapport, Frances; Brophy, Sinead

    2015-04-18

    Schools play an important role in promoting the health of children. However, little consideration is often given to the influence that headteachers' and school staff's prior beliefs have on the implementation of public health interventions. This study examined primary school headteachers' and school health co-ordinators' views regarding child health in order to provide greater insights on the school's perspective for those designing future school-based health interventions. A qualitative study was conducted using 19 semi-structured interviews with headteachers, deputy headteachers and school health co-ordinators in the primary school setting. All transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Whilst many participants in this study believed good health was vital for learning, wide variance was evident regarding the perceived health of school pupils and the magnitude of responsibility schools should take in addressing child health behaviours. Although staff in this study acknowledged the importance of their role, many believed the responsibility placed upon schools for health promotion was becoming too much; suggesting health interventions need to better integrate school, parental and societal components. With mental health highlighted as an increasing priority in many schools, incorporating wellbeing outcomes into future school based health interventions is advocated to ensure a more holistic understanding of child health is gained. Understanding the health beliefs of school staff when designing interventions is crucial as there appears to be a greater likelihood of interventions being successfully adopted if staff perceive a health issue as important among their pupils. An increased dependability on schools for addressing health was expressed by headteachers in this study, highlighting a need for better understanding of parental, child and key stakeholder perspectives on responsibility for child health. Without this understanding, there is potential for certain

  19. Small prizes increased healthful school lunch selection in a Midwestern school district.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Robert; Lockhart, Mary Kate; Barnes, Allison S; Hiller, Elizabeth; Kipp, Roger; Robison, Debora L; Ellsworth, Samantha C; Hudgens, Michelle E

    2016-04-01

    As obesity has become a pressing health issue for American children, greater attention has been focused on how schools can be used to improve how students eat. Previously, we piloted the use of small prizes in an elementary school cafeteria to improve healthful food selection. We hoped to increase healthful food selection in all the elementary schools of a small school district participating in the United States Department of Agriculture Lunch Program by offering prizes to children who selected a Power Plate (PP), which consisted of an entrée with whole grains, a fruit, a vegetable, and plain low-fat milk. In this study, the PP program was introduced to 3 schools sequentially over an academic year. During the kickoff week, green, smiley-faced emoticons were placed by preferred foods, and children were given a prize daily if they chose a PP on that day. After the first week, students were given a sticker or temporary tattoo 2 days a week if they selected a PP. Combining data from the 3 schools in the program, students increased PP selection from 4.5% at baseline to 49.4% (p small prizes as rewards dramatically improves short-term healthful food selection in elementary school children.

  20. School outcomes of children with special health care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrest, Christopher B; Bevans, Katherine B; Riley, Anne W; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A

    2011-08-01

    To examine the associations between having a special health care need and school outcomes measured as attendance, student engagement, behavioral threats to achievement, and academic achievement. A total of 1457 children in the fourth through sixth grades from 34 schools in 3 school districts and their parents provided survey data; parents completed the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener. School records were abstracted for attendance, grades, and standardized achievement test scores. Across 34 schools, 33% of children screened positive for special health care needs. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school effects, children with special health care needs had lower motivation to do well in school, more disruptive behaviors, and more frequent experiences as a bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement, as measured by grades, standardized testing, and parental-assessed academic performance. These findings were observed for children who qualified as having a special health care need because they had functional limitations attributed to a chronic illness or a behavioral health problem but not for those who qualified only because they took prescription medications. Specific subgroups of children with special health care needs are at increased risk for poor school outcomes. Health and school professionals will need to collaborate to identify these children early, intervene with appropriate medical and educational services, and monitor long-term outcomes.

  1. School Outcomes of Children With Special Health Care Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevans, Katherine B.; Riley, Anne W.; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between having a special health care need and school outcomes measured as attendance, student engagement, behavioral threats to achievement, and academic achievement. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A total of 1457 children in the fourth through sixth grades from 34 schools in 3 school districts and their parents provided survey data; parents completed the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener. School records were abstracted for attendance, grades, and standardized achievement test scores. RESULTS: Across 34 schools, 33% of children screened positive for special health care needs. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school effects, children with special health care needs had lower motivation to do well in school, more disruptive behaviors, and more frequent experiences as a bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement, as measured by grades, standardized testing, and parental-assessed academic performance. These findings were observed for children who qualified as having a special health care need because they had functional limitations attributed to a chronic illness or a behavioral health problem but not for those who qualified only because they took prescription medications. CONCLUSIONS: Specific subgroups of children with special health care needs are at increased risk for poor school outcomes. Health and school professionals will need to collaborate to identify these children early, intervene with appropriate medical and educational services, and monitor long-term outcomes. PMID:21788226

  2. Psychosis screening practices in schools: A survey of school-based mental health providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kline, Emily R; Chokran, Cole; Rodenhiser-Hill, Janine; Seidman, Larry J; Woodberry, Kristen A

    2018-05-04

    Many school districts in the United States employ mental health professionals to provide assessment, counselling and crisis interventions within the school setting; however, little is known about actual clinical practices of psychosis screening in schools. The aim of the present study is to examine attitudes and practices regarding psychosis screening among school mental health providers in metropolitan Boston, Massachusetts. School-based mental health clinicians (N = 100) completed an anonymous survey assessing familiarity, screening, and involvement with psychosis and psychosis risk prior to attending trainings on psychosis. Providers reported screening for psychosis less often than other mental health problems and rated themselves as less confident treating psychosis relative to other mental health concerns. Frequency of screening for psychosis was significantly associated with familiarity with psychosis assessment and case management, confidence providing treatment for individuals experiencing psychosis, and the number of students with or at risk for psychosis with whom providers had been involved. Frequency of screening for psychosis was not associated with years of practice, suggesting that both novice and experienced school-based providers may benefit from training on this issue. Community outreach via school-based provider training on assessment and management of psychosis may help to increase providers' understanding of psychosis and increase the practice of verbal or written screening for psychosis and psychosis risk within schools. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  3. The Coordinated School Health Program: Implementation in a Rural Elementary School District

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Kim H.; Bice, Matthew R.

    2014-01-01

    Child health is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach to address the many factors that influence it and are influenced by it. In light of the complexity of children's health, the Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) was developed as a framework for a systems approach to planning and implementing school-based children's health…

  4. Do schools influence student risk-taking behaviors and emotional health symptoms?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denny, Simon J; Robinson, Elizabeth M; Utter, Jennifer; Fleming, Theresa M; Grant, Sue; Milfont, Taciano L; Crengle, Sue; Ameratunga, Shanthi N; Clark, Terryann

    2011-03-01

    Many schools engage in health promotion, health interventions, and services aimed at improving the health and well-being outcomes for students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of schools on student health risk-taking behaviors and depressive symptoms. A nationally representative sample (n = 9,056) of students from 96 secondary schools completed a health and well-being survey using Internet Tablets that included questions on school climate, health risk-taking behaviors, and mental health. Teachers (n = 2,901) and school administrators (n = 91) completed questionnaires on aspects of the school climate which included teacher well-being and burnout, the staff work environment, health and welfare services for students, and school organizational support for student health and well-being. Multilevel models were used to estimate school effects on the health risk-taking behaviors and depression symptoms among students. Schools where students reported a more positive school climate had fewer students with alcohol use problems, and fewer students engaging in violence and risky motor vehicle behaviors. Schools where teachers reported better health and welfare services for students had fewer students engaging in unsafe sexual health behaviors. Schools where teachers reported higher levels of well-being had fewer students reporting significant levels of depressive symptoms. More positive school climates and better school health and welfare services are associated with fewer health risk-taking behaviors among students. However, the overall school effects were modest, especially for cigarette use and suicidal behaviors. Copyright © 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. School health services and its practice among public and private primary schools in Western Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuponiyi, Olugbenga Temitope; Amoran, Olorunfemi Emmanuel; Kuponiyi, Opeyemi Temitola

    2016-04-06

    Globally the number of children reaching school age is estimated to be 1.2 billion children (18% of the world's population) and rising. This study was therefore designed to determine the school health services available and its practices in primary schools in Ogun state, Western Nigeria. The study was a comparative cross-sectional survey of private and public primary schools in Ogun state using a multi-stage sampling technique. Participants were interviewed using a structured, interviewer administered questionnaire and a checklist. Data collected was analyzed using the SPSS version 15.0. A total of 360 head teachers served as respondents for the study with the overall mean age of 45.7 ± 9.9 years. More than three quarters of the respondents in both groups could not correctly define the school health programme. There were no health personnel or a trained first aider in 86 (47.8%) public and 110 (61.1%) private schools but a nurse/midwife was present in 57 (31.7%) and 27 (15.0%) public and private schools. (χ(2) = 17.122, P = 0.002). In about 95% of the schools, the teacher carried out routine inspection of the pupils while periodic medical examination for staff and pupils was carried out in only 13 (7.2%) public and 31 (17.2%) private schools (χ(2) = 8.398, P = 0.004). A sick bay/clinic was present in 26 (14.4%) and 67 (37.2%) public and private schools respectively (χ(2) = 24.371, P = 0.001). The practice of school health programme was dependent on the age (χ(2) = 12.53, P = 0.006) and the ethnicity of the respondents (χ(2) = 6.330, P = 0.042). Using multivariate analysis only one variable (type of school) was found to be a predictor of school health programme. (OR 4.55, CI 1.918-10.79). The study concludes that the practice of the various components of school health services was poor but better in private primary schools in Nigeria. Routine inspection by teachers was the commonest form of health appraisal. This may suggest that more health personnel need to

  6. International School Children's Health Needs: School Nurses' Views in Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansson, Annika; Clausson, Eva; Janlov, Ann-Christin

    2012-01-01

    Rapid globalization and the integration of national economies have contributed to the sharp rise in enrollment in international schools. How does this global nomadism affect international school children and their individual health needs? This study attempts to find an answer by interviewing 10 school nurses, with varying degrees of experience in…

  7. School-Based Health Education Programmes, Health-Learning Capacity and Child Oral Health--related Quality of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Ruth; Gibson, Barry; Humphris, Gerry; Leonard, Helen; Yuan, Siyang; Whelton, Helen

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To use a model of health learning to examine the role of health-learning capacity and the effect of a school-based oral health education intervention (Winning Smiles) on the health outcome, child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). Setting: Primary schools, high social deprivation, Ireland/Northern Ireland. Design: Cluster…

  8. Finnish Parental Involvement Ethos, Health Support, Health Education Knowledge and Participation: Results from a 2-Year School Health Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sormunen, Marjorita; Tossavainen, Kerttu; Turunen, Hannele

    2013-01-01

    A 2-year, participatory action research school health study focused on developing components for home-school partnerships to support children's health learning process. Two intervention schools implemented strengthened health and collaboration-orientated activities; two control schools followed the national core curriculum without extracurricular…

  9. PENGEMBANGAN MODEL SEKOLAH SEHAT (HEALTH PROMOTING SCHOOL DI DAERAH MISKIN PERKOTAAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andryansyah Arifin

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available It is known that there was strong relation between health status of primary school students and school records. A health­ promoting school was, whether all members of school community work together to provide students with an integrated positive experiences and structures which promote and protect their health.These include both formal and informal curriculum in health, creation of a safe and healthy school environment, provision of appropriate health services and involvement of family and wider commmunities was in efforts to promote health. The objectives of, this study is to develop a model of health promoting school at poor urban areas which included to measure student knowledge and attitude, nutrition intake, and role of school teacher in health promotion. A stratified mulitistage randomized pre-post test control groups design was used in this study. Duration of this study was 3 years (2001-2003 and the location at 9 primary schools (6 intervention schools and 3 control schools in Semarang, Surakarta, Denpasar municipalities and Kendal district. Results of this study showed that students knowledge and atitude toward health were improved significantly as well as nutrition intake at intervention groups. This improvement was caused by the role of school teachers in health promotion which was integrated in daily learning process. Based on this results a model of health promoting school has been developed. It recommends to implement this health promoting school model at wider areas and to provide school teachers completed with health promotion manuals.   Keywords: model, health promoting school

  10. Do health-promoting schools improve nutrition in China?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dongxu; Stewart, Donald; Yuan, Yanfei; Chang, Chun

    2015-06-01

    To demonstrate the effectiveness of health-promoting school framework to promoting healthy eating behaviours and nutrition knowledge among Chinese middle school students, their parents and school staff. Three schools were randomly selected from 15 rural middle schools, then were randomly assigned to either (i) school using HPS framework (HPS school), (ii) school with improved health education only (HE school) or (iii) school received no intervention (control school). Nutrition knowledge and eating behaviours were measured at baseline and 3-month after interventions, using the same instrument. Students and parents in the HPS school had the largest improvement in nutrition knowledge, from 4.92 to 8.23 and 4.84 to 7.74, followed by those in the HE school, from 4.98 to 8.09 and 4.78 to 5.80. School staff in the HE school had the largest improvement in nutrition knowledge (from 4.40 to 8.45), followed by those in the HPS school (from 5.20 to 9.15). Students in the HPS school had the largest improvement in eating behaviours (from 3.16 to 4.13), followed by those in the HE school (from 2.78 to 3.54). There was a statistical difference in the improvement of nutrition knowledge of all target population and of eating behaviours of students after interventions across three schools (p health education can increase nutrition knowledge among Chinese middle school students, their parents and school staff. However, HPS framework was more effective than health education only. Noticeably, HPS framework had a positive impact on students' eating behaviours, which should be in the subject of further research. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. School health education and promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leahy, Deana; Simovska, Venka

    2018-01-01

    Purpose - This Special Issue is the second in a series that aims to place the spotlight on educational research and its contribution to the field of school-based health and wellbeing promotion. The purpose of both special issues is to bring together scholars from across the world to consider...... current developments in research on curricula, interventions, policies and practices concerning health education and promotion and related professional development of teachers. Design/methodology/approach – As in the first Special Issue published in 2017 (School health education and promotion: Health...... and wellbeing promotion. Additionally, an open call for papers was published on the Health Education website and on the EERA website. There was considerable interest from those such as researchers, scholars and practitioners, and as a result, we have been able to publish a second Special Issue. Findings...

  12. Whole-school mental health promotion in Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillip T. Slee

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Although there is increasing recognition internationally of the significance of social and emotional health and wellbeing for the healthy development of young people, the levels of support that governments provide for mental health policy and programme initiatives vary widely. In this paper, consideration is given to Australia's approach to mental health promotion from early years to secondary school, including specific reference to the KidsMatter Primary mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative. Although it is now well established that schools provide important settings for the promotion of mental health initiatives, there are significant challenges faced in effectively implementing and maintaining the delivery of evidence-based practice in school settings, including concerns about quality assurance in processes of implementation, translation, dissemination and evaluation.

  13. Keeping the "public" in schools of public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Klitzman, Susan; Diamond, Catherine; El-Mohandes, Ayman

    2015-03-01

    In this article, we compared the characteristics of public and private accredited public health training programs. We analyzed the distinct opportunities and challenges that publicly funded schools of public health face in preparing the nation's public health workforce. Using our experience in creating a new, collaborative public school of public health in the nation's largest urban public university system, we described efforts to use our public status and mission to develop new approaches to educating a workforce that meets the health needs of our region and contributes to the goal of reducing health inequalities. Finally, we considered policies that could protect and strengthen the distinct contributions that public schools of public health make to improving population health and reducing health inequalities.

  14. The Association of School Climate, Depression Literacy, and Mental Health Stigma Among High School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Lisa; Musci, Rashelle; Stuart, Elizabeth; Ruble, Anne; Beaudry, Mary B; Schweizer, Barbara; Owen, Megan; Goode, Carly; Johnson, Sarah L; Bradshaw, Catherine; Wilcox, Holly; Swartz, Karen

    2017-08-01

    Although school climate is linked with youth educational, socioemotional, behavioral, and health outcomes, there has been limited research on the association between school climate and mental health education efforts. We explored whether school climate was associated with students' depression literacy and mental health stigma beliefs. Data were combined from 2 studies: the Maryland Safe Supportive Schools Project and a randomized controlled trial of the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program. Five high schools participated in both studies, allowing examination of depression literacy and stigma measures from 500 9th and 10th graders. Multilevel models examined the relationship between school-level school climate characteristics and student-level depression literacy and mental health stigma scores. Overall school climate was positively associated with depression literacy (odds ratio [OR] = 2.78, p stigma (Est. = -3.822, p = .001). Subscales of engagement (OR = 5.30, p stigma (Est. = -6.610, p < .001), (Est. = -2.742, p < .001). Positive school climate was associated with greater odds of depression literacy and endorsement of fewer stigmatizing beliefs among students. Our findings raise awareness regarding aspects of the school environment that may facilitate or inhibit students' recognition of depression and subsequent treatment-seeking. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  15. Perceptions of school nurses and principals towards nurse role in providing school health services in Qatar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    A L-Dahnaim, Layla; Said, Hana; Salama, Rasha; Bella, Hassan; Malo, Denise

    2013-04-01

    The school nurse plays a crucial role in the provision of comprehensive health services to students. This role encompasses both health and educational goals. The perception of the school nurse's role and its relation to health promotion is fundamental to the development of school nursing. This study aimed to determine the perception of school nurses and principals toward the role of school nurses in providing school health services in Qatar. A cross-sectional study was carried out among all school nurses (n=159) and principals (n=159) of governmental schools in Qatar. The participants were assessed for their perception toward the role of the school nurse in the school using 19-Likert-type scaled items Questionnaire. The response rates were 100% for nurses and 94% for principals. The most commonly perceived roles of the school nurse by both nurses and principals were 'following up of chronically ill students', 'providing first aid', and 'referral of students with health problems', whereas most of the roles that were not perceived as school nurse roles were related to student academic achievements. School nurses and principals agreed on the clinical/medical aspects of nurses' role within schools, but disagreed on nurses' involvement in issues related to the school performance of students. The study recommends raising awareness of school principals on the school nursing role, especially in issues related to the school performance of students.

  16. The promotion of oral health within Health Promoting Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Reddy

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background. Oral health promotion is a cost-effective strategy that can be implemented at schools for the prevention of oral diseases. Theimportance and value of school-based interventions in children has been identified in South Africa (SA. Although oral health strategiesinclude integrated school-based interventions, there is a lack of published evidence on whether these strategies have been translated intopractice and whether these programmes have been evaluated.Objective. To assess the efficiency and sustainability of the toothbrushing programme implemented at health-promoting schools inKwaZulu-Natal Province, SA.Methods. A mixed-methods approach was used for this study, conducted at 23 health-promoting schools in KwaZulu-Natal using focusgroup discussions. Triangulation was used for evaluation.Results. The intervention implemented had created awareness of oral health for learners, educators and parents. Findings in this studyindicate that although there were benefits obtained from this school-based intervention, many challenges, such as time constraints, largeclasses and a lack of adequate resources and funding, affected the sustainability of the programme.Conclusion.The school setting has the potential to deliver integrated preventive and promotive programmes provided they are supportedby adequate funding and resources.

  17. The Association of School Climate, Depression Literacy, and Mental Health Stigma among High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Lisa; Musci, Rashelle; Stuart, Elizabeth; Ruble, Anne; Beaudry, Mary B.; Schweizer, Barbara; Owen, Megan; Goode, Carly; Johnson, Sarah L.; Bradshaw, Catherine; Wilcox, Holly; Swartz, Karen

    2017-01-01

    Background: Although school climate is linked with youth educational, socioemotional, behavioral, and health outcomes, there has been limited research on the association between school climate and mental health education efforts. We explored whether school climate was associated with students' depression literacy and mental health stigma beliefs.…

  18. Indoor environment and pupils' health in primary schools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Dijken, F.; van Bronswijk, J.E.M.H.; Sundell, Jan

    2006-01-01

    the associations between indoor environmental quality in Dutch schools and pupils' health, also taking into account the children's home environment and personal factors. A cross-sectional study was performed in 11 classrooms in 11 different schools in the Netherlands. The study included exposure measurements......Dutch children are legally bound to spend 15% of their time in a school setting. The indoor environment in Dutch primary schools is known to be substandard. However, it is unclear to what extent the health of pupils is affected by the indoor school environment. The paper aims to assess......, building inspections, and a questionnaire survey on pupils' health and domestic exposure. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and non-parametric tests were performed to assess relationships. None of the schools complied with all indoor environmental quality standards. The importance of both the school...

  19. Advocating for Safe Schools, Positive School Climate, and Comprehensive Mental Health Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, Katherine C.; Vaillancourt, Kelly

    2013-01-01

    The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT (USA) has brought the conversation about how to reduce violence, make schools safer, improve school climate, and increase access to mental health services to the forefront of the national conversation. Advocating for comprehensive initiatives to address school safety, school climate, and…

  20. School eye health – going beyond refractive errors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sumrana Yasmin Regional

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Health, including visual health, is inextricably linked to school achievement, quality of life, and economic productivity. Introducing health education in schools is essential as knowledge and good habits acquired at an early age are likely to persist.

  1. Health promotion in primary and secondary schools in Denmark: time trends and associations with schools' and students' characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Krølner, Rikke; Mortensen, Laust Hvas; Jørgensen, Marie Birk; Diderichsen, Finn

    2015-02-07

    Schools are important arenas for interventions among children as health promoting initiatives in childhood is expected to have substantial influence on health and well-being in adulthood. In countries with compulsory school attention, all children could potentially benefit from health promotion at the school level regardless of socioeconomic status or other background factors. The first aim was to elucidate time trends in the number and types of school health promoting activities by describing the number and type of health promoting activities in primary and secondary schools in Denmark. The second aim was to investigate which characteristics of schools and students that are associated with participation in many (≥3) versus few (0-2) health promoting activities during the preceding 2-3 years. We used cross-sectional data from the 2006- and 2010-survey of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. The headmasters answered questions about the school's participation in health promoting activities and about school size, proportion of ethnic minorities, school facilities available for health promoting activities, competing problems and resources at the school and in the neighborhood. Students provided information about their health-related behavior and exposure to bullying which was aggregated to the school level. A total of 74 schools were available for analyses in 2006 and 69 in 2010. We used chi-square test, t-test, and binary logistic regression to analyze time trends and differences between schools engaging in many versus few health promoting activities. The percentage of schools participating in ≥3 health promoting activities was 63% in 2006 and 61% in 2010. Also the mean number of health promoting activities was similar (3.14 vs. 3.07). The activities most frequently targeted physical activity (73% and 85%) and bullying (78% and 67%). Schools' participation in anti-smoking activities was significantly higher in 2006 compared with 2010 (46% vs. 29

  2. Opportunities and challenges to promoting oral health in primary schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, P; Chestnutt, I G; Channing, D

    2009-09-01

    Inequalities in oral health in areas of socio-economic disadvantage are well recognised. As children spend a considerable proportion of their lives in education, schools can play a significant role in promoting children's health and oral health. However, to what extent schools are able to do this is unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate opportunities and challenges to promoting oral health in primary schools. A purposive sample of 20 primary schools from socially and economically disadvantaged areas of Cardiff, UK were selected to participate in this qualitative study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with head teachers or their nominated deputies. General awareness of health and oral health was good, with all schools promoting the consumption of fruit, water and milk and discouraging products such as carbonated drinks and confectionaries. Health promotion schemes wereimplemented primarily to improve the health of the children, although schools felt they also offered the potential to improve classroom behaviour and attendance. However, oral health was viewed as a separate entity to general health and perceived to be inadequately promoted. Successful health promotion schemes were also influenced by the attitudes of headteachers. Most schools had no or limited links with local dental services and, or oral health educators, although such input, when it occurred, was welcomed and highly valued. Knowledge of how to handle dental emergencies was limited and only two schools operated toothbrushing schemes, although all expressed an interest in such programmes. This study identified a positive predisposition to promoting health in primary schools. The challenge for the dental team, however, is to promote and integrate oral health into mainstream health promotion activities in schools. The paper also makes recommendations for further research.

  3. Health and school outcomes during children's transition into adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrest, Christopher B; Bevans, Katherine B; Riley, Anne W; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A

    2013-02-01

    Normative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance.As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9-13 years in 4th-8th grades. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness. Both the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied. As children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Chronic Childhood Trauma, Mental Health, Academic Achievement, and School-Based Health Center Mental Health Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Satu; Chapman, Susan; Spetz, Joanne; Brindis, Claire D.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Children and adolescents exposed to chronic trauma have a greater risk for mental health disorders and school failure. Children and adolescents of minority racial/ethnic groups and those living in poverty are at greater risk of exposure to trauma and less likely to have access to mental health services. School-based health centers…

  5. Health status of school children during questionnaire survey in Ogun ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    that school children in Ogun State do not perceive themselves to be healthy and suggest the use of school health questionnaire to assess and identify common health problems in school children. Keywords: School-age children, common health problems, questionnaire, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol.

  6. Review of mental health promotion interventions in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Reilly, Michelle; Svirydzenka, Nadzeya; Adams, Sarah; Dogra, Nisha

    2018-05-11

    The prevalence of mental disorders amongst children and adolescents is an increasing global problem. Schools have been positioned at the forefront of promoting positive mental health and well-being through implementing evidence-based interventions. The aim of this paper is to review current evidence-based research of mental health promotion interventions in schools and examine the reported effectiveness to identify those interventions that can support current policy and ensure that limited resources are appropriately used. The authors reviewed the current state of knowledge on school mental health promotion interventions globally. Two major databases, SCOPUS and ERIC were utilised to capture the social science, health, arts and humanities, and education literature. Initial searches identified 25 articles reporting on mental health promotion interventions in schools. When mapped against the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 studies were included and explored. Three of these were qualitative and seven were quantitative. A range of interventions have been tested for mental health promotion in schools in the last decade with variable degrees of success. Our review demonstrates that there is still a need for a stronger and broader evidence base in the field of mental health promotion, which should focus on both universal work and targeted approaches to fully address mental health in our young populations.

  7. School-Based Interventions Going Beyond Health Education to Promote Adolescent Health: Systematic Review of Reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shackleton, Nichola; Jamal, Farah; Viner, Russell M; Dickson, Kelly; Patton, George; Bonell, Christopher

    2016-04-01

    Health education in school classrooms can be effective in promoting sexual health and preventing violence and substance use but effects are patchy and often short term. Classroom education is also challenging because of schools' increasing focus on academic-performance metrics. Other school-based approaches are possible, such as healthy school policies, improving how schools respond to bullying, and parent outreach, which go beyond health education to address broader health determinants. Existing systematic reviews include such interventions but often alongside traditional health education. There is scope for a systematic review of reviews to assess and synthesize evidence across existing reviews to develop an overview of the potential of alternative school-based approaches. We searched 12 databases to identify reviews published after 1980. Data were reviewed by two researchers. Quality was assessed using a modified Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews checklist and results were synthesized narratively. We screened 7,544 unique references and included 22 reviews. Our syntheses suggest that multicomponent school-based interventions, for example, including school policy changes, parent involvement, and work with local communities, are effective for promoting sexual health and preventing bullying and smoking. There is less evidence that such intervention can reduce alcohol and drug use. Economic incentives to keep girls in school can reduce teenage pregnancies. School clinics can promote smoking cessation. There is little evidence that, on their own, sexual-health clinics, antismoking policies, and various approaches targeting at-risk students are effective. There is good evidence that various whole-school health interventions are effective in preventing teenage pregnancy, smoking, and bullying. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. No Child Overlooked: Mental Health Triage in the Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, F. Robert; Tang, Mei; Schiller, Kelly; Sebera, Kerry

    2009-01-01

    Mental health problems among children in schools are on the increase. To exercise due diligence in their responsibility to monitor and promote mental health among our nation's children, school counselors may learn from triage systems employed in hospitals, clinics, and mental health centers. The School Counselor's Triage Model provides school…

  9. Creating the document 'Promoting health in schools: from evidence to action'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    St Leger, Lawrence; Young, Ian M

    2009-12-01

    Schools across the world have been involved in health promotion and health education for nearly a century. Do school based initiatives make any difference to the education and health outcomes of young people? This article describes the process in developing the document Promoting health in schools: from evidence to action. The document was produced primarily for the Education sector. It develops an argument about why schools should be undertaking health related initiatives. It also highlights major findings from the literature about what is possible to achieve in school health and the circumstances under which the gains will occur. Attention is focused both on the evidence from the education sector, e.g. effective schools, learning and teaching approaches, and from the health sector, e.g. a whole of school or Health Promoting School (HPS) approach, as well as identifying outcomes from topic areas such as mental and emotional health, healthy eating and nutrition, physical activity, hygiene, sexual health and relationships, substance use and misuse.

  10. Advocacy for Quality School Health Education: The Role of Public Health Educators as Professionals and Community Members

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birch, David A.; Priest, Hannah M.; Mitchell, Qshequilla P.

    2015-01-01

    Advocacy at the local school or school district level has received emphasis as a strategy for improving school health education. The involvement of health educators in advocacy for school health education has been described as "imperative" at all levels of school-based policy. Allensworth's 2010 Society for Public Health Education…

  11. A coalition partnership of vision health through a health-promoting school program for primary school students in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Li-Chun; Guo, Jong-Long; Liao, Li-Ling; Peng, Hsiu-Ying; Hsieh, Pei-Lin

    2017-09-01

    Myopia, the most common refractive error, is the most common cause of avoidable visual impairment among children and has reached epidemic proportions among children and young adults in urban areas of East and Southeast Asia that contain populations of Chinese ancestry. Moreover, vision health is an important theme of the health-promoting school program issued by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of pre- and post-intervention proposed by the health-promoting school (HPS) model. The objectives are to understand whether the HPS model influenced the vision screening results and the attitude, knowledge level, and vision care behavior of the students involved. A prospective cohort study design was used to evaluate a vision health program. Four elementary schools, local education authorities, and one university in northern Taiwan established a coalition partnership to design a six-month program to combat myopia among students. The target population was 6668 school children from local elementary schools. For the purpose of this study, the outcome of visual acuity testing (in logMAR) was analyzed with a sampling of 373 school children (aged 11-12 years old) who were chosen from high prevalence of poor vision classes. After the HPS program, the attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge levels of the school children regarding vision health were significantly improved. The pre-intervention mean logMAR of all participating students ( N = 373) was -.10, which increased to -.19 after the intervention. Analysis using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the logMAR value was significantly improved after the intervention ( t = 2.13, p < 0.05). Our findings highlight the relevance and effectiveness of the coalition's efforts, which reinforces the usefulness of co-operatively implementing the HPS program.

  12. School Mental Health Promotion and Intervention: Experiences from Four Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weist, Mark D.; Bruns, Eric J.; Whitaker, Kelly; Wei, Yifeng; Kutcher, Stanley; Larsen, Torill; Holsen, Ingrid; Cooper, Janice L.; Geroski, Anne; Short, Kathryn H.

    2017-01-01

    All around the world, partnerships among schools and other youth-serving systems are promoting more comprehensive school-based mental health services. This article describes the development of international networks for school mental health (SMH) including the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools (INTERCAMHS)…

  13. Mental Health Handbook for Schools

    OpenAIRE

    Atkinson, M; Hornby, G

    2002-01-01

    This text provides information on a range of mental health problems that confront teachers and discusses their underlying causes. It considers what schools can do to help pupils and reflects on the role of the mental health services.

  14. School Nursing in New Mexico: Partners in Education. Annual School Health Services Summary Report 2012-2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    New Mexico Public Education Department, 2013

    2013-01-01

    The school nurse serves in an essential role to provide expertise and oversight for the provision of school health services and promotion of health Education. Using clinical knowledge and judgement, the school nurse plans and provides health care to students, performs health screenings and coordinates referrals to the medical home or private…

  15. [Violence at school and the health of students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melzer, Wolfgang; Schubarth, Wilfried

    2016-01-01

    The article gives an overview of violence at school combined with the health of students. Based on the assumption that violence and health are two sides of the same coin, the article considers the question of the development of violence and bullying phenomena at German schools and its relation to student health. Long-term studies by the authors, such as the international Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, constitute the empirical basis. Prevalence and structures of student violence, as well as the relation between violence and health, are clarified and consequences for the prevention of violence and health are shown on the basis of our own empirical studies. Contrary to dramatic estimates in the media, a continuous reduction of bullying problems at German schools has been registered in recent years. In reference to the relation between violence and health, a significant correlation between dissocial behavior and health parameters was found. Victims and bully-victims show the most health problems and innocent bystanders the least health problems. In contrast to previous findings, bullies show a more positive prevailing mood. Due to the found associations between violence and health, it appears reasonable to combine violence prevention and health promotion measures to achieve sustainable prevention effects.

  16. Structural Intervention With School Nurses Increases Receipt of Sexual Health Care Among Male High School Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dittus, Patricia J; Harper, Christopher R; Becasen, Jeffrey S; Donatello, Robin A; Ethier, Kathleen A

    2018-01-01

    Adolescent males are less likely to receive health care and have lower levels of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge than adolescent females. The purpose of this study was to determine if a school-based structural intervention focused on school nurses increases receipt of condoms and SRH information among male students. Interventions to improve student access to sexual and reproductive health care were implemented in six urban high schools with a matched set of comparison schools. Interventions included working with school nurses to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care, including the provision of condoms and information about pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention and services. Intervention effects were assessed through five cross-sectional yearly surveys, and analyses include data from 13,740 male students. Nurses in intervention schools changed their interactions with male students who visited them for services, such that, among those who reported they went to the school nurse for any reason in the previous year, those in intervention schools reported significant increases in receipt of sexual health services over the course of the study compared with students in comparison schools. Further, these results translated into population-level effects. Among all male students surveyed, those in intervention schools were more likely than those in comparison schools to report increases in receipt of sexual health services from school nurses. With a minimal investment of resources, school nurses can become important sources of SRH information and condoms for male high school students. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Health instruction in Nigerian schools: what are the missing links?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olatunya, Oladele Simeon; Oseni, Saheed Babajide; Oyelami, Oyeku Akibu; Adegbenro, Caleb; Akani, Nwadiuto

    2014-01-01

    School health instruction (SHI) is the instructional aspects of school health programme. It provides information on key health issues to school children who are in their formative years. A cross sectional descriptive study of all the primary schools in a focal Local Government Area in Nigeria was carried out to ascertain the implementation of SHI with regards to the contents, methods of delivery and teachers preparation for health teaching using an evaluation checklist for SHI. There were more female pupils enrolled in the study area compared to their male counterparts with a male to female ratio of 0.9:1.0 and only 3.0% of the teachers had In-service training on health related issues in the previous five years preceding the study. 79.4% of the teachers had the recommended qualification to work in the schools. Teachings on emotional health, communicable diseases and safety education were sparingly given by 1.6%, 4.7% and 56% schools respectively. Only three (4.7%) schools (all private) had health instruction given by designated health education staff. No school gave health instruction at least thrice a week as recommended. Compliance with the implementation of SHI was very poor in the study area.

  18. Activities for Engaging Schools in Health Promotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardi, Mohammad; Burbank, Andrea; Choi, Wayne; Chow, Lawrence; Jang, Wesley; Roccamatisi, Dawn; Timberley-Berg, Tonia; Sanghera, Mandeep; Zhang, Margaret; Macnab, Andrew J.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe activities used to initiate health promotion in the school setting. Design/Methodology/Approach: Description of successful pilot Health Promoting School (HPS) initiatives in Canada and Uganda and the validated measures central to each program. Evaluation methodologies: quantitative data from the…

  19. Nordic School of Public Health NHV and its legacy in global health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krettek, A.; Eklund Karlsson, Leena; Toan, T. K.

    2015-01-01

    This article describes the legacy of the Nordic School of Public Health NHV (NHV) in global health. We delineate how this field developed at NHV and describe selected research and research training endeavours with examples from Vietnam and Nepal as well as long-term teaching collaborations...... such as BRIMHEALTH (Baltic RIM Partnership for Public HEALTH) in the Baltic countries and Arkhangelsk International School of Public Health in Russia....

  20. Health behaviour and the school environment in New South Wales, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLellan, L; Rissel, C; Donnelly, N; Bauman, A

    1999-09-01

    The relationship between the school environment and health has infrequently been examined. This study sought to examine the association between school students' perceptions of their school environment, teachers' and peers' support and their health behaviours. A cross sectional descriptive survey by supervised self-administration was conducted in 1996 based on the international WHO collaborative survey of school children's health and lifestyle (the HBSC Study) and extended in an Australian setting. Randomly sampled primary and secondary schools from Catholic, Independent and Government education sectors throughout New South Wales (NSW), Australia, were invited to participate. The final sample included 3918 school students attending Year 6 (primary school), Year 8 and Year 10 (high school) from 115 schools. The main outcome measures were self-reported health status and 7 health behaviours (tobacco use, alcohol use, physical activity, dental hygiene, nutritional intake, seat belt and bicycle helmet use). Independent variables included student perceptions of the school environment, perceptions of teachers' and peers' support. Girls, Year 6 students and students who have less than $19 a week to spend were significantly more likely to have positive perceptions towards their school environment, teacher(s) and peers. Students who had positive perceptions regarding their school environment and perceived their teachers as supportive were significantly more likely to engage in health promoting behaviours adjusting for age, sex and average weekly pocket money. A supportive peer environment was not associated with positive health behaviour. Health promotion practitioners need to consider the impact of the school environment on health behaviours of school students. In particular, practitioners should consider intervention models that improve the school environment as a key strategy within a health promoting school.

  1. [Outcomes evaluation of the school staff health promotion project].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woynarowska-Sołdan, Magdalena

    This article presents selected outcomes of a 3-year project "Health promotion of school staff in health-promoting schools," as well as the achievements and difficulties in its implementation. The research was conducted on 644 teachers and 226 members of non-teaching staff in 21 schools. The method involved opinion poll and authored questionnaires. A 2-part model of outcome evaluation was developed. Most participants appreciated the changes that took place within the 3 years of the project implementation. These included the improved level of their knowledge about health, health-conducive behaviors (62-93%) and the physical and social environment of the school (50-92%). Changes were more frequently acknowledged by teachers. About 80% of the participants had a positive attitude to the project, but only 20% assessed their involvement as considerable. About 90% believed that health promotion activities should be continued. According to the project leaders, insufficient support and financial resources, and difficulties in motivating school employees, particularly the nonteaching staff, to undertake health-promotion activities were the major handicaps in the project implementation. The project outcomes can be assessed as satisfying. They revealed that it is posssible to initiate health promotion among school staff. This can be effective on condition that participants are motivated, actively engaged in the project and supported by the head teacher and the local community. Necessarily, school leaders should be prepared to promote health among adults and to gain support from school policy decision makers, school administration, trade unions and universities involved in teacher training. Med Pr 2016;67(2):187-200. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  2. Outcomes evaluation of the school staff health promotion project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Woynarowska-Sołdan

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: This article presents selected outcomes of a 3-year project “Health promotion of school staff in health-promoting schools,” as well as the achievements and difficulties in its implementation. Material and Methods: The research was conducted on 644 teachers and 226 members of non-teaching staff in 21 schools. The method involved opinion poll and authored questionnaires. A 2-part model of outcome evaluation was developed. Results: Most participants appreciated the changes that took place within the 3 years of the project implementation. These included the improved level of their knowledge about health, health-conducive behaviors (62–93% and the physical and social environment of the school (50–92%. Changes were more frequently acknowledged by teachers. About 80% of the participants had a positive attitude to the project, but only 20% assessed their involvement as considerable. About 90% believed that health promotion activities should be continued. According to the project leaders, insufficient support and financial resources, and difficulties in motivating school employees, particularly the nonteaching staff, to undertake health-promotion activities were the major handicaps in the project implementation. Conclusions: The project outcomes can be assessed as satisfying. They revealed that it is posssible to initiate health promotion among school staff. This can be effective on condition that participants are motivated, actively engaged in the project and supported by the head teacher and the local community. Necessarily, school leaders should be prepared to promote health among adults and to gain support from school policy decision makers, school administration, trade unions and universities involved in teacher training. Med Pr 2016;67(2:187–200

  3. Framework for Evaluating Efficacy in Health Promoting Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Albert; Keung, Vera Mei-wan; Lo, Amelia Siu-chee; Kwong, Amy Chi-ming; Armstrong, Erin Sophie

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Successful implementation of Health Promoting Schools (HPS) depends on putting the model in the schools' context for both health improvement and school improvement. HPS can only be effective if the change can be sustained over an extended duration. The purpose of this paper is to discuss development of the HPS process by University…

  4. Our Community, Our Schools: A Case Study of Program Design for School-Based Mental Health Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capp, Gordon

    2015-01-01

    Schools face increasing demands to support the mental health needs of students and families; some estimate that 80 percent of students receive mental health services at school. Thus, schools face two daunting challenges: (1) to provide effective mental health support to students and (2) to address how mental health needs affect other students,…

  5. Becoming a health promoting school: key components of planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senior, Elizabeth

    2012-03-01

    This article looks at the practicalities of implementing the health promoting school (HPS) framework, including conducting a whole school audit, to enable a primary school to successfully adopt the HPS principles. A partnership agreement was signed, between EACH Social and Community Health which is a local Community Health Centre and a primary school in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, in Australia. An audit was conducted of the school community with four follow up focus groups of students from grades 3 to 6. Qualitative data was gathered from 20 teachers at the school at a professional development day facilitated by the health promotion staff of the Community Health Centre. The results of the school audit identified that students in grades 3 to 6 and parents valued the outside environment of the school most highly. The staff valued staff attributes most highly. Suggestions from students to improve the school included improving the canteen and outside environment. Staff were most concerned about fitness of both the staff and the students. Parents also identified lack of healthy eating as a concern. The school community sees the value of adopting the HPS framework, however on-going structured support is required if the school is to successfully adopt the HPS approach. The school community needs to understand that the move toward cultural and environmental change is slow. Successful adoption of the HPS model requires time and collaboration. The emphasis needs to be on supporting teachers to change their school from within. Relationships are important.

  6. Promoting an equitable and supportive school climate in high schools: the role of school organizational health and staff burnout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bottiani, Jessika H; Bradshaw, Catherine P; Mendelson, Tamar

    2014-12-01

    In response to persistent racial disparities in academic and behavioral outcomes between Black and White students, equitable school climate has drawn attention as a potential target for school reform. This study examined differences in Black and White students' experiences of school climate and explored whether indicators of school organizational health and staff burnout moderated differences in students' school experiences by race. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling with a sample of 18,397 Black students (n=6228) and White students (n=12,169) and 2391 school staff in 53 schools, we found a consistent pattern of racial inequalities, such that Black students reported less positive experiences than White students across three indicators of school climate (caring γ=-0.08, porganizational health and student-reported school climate (e.g., staff affiliation and student-perceived equity, γ=0.07, porganizational health indicators were more strongly associated with positive perceptions of school climate among White students than Black students, translating into greater racial disparities in perceived school climate at schools with greater organizational health (e.g., supportive leadership by race on student-perceived engagement, γ=-0.03, p=.042). We also found negative associations between staff-reported burnout and students' experience of equity, such that the racial gap was smaller in schools with high ratings of burnout (γ=0.04, p=.002). These findings have implications for educators and education researchers interested in promoting school social contexts that equitably support student engagement and success. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. How School Healthy Is Your State? a State-by-State Comparison of School Health Practices Related to a Healthy School Environment and Health Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brener, Nancy D.; Wechsler, Howell; McManus, Tim

    2013-01-01

    Background: School Health Profiles (Profiles) results help states understand how they compare to each other on specific school health policies and practices. The purpose of this study was to develop composite measures of critical Profiles results and use them to rate each state on their overall performance. Methods: Using data from state Profiles…

  8. Examining the Relationship between Teacher Organizational Commitment and School Health in Turkish Primary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sezgin, Ferudun

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between teachers' perceptions of organizational commitment and school health in Turkish primary schools. The Organizational Commitment Scale and the Organizational Health Inventory were used to gather data from 323 randomly selected teachers employed in 20 primary schools in Ankara.…

  9. Community-based health and schools of nursing: supporting health promotion and research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shannon, Crystal

    2014-01-01

    This article examines the role of community-based schools of nursing in the promotion of public health and research in poverty-stricken areas. This was a three-phase study (questionnaire and key-informants' interviews) that surveyed representatives of prelicensure associate and baccalaureate nursing schools (n=17), nursing-school key informants (n=6) and community leaders (n=10). A 13-question web-based survey and semi-structured interview of key informants elicited data on demographics, nursing program design, exposure of faculty and students to various research and health promotion methods, and beliefs about student involvement. Nursing schools participated minimally in community-based health promotion (CBHP) and community-based participatory research saw reduced need for student involvement in such activities, cited multiple barriers to active community collaboration, and reported restricted community partnerships. CBHP was recognized to be a valuable element of health care and student education, but is obstructed by many barriers. This study suggests that nursing schools are not taking full advantage of relationships with community leaders. Recommendations for action are given. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Study Protocol- An exploratory trial on health promoting schools at Dutch secondary schools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Busch, Vincent; Leeuw, Rob J. de; Schrijvers, A.J.P.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Recent studies show adolescent health-related behaviours to co-occur synergistically. This paper describes the study design for an exploratory trial on the effects of a comprehensive, whole-school health promoting school intervention. This intervention tackles seven different behavioural

  11. Communal child-rearing: The role of nurses in school health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fhumulani M. Mulaudzi

    2014-10-01

    Objectives: This study promotes an integrated approach to school care using the African concept of Ubuntu – solidarity and sense of community – as a point of departure. The socio-ecological model was used, which includes the work of the school healthcare nurse in contributing to holistic health services. Method: An integrative review was conducted in January 2013, which included methodology studies, a theory review and a variety of studies related to school health. The studies were categorised according to school health, Ubuntu and the socio-ecological model. Findings: The role of school healthcare nurses entails acting as a liaison officer between a variety of stakeholders who work together to shape the future of children. Conclusion: Ubuntu, together with the socio-ecological model, can assist us to involve an entire community to raise children. This knowledge serves as a background to the planning of a school health programme. The role of the nurse in school health can also assist in collaborative efforts to formulate the programme and develop the competencies that will inform school health nurse training curricula.

  12. Communal child-rearing: The role of nurses in school health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulaudzi, Fhumulani M; Peu, Mmapheko D

    2014-10-16

    Child-rearing remains a concern within our communities, especially because families of today lack primary parents due to multifaceted challenges such as working mothers, diseases and violence. Health-promoting school initiatives are necessary because they allow a multifaceted approach to child-rearing. They further provide a conducive environment for continued schoolchild-rearing moving from home to school. This study promotes an integrated approach to school care using the African concept of Ubuntu - solidarity and sense of community - as a point of departure. The socio-ecological model was used, which includes the work of the school healthcare nurse in contributing to holistic health services. An integrative review was conducted in January 2013, which included methodology studies, a theory review and a variety of studies related to school health. The studies were categorised according to school health, Ubuntu and the socio-ecological model. The role of school healthcare nurses entails acting as a liaison officer between a variety of stakeholders who work together to shape the future of children. Ubuntu, together with the socio-ecological model, can assist us to involve an entire community to raise children. This knowledge serves as a background to the planning of a school health programme. The role of the nurse in school health can also assist in collaborative efforts to formulate the programme and develop the competencies that will inform school health nurse training curricula.

  13. Integrating Expressive Therapies in School-Based Counseling: A Handbook for School Mental Health Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmiotto, Kimberley

    2013-01-01

    Research demonstrates that addressing mental health issues in children can yield both increased academic performance and better social-emotional skills. In the past, school-based mental health services for students have been implemented inconsistently and usually in combination with community partners. When school mental health interventions are…

  14. Embedding mental health support in schools: Learning from the Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) national evaluation

    OpenAIRE

    Wolpert, M; Humphrey, N; Belsky, J; Deighton, J

    2013-01-01

    The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme was a nationwide initiative that funded mental health provision in schools for pupils at risk of or already experiencing mental health problems. The implementation, impact and experience of this programme was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methodology involving three main studies: (1) a 1-year RCT involving 8658 8-10 year olds and 6583 11-13 year olds, (2) a 3-year longitudinal study involving 3346 8-10 year olds and 2647 1...

  15. Methodology of the National School-based Health Survey in Malaysia, 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusoff, Fadhli; Saari, Riyanti; Naidu, Balkish M; Ahmad, Noor Ani; Omar, Azahadi; Aris, Tahir

    2014-09-01

    The National School-Based Health Survey 2012 was a nationwide school health survey of students in Standard 4 to Form 5 (10-17 years of age), who were schooling in government schools in Malaysia during the period of data collection. The survey comprised 3 subsurveys: the Global School Health Survey (GSHS), the Mental Health Survey, and the National School-Based Nutrition Survey. The aim of the survey was to provide data on the health status of adolescents in Malaysia toward strengthening the adolescent health program in the country. The design of the survey was created to fulfill the requirements of the 3 subsurveys. A 2-stage stratified sampling method was adopted in the sampling. The methods for data collection were via questionnaire and physical examination. The National School-Based Health Survey 2012 adopted an appropriate methodology for a school-based survey to ensure valid and reliable findings. © 2014 APJPH.

  16. Baseline survey of oral health of primary and secondary school ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Among the issues that determine the performance of a child at school is health. In recognition of this, the Uganda government has embarked on a school health program for the success of universal primary education. Although dental health is an important component of school health there is little information on ...

  17. School-Based Mental Health Services: Definitions and Models of Effective Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doll, Beth; Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Cornell, Laura; Song, Samuel Y.

    2017-01-01

    School-based mental health services are those delivered by school-employed and community-employed providers in school buildings. With the implementation of provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) that funds school-based health centers, school-based mental health services could become more broadly available in…

  18. Implementation of CDC's School Health Index in 3 midwest middle schools: motivation for change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherwood-Puzzello, Catherine M; Miller, Michelle; Lohrmann, David; Gregory, Patricia

    2007-08-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's School Health Index (SHI), a guide for completing a coordinated school-based program needs assessment relative to healthy eating, physical activity, a tobacco-free lifestyle, and prevention of other health risk behaviors and conditions, was used to assess current programming at 3 midwestern middle schools. Employing somewhat different procedures, data were collected from focus groups comprising school administrators, teachers, parents, community members, and students. Participants responded to SHI module questions and provided comments based on their perceptions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were recorded for each module, after which participants answered 3 planning questions intended to guide prioritization of actions to improve policies and programs based on importance, cost, time, commitment, and feasibility. Each school developed recommendations and strategies based on highest priority needs related to community involvement, professional development, health screenings, and health education materials in classrooms. The experience of completing the SHI in 3 different schools provided important insights about the data collection process as well as assessment results that have implications for the design and implementation of prevention programs.

  19. HEALTH BEHAVIOURS OF THE PERSONNEL OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ANKARA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serife AK

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of study is to define the health behaviour profile of the personnel of primary schools as well as to define the topics to be given priority in health education activities. The research population consisted of all personnel of 564 primary schools in Ankara province. The study group (30 schools was estimated by cluster sampling method. The Health Behaviours Questionnaire, which consists of 47 items on health behaviours and demographic characteristics, was used for data collection. In the study, 849 school workers (67,5% female were interviewed. Teachers constituted the largest group (82,3% while the cleaning staff (7.0%, school administrators (6.3%, and other personnel (4.4% were sharing the rest in small proportions. Of the study group 41,7 % are cigarette smokers and of them 67.3% smoke every time and 11,9% sometime in school. Very few school personnel (14,8% do physical exercise regularly. Majority of school personnel (71,3% stated that they brush their teeth at least twice a day regularly. However, only 23,7% of school personnel go to have regular dental control. All results were discussed in details considering the effects of health behaviours of school personnel on students, and some recommendations were developed for health education activities in schools. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2006; 5(2.000: 83-93

  20. Public school teachers’ perceptions about mental health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda Gonçalves Simões Soares

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To examine public school teachers’ perceptions about general health and mental health, and the way in which they obtained this information. METHODS Qualitative research was conducted with 31 primary and secondary school teachers at a state school in the municipality of Sao Paulo, SP, Southeastern Brazil, in 2010. The teachers responded to a questionnaire containing open-ended questions about mental health and general health. The following aspects were evaluated: Teachers’ understanding of the terms “health and “mental health,” the relevance of the need for information on the subject, the method preferred for obtaining information, their experience with different media regarding such matters, and perceptions about the extent to which this available information is sufficient to support their practice. The data were processed using the Qualiquantisoft software and analyzed according to the Discourse of the Collective Subject technique. RESULTS From the teachers’ perspective, general health is defined as the proper physiological functioning of the body and mental health is related to the balance between mind and body, as a requirement for happiness. Most of the teachers (80.6% showed great interest in acquiring knowledge about mental health and receiving educational materials on the subject. For these teachers, the lack of information creates insecurity and complicates the management of everyday situations involving mental disorders. For 61.3% of the teachers, television is the medium that provides the most information on the topic. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate that there is little information available on mental health for teachers, showing that strategies need to be developed to promote mental health in schools.

  1. Barriers to the successful implementation of school health services ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2009-08-14

    Aug 14, 2009 ... Background: The level of development of a country is measured by the health status of its children. ... initiative and its interrelatedness to school health services ... children's health, knowledge and practices target schools.

  2. School-Sponsored Health Insurance: Planning for a New Reality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Bryan A.

    2010-01-01

    Health care reform efforts in both the Clinton and Obama administrations have attempted to address college and university health. Yet, although the world of health care delivery has almost universally evolved to managed care, school health programs have not. In general, school-sponsored health plans do little to improve access and have adopted…

  3. Utilizing the School Health Index to Foster University and Community Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Kristi McClary

    2010-01-01

    A Coordinated School Health Program maximizes a school's positive interaction among health education, physical education, health services, nutrition services, counseling/psychological/social services, health school environment, health promotion for staff, and family and community involvement. The purpose of this semester project is for…

  4. Chronic Childhood Trauma, Mental Health, Academic Achievement, and School-Based Health Center Mental Health Services

    OpenAIRE

    Larson, S; Chapman, S; Spetz, J; Brindis, CD

    2017-01-01

    Children and adolescents exposed to chronic trauma have a greater risk for mental health disorders and school failure. Children and adolescents of minority racial/ethnic groups and those living in poverty are at greater risk of exposure to trauma and less likely to have access to mental health services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) may be one strategy to decrease health disparities.Empirical studies between 2003 and 2013 of US pediatric populations and of US SBHCs were included if rese...

  5. School sport participation during adolescence and mental health in early adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jewett, Rachel; Sabiston, Catherine M; Brunet, Jennifer; O'Loughlin, Erin K; Scarapicchia, Tanya; O'Loughlin, Jennifer

    2014-11-01

    This longitudinal study examined the association between participation in school sport during adolescence and mental health in early adulthood. Adolescents (n = 853) reported participation in school sport in each grade throughout the 5 years of secondary school. In early adulthood, participants reported depressive symptoms, level of stress, and self-rated mental health. Involvement in school sport during adolescence was a statistically significant predictor of lower depression symptoms, lower perceived stress, and higher self-rated mental health in young adulthood. School sport participation may protect against poor mental health in early adulthood. Policies to increase school sport participation may be warranted as part of public health strategies to promote mental health. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Health-promoting educational settings in Taiwan: development and evaluation of the Health-Promoting School Accreditation System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Fu-Li; Lee, Albert

    2016-03-01

    The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Education launched the Health-Promoting School (HPS) program in 2002. One of the most significant barriers to evaluating HPS is the absence of adequate instruments. The main aim of this study is to develop the Taiwan Health-Promoting School Accreditation System (HPSAS) framework and then evaluate its accreditation effectiveness. The HPSAS accreditation standards were derived mainly from the World Health Organization (WHO) publication, WHO Health Promoting Schools: A Framework for Action in 2008 and the Taiwan School Health Act. Delphi technique and pilot test were used to confirm the availability and acceptability of the standards and procedures for HPSAS in 2011. After that, two rounds of school evaluations were completed in 2012 (214 participant schools) and 2014 (182 participant schools). The accreditation operation process included documentary reviews, national and international accredited commissioners conducted on-site visits. Descriptive analyses were used to indicate HPS award level distribution. The study established six key HPSAS standards. Each standard had at least two components; overall, there were 21 components and 47 scoring elements. Of the participating schools evaluated in 2012, four were at the gold, 14 silver, and 120 bronze levels, compared with five, 20, and 31, respectively, of schools evaluated in 2014. The study showed that schools at different award levels had different full-score rates in six standards. The schools at the gold level performed exceptionally well. The worst performance among the six standards at each award level was in the skill-based health curriculum. The HPSAS is an objective instrument used to evaluate the process and outcomes of the HPS program. In the future, combinations of different types of data (e.g. students' health behaviors, school climate, or teachers' health-teaching innovations) will enable further validation of the HPS effectiveness. © The Author

  7. Effect of school eye health promotion on children's eye health literacy in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paudel, Prakash; Yen, Phung Thi; Kovai, Vilas; Naduvilath, Thomas; Ho, Suit May; Giap, Nguyen Viet; Holden, Brien A

    2017-10-06

    Health promotion intervention in schools is a useful strategy to improve students' health awareness. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of eye health promotion interventions on eye health literacy in school children in Vietnam. A piloted questionnaire was administered to 300 children from five secondary schools in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam at baseline and re-administered after the eye health promotion interventions. McNemar chi-square and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. A total of 300 children aged 12-15 years (mean, 13.3 ± 1.3 years; 60% female) participated in the baseline survey. The participation rate in the post-health promotion survey was 94.7%. After the health promotion interventions, number of children who had correct eye health knowledge increased by 10-20% (60-75% to 70-95%), more children reported having had an eye examination (63.3% to 84.7%; p promotion interventions significantly improve eye health knowledge, attitudes and practices of school children. Additionally, participation of parents and teachers as change agents may further improve children's health literacy. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Organization of school health education in obesity in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Woźniak-Holecka

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Abnormal body weight poses a risk of the development of various health disorders, having a negative impact on the quality and length of life. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among European children is estimated to be 10–20%. In Poland this figure reaches 18%. A war on the epidemic obesity waged from the youngest age of the child is a strategy that brings long-term health benefits for the entire population. Apart from the family, the school is the second important educational environment responsible for conducting health education activities among children and teenagers. School health education programs should be implementing by teachers in collaboration with other school staff, parents and the broadly understood local community. Comprehensive health education aiming at combating obesity should cover the entire population of school children and teenagers, with special attention given to high risk groups. The school, undertaking health education activities aimed at preventing abnormal body weight, should implement nationwide programs for the prevention of obesity, and should also pursue its own health education program based on its curriculum. In most cases, development of obesity at children results from improper eating habits and insufficient physical activity, and therefore school health education programs aimed at the prevention of overweight and obesity should focus on these two most important modifiable risk factors of abnormal body weight.

  9. Communal child-rearing: The role of nurses in school health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fhumulani M. Mulaudzi

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Child-rearing remains a concern within our communities, especially because families of today lack primary parents due to multifaceted challenges such as working mothers, diseases and violence. Health-promoting school initiatives are necessary because they allow a multifaceted approach to child-rearing. They further provide a conducive environment for continued schoolchild-rearing moving from home to school.Objectives: This study promotes an integrated approach to school care using the African concept of Ubuntu – solidarity and sense of community – as a point of departure. The socio-ecological model was used, which includes the work of the school healthcare nurse in contributing to holistic health services.Method: An integrative review was conducted in January 2013, which included methodology studies, a theory review and a variety of studies related to school health. The studies were categorised according to school health, Ubuntu and the socio-ecological model.Findings: The role of school healthcare nurses entails acting as a liaison officer between a variety of stakeholders who work together to shape the future of children.Conclusion: Ubuntu, together with the socio-ecological model, can assist us to involve an entire community to raise children. This knowledge serves as a background to the planning of a school health programme. The role of the nurse in school health can also assist in collaborative efforts to formulate the programme and develop the competencies that will inform school health nurse training curricula.

  10. Chronic Health Conditions Managed by School Nurses. Position Statement. Revised

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgitan, Judith; Bushmiaer, Margo; DeSisto, Marie C.; Duff, Carolyn; Lambert, C. Patrice; Murphy, M. Kathleen; Roland, Sharon; Selser, Kendra; Wyckoff, Leah; White, Kelly

    2012-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses that students with chronic health conditions have access to a full-time registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse). School districts should include school nurse positions in their full-time instructional support personnel to provide health services…

  11. Strategies to address mental health through schools with examples from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitman, Cheryl Vince; Aldinger, Carmen; Zhang, Xin-Wei; Magner, Elizabeth

    2008-06-01

    The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one in five young people under the age of 18 experiences some form of developmental, emotional or behavioural problem, and one in eight experiences a mental disorder. Because research shows that half of adult mental disorders begin before the age of 14 and that early intervention can prevent and reduce more serious consequences later in life, it is critical to expand the role of mental health professionals with schools worldwide. Schools have the potential to affect the mental health of millions of young people, as well as those who work in schools. Research indicates that programmes promoting mental health are among the most effective of health promoting school efforts. This paper discusses the health promoting schools framework, reviews effective strategies for promoting mental health in schools, and provides examples from Zhejiang Province, China. This article also discusses the key roles that mental health professionals can play in promoting mental health through schools. As advocates, policy makers, researchers and teachers, mental health professionals can bridge the sectors of education, mental health and public health. Developing common frameworks and interdisciplinary training will create a foundation of shared understanding to achieve this goal.

  12. Keeping the “Public” in Schools of Public Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klitzman, Susan; Diamond, Catherine; El-Mohandes, Ayman

    2015-01-01

    In this article, we compared the characteristics of public and private accredited public health training programs. We analyzed the distinct opportunities and challenges that publicly funded schools of public health face in preparing the nation’s public health workforce. Using our experience in creating a new, collaborative public school of public health in the nation’s largest urban public university system, we described efforts to use our public status and mission to develop new approaches to educating a workforce that meets the health needs of our region and contributes to the goal of reducing health inequalities. Finally, we considered policies that could protect and strengthen the distinct contributions that public schools of public health make to improving population health and reducing health inequalities. PMID:25706006

  13. Perceptions of middle school educators in Hawai'i about school-based gardening and child health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Ameena T; Oshiro, Caryn E; Loharuka, Sheila; Novotny, Rachel

    2011-07-01

    Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health. Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai'i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health. In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai'i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health.

  14. [Type of school, social capital and subjective health in adolescence].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohn, V; Richter, M

    2012-11-01

    Social capital is increasingly acknowledged as a central determinant of health. While several studies among adults have shown the importance of social capital for the explanation of social inequalities in health, few comparable studies exist which focus on adolescents. The study examines the role of social capital in different social contexts for the explanation of health inequalities in adolescence. Data were obtained from the 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)' study in North Rhine-Westphalia from 2006. The sample includes data of 4323 11-15-year-old students. To analyse the role of social capital in the contexts family, school, friends and neighbourhood for inequalities in self-rated health and psychosomatic complaints, logistic regression models were calculated. The socioeconomic position of the adolescents was measured by type of school. Adolescents from general schools reported higher prevalences of fair/poor self-rated health and repeated psychosomatic complaints than pupils from grammar schools. Social capital in all 4 contexts (family, school, friends, and neighbourhood) was associated with both health indicators, independent of gender. In the separate analysis the variables for social capital showed a comparable explanatory contribution and reduced the odds ratios of self-rated health by 6-9%. The contribution for psychosomatic complaints was slightly higher with 10-15%. The only exception was social capital among friends which showed no effect for both health indicators. In the joint analysis the variables for social capital explained about 15% to 30% of health inequalities by school type. The results show that, already in adolescence, inequalities in subjective health can be partly explained through socioeconomic differences in the availability of social capital. The settings family, neighbourhood and school provide ideal contexts for preventive actions and give the opportunity to directly address the high-risk group of students from

  15. Teaching children about mental health and illness: a school nurse health education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desocio, Janiece; Stember, Lisa; Schrinsky, Joanne

    2006-04-01

    A mental health education program designed by school nurses for children ages 10- 12 was developed in 2000-2001 and expanded with broader distribution in 2004-2005. Six classroom sessions, each 45 minutes in length, provided information and activities to increase children's awareness of mental health and illness. Education program content included facts about the brain's connection to mental health, information about healthy ways to manage stress, resources and activities to promote mental health, common mental health problems experienced by children, and how to seek help for mental health problems. Classes included a combination of didactic presentation and open discussion, encouraging students to ask questions and allowing the school nurse to correct misinformation. Analysis of pre- and posttests from 370 elementary and middle school students revealed statistically significant improvements in their knowledge of mental health and mental illness.

  16. Adolescent health care: improving access by school-based service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzales, C; Mulligan, D; Kaufman, A; Davis, S; Hunt, K; Kalishman, N; Wallerstein, N

    1985-10-01

    Participants in this discussion of the potential of school-based health care services for adolescents included family medicine physicians, school health coordinators, a school nurse, and a community worker. It was noted that health care for adolescents tends to be either inaccessible or underutilized, largely because of a lack of sensitivity to adolescent culture and values. An ideal service for adolescents would offer immediate services for crises, strict confidentiality, ready access to prescribed medications, a sliding-scale scheme, and a staff that is tolerant of divergent values and life-styles. School-based pilot adolescent clinics have been established by the University of New Mexico's Department of Family, Community, and Emergency Medicine to test the community-oriented health care model. On-site clinics provide urgent medical care, family planning, pregnancy testing, psychological counseling, alcohol and drug counseling, and classroom health education. Experience with these programs has demonstrated the necessity for an alliance among the health team and the school administration, parents, and students. Financial, ethical, and political factors can serve as constraints to school-based programs. In some cases, school administrators have been resistant to the provision of contraception to students on school grounds and parents have been unwilling to accept the adolescent's right to confidentiality. These problems in part stem from having 2 separate systems, each with its own values, orientation, and responsibilities, housed in 1 facility. In addition, there have been problems generating awareness of the school-based clinic among students. Health education theater groups, peer counseling, and student-run community services have been effective, however, in increasing student participation. It has been helpful to mold clinic services to meet the needs identified by teenagers themselves. There is an interest not only in curative services, but in services focused

  17. Impact of School Staff Health on Work Productivity in Secondary Schools in Massachusetts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alker, Heather J.; Wang, Monica L.; Pbert, Lori; Thorsen, Nancy; Lemon, Stephenie C.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Healthy, productive employees are an integral part of school health programs. There have been few assessments of work productivity among secondary school staff. This study describes the frequency of 3 common health risk factors--obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking--and their impact on work productivity in secondary school…

  18. School Violence, Social Support and Psychological Health among Taiwanese Junior High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ji-Kang; Wei, Hsi-Sheng

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: This paper examines how peer social support mediates the association between school victimization and student psychological health among junior-high students in an Asian context (Taiwan), and further examines how gender and ethnicity differ in the interrelationships of school violence, peer social support and psychological health.…

  19. Mental Health Services in Public Schools: A Preliminary Study of School Counselor Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Laurie A.; Kees, Nathalie L.

    2013-01-01

    This descriptive survey research study (N = 120) examined the self-reported comfort level of school counselors in addressing the mental health needs of their students and school counselor perceptions regarding working relationships with school-based therapists. Survey results indicated that school counselors are generally confident in their…

  20. Designing for health in school buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirkeby, Inge Mette; Jensen, Bjarne Bruun; Larsen, Kristian

    2015-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the kinds of knowledge practitioners use when planning and designing for health in school buildings. Methods: Twelve semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with architects, teachers and officials to investigate use of knowledge in the making of school buildings...

  1. Educating the future public health workforce: do schools of public health teach students about the private sector?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutkow, Lainie; Traub, Arielle; Howard, Rachel; Frattaroli, Shannon

    2013-01-01

    Recent surveys indicate that approximately 40% of graduates from schools of public health are employed within the private sector or have an employer charged with regulating the private sector. These data suggest that schools of public health should provide curricular opportunities for their students--the future public health workforce--to learn about the relationship between the private sector and the public's health. To identify opportunities for graduate students in schools of public health to select course work that educates them about the relationship between the private sector and public health. We systematically identified and analyzed data gathered from publicly available course titles and descriptions on the Web sites of accredited schools of public health. Data were collected in the United States. The sample consisted of accredited schools of public health. Descriptions of the number and types of courses that schools of public health offer about the private sector and identification of how course descriptions frame the private sector relative to public health. We identified 104 unique courses with content about the private sector's relationship to public health. More than 75% of accredited schools of public health offered at least 1 such course. Nearly 25% of identified courses focused exclusively on the health insurance industry. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed 5 frames used to describe the private sector, including its role as a stakeholder in the policy process. Schools of public health face a curricular gap, with relatively few course offerings that teach students about the relationship between the private sector and the public's health. By developing new courses or revising existing ones, schools of public health can expose the future public health workforce to the varied ways public health professionals interact with the private sector, and potentially influence students' career paths.

  2. School-Based Health Promotion Intervention: Parent and School Staff Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patino-Fernandez, Anna M.; Hernandez, Jennifer; Villa, Manuela; Delamater, Alan

    2013-01-01

    Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity is high, particularly among minority youth. The objective of this article was to evaluate parent and school staff perspectives of childhood health and weight qualitatively to guide the development of a school-based obesity prevention program for minority youth. Methods: Hispanic parents (N?=?9) of…

  3. Ethnic Differences for Public Health Knowledge, Health Advocacy Skills, and Health Information Seeking Among High School Students: Community Agents of Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kratzke, Cynthia; Rao, Satya; Marquez, Ruben

    2018-03-06

    Although adult health advocacy programs have been examined in communities, little is known about integrated adolescent health advocacy programs in high schools. The purpose of this study was to examine the health advocacy program impact and ethnic differences among high school students. Using a cross-sectional study, high school students participating in the school-based program completed evaluation surveys. The program domains included upstream causes of health, community assets, and public health advocacy. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine ethnic differences for public health knowledge, health advocacy skills, and health information seeking behaviors. Using thematic analysis, open-ended survey item responses were coded to identify themes for students' perceptions of community health. Non-Hispanic (n = 72) and Hispanic high school students (n = 182) in ten classes reported owning smartphones (95%) and laptops (76%). Most students (72%) reported seeking online health information. Non-Hispanic students reported significantly higher health advocacy skills for speaking with the class about health issues, identifying community services, or creating health awareness at school than Hispanic students. Non-Hispanic students were more likely to seek health information from fathers and television than Hispanic students. Hispanic students were more likely to seek health information from hospital or clinic staff than non-Hispanic students. Emergent themes included health advocacy skills, community awareness, and individual and community health changes. High schools benefit from integrating health advocacy programs into the core curriculum. Adolescents gain important skills to improve their individual health and engage in changing community health.

  4. Thermodynamic properties of hydrated cement phases: C-S-H, C-A-S-H and M-S-H

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roosz, Cedric

    2016-01-01

    Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the world. Durability, mechanical and chemical properties have made it a material of choice in storage concepts proposed by the French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (Andra), including the achievement of retaining structures, cell plugs, massive supports or conditioning waste. The study of the stability of the constituent phases of cementitious materials is needed in view of the planned quantities and the durability of the structures, and must consider (i) temperature ranges suitable for cement matrices containment in contact with exothermic waste (25-80 deg. C), and (ii) a representative time scale of the lifetime of the storage. The Andra ThermoChimie project therefore aims to develop a consistent thermodynamic database, to model the chemical evolution of cement materials in the environment of radioactive waste. However, in the present state, the database offers only thermodynamic data of cementitious crystalline phases, as well as a limited data set of three different chemical compositions for nano-crystalline C-S-H. This does not allow to reproduce the degradation of cementitious materials, or model the degradation of the new formulations, such as 'Low pH' concretes. The objective is therefore to acquire a thermodynamic complementary data set on phases such as C-S-H (Calcium Silicate Hydrates) C-A-S-H (Calcium Aluminate Silicate Hydrates) and M-S-H (Magnesium Silicate Hydrates), to complete the ThermoChimie database. This study is based on experimental, analytical and digital work, in order to obtain a set of thermodynamic data (Δ f G 0 , Δ f H 0 , Cp(T), S 0 ) sufficiently representative of the chemical variability of these phases. Finally, this set of data allows the development of a thermodynamic predictive model in extended spaces of compositions and temperatures. Development of this predictive model requires (i) The acquisition of thermodynamic properties on

  5. Effects of student participation in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Griebler, Ursula; Rojatz, Daniela; Simovska, Venka

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to summarize systematically the existing evidence for the effects of student participation in designing, planning, implementing and/or evaluating school health promotion measures. The focus was on the effects of participation in school health promotion measur...

  6. Linking health education and sustainability education in schools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Katrine Dahl; Nordin, Lone Lindegard; Simovska, Venka

    2015-01-01

    , the focus is on transformation processes occurring on the trajectory from international policy frameworks to the national context. The chapter considers the consequences of these transformation processes for educational practices within schools in light of the current major reform of basic general education......This chapter addresses the relationships between international and national (Danish) policies regarding sustainability and health promotion which have the potential to affect school-based health education/promotion and education for sustainable development. Based on policy mapping and analysis...... in Denmark with its aims of ensuring overall school improvement, increasing pupil wellbeing and improving academic outcomes. Analysis of international policy documents, as well as of research literature in both fields, shows that school-based health education (HE) and education for sustainable development...

  7. Health Education Interventions in Secondary Schools in Larissa, Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MarkosSgantzos

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: School plays an important role in solving society’s health problems. Teachers are assigned a double role, that of the educator and that of the carrier of health-related behaviours and attitudes.Aim: The present study aims at investigating: a the type and frequency of health education programs in secondary schools, and b the teachers’ voluntary un-compensated contribution in promoting health-related behaviours by acting as role-models.Method: The data collection period lasted two months in the beginning of the school year 2007-2008. We used a 4-section questionnaire. The initial sample of 287 teachers which was selected by cluster random sampling, were secondary education teachers with permanent positions, working in 4 junior high-schools, 3 general high-schools, and 2 vocational high-schools in Larissa county. The final sample consisted of 216 teachers (response rate 75.3%.Results: 25% of the participants had attented seminars in health education, while 60% had read some handbook on Health Education in the last five years. 96 had participated in an organised health education program, and 70 were in charge of one. In 30% of the programs, the subjects were about mental health and they usually lasted about 6 to 12 months. 83% of the participants stated that they advise students, at least once per semester, on relaxation and satisfaction from life.Conclusion: The teachers’ socio-demographic and pedagogic profile, and their previous experience on health issues, may constitute prognostic indicators for their voluntary teaching of health education and, moreover, they are related with a teacher’s decision to get involed in health education interventions.

  8. The effect of school quality on black-white health differences: evidence from segregated southern schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisvold, David; Golberstein, Ezra

    2013-12-01

    This study assesses the effect of black-white differences in school quality on black-white differences in health in later life resulting from the racial convergence in school quality for cohorts born between 1910 and 1950 in southern states with segregated schools. Using data from the 1984-2007 National Health Interview Surveys linked to race-specific data on school quality, we find that reductions in the black-white gap in school quality led to modest reductions in the black-white gap in disability.

  9. World Health Organization "School Mental Health Manual"-based training for school teachers in Urban Lahore, Pakistan: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imran, Nazish; Rahman, Atif; Chaudhry, Nakhshab; Asif, Aftab

    2018-05-24

    The teacher's role in school mental health initiatives cannot be overemphasized. Despite global evidence of educational interventions in improving teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding mental health, this area remains under researched in Pakistan. This paper presents a study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a teacher training intervention for improving mental health literacy and self-efficacy among school teachers in urban Lahore, Pakistan. The randomized controlled trial will follow the CONSORT guidelines. Participants will be allocated to the Intervention group (receiving the World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMRO) School Mental Health Manual-based intervention in three 6-h, face-to-face sessions) or a waitlist control group (not receiving training during the study period). Participants will be teachers of private schools with similar broad demographic characteristics in an inner city area of Lahore. The primary outcome measures for the trial is teachers' mental health literacy. It will be assessed by using the previously applied (during WHO training of Master Trainers) self-administered questionnaire in both groups pre and post training and at 3 months' follow-up. Secondary outcomes include: for teachers: Teachers' self-efficacy (assessed by the Teachers' Sense of Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) short form.); for students (11-16 years): socio-emotional skills and psychological problems measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (assessed at baseline and 3 months post intervention); for schools: the WHO School Psychosocial Profile Questionnaire (baseline and 3 months post intervention). Given the high prevalence of child mental health problems, stigma and lack of services, it is important to consider alternate avenues for promoting positive mental health among youth. This pilot study should establish the effectiveness of the WHO-EMRO School Mental Health Manual

  10. From the School Health Education Study to the National Health Education Standards: Concepts Endure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobiling, Brandye D.; Lyde, Adrian R.

    2015-01-01

    Background: The landmark School Health Education Study (SHES) project influenced by the conceptual approach to teaching and learning provides perspective on modern school health instruction. Conceptual education, the cornerstone of the SHES curriculum framework (CF), "Health Education: A Conceptual Approach to Curriculum Design," fosters…

  11. Volunteerism Among Out-of-School Adolescent Reproductive Health ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Out-of-school peer educators [PE] are resourceful in transmitting reproductive health information but their retention remains a contentious issue. This study aimed to assess motivation and sustainability of out-of-school PEs in disseminating reproductive health information among adolescents. A structured questionnaire was ...

  12. School-based youth health nurses: roles, responsibilities, challenges, and rewards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Margaret; Courtney, Mary D; Pratt, Jan; Walsh, Anne M

    2004-01-01

    A case study and focus-group discussions were conducted with 10 youth health nurses (nurses) employed in the recently introduced School-Based Youth Health Nurse Program (SBYHNP) to identify their roles, responsibilities, and professional development needs. Major roles are support, referral, health promotion, and marketing. Clients include high school students, teachers, and parents; the majority of whom are female and aged 13-16 years. Health issues addressed during individual consultations are predominantly psychosocial but also include medical, sexual health and sexuality issues, health surveillance, and risk-taking behaviors. Nurses also provide clients with health information and promote enhanced personal skill development during these consultations. Health promotion strategies undertaken by nurses were predominantly health education and health information displays. Nurses reported marketing their role and function within the school to be an essential and often difficult aspect of their role. Professional development through the SBYHNP was excellent; however, there was concern relating to the availability of future educational opportunities. The SBYHNP provides nurses with a new, challenging, autonomous role within the school environment and the opportunity to expand their role to incorporate all aspects of the health-promoting schools' framework.

  13. Perceptions of Middle School Educators in Hawai‘i about School-based Gardening and Child Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oshiro, Caryn E; Loharuka, Sheila; Novotny, Rachel

    2011-01-01

    Background Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health. Methods Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai‘i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health. Conclusions In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai‘i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health. PMID:21886287

  14. Health Promotion in Schools: A Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chilton, Roy; Pearson, Mark; Anderson, Rob

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Schools are an important setting for a wide variety of activities to promote health. The purpose of this paper is to map the different types of health promotion programmes and activities in schools, to estimate the amount of published evaluations of health promotion within UK schools, and to identify any provisional "candidate…

  15. Health camps in schools and content analysis of the school textbooks: A cross-sectional study in Tamil Nadu.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geetha Priya, P R; Asokan, Sharath; Kandaswamy, D; Malliga, S; Arthi, G

    2016-01-01

    School textbooks have been considered as an effective platform for promoting oral health. The information on oral health in the Indian school textbooks has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contents of school textbooks on oral health and to quantitatively analyze the school health camps and guest lectures/demonstrations conducted in the schools of three districts in Tamil Nadu. Twenty schools which participated in the study followed the Central Board of Secondary Education, matriculation, or the state board syllabus. A questionnaire was designed to collect information about the medical camps, dental camps, guest lectures, and demonstrations conducted in the last academic year from the schools. The questionnaires were distributed among the school teachers of grades I-V. They were asked to provide photocopies of the topics on oral health which were included in the syllabus. Content analysis of the information on oral health-related topics in the school textbooks was done. Descriptive statistics of the details of the camps and lectures was done using Pearson's Chi-square test (SPSS version 17) (SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois, USA). There was no significant difference in the number of medical camps (P = 0.445), dental camps (P = 0.055), and guest lectures (P = 0.069) organized among the three boards of schools. Basic information on the parts and type of teeth, tooth decay, and brushing were present in the textbooks of all three boards of schools. The school textbooks of all the three boards contained basic and adequate information on oral health. Periodic revisions of the content and quality of information in the school textbooks are essential. To make the information sticky for long-term, reinforcements in the form of school health education is needed.

  16. Health camps in schools and content analysis of the school textbooks: A cross-sectional study in Tamil Nadu

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P R Geetha Priya

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: School textbooks have been considered as an effective platform for promoting oral health. The information on oral health in the Indian school textbooks has not been evaluated. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the contents of school textbooks on oral health and to quantitatively analyze the school health camps and guest lectures/demonstrations conducted in the schools of three districts in Tamil Nadu. Methodology: Twenty schools which participated in the study followed the Central Board of Secondary Education, matriculation, or the state board syllabus. A questionnaire was designed to collect information about the medical camps, dental camps, guest lectures, and demonstrations conducted in the last academic year from the schools. The questionnaires were distributed among the school teachers of grades I–V. They were asked to provide photocopies of the topics on oral health which were included in the syllabus. Content analysis of the information on oral health-related topics in the school textbooks was done. Descriptive statistics of the details of the camps and lectures was done using Pearson's Chi-square test (SPSS version 17 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Results: There was no significant difference in the number of medical camps (P = 0.445, dental camps (P = 0.055, and guest lectures (P = 0.069 organized among the three boards of schools. Basic information on the parts and type of teeth, tooth decay, and brushing were present in the textbooks of all three boards of schools. Conclusion: The school textbooks of all the three boards contained basic and adequate information on oral health. Periodic revisions of the content and quality of information in the school textbooks are essential. To make the information sticky for long-term, reinforcements in the form of school health education is needed.

  17. Initial Teacher Education for School Health Promotion in Austria: Does It Support the Implementation of the Health-Promoting School Approach?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flaschberger, Edith

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: School health promotion is said to be most effective when implemented through a comprehensive, settings-based, whole-school approach. The purpose of this paper is to address the current lack of knowledge about the current state of teacher education for health promotion and its potential to further the development of settings-based…

  18. A national assessment of colleges and university school health education methods courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Christine M; Price, James H; Telljohann, Susan K; Dake, Joseph A

    2015-04-01

    Across the United States, school health education programs provide a wide variety of knowledge and skills to their students. There are currently no guidelines for school health methods courses. Using a 2-wave mailing followed by a third wave e-mail reminder, a final population of 226 university school health methods instructors at school health preparation programs were surveyed. A total of 138 completed surveys (61%) were returned. The topics taught in school health education methods courses emphasized the most included aligning objectives, instruction, and assessment (79%); development of lesson plans (73%); teaching methods that engage learners (72%); and application of the National Health Education Standards and performance indicators (69%). The content taught and how the instructors assessed their students differed statistically by 1 or more of the following: whether they had a health education degree, had experience teaching in the public schools, and if their program was accredited. This study provides information regarding what school health methods instructors across the United States are teaching in their classes. Using this information as a baseline can serve as a guide for preservice faculty teaching a school health methods course. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  19. Knowledge of School Health Programme among Public Primary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AJRH Managing Editor

    Keywords: School-age children, Effective implementation, Adequate knowledge, Positive health ... healthy habits of the future adult population of any nation2 ... understanding of skills that a person has acquired ..... 7. Ofovwe GE, Ofili AN. Knowledge, attitude and practice of school health programme among head teachers of.

  20. Applying the School Health Index to a Nationally Representative Sample of Schools: Update for 2006

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brener, Nancy D.; Pejavara, Anu; McManus, Tim

    2011-01-01

    Background: The School Health Index (SHI) is a tool designed to help schools assess the extent to which they are implementing practices included in the research-based guidelines and strategies for school health and safety programs developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC previously analyzed data from the 2000 School…

  1. The training for health equity network evaluation framework: a pilot study at five health professional schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Simone J; Preston, Robyn; Lindemann, Iris C; Matte, Marie C; Samson, Rex; Tandinco, Filedito D; Larkins, Sarah L; Palsdottir, Bjorg; Neusy, Andre-Jacques

    2014-01-01

    The Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet), a group of diverse health professional schools aspiring toward social accountability, developed and pilot tested a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess progress toward socially accountable health professions education. The evaluation framework provides criteria for schools to assess their level of social accountability within their organization and planning; education, research and service delivery; and the direct and indirect impacts of the school and its graduates, on the community and health system. This paper describes the pilot implementation of testing the evaluation framework across five THEnet schools, and examines whether the evaluation framework was practical and feasible across contexts for the purposes of critical reflection and continuous improvement in terms of progress towards social accountability. In this pilot study, schools utilized the evaluation framework using a mixed method approach of data collection comprising of workshops, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, document review and collation and analysis of existing quantitative data. The evaluation framework allowed each school to contextually gather evidence on how it was meeting the aspirational goals of social accountability across a range of school activities, and to identify strengths and areas for improvement and development. The evaluation framework pilot study demonstrated how social accountability can be assessed through a critically reflective and comprehensive process. As social accountability focuses on the relationship between health professions schools and health system and health population outcomes, each school was able to demonstrate to students, health professionals, governments, accrediting bodies, communities and other stakeholders how current and future health care needs of populations are addressed in terms of education, research, and service learning.

  2. SCHOOL AS A HEALTH PROMOTING PLACE FOR ITS STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre Guirland Vieira

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The school has a strong commitment with the surrounding community as a space for the development of health promoting actions. However, for this space to be truly potentiating the quality of life, people should feel they are accepted and to participate in the process of building this healthy environment. So the aim of this study is to reflect upon the school as a health production space, and the importance of the health promoting school proposal.  For this purpose we conducted a theoretical research on school environment, social inclusion and health promotion in school facilities. Results point to the necessity for school to contribute for the development of healthy life abilities, reflecting upon life styles and promoting a healthy atmosphere for learning, which is appropriate for the student. That includes appraising individualities and establishing an atmosphere that potentiates healthy relations, with communication quality and with reflection upon diversities. It is specially found that teacher´s critical, creative and reflexive attitude plays an important role for healthy promoting school establishment, developing a pleasant, joyful and solidary environment, and stimulating joint search for doubts and questions.

  3. Health Promoting Schools: A Way Forward for Bayelsa State, Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Using documentary analysis, face-to-face interaction with school health desk officers and the author's work among schools the paper examines the concept of health promoting school (HPS) and discusses its way forward for Bayelsa State. The paper observes that despite the HPS concept signifying a school that constantly ...

  4. School Health Education about Human Sexuality. Position Statement. Revised

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, Beverly J.; Mancuso, Patty; Cagginello, Joan B.; Board, Connie; Clark, Sandra; Harvel, Robin; Kelts, Susan

    2012-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that age-appropriate health education about human sexuality should be included as part of a comprehensive school health education program and be accessible to all students in schools. NASN recognizes the role of parents and families as the primary source of education about…

  5. Protocol for a systematic review of the effects of schools and school-environment interventions on health: evidence mapping and syntheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonell, Chris; Harden, Angela; Wells, Helene; Jamal, Farah; Fletcher, Adam; Petticrew, Mark; Thomas, James; Whitehead, Margaret; Campbell, Rona; Murphy, Simon; Moore, Laurence

    2011-06-09

    Schools may have important effects on students' and staff's health. Rather than treating schools merely as sites for health education, 'school-environment' interventions treat schools as settings which influence health. Evidence concerning the effects of such interventions has not been recently synthesised. Systematic review aiming to map and synthesise evidence on what theories and conceptual frameworks are most commonly used to inform school-environment interventions or explain school-level influences on health; what effects school-environment interventions have on health/health inequalities; how feasible and acceptable are school-environment interventions; what effects other school-level factors have on health; and through what processes school-level influences affect health.We will examine interventions aiming to promote health by modifying schools' physical, social or cultural environment via actions focused on school policies and practices relating to education, pastoral care and other aspects of schools beyond merely providing health education. Participants are staff and students age 4-18 years.We will review published research unrestricted by language, year or source. Searching will involve electronic databases including Embase, ERIC, PubMed, PsycInfo and Social Science Citation Index using natural-language phrases plus reference/citation checking.Stage 1 will map studies descriptively by focus and methods. Stage 2 will involve additional inclusion criteria, quality assessment and data extraction undertaken by two reviewers in parallel. Evidence will be synthesised narratively and statistically where appropriate (undertaking subgroup analyses and meta-regression and where no significant heterogeneity of effect sizes is found, pooling these to calculate a final effect size). We anticipate: finding a large number of studies missed by previous reviews; that non-intervention studies of school effects examine a greater breadth of determinants than are addressed

  6. Stakeholder Knowledge Levels of Coordinated School Health Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minor, Lisa Crouch

    2012-01-01

    Acute and chronic health conditions may be important factors impacting absenteeism and student achievement in schools. Coordinated school health programs can support students who have these conditions. Although such programs have had documented success, implementation can be costly and time consuming. The local problem addressed in this project…

  7. High School Students' Experiences of Bullying and Victimization and the Association with School Health Center Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Catherine; Deardorff, Julianna; Lahiff, Maureen; Soleimanpour, Samira; Sakashita, Kimi; Brindis, Claire D.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Bullying and victimization are ongoing concerns in schools. School health centers (SHCs) are well situated to support affected students because they provide crisis intervention, mental health care, and broader interventions to improve school climate. This study examined the association between urban adolescents' experiences of…

  8. Status And Visions For The School Health Service As Reported By ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: The World Health Organization\\'s (WHO) Global School Health Initiative provides a strategy to utilize schools to promote health and reduce the burden of diseases worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate local school health work in Tanzania in relation to existing national guidelines and the WHO ...

  9. The promotion of oral health within Health Promoting Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

    OpenAIRE

    M Reddy; S Singh

    2017-01-01

    Background. Oral health promotion is a cost-effective strategy that can be implemented at schools for the prevention of oral diseases. Theimportance and value of school-based interventions in children has been identified in South Africa (SA). Although oral health strategiesinclude integrated school-based interventions, there is a lack of published evidence on whether these strategies have been translated intopractice and whether these programmes have been evaluated.Objective. To assess the ef...

  10. The Development of a Secondary School Health Assessment Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sriring, Srinual; Erawan, Prawit; Sriwarom, Monoon

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this research was to: 1) involved a survey of information relating to secondary school health, 2) involved the construction of a model of health assessment and a handbook for using the model in secondary school, 3) develop an assessment model for secondary school. The research included 3 phases. (1) involved a survey of…

  11. The Use of Volunteers in School Health Services. Position Statement. Revised

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Kathleen C.; Blout, JoAnn; DiGregorio, Heiddy; Selekman, Janice

    2012-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that quality health care within the school environment can best be attained through the employment of a full-time registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) for each school building. The health services needed by students at school continue…

  12. Improving Mental Health in Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossen, Eric; Cowan, Katherine C.

    2015-01-01

    Students do not leave their mental health at the front door when they come to school. From wellness to serious illness, a student's mental health status is integral to how they think, feel, interact, behave, and learn. Decades of research and experience have laid a solid foundation and framework for effectively providing mental health…

  13. Health promotion in Danish schools: local priorities, policies and practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simovska, Venka; Nordin, Lone Lindegaard; Madsen, Katrine Dahl

    2016-06-01

    This article discusses the findings from a study mapping out the priorities, policies and practices of local authorities concerning health promotion (HP) and health education (HE) in primary and lower secondary schools in Denmark. The aim of the study was to identify the gaps, tensions and possibilities associated with the demand to increase the quality and effectiveness of HP in schools. The recent national school reform, which emphasizes the importance of health and well-being while simultaneously increasing the focus on performance and accountability in terms of subject proficiency and narrowly defined academic attainment, provides the broader political context for the study. Data were generated through a structured online survey administered to all 98 Danish municipalities. Respondents were educational consultants or others representing the administrative units responsible for the municipality's schools. The findings were discussed within the conceptual framework of Health Promoting Schools. The study points to a potential tension between the health and education sectors, despite evidence of intersectoral collaboration. While there is a strong policy focus on health and well-being in schools, it is disconnected from the utilization of the HE curriculum by the municipal consultants. The study also points to a lack of professional development opportunities for teachers in the field of HP in schools. On the basis of these findings and theoretical perspectives used, we argue that HP in schools needs to (re)connect with the core task of the school, education, and to integrate both health and education goals in local priorities, policies and practices. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Does school social capital modify socioeconomic inequality in mental health? A multi-level analysis in Danish schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Line; Koushede, Vibeke; Vinther-Larsen, Mathilde; Bendtsen, Pernille; Ersbøll, Annette Kjær; Due, Pernille; Holstein, Bjørn E

    2015-09-01

    It seems that social capital in the neighbourhood has the potential to reduce socioeconomic differences in mental health among adolescents. Whether school social capital is a buffer in the association between socioeconomic position and mental health among adolescents remains uncertain. The aim of this study is therefore to examine if the association between socioeconomic position and emotional symptoms among adolescents is modified by school social capital. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Methodology Development Study 2012 provided data on 3549 adolescents aged 11-15 in two municipalities in Denmark. Trust in the school class was used as an indicator of school social capital. Prevalence of daily emotional symptoms in each socioeconomic group measured by parents' occupational class was calculated for each of the three categories of school classes: school classes with high trust, moderate trust and low trust. Multilevel logistic regression analyses with parents' occupational class as the independent variable and daily emotional symptoms as the dependent variable were conducted stratified by level of trust in the school class. The prevalence of emotional symptoms was higher among students in school classes with low trust (12.9%) compared to school classes with high trust (7.2%) (p social capital may reduce mental health problems and diminish socioeconomic inequality in mental health among adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Promise of Standardized Data Collection: School Health Variables Identified by States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Kathleen H.; Bergren, Martha Dewey; Westbrook, Linda Oakes

    2012-01-01

    A gap in data prevents measurement of the needs of school-age children and the influence of school nursing interventions on student health and education outcomes. Its remedy is in the data collected in school health rooms. A national clinical database describing school health will allow education and health leaders to build evidence-based programs…

  16. Yoga as a School-Based Mental Health Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, Alexandra

    2017-01-01

    Research has estimated that the percentage of children and adolescents experiencing significant mental health difficulties is as high as 20% of all youth, and that only one-fourth of these students receive therapeutic services outside of school. Given this gap between the need and availability of mental health services, schools often become the…

  17. A Treatise on the Systematization of School Health Guidance (3) : The Formation of the Comcept of Guidance under the Theory of School Health in the Meiji Era

    OpenAIRE

    瀧澤, 利行

    1990-01-01

    In early Meiji era, the foundations of theories on school health in Japan were formed by translation and interpretation of theories on school health in mordern Europe. Simultaneously, school health practices were consisted of three backgrounds, community prevention of infectious diseases, the maintenance of school facilities, and school child protections. The points of this treatise are summurised as follows. 1) the assesment the dates of realization of each backgrounds above mentioned. 2) th...

  18. An Innovative School Health Education Model Designed for Student Achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohwer, John; Wandberg, Bob

    New threats to the health of American children, often psychosocial in nature due to societal changes, must be addressed. The Minnesota School Health Education Model is based on the integration of four primary components: (1) school health education goals aimed at health promotion, disease prevention, and long-term positive health effects on…

  19. School Superintendents' Perceptions of Schools Assisting Students in Obtaining Public Health Insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickard, Megan L.; Price, James H.; Telljohann, Susan K.; Dake, Joseph A.; Fink, Brian N.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Superintendents' perceptions regarding the effect of health insurance status on academics, the role schools should play in the process of obtaining health insurance, and the benefits/barriers to assisting students in enrolling in health insurance were surveyed. Superintendents' basic knowledge of health insurance, the link between…

  20. Health behaviour and school environment among school-aged ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The healthy food score was associated with supportive teachers but not with supportive peers and supportive parents and socioeconomic status. Regarding the different health-related behaviours, gender differences were less pronounced than racial differences. Black school-aged children had a significantly higher ...

  1. School buses, air pollution and children's health : improving children's health and local air quality by reducing school bus emissions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perrotta, K. [Ontario Public Health Association, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2005-11-01

    The exhaust gases from school buses was examined and recommendations were presented for the establishment of a healthy school bus program in Ontario that is directed at improving children's health and local air quality. The Ontario Public Health Association is concerned with school bus emissions because they are heavy-duty vehicles that emit large quantities of diesel-related air pollutants such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and diesel particulates. In addition, school buses can be self-polluting vehicles that expose children on-board to high levels of fine particulates and diesel particulate matter. Both these pollutants have been associated with a range of acute and chronic health problems such as asthma, respiratory infections, allergies, and school absences. With nearly 800,000 Ontario children being transported on school buses annually, these exposures can represent a serious public health concern, as childhood exposures can also influence the health of exposed individuals later in life. Exposure studies have found that tailpipe and engine emissions contribute greatly to concentrations of air pollutants on-board school buses. The studies also showed that on-board concentrations were also influenced by local air quality in the communities studied, traffic density, wind direction, the configuration of windows, idling and queuing patterns. It was recommended that the use of ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel along with the installation of diesel particulate filters and closed crankcase filters can reduce the concentrations of air pollutants on-board school buses to almost ambient air levels, even under idling conditions. This report recommended the replacement of pre-1994 school buses, the retrofitting of 1994-2003 school buses with filters, and maintaining proper maintenance, idling and vehicle operation practices. refs., tabs., figs.

  2. Video-conferencing Telehealth Linkage attempts to Schools to Facilitate Mental Health Consultation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, John D

    2018-04-01

    Telehealth to schools may be a strategic approach to expand child mental health service delivery, however, there are only a few published examples. This report describes video-conferencing telehealth linkage attempts to schools to facilitate mental health consultation. A series of synchronous video-conferencing linkage strategies were attempted to connect a mental health consultation service to multiple schools in a Canadian setting. Consultation to support the implementation of the Daily Report Card, for students with attentional and behavioural problems, was the core content of this pilot linkage attempt. Synchronous video conference consultations were successfully delivered to six elementary schools across three school districts. Two of three linkage strategies were functional. One used existing health centre-based telehealth units to connect to school-based dedicated tablets with a video collaboration app and reliance on existing school Wi-Fi. A second used existing laptops in both the health and school system linked through a communication platform. A third connection, using 3G/4G hotspots to obviate the need to access school Wi-Fi, was deemed too expensive in this setting. The potential to use existing computer hardware to connect mental health providers and schools could facilitate scale-up. However, it is unknown whether mental health systems and school sectors will invest in such linkages and reorganize core mental health services to be delivered in this way.

  3. Strategies for implementing Health-Promoting Schools in a province in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldinger, Carmen; Zhang, Xin-Wei; Liu, Li-Qun; Guo, Jun-Xiang; Yu Sen Hai; Jones, Jack

    2008-01-01

    After successful pilot projects in 10 schools (four schools with tobacco control and six schools with nutrition interventions, plus 10 control schools), Health and Education officials in Zhejiang Province, China, decided to scale up Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) systematically over the entire province, starting with an initial cohort of 51 additional schools, reaching from primary to vocational schools. Interviews with school personnel during the first phase of scaling up illuminated the key pre-implementation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation activities. Pre-implementation activities included choosing an entry point, setting up a special HPS committee, and establishing a work plan. Implementation activities included conducting mobilization meetings, prioritizing health, popularizing the HPS concept, ensuring community cooperation and participation, acting as role models, offering training, and using new teaching and learning methods. Monitoring and evaluation activities included process, baseline, and final evaluations and changing standards of evaluation to a more holistic evaluation that schools go through to become Health-Promoting Schools. Schools also reported that they faced - and overcame - a number of challenges including understanding and integrating the HPS concept and lack of professional development and support. Results revealed that schools transitioned from a passive model of education to interactive pedagogy put priority on health and viewed it as a co-responsibility, reshaped assessment to a more holistic approach and called for more training and technical support. Participants mentioned that they gained knowledge and skills and developed a deeper understanding about health. Health impact was also demonstrated, for instance in reduced injuries and reduced smoking, and educational impact was demonstrated, for instance in improved relationships of children to parents and teachers, improved social qualities, and improved teacher

  4. Does school social capital modify socioeconomic inequality in mental health?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Line; Koushede, Vibeke; Vinther-Larsen, Mathilde

    2015-01-01

    It seems that social capital in the neighbourhood has the potential to reduce socioeconomic differences in mental health among adolescents. Whether school social capital is a buffer in the association between socioeconomic position and mental health among adolescents remains uncertain. The aim...... of this study is therefore to examine if the association between socioeconomic position and emotional symptoms among adolescents is modified by school social capital. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Methodology Development Study 2012 provided data on 3549 adolescents aged 11-15 in two....... In school classes characterised by high and moderate trust, there were no statistically significant differences in emotional symptoms between high and low socioeconomic groups. Although further studies are needed, this cross-sectional study suggests that school social capital may reduce mental health...

  5. Implementation of CDC's School Health Index in 3 Midwest Middle Schools: Motivation for Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherwood-Puzzello, Catherine M.; Miller, Michelle; Lohrmann, David; Gregory, Patricia

    2007-01-01

    Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's School Health Index (SHI), a guide for completing a coordinated school-based program needs assessment relative to healthy eating, physical activity, a tobacco-free lifestyle, and prevention of other health risk behaviors and conditions, was used to assess current programming at 3…

  6. Evaluation of the School Environment of Public and Private Schools in Enugu to Ensure Child Health Promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisi-Onyemaechi, A I; Akani, N A; Ikefuna, A N; Tagbo, B N; Chinawa, J M

    2018-02-01

    Poor maintenance of school environment can cause or worsen illnesses among schoolchildren. The objective of this study was to assess the healthfulness of school environments of primary schools in Enugu East, Nigeria, and to compare the difference if any between public and private schools. This was a cross-sectional noninterventional study of the school environments in Enugu East, Nigeria. Multistage sampling method was used to select the sample population. The participating schools were inspected and their head teachers were interviewed using a questionnaire. Scores were awarded using the School Health Program Evaluation scale. Results: Thirty-three schools were studied. The most common source of water for most schools was well. Eleven schools dump refuse openly. Three public schools only had functional toilets. All public schools were adequately ventilated and lit. One private school had a foodservice area. Ten schools did not have a play field, while three public schools had soaps for handwashing. The mean scores for public and private schools were 33.00 and 37.86, respectively. Three schools only attained the minimum score of 57 of a maximum of 66. The environment of primary schools in Enugu east, Nigeria, is unhealthy and unfriendly and currently cannot promote and protect the health of the schoolchildren.

  7. Delivering School-Based Mental Health Services by School Psychologists: Education, Training, and Ethical Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perfect, Michelle M.; Morris, Richard J.

    2011-01-01

    Consistent with the priority goals of the 2002 Future of School Psychology Conference, the National Association of School Psychologists' "Blueprint for Training and Practice III" advocates for school psychologists becoming "leading mental health experts in schools." In this regard, the present article reviews the prevalence and incidence of…

  8. Children's participation in school: a cross-sectional study of the relationship between school environments, participation and health and well-being outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    John-Akinola, Yetunde O; Nic-Gabhainn, Saoirse

    2014-09-17

    Schools are a key setting for health promotion and improvement activities and the psycho-social environment of the school is an important dimension for promoting the health and well-being of children. The development of Health Promoting Schools (HPS) draws on the settings-based approach to health promotion and includes child participation as one of its basic values. This paper investigates the relationships between child participation, the school environment and child outcomes. Study participants were recruited from nine primary schools, three of which were designated as Health Promoting Schools (HPS). Each HPS was matched with two non-HPS (NHPS) with similar characteristics. Two hundred and thirty-one pupils in the 4th-6th class groups completed self-report questionnaires to document their perspectives on the school socio-ecological environment, how they take part in school life, school processes and their health and well-being. School participation was measured with four scales: participation in school decisions and rules, school activities, school events and positive perception of school participation. The differences in the reported mean score for three of the four scales were marginal and not statistically significant. However, the mean score for reported positive perception of school participation was significantly lower (χ2 = 5.13, df =1, p school decisions and rules (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.12-1.33), participating in school activities (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.31), participating in school events (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.29) and reported positive perception of school participation (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.15-1.39) were all positively associated with health and well-being outcomes for all pupils. Logistic regression analyses indicated positive associations between school participation and school socio-ecological environment. These findings suggest that school participation is important for children in schools and is relevant for improved school environment

  9. Frequent Fliers, School Phobias, and the Sick Student: School Health Personnel's Perceptions of Students Who Refuse School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrens Armstrong, Anna M.; McCormack Brown, Kelli R.; Brindley, Roger; Coreil, Jeannine; McDermott, Robert J.

    2011-01-01

    Background: This study explored school personnel's perceptions of school refusal, as it has been described as a "common educational and public health problem" that is less tolerated due to increasing awareness of the potential socioeconomic consequences of this phenomenon. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with school personnel…

  10. Perceived school safety is strongly associated with adolescent mental health problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nijs, Miesje M; Bun, Clothilde J E; Tempelaar, Wanda M; de Wit, Niek J; Burger, Huibert; Plevier, Carolien M; Boks, Marco P M

    2014-02-01

    School environment is an important determinant of psychosocial function and may also be related to mental health. We therefore investigated whether perceived school safety, a simple measure of this environment, is related to mental health problems. In a population-based sample of 11,130 secondary school students, we analysed the relationship of perceived school safety with mental health problems using multiple logistic regression analyses to adjust for potential confounders. Mental health problems were defined using the clinical cut-off of the self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. School safety showed an exposure-response relationship with mental health problems after adjustment for confounders. Odds ratios increased from 2.48 ("sometimes unsafe") to 8.05 ("very often unsafe"). The association was strongest in girls and young and middle-aged adolescents. Irrespective of the causal background of this association, school safety deserves attention either as a risk factor or as an indicator of mental health problems.

  11. Re-Imagining School Health in Education and Health Programmes: A Study across Selected Municipal Schools in Delhi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshpande, Mita; Baru, Rama V.; Nundy, Madhurima

    2014-01-01

    The idea of school health is re-imagined with an emphasis on the need for children's health programmes to be rooted in an understanding of the social context. Such programmes must address health, nutrition and education in a comprehensive manner. The article details findings and insights emerging from a qualitative study conducted in municipal…

  12. Community led active schools programme (CLASP) exploring the implementation of health interventions in primary schools: headteachers' perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christian, Danielle; Todd, Charlotte; Davies, Helen; Rance, Jaynie; Stratton, Gareth; Rapport, Frances; Brophy, Sinead

    2015-03-13

    Schools are repeatedly utilised as a key setting for health interventions. However, the translation of effective research findings to the school setting can be problematic. In order to improve effective translation of future interventions, it is imperative key challenges and facilitators of implementing health interventions be understood from a school's perspective. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted in primary schools (headteachers n = 16, deputy headteacher n = 1, healthy school co-ordinator n = 2). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. The main challenges for schools in implementing health interventions were; government-led academic priorities, initiative overload, low autonomy for schools, lack of staff support, lack of facilities and resources, litigation risk and parental engagement. Recommendations to increase the application of interventions into the school setting included; better planning and organisation, greater collaboration with schools and external partners and elements addressing sustainability. Child-centred and cross-curricular approaches, inclusive whole school approaches and assurances to be supportive of the school ethos were also favoured for consideration. This work explores schools' perspectives regarding the implementation of health interventions and utilises these thoughts to create guidelines for developing future school-based interventions. Recommendations include the need to account for variability between school environments, staff and pupils. Interventions with an element of adaptability were preferred over the delivery of blanket fixed interventions. Involving schools in the developmental stage would add useful insights to ensure the interventions can be tailored to best suit each individual schools' needs and improve implementation.

  13. Commercial activities and the promotion of health in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raine, Gary

    2013-11-01

    Many companies nowadays consider schools to be an important setting for marketing to children. However, important concerns can be raised from a health promotion perspective about the potential negative impact of commercial activities on the health and well-being of pupils. As this discussion paper will demonstrate, some commercial activities raise concerns in relation to physical health and obesity, not only by potentially undermining formal curriculum messages, but also through the active promotion of specific products, particularly those high in fat, sugar or salt. Nonetheless, the issues raised by commercial activities are not solely limited to effects on physical health. By allowing commercial activities, schools risk instilling in pupils consumer-orientated values. This is significant as such values have been linked to the development of poor health and well-being. Furthermore, the presence in schools of commercial activities will also militate against informed decision-making and be disempowering. There is also evidence that business-sponsored teaching materials can contain biased and misleading information. The potential negative impacts of commercial activities are inconsistent with goals in relation to the promotion of health and the principles of health-promoting schools.

  14. Violence Prevention after Columbine: A Survey of High School Mental Health Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crepeau-Hobson, M. Franci; Filaccio, Marylynne; Gottfried, Linda

    2005-01-01

    The authors examined changes in mental health services and violence prevention strategies in public high schools since the shootings at Columbine High School. Surveys were mailed to school mental health professionals at public high schools in Colorado. Respondents included school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, principals,…

  15. Parental health shocks and schooling: The impact of mutual health insurance in Rwanda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woode, Maame Esi

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this study was to look at the educational spill-over effects of health insurance on schooling with a focus on the Rwandan Community Based Health Insurance Programme, the Mutual Health Insurance scheme. Using a two-person general equilibrium overlapping generations model, this paper theoretically analyses the possible effect of health insurance on the relationship between parental health shocks and child schooling. Individuals choose whether or not they want to incur a medical cost by seeking care in order to reduce the effect of health shocks on their labour market availability and productivity. The theoretical results show that, health shocks negatively affect schooling irrespective of insurance status. However, if the health shock is severe (incapacitating) or sudden in nature, there is a discernible mitigating effect of health insurance on the negative impact of parental ill health on child schooling. The results are tested empirically using secondary data from the third Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV) for Rwanda, collected in 2011. A total of 2401 children between the ages of 13 and 18 are used for the analysis. This age group is selected due to the age of compulsory education in Rwanda. Based on average treatment effect on treated we find a statistically significant difference in attendance between children with MHI affiliated parents and those with uninsured parents of about 0.044. The negative effect of a father being severely ill is significant only for uninsured household. For the case of the mother, this effect is felt by female children with uninsured parents only when the illness is sudden. The observed effects are more pronounced for older children. While the father's ill health (sever or sudden) significantly and negatively affects their working hours, health insurance plays appears to increase their working hours. The effects of health insurance extend beyond health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  16. Finding a Place for Health in the Schooling Process: A Challenge for Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridge, Damien; Northfield, Jeff; St. Leger, Lawrence; Marshall, Bernie; Sheehan, Margaret; Maher, Shelley

    2002-01-01

    Evaluated outcomes in selected Australian schools of an intervention project, Health Promoting Schools (promoted by the World Health Organization). Found that studied schools moved beyond oppositional constructions of health and education towards approaching health as an element of effective schooling. (EV)

  17. Advantages of Coordinated School Health Portfolios: Documenting and Showcasing Achievements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shipley, Meagan; Lohrmann, David; Barnes, Priscilla; O'Neill, Jim

    2013-01-01

    Background: Thirteen school district teams from Michigan and Indiana participated in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute with the intent of Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) implementation. The purpose of this study was to determine if portfolios served as an effective approach for documenting teams' accomplishments…

  18. The Prevalence of Postgraduate Education in Youth Health Among High School Clinicians and Associated Student Health Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denny, Simon; Farrant, Bridget; Utter, Jennifer; Fleming, Theresa; Bullen, Pat; Peiris-John, Roshini; Clark, Terryann

    2016-11-01

    Despite numerous calls to improve training in adolescent health, there is little known about the prevalence or effectiveness of specialized training in adolescent health. A two-stage random sampling cluster design was used to collect nationally representative data from 8,500 students from 91 high schools. Student data were linked to data from a survey of school health clinicians from participating schools on their level of training in youth health. Multilevel models accounting for demographic characteristics of students were used to estimate the association between nurses and physicians training in youth health and health outcomes among students. Almost all nurses and physicians reported some training in youth health, either having attended lectures or study days in youth health (n = 60, 80%) or completed postgraduate papers in youth health (n = 13, 17.3%). Students in schools where the nurses and physicians had received postgraduate training in youth health were less likely than students from schools with clinicians having attended lectures or study days in youth health to report emotional and behavior difficulties (11.8 vs. 12.7, p = .002) and binge drinking (19.6% vs. 24.9%, p = .03). There were no significant associations between depressive symptoms, suicide risk, cigarette, marijuana, contraception use, or motor vehicle risk behaviors among students and level of training among clinicians in their schools' health service. Postgraduate training in youth health among nurses and physicians in school health services is associated with fewer students reporting mental health difficulties and binge alcohol use. These findings support specialized training in youth health for clinicians working predominantly with young people. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Can Health Promoting Schools contribute to the better health and wellbeing of young people? The Hong Kong experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Albert; Cheng, Frances F K; Fung, Yanas; St Leger, Lawrence

    2006-06-01

    The Health Promoting School (HPS) is a WHO sponsored framework, compiled to enable education and health sectors to be more effective in school based initiatives. This study attempted to test the hypothesis that students from schools that had comprehensively embraced the HPS concept as indicated by the Healthy School Award, were better, in terms of health risk behaviour, self reported health status, and academic results, than students from schools that did not reach the standard of the award. The results presented came from nine schools (four primary and five secondary) applying for accreditation of the Healthy Schools Award after adopting the HPS framework for two years. Regular consultancy support and training were available to all schools. Students had completed before and after surveys to assess their health behaviours, self reported health status, and academic standing before the two year intervention, and at its end. Data from the before and after surveys of the students attending schools that reached certain level of HPS standard as indicated by the award, were compared with students whose schools did not receive the award, and the results showed differences. Some differences were found to be more significant among the primary school students than secondary schools students. This illustrated early intervention for lifestyle changes to be more effective. Students' satisfaction with life also improved if their schools adopted the concept of HPS comprehensively. The results suggest that comprehensive implementation of HPS would contribute to differences in certain behaviours and self reported health and academic status.

  20. Health status of school children in rural area of coastal Karnataka

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muralidhar M Kulkarni

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Children are the foundation of a strong and healthy nation. Morbidity among school-going children adversely affects their normal growth and development and hence is a major public health concern. School health program was started as an important component of total health care delivery system in the country with a purpose of addressing the health needs of children. Aim: To assess the morbidity pattern and nutritional status among school children. Materials and Methods: Study design: A cross-sectional study. Study period: 1-year from 1 st July 2012 to 30 th June 2013. Study setting: 14 schools with a total strength of 909 children in a rural area of coastal Karnataka. Data collection: Health examination of the school children was carried out by a trained team. Data regarding anthropometric measurements, refractory error, medical problems and minor ailments were collected using a predesigned proforma. Results: A total of 797 children were examined. Dental caries was the most common ailment observed in 31.86% of children 43.32% of the children were underweight, 53.03% were normal, and 3.65% were overweight for age. Conclusion: The school health program provides a good opportunity to screen, identify and impart education regarding health related issues. The common morbidities found were dental caries, pallor, upper respiratory tract infection and refractory error. Overweight was also observed in the school children and needs to be addressed. There is a scope of providing comprehensive school health services by incorporating dental care.

  1. Promoting healthy computer use among middle school students: a pilot school-based health promotion program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciccarelli, Marina; Portsmouth, Linda; Harris, Courtenay; Jacobs, Karen

    2012-01-01

    Introduction of notebook computers in many schools has become integral to learning. This has increased students' screen-based exposure and the potential risks to physical and visual health. Unhealthy computing behaviours include frequent and long durations of exposure; awkward postures due to inappropriate furniture and workstation layout, and ignoring computer-related discomfort. Describe the framework for a planned school-based health promotion program to encourage healthy computing behaviours among middle school students. This planned program uses a community- based participatory research approach. Students in Year 7 in 2011 at a co-educational middle school, their parents, and teachers have been recruited. Baseline data was collected on students' knowledge of computer ergonomics, current notebook exposure, and attitudes towards healthy computing behaviours; and teachers' and self-perceived competence to promote healthy notebook use among students, and what education they wanted. The health promotion program is being developed by an inter-professional team in collaboration with students, teachers and parents to embed concepts of ergonomics education in relevant school activities and school culture. End of year changes in reported and observed student computing behaviours will be used to determine the effectiveness of the program. Building a body of evidence regarding physical health benefits to students from this school-based ergonomics program can guide policy development on the healthy use of computers within children's educational environments.

  2. Sustained improvements in students' mental health literacy with use of a mental health curriculum in Canadian schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcluckie, Alan; Kutcher, Stan; Wei, Yifeng; Weaver, Cynthia

    2014-12-31

    Enhancement of mental health literacy for youth is a focus of increasing interest for mental health professionals and educators alike. Schools are an ideal site for addressing mental health literacy in young people. Currently, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of curriculum-based interventions within high school settings. We examined the effect of a high-school mental health curriculum (The Guide) in enhancing mental health literacy in Canadian schools. We conducted a secondary analysis on surveys of students who participated in a classroom mental health course taught by their usual teachers. Evaluation of students' mental health literacy (knowledge/attitudes) was completed before and after classroom implementation and at 2-month follow-up. We used paired-samples t-tests and Cohen's d value to determine the significance and impact of change. There were 265 students who completed all surveys. Students' knowledge significantly improved between pre- and post-tests (p mental health. This is the first study to demonstrate the positive impact of a curriculum-based mental health literacy program in a Canadian high school population.

  3. Mental Health Service Delivery Systems and Perceived Qualifications of Mental Health Service Providers in School Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, Decia Nicole

    2009-01-01

    Latest research on the mental health status of children indicates that schools are key providers of mental health services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). The push for school mental health services has only increased as stakeholders have begun to recognize the significance of sound mental health as an essential part of…

  4. Adolescent use of school-based health centers and high school dropout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerns, Suzanne E U; Pullmann, Michael D; Walker, Sarah Cusworth; Lyon, Aaron R; Cosgrove, T J; Bruns, Eric J

    2011-07-01

    To determine the association between use of school-based health centers (SBHCs) and school dropout. Quasi-experimental longitudinal analysis of a retrospective student cohort, with SBHC use as the independent variable. We statistically controlled for dropout risk and used propensity score regression adjustment to control for several factors associated with SBHC use. Integrated database from an urban public school district (academic outcomes) and department of public health (SBHC use). District-enrolled students in their first semester of ninth grade in 2005 (N = 3334), followed up through their anticipated on-time graduation semester of 12th grade in 2009. Students were divided into 4 groups: never used (47%); low use (23%); moderate use (20%); and high users (10%). Time to nongraduation (described as dropout). Low to moderate SBHC use (0.125-2.5 visits per semester) was associated with a 33% reduction in dropout compared with non-SBHC users. The high-use group (>2.5 visits per semester) did not have dropout rates that differed from nonusers. For SBHC users who did drop out, dropout occurred approximately 1 semester later than nonusers. Exploratory analyses revealed that the association between SBHC use and prevention of dropout was greatest for higher-risk students. This study found an association between low to moderate SBHC use and reductions in dropout for high school students in an urban school district, especially for students at higher risk for dropout. This study supports the theory that benefits of SBHCs extend beyond managing physical and mental health needs to include academic outcomes.

  5. Educators\\' perceptions of school climate and health in selected ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A significant relationship was found between primary schools' perceptions of ... for the implementation of change in schools, educators' job satisfaction, motivation, ... organisational climate; organisational health; productivity; school climate; ...

  6. How Brazil turned one public health school into 40

    OpenAIRE

    2007-01-01

    Brazil built its public health education system through the work of the renowned Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which established courses across the whole country. The courses eventually became the core curriculum for small schools and now Brazil boasts 40 schools of public health. Foundation President Paulo Buss argues that there are ways that resource-poor countries can improve their public health education.

  7. Socio-Ecological School Environments and Children's Health and Wellbeing Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    John-Akinola, Yetunde O.; Gabhainn, Saoirse Nic

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Attention to improving the school environment is a common activity in school health promotion. The role of the school environment in supporting improved health and wellbeing has a theoretical base, but has rarely been directly investigated empirically. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the associations between school…

  8. Conceptualizations of professional competencies in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsson, Monica Susanne

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the conceptualization and discussion of professional competencies needed for supporting the development of the whole-school approach in school health promotion (SHP). Design: The paper is based a conceptual synthesis of literature, guided...... delineates an overall professional competency model for SHP, discusses the specific demands on professional competencies within this field in relation to this model, and addresses three critical gaps in the conceptualizations of competency. Keywords: Professionals, competence, school health promotion Paper...... by a theoretical perspective on health promotion agency and professional competencies to identify core competency domains and elements. This is followed by a discussion of focus, gaps, and links in conceptualizations of competency domains and elements. Findings: The synthesis identifies five core competency...

  9. Conceptualizations of professional competencies in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsson, Monica Susanne

    2016-01-01

    by a theoretical perspective on health promotion agency and professional competencies to identify core competency domains and elements. This is followed by a discussion of focus, gaps, and links in conceptualizations of competency domains and elements. Findings: The synthesis identifies five core competency...... delineates an overall professional competency model for SHP, discusses the specific demands on professional competencies within this field in relation to this model, and addresses three critical gaps in the conceptualizations of competency. Keywords: Professionals, competence, school health promotion Paper......Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the conceptualization and discussion of professional competencies needed for supporting the development of the whole-school approach in school health promotion (SHP). Design: The paper is based a conceptual synthesis of literature, guided...

  10. Understanding of Factors that Enable Health Promoters in Implementing Health-Promoting Schools: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, Tommy Tsz Man; Chiang, Vico Chung Lim; Dawson, Angela; Lee, Regina Lai Tong

    2014-01-01

    Health-promoting schools have been regarded as an important initiative in promoting child and adolescent health in school settings using the whole-school approach. Quantitative research has proved its effectiveness in various school-based programmes. However, few qualitative studies have been conducted to investigate the strategies used by health promoters to implement such initiatives. In this study, the researchers conducted a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the qualitative literature to identify important enablers assisting the implementation of health-promoting schools from the perspectives of health promoters. Five enablers have been identified from the review: (a) Following a framework/guideline to implement health-promoting schools; (b) Obtaining committed support and contributions from the school staff, school board management, government authorities, health agencies and other stakeholders; (c) Adopting a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to implementing HPS; (d) Establishing professional networks and relationships; and (e) Continuing training and education in school health promotion. This highlights the importance of developing school health policies that meet local health needs, and socio-cultural characteristics that can foster mutual understanding between the health and education sectors so as to foster health promotion in children and adolescents. PMID:25264789

  11. Behavioral Health Emergencies Managed by School Nurses Working with Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Mary M.; Greenberg, Cynthia; Sapien, Robert; Bauer-Creegan, Judith; Hine, Beverly; Geary, Cathy

    2013-01-01

    Background: As members of interdisciplinary teams, school nurses provide behavioral health services. Studies indicate that school nurses may lack sufficient continuing education in adolescent behavioral health and in the management of behavioral health emergencies, specifically. We conducted this study to describe the adolescent behavioral health…

  12. School Bullying and the Mental Health of Junior Secondary School Students in Hong Kong

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Josephine W. Y.; Tsang, Sandra K. M.

    2008-01-01

    This study examines the phenomenon of school bullying and its effect on the mental health of junior secondary school students in Hong Kong. The participants (N = 364, mean age = 13.55) reported on a survey that included a bullying scale, the Chinese General Health Questionnaire-30, and a psychosocial scale. Verbal bullying was the most frequently…

  13. From the school health education study to the national health education standards: concepts endure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobiling, Brandye D; Lyde, Adrian R

    2015-05-01

    The landmark School Health Education Study (SHES) project influenced by the conceptual approach to teaching and learning provides perspective on modern school health instruction. Conceptual education, the cornerstone of the SHES curriculum framework (CF), Health Education: A Conceptual Approach to Curriculum Design, fosters a student's understanding of information that develops with experience. Data were collected through content analysis of the SHES CF and the National Health Education Standards: Achieving Excellence (NHES), 2nd edition. Similarity of essential framework elements was established. Inter-rater reliability was established. Alignment of the SHES components with the NHES reveals parallel conceptual structures around which to develop curriculum. The conceptual approach to curriculum planning has enduring value. It provides a foundation for teaching and learning that is adaptable, flexible, and can maintain permanence in conjunction with emerging scientific evidence and cultural and political influences on health behavior. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  14. DO ‘SCHOOL COACHES’ MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION?

    OpenAIRE

    Corrieri, Sandro; Conrad, Ines; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Mental disorders in children and adolescents are common and have serious consequences. Schools present a key opportunity to promote mental health and implement prevention measures. Four school coaches in five German schools were enlisted to engage students, teachers and parents in building a sustainably healthy school and classroom climate. Subjects and methods: Altogether, 58 focus groups with students (N=244), parents (N=54) and teachers (N=62) were conducted longitu...

  15. A holistic school-based intervention for improving health-related knowledge, body composition, and fitness in elementary school students: an evaluation of the HealthMPowers program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Rachel M; Meyer, Adria; Kay, Christi; Allensworth, Diane; Gazmararian, Julie A

    2014-06-26

    Over the past 30 years, obesity in the United States has increased twofold in children and threefold in adolescents. In Georgia, nearly 17% of children aged 10 - 17 are obese. In response to the high prevalence of child obesity in Georgia and the potential deleterious consequences that this can have, HealthMPowers was founded in 1999 with the goal of preventing childhood obesity by improving health-enhancing behaviors in elementary schools, utilizing a holistic three-year program. This study measures the effectiveness of the HealthMPowers program in improving the school environment, student knowledge, behavior, cardiovascular fitness levels, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The present analysis utilizes data from 40 schools that worked with HealthMPowers over the course of the 2012 - 2013 school year (including schools at each of the three years of the intervention period) and provided information on demographics, student knowledge and behaviors, BMI, performance on the PACER test of aerobic capacity, and school practices and policies (measured via school self-assessment with the HealthMPowers-developed instrument "Continuous Improvement Tracking Tool" or CITT), measured at the beginning and end of each school year. Paired two-sample T tests were used to compare continuous variables (e.g., student knowledge scores, BMI-for-age Z scores), while chi-squared tests were used to assess categorical variables (e.g., trichotomized PACER performance). Students across all grades and cohorts demonstrated improvements in knowledge and self-reported behaviors, with particularly significant improvements for third-graders in schools in the second year of the HealthMPowers program (p grades and gender, with the most significant decreases for students overweight or obese at baseline (p Students also showed significant increases in performance on the PACER test across grades and cohorts (p improve their practices over time, as measured via the CITT instrument. The present report

  16. Enhancing No Child Left Behind-School mental health connections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Brian P; Burke, Robert; Hare, Isadora; Mills, Carrie; Owens, Celeste; Moore, Elizabeth; Weist, Mark D

    2006-11-01

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into law by President George W. Bush in January 2002 and is regarded as the most significant federal education policy initiative in a generation. The primary focus of the No Child Left Behind Act is on promoting educational success for all children; however, the legislation also contains opportunities to advance school-based mental health. Unfortunately, the complexities of the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act have made it difficult for educators, stakeholders, and mental health professionals to understand the legal and practical interface between No Child Left Behind and the school mental health movement. Therefore, the goals of this article are to (1) raise awareness about the challenges educators and school mental health professionals face as a result of the implementation of No Child Left Behind and (2) provide ideas and recommendations to advance the interface between No Child Left Behind and school mental health, which will support key provisions of the act and the growth of the field.

  17. OBESITY: health prevention strategies in school environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pâmela Ferreira Todendi

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available At present, obesity configures a public health problem which calls for attention from different sectors, given the proportion it assumes all over the world. Several studies relate this problem to metabolic health problems, including endocrinal, cardiovascular, lung, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, hematological disturbances, among others. Obesity is not only associated with genetic and environmental factors, but also with unhealthy lifestyles. In view of its social importance, it is ascertained, through analyses of studies, that there are not many health prevention strategies focused on this situation. As a result of this ascertainment, the proposal is for updating prevention actions in the realm of obese schoolchildren, resulting from a work conducted during the Master’s Degree lessons in Health Promotion at the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC. The point in question is the fact that many schools pose no restrictions to products sold in their canteens. Food stuffs sold in schools should have adequate nutritional quality, and snacks prepared at school are extremely important in meeting all nutritional requirements. However, many children do not consume these school lunches, but they bring them from home or purchase them at the canteen, spending public resources, along with not taking in healthy foods and, as a consequence, leading to health problems over the years. For all this, it is of fundamental importance to carry out investigating processes with regard to how public actions and policies are being implemented towards this end, in view of the fact that obesity in schoolchildren is on a rising trend.

  18. The study of disorder and nanocrystallinity in C-S-H, supplementary cementitious materials and geopolymers using pair distribution function analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meral, Cagla; Benmore, C.J.; Monteiro, Paulo J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Significant progress was achieved with the application of Rietveld method to characterize the crystalline phases in portland cement paste. However, to obtain detailed information on the amorphous or poorly crystalline phases, it is necessary to analyze the total scattering data. The pair distribution function (PDF) method has been successfully used in the study of liquids and amorphous solids. The method takes the Sine Fourier transform of the measured structure factor over a wide momentum transfer range, providing a direct measure of the probability of finding an atom surrounding a central atom at a radial distance away. The obtained experimental characteristic distances can be also used to validate the predictions by the theoretical models, such as, molecular dynamics, ab initio simulations and density functional theory. The paper summarizes recent results of PDF analysis on silica fume, rice husk ash, fly ash, ASR gel, C-S-H and geopolymers.

  19. Chronic health conditions and school performance in first graders: A prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Isabell; Diefenbach, Christiane; Gräf, Christine; König, Jochem; Schmidt, Martina F; Schnick-Vollmer, Kathleen; Blettner, Maria; Urschitz, Michael S

    2018-01-01

    Children with chronic health conditions may perform poorer at school. Associations may be confounded by numerous social factors. We aimed to estimate the effects of a chronic health condition on overall school performance in first graders with an emphasis on rigorous adjustment for potential confounders. A population-based cohort study was performed in the area of Mainz-Bingen (Germany). In 2015 all preschoolers were approached and the presence of a chronic health condition was assessed by parental questionnaires and preschool health examination data. The identification of a chronic health condition was based on special health care needs and presence of a doctor's diagnosis out of 24 school-relevant diseases. At the end of the first school year, overall school performance was assessed by teachers and rated on a 5-item scale ranging from -10 to +10. Of 3683 children approached, 2003 were enrolled. Overall school performance was available for 1462 children (51% boys). Of these, 52% suffered from a chronic health condition. Compared to children without a chronic health condition, children with special health care needs (15%) performed worse at school (adjusted mean difference: -0.95, 95% CI: [-1.55; -0.35], P = 0.002). Children with a doctor's diagnosis but without special health care needs (37%) did not perform worse at school. The effect was further analysed considering the extent of special health care needed. Chronic health conditions affect overall school performance early in primary school. To identify academically at-risk children, a chronic health condition identification based on special health care needs may be used.

  20. Health promoting schools and children's oral health related quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusof, Zamros Y M; Jaafar, Nasruddin

    2013-12-10

    The study objective was to compare children's oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) in schools with 6 years of implementation of a health promoting school model in Malaysia, i.e. the Doktor Muda Programme (DMP) and in schools without the DMP. This report was part of a larger study to evaluate the DMP impact on schoolchildren's oral health knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, caries progression and OHRQoL. It was conducted in Negri Sembilan state. The sample comprised 3455, Year 6 (11-12 year old) children; 1282 from DMP (intervention) and 2173 from non-DMP (control) schools. The Malay Child-OIDP index was used to evaluate children's levels of oral impacts on 8 daily performances after 6 years of DMP implementation (2006-2011). Prevalence, score, impact intensity, causes and extent of impacts were compared. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used in the data analysis. Overall response rate was 95.1%. Prevalence of overall impacts was 57.8% and 60.8% (mean total impact score was 7.10 and 7.77) in the intervention and control group, respectively. The three most frequently affected performances in both groups were eating, cleaning teeth and emotional stability. Significantly less DMP children had oral impact on cleaning teeth (p = 0.034). The majority of children with impacts in both groups reported 'very little' to 'moderate' levels of impact intensity. Significantly more DMP children reported having 'very little' and 'little' levels of impact intensity on cleaning teeth (p = 0.037) and emotional stability (p = 0.020), respectively. Significantly less DMP children reported having 'very severe' level of impact intensity on speaking (p = 0.038). The most prevalent cause of impacts in both groups was toothache. Significantly less DMP children reported bleeding gums (p = 0.016) and presence of plaque/calculus as causes of impacts (p = 0.032). About 75% of children with impacts in both groups reported having up to four daily performances affected. This study showed

  1. Validity and reliability of the South African health promoting schools monitoring questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struthers, Patricia; Wegner, Lisa; de Koker, Petra; Lerebo, Wondwossen; Blignaut, Renette J

    2017-04-01

    Health promoting schools, as conceptualised by the World Health Organisation, have been developed in many countries to facilitate the health-education link. In 1994, the concept of health promoting schools was introduced in South Africa. In the process of becoming a health promoting school, it is important for schools to monitor and evaluate changes and developments taking place. The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) Monitoring Questionnaire was developed to obtain opinions of students about their school as a health promoting school. It comprises 138 questions in seven sections: socio-demographic information; General health promotion programmes; health related Skills and knowledge; Policies; Environment; Community-school links; and support Services. This paper reports on the reliability and face validity of the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire. Seven experts reviewed the questionnaire and agreed that it has satisfactory face validity. A test-retest reliability study was conducted with 83 students in three high schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The kappa-coefficients demonstrate mostly fair (κ-scores between 0.21 and 0.4) to moderate (κ-scores between 0.41 and 0.6) agreement between test-retest General and Environment items; poor (κ-scores up to 0.2) agreement between Skills and Community test-retest items, fair agreement between Policies items, and for most of the questions focussing on Services a fair agreement was found. The study is a first effort at providing a tool that may be used to monitor and evaluate students' opinions about changes in health promoting schools. Although the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire has face validity, the results of the reliability testing were inconclusive. Further research is warranted. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  2. School Nurses' Perceived Prevalence and Competence to Address Student Mental Health Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Sharon H.; Connors, Elizabeth H.

    2013-01-01

    Due to under-identification of student mental health problems and limited specialty mental health providers in schools, school nurses are often faced with identifying and addressing student mental health needs. This exploratory study assessed prevalence and types of student mental health problems encountered by school nurses, as well as their…

  3. Oral health status of school children in Mbarara, Uganda | Batwala ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: The oral hygiene of school children was poor with high plaque prevalence demonstrating a lack of established oral hygiene practices. A comprehensive community-focused oral health care intervention that includes oral health education in homes and the strengthening of school health programme is needed to ...

  4. Collaborative Learning and Competence Development in School Health Nursing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordentoft, Helle Merete; Wistoft, Karen

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process and learning outcomes of peer collaboration in a Danish health developmental project in school health nursing. The paper explores how peer collaboration influences the school nurses' collaborative learning and competence development. Design/methodology/approach: The article is based…

  5. Indoor environment and pupils' health in primary schools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijken, F; Bronswijk, van J.E.M.H.; Sundell, J.

    2006-01-01

    Dutch children are legally bound to spend 15% of their time in a school setting. The indoor environment in Dutch primary schools is known to be substandard. However, it is unclear to what extent the health of pupils is affected by the indoor school environment. The paper aims to assess the

  6. School Mental Health's Response to Terrorism and Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weist, Mark D.; Sander, Mark A.; Lever, Nancy A.; Rosner, Leah E.; Pruitt, David B.; Lowie, Jennifer Axelrod; Hill, Susan; Lombardo, Sylvie; Christodulu, Kristin V.

    2002-01-01

    Explores the response of school mental health to terrorism and disaster, reviewing literature on child and adult reactions to trauma, discussing the development of crisis response teams, and presenting strategies for schools to respond to crises and disaster. One elementary school's experiences in response to the September 11th attacks are…

  7. Effects of a school-based intervention on active commuting to school and health-related fitness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilio Villa-González

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Active commuting to school has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The main objective was to investigate the effects of a school-based intervention on active commuting to school and health-related fitness in school-age children of Southern Spain. Methods A total of 494 children aged 8 to 11 years were invited to participate in the study. The schools were non-randomly allocated (i.e., school level allocation into the experimental group (EG or the control group (CG. The EG received an intervention program for 6 months (a monthly activity focused on increasing the level of active commuting to school and mainly targeting children’s perceptions and attitudes. Active commuting to school and health-related fitness (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and speed-agility, were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Children with valid data on commuting to school at baseline and follow-up, sex, age and distance from home to school were included in the final analysis (n = 251. Data was analyzed through a factorial ANOVA and the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Results At follow up, the EG had higher rates of cycling to school than CG for boys only (p = 0.04, but not for walking to school for boys or girls. The EG avoided increases in the rates of passive commuting at follow up, which increased in the CG among girls for car (MD = 1.77; SE = 0.714; p = 0.010 and bus (MD = 1.77; SE = 0.714; p = 0.010 modes. Moreover, we observed significant interactions and main effects between independent variables (study group, sex and assessment time point on health-related fitness (p < 0.05 over the 6-month period between groups, with higher values in the control group (mainly in boys. Conclusion A school-based intervention focused on increasing active commuting to school was associated with increases in rates of cycling to school among boys, but not for

  8. Health Promoting Schools: Initiatives in Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macnab, Andrew J.; Stewart, Donald; Gagnon, Faith A.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale for and potential of World Health Organization (WHO) health promoting schools (HPS) in Africa. Design/Methodology/Approach: Overview of the related literature and presentations at the 2011 Stellenbosch international colloquium on HPS relating to sub-Saharan Africa. Findings: Schools…

  9. SHPPS 2006: School Health Policies and Programs Study--Foods and Beverages Sold Outside of the School Meals Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007

    2007-01-01

    The School health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. This brief reports study results in the area of foods and beverages sold outside of the school meals program. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure, and 2…

  10. What do we know about promoting mental health through schools?

    OpenAIRE

    Weare, Katherine; Markham, Wolfgang

    2005-01-01

    There is a growing evidence base on what schools need to do to promote mental health effectively. There is strong evidence that they need first and foremost to use a whole school approach. This shapes the social contexts which promote mental health and which provide a backdrop of measures to prevent mental health disorders. In this context the targeting of those with articular needs and the work of the specialist services can be much more effective. Schools need to use positive model...

  11. The Psychology School Mental Health Initiative: An Innovative Approach to the Delivery of School-Based Intervention Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millar, Golden M.; Lean, Debra; Sweet, Susan D.; Moraes, Sabrina C.; Nelson, Victoria

    2013-01-01

    Evidence suggests that schools have, by default, become the primary mental health system for students in Canada. The goal of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate the Psychology School Mental Health Initiative (PSMHI). The PSMHI is an innovative attempt to increase the capacity of school-based psychology staff to deliver…

  12. Healthy kids: Making school health policy a participatory learning process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stjernqvist, Nanna Wurr; Bruselius-Jensen, Maria; Høstgaard Bonde, Ane

    enjoyed having a voice in school matters and to deal with real life during health education. Teachers were very positive towards the integration of school health policy work into teaching the curriculum in Danish, Maths and Biology. However, the transferring from the classroom to the organizational levels....... Methods The presented model works at two levels - the classroom and the organizational level – and is based on four phases, namely: Investigation – Vision – Action – Change, viewed as an iterative process. Pupil perspectives and learning is the basis in all four phases based on a set of health education...... was weakhindering sustainable health changes. Conclusion Findings indicate that integrating school policy processes into the teaching of curriculum might pave the way for schools to engage in health promotion. But further knowledge on how to likewise engage the staff on an organisational level is needed....

  13. Protecting Health and Saving Lives: The Part-Time/Internet-Based Master of Public Health Program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Linda; Gresh, Kathy; Vanchiswaran, Rohini; Werapitiya, Deepthi

    2007-01-01

    This article discusses the part-time/Internet-based Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH). The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health was the first school of public health in the United States to offer a Master of Public Health program via the Internet. The JHSPH MPH Program…

  14. Implementation of municipal health promoting projects in primary schools: teachers perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordin, Lone Lindegard

    2013-01-01

    . The project is funded by the Danish Ministry of Science, University of Aarhus and Silkeborg municipality, and involves 5 primary schools, 23 teachers and 233 pupils from 7th to 9 class. The project is positioned within the critical approach to school health education and health promotion, developed......Implementation of municipally health promoting projects' in primary schools: teachers perspective Research question This paper discusses the findings from a qualitative research, that aimed to investigate how teachers in primary schools implemented municipal health promoting projects focusing...... that there is a “gap” between policy and practice according to aim, content and methods, and that teachers practice can be explained as coping mechanism. The key findings include: • Teachers practice is closer to traditional health education than critical health education. • Teachers priorities the mandatory teaching...

  15. HEALTH POLICY INTERVENTION IN SCHOOLS PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AMONG THE PUPILS

    OpenAIRE

    He, Chen; Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

    2009-01-01

    Now, more than ever, there are serious health concerns for obese and overweight children. Schools are the perfect setting for children to learn, and this influence can play an important role in preventing children from becoming obese and overweight. The study concerns the behaviors of Health Promoting School (HPS) according to a broad definition of HPS in World Health Organization (WHO), or dependent on schools own health promoting policies. The purpose of study research is to examine whether...

  16. High school students' experiences of bullying and victimization and the association with school health center use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Catherine; Deardorff, Julianna; Lahiff, Maureen; Soleimanpour, Samira; Sakashita, Kimi; Brindis, Claire D

    2015-05-01

    Bullying and victimization are ongoing concerns in schools. School health centers (SHCs) are well situated to support affected students because they provide crisis intervention, mental health care, and broader interventions to improve school climate. This study examined the association between urban adolescents' experiences of school-based bullying and victimization and their use of SHCs. Data was analyzed from 2063 high school students in 5 Northern California school districts using the 2009-2010 California Healthy Kids Survey. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to measure associations. Students who were bullied or victimized at school had significantly higher odds of using the SHCs compared with students who were not, and were also significantly more likely to report confidentiality concerns. The magnitude of associations was largest for Asian/Pacific Islander students, though this was likely due to greater statistical power. African American students reported victimization experiences at approximately the same rate as their peers, but were significantly less likely to indicate they experienced bullying. Findings suggest that SHCs may be an important place to address bullying and victimization at school, but confidentiality concerns are barriers that may be more common among bullied and victimized youth. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  17. Barriers to the successful implementation of school health services ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Although South Africa accepted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1996 thereby committing itself to prioritisation of children, the implementation of school health services in South Africa has deteriorated to levels that contravene these rights. The promotion of health in schools requires a strong political ...

  18. Influence of children's oral health-related quality of life on school performance and school absenteeism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piovesan, Chaiana; Antunes, José Leopoldo Ferreira; Mendes, Fausto Medeiros; Guedes, Renata Saraiva; Ardenghi, Thiago Machado

    2012-01-01

    This study assessed the relation of child oral health-related quality of life with school performance and school absenteeism. We followed a cross-sectional design with a multistage random sample of 312 12-year-old schoolchildren living in Brazil. The participants completed the child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ(11-14) ) that provides information about psychological factors, while their parents or guardians answered questions on their socioeconomic status measured by parents' education level and household income. A dental examination of each child provided information on the prevalence of caries and dental trauma. Data on school performance, which included the results of baseline Brazilian language (Portuguese) tests, and school absenteeism (school days missed) were obtained from the school register. Multilevel linear regression was used to investigate the association among psychological and socioeconomic status and children's school performance. In the multiple model, after adjusting for individual covariates, being a girl was associated with higher school performance (P Children's school performance and absence were influenced by psychological and socioeconomic conditions. © 2012 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  19. Do 'school coaches' make a difference in school-based mental health promotion? Results from a large focus group study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corrieri, Sandro; Conrad, Ines; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G

    2014-12-01

    Mental disorders in children and adolescents are common and have serious consequences. Schools present a key opportunity to promote mental health and implement prevention measures. Four school coaches in five German schools were enlisted to engage students, teachers and parents in building a sustainably healthy school and classroom climate. Altogether, 58 focus groups with students (N=244), parents (N=54) and teachers (N=62) were conducted longitudinally. Topics included: (1) the development of the school and classroom climate, (2) the role of mental health in the regular curriculum, and (3) the role of school coaches in influencing these aspects. Over time, school coaches became trusted reference persons for an increasing number of school system members. They were able to positively influence the school and classroom climate by increasing the awareness of students, teachers and parents of mental health in daily routines. Nevertheless, topics like bullying and student inclusion remained an issue at follow-up. Overall, the school coach intervention is a good model for establishing the topic of mental health in everyday school life and increasing its importance. Future efforts will focus on building self-supporting structures and networks in order to make these efforts sustainable.

  20. Should we establish a North American school of global health sciences?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hotez, Peter J

    2004-08-01

    Since 1997, an unprecedented amount of American philanthropy from both private and federal sources has been directed toward research and control programs for the major tropical infectious diseases of developing countries. The US and Canadian capacity to respond to these new initiatives might prove inadequate, however, as tropical disease research and training infrastructures have deteriorated at most North American academic health centers over the last three decades. Training opportunities in clinical tropical medicine, parasitology laboratory diagnostics, vector control, and public health practice are especially depleted and portend a lost generation of experts in these areas. In addition, unlike some of the European schools of tropical medicine, no North American medical or public health school currently boasts a comprehensive faculty in the global health sciences, with expertise that spans laboratory investigation, clinical and translational research, health policy, and international development. To meet the challenge presented by the new philanthropy targeting the global diseases of poverty, a North American school of global health sciences should be established. The North American school, possibly in association with one of the existing schools of medicine or public health, would provide interdisciplinary training to produce a new generation of global health scientists.

  1. Health among Schoolchildren from the School Nurse's Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellertsson, Ann-Sofi; Garmy, Pernilla; Clausson, Eva K.

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate Swedish school nurses' perceptions of schoolchildren's health. The study is based on two national surveys in which school nurses responded to questions about schoolchildren's health in 2015 (n = 181) and 2005 (n = 129). A statistical comparison showed that physical and mental health of schoolchildren in…

  2. School-related and social-emotional outcomes of providing mental health services in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Kristin L; Sander, Mark A; Klimes-Dougan, Bonnie

    2014-02-01

    This study evaluated student outcomes of an expanded school mental health (ESMH) model that placed community mental health clinicians on-site in schools to identify and treat children with mental health needs. The first aim of this study was to consider school-related outcomes (suspension rates and attendance rates) for those students who received ESMH treatment (n = 159) were compared to a matched high-risk sample that did not receive such services (n = 148). Results demonstrated differences between groups over time on measures of suspensions and attendance but not academic achievement. The second aim of this study was to evaluate change in social-emotional functioning (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Scores) over time for the treatment group. Results indicated significant improvements on several parent and teacher ratings. Despite limitations of the ESMH framework examined in this study, the overall results suggest some promising advantages for students who received ESMH services.

  3. School Belonging, School Victimization, and the Mental Health of LGBT Young Adults: Implications for School Psychologists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heck, Nicholas C.; Lindquist, Lauri M.; Machek, Greg R.; Cochran, Bryan N.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the mediating role of school victimization in the relationship between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young adults' feelings of high school belonging and current mental health (both depression and general psychological distress) outcomes. A total of 145 LGBT young adults were recruited from college LGBT…

  4. Schools for health, education and development: a call for action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Kwok-Cho; Nutbeam, Don; Aldinger, Carmen; St Leger, Lawrence; Bundy, Donald; Hoffmann, Anna Maria; Yankah, Ekua; McCall, Doug; Buijs, Goof; Arnaout, Said; Morales, Sofialeticia; Robinson, Faye; Torranin, Charuaypon; Drake, Lesley; Abolfotouh, Mostafa; Whitman, Cheryl Vince; Meresman, Sergio; Odete, Cossa; Joukhadar, Abdul-Halim; Avison, Claire; Wright, Cream; Huerta, Franscico; Munodawafa, Davison; Nyamwaya, David; Heckert, Karen

    2009-03-01

    In 2007, the World Health Organization, together with United Nations and international organization as well as experts, met to draw upon existing evidence and practical experience from regions, countries and individual schools in promoting health through schools. The goal of the meeting was to identify current and emerging global factors affecting schools, and to help them respond more effectively to health, education and development opportunities. At the meeting, a Statement was developed describing effective approaches and strategies that can be adopted by schools to promote health, education and development. Five key challenges were identified. These described the need to continue building evidence and capturing practical experience in school health; the importance of improving implementation processes to ensure optimal transfer of evidence into practice; the need to alleviating social and economic disadvantage in access to and successful completion of school education; the opportunity to harness media influences for positive benefit, and the continuing challenge to improve partnerships among different sectors and organizations. The participants also identified a range of actions needed to respond to these challenges, highlighting the need for action by local school communities, governments and international organizations to invest in quality education, and to increase participation of children and young people in school education. This paper describes the rationale for and process of the meeting and the development of the Statement and outlines some of the most immediate efforts made to implement the actions identified in the Statement. It also suggests further joint actions required for the implementation of the Statement.

  5. Visual methods in health dialogues: A qualitative study of public health nurse practice in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laholt, Hilde; Guillemin, Marilys; Mcleod, Kim; Olsen, Randi Elisabeth; Lorem, Geir Fagerjord

    2017-12-01

    We aimed to explore how using visual methods might improve or complicate the dynamics of the health dialogue between public health nurses (PHNs) and school pupils. This was done from the perspective of PHNs, specifically examining how they understood their role and practice as a PHN and the application of visual methods in this practice. The health dialogue is a method used by PHNs in school nursing in Norway. In this practice, there can be communicative barriers between pupils and PHNs. Investigating how PHNs understand their professional practice can lead to ways of addressing these communicative barriers, which can affect pupil satisfaction and achievement of health-related behaviours in the school context. Specifically, the use of visual methods by PHNs may address these communicative barriers. The research design was qualitative, using focus groups combined with visual methods. We conducted focus group interviews using a semi-structured discussion guide and visual methods with five groups of PHNs (n = 31) working in northern Norwegian school health services. The data were collected during January and February 2016. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed and coded into themes and sub-themes using systematic text condensation and drawings were analysed using interpretive engagement, a method of visual analysis. Drawings and focus group discussions showed that PHNs perceived their professional practice as primarily a relational praxis. The PHNs used a variety of visual methods as part of the health dialogue with school pupils. This active use of visualization worked to build and strengthen relations when words were inadequate and served to enhance the flexible and relational practice employed by the PHNs. PHNs used different kinds of visualization methods to establish relations with school pupils, especially when verbalization by the pupils was difficult. PHNs were aware of both the benefits and challenges of using visualization with school pupils in

  6. School Counselors' Perspectives of a Web-Based Stepped Care Mental Health Service for Schools: Cross-Sectional Online Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Dea, Bridianne; King, Catherine; Subotic-Kerry, Mirjana; O'Moore, Kathleen; Christensen, Helen

    2017-11-20

    Mental health problems are common among youth in high school, and school counselors play a key role in the provision of school-based mental health care. However, school counselors occupy a multispecialist position that makes it difficult for them to provide care to all of those who are in need in a timely manner. A Web-based mental health service that offers screening, psychological therapy, and monitoring may help counselors manage time and provide additional oversight to students. However, for such a model to be implemented successfully, school counselors' attitudes toward Web-based resources and services need to be measured. This study aimed to examine the acceptability of a proposed Web-based mental health service, the feasibility of providing this type of service in the school context, and the barriers and facilitators to implementation as perceived by school counselors in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This study utilized an online cross-sectional survey to measure school counselors' perspectives. A total of 145 school counselors completed the survey. Overall, 82.1% (119/145) thought that the proposed service would be helpful to students. One-third reported that they would recommend the proposed model, with the remaining reporting potential concerns. Years of experience was the only background factor associated with a higher level of comfort with the proposed service (P=.048). Personal beliefs, knowledge and awareness, Internet accessibility, privacy, and confidentiality were found to influence, both positively and negatively, the likelihood of school counselors implementing a Web-based school mental health service. The findings of this study confirmed that greater support and resources are needed to facilitate what is already a challenging and emotionally demanding role for school counselors. Although the school counselors in this study were open to the proposed service model, successful implementation will require that the issues outlined are carefully

  7. Health Benefits of Integrated Pest Management in Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    The following documents describe the health case for School IPM.They describe what IPM is, and then summarize currently available research pointing to how pest control via IPM makes for a healthier school environment.

  8. An evaluation of school health services in Sagamu, Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2013-07-01

    Jul 1, 2013 ... Settings and Design: This was a cross‑sectional study carried out on private and ... with the maintenance of the health of school children.[1] .... achieved by sending the affected child home until recovery. ... Comparison between school health services in private .... quality of SHS, as exemplified by Umar et al.

  9. School role in health education in Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costanzo, Sergio

    2011-10-01

    Intellectual and knowledge values on one side, and vital and physical values on the other, need to be balanced. A harmonious coexistence of these values requires synergy among the bodies that contribute to children education to avoid that the heath education activities cause overlapping, misunderstanding and conflicts between the two models that define children lifestyles: schools and families. Educational bodies understand that health education is key to enable people manage their bio-psychic, emotional, moral and mental resources. Lack of this ability means damage to the child and consequently a failure of the school and the society itself. In the latest decades, schools have been working in this direction, and they have redefined the national curricula integrating health education with specific references to food education and physical activity.

  10. Promoting Mental Health Literacy through Bibliotherapy in School-Based Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumbauer, Janyna; Kelchner, Viki

    2018-01-01

    Considering that one in five children has or has had a mental disorder in a given year (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010), the demand for mental health services within the school setting is immense. Bibliotherapy can serve as a preventative and responsive treatment for increasing mental health literacy within the school setting. The…

  11. Association between School District Policies That Address Chronic Health Conditions of Students and Professional Development for School Nurses on Such Policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, S. Everett; Brener, Nancy D.; Bergren, Martha Dewey

    2015-01-01

    Supportive school policies and well-prepared school nurses can best address the needs of students with chronic health conditions. We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine whether districts with policies requiring that schools provide health services to students with chronic…

  12. Collaboration with Community Mental Health Service Providers: A Necessity in Contemporary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarreal, Victor; Castro-Villarreal, Felicia

    2016-01-01

    Schools have played an increasingly central role in providing mental health services to youth, but there are limitations to the services that are available through school-based mental health professionals. Thus, collaboration with non-school-based community mental health providers is oftentimes necessary. As collaboration can address limitations…

  13. Developing a nutrition and health education program for primary schools in Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Jane; Muehlhoff, Ellen

    2007-01-01

    School-based health and nutrition interventions in developing countries aim at improving children's nutrition and learning ability. In addition to the food and health inputs, children need access to education that is relevant to their lives, of good quality, and effective in its approach. Based on evidence from the Zambia Nutrition Education in Basic Schools (NEBS) project, this article examines whether and to what extent school-based health and nutrition education can contribute directly to improving the health and nutrition behaviors of school children. Initial results suggest that gains in awareness, knowledge and behavior can be achieved among children and their families with an actively implemented classroom program backed by teacher training and parent involvement, even in the absence of school-based nutrition and health services.

  14. Influencing school health policy: the role of state school nurse consultants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broussard, Lisa; Howat, Holly; Stokes, Billy; Street, Tanya

    2011-01-01

    The role of the State School Nurse Consultant has been well defined by the National Association of School Nurses. State School Nurse Consultants serve as a resource to school nurses on issues related to their practice, as well as a liaison between top-level educators and school nurses. The purpose of this article is to describe the role of the State School Nurse Consultant, and to present results of a survey of Louisiana school nurses related to their practice needs. A survey was administered via Survey Monkey to determine the perceived needs of Louisiana school nurses related to their professional practice. Eighty-eight members of the Louisiana School Nurse Organization participated in the online survey. Louisiana is 1 of 6 states that do not have a State School Nurse Consultant. Respondents to the survey indicated an overwhelming need to have a school nurse representative at the state level. Twenty-two of the respondents specifically stated that they would like to have a State School Nurse Consultant within the Department of Education. Budgetary constraints have resulted in a lack of funding for a State School Nurse Consultant in Louisiana. Partnerships with federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and billing of Medicaid for school nursing services are 2 examples of revenue sources for school nurses that Louisiana is investigating. Revenue from these sources may serve to supplement state funds so that this important resource for Louisiana school nurses can be put into place.

  15. Enhancing the Behavioral and Mental Health Services within School-Based Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Robyn S.; Pearrow, Melissa; Hazel, Cynthia E.; Sander, Janay B.; Wille, Alice M.

    2017-01-01

    Recent health care reform provides many new opportunities to expand mental health and behavioral support to students in schools and school-community partnerships. Through newly available funding sources, as well as expanded legislative initiatives, school psychologists can advocate for and become leaders in delivering universal programming, tiered…

  16. Gerena School Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Final Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    This is the final report of the EPA-led Gerena Community School HIA, which aims to provide valuable health-focused information to help the City of Springfield narrow down and prioritize renovation actions at the school.

  17. Determinants of the intention of elementary school nurses to adopt a redefined role in health promotion at school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Godin Gaston

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The quest for greater efficiency in the provision of primary healthcare services and the implementation of a "health-promoting school" approach encourage the optimal redefinition of the role of school nurses. School nurses are viewed as professionals who might be significant actors in the promotion of youth health. The aim of this study was to identify the determinants of the intention of elementary school nurses to adopt a new health-promotion role as a strategic option for the health-promoting school. Methods This study was based on an extended version of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB. A total of 251 respondents (response rate of 70% from 42 school health programs across the Province of Québec completed a mail survey regarding their intention to adopt the proposed health-promotion role. Multiple hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between key independent variables and intention. A discriminant analysis of the beliefs was performed to identify the main targets of action. Results A total of 73% of respondents expressed a positive intention to accept to play the proposed role. The main predictors were perceived behavioural control (β = 0.36, moral norm (β = 0.27, attitude (β = 0.24, and subjective norm (β = 0.21 (ps Conclusions Results suggest that leadership is a skill that should be addressed to increase the ability of school nurses to assume the proposed role. Findings also indicate that public health administrators need to ensure adequate nurse staffing in the schools in order to increase the proportion of nurses willing to play such a role and avoid burnout among these human resources.

  18. A Study of Health Education and Its Needs for Elementary School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Irshad; Alamgir, Muhammad Ahmad; Shahzad, Muhammad

    2015-01-01

    Health Education, particularly in elementary schools, appears to be a neglected area in Pakistan. This study investigated the health education needs of elementary school students. The purpose of the present study is to assess health education needs of elementary school students. The study adopted mix approach of (qualitative and quantitative)…

  19. Variable School Start Times and Middle School Student's Sleep Health and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewin, Daniel S; Wang, Guanghai; Chen, Yao I; Skora, Elizabeth; Hoehn, Jessica; Baylor, Allison; Wang, Jichuan

    2017-08-01

    Improving sleep health among adolescents is a national health priority and implementing healthy school start times (SSTs) is an important strategy to achieve these goals. This study leveraged the differences in middle school SST in a large district to evaluate associations between SST, sleep health, and academic performance. This cross-sectional study draws data from a county-wide surveillance survey. Participants were three cohorts of eighth graders (n = 26,440). The school district is unique because SST ranged from 7:20 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Path analysis and probit regression were used to analyze associations between SST and self-report measures of weekday sleep duration, grades, and homework controlling for demographic variables (sex, race, and socioeconomic status). The independent contributions of SST and sleep duration to academic performance were also analyzed. Earlier SST was associated with decreased sleep duration (χ 2  = 173, p academic performance, and academic effort. Path analysis models demonstrated the independent contributions of sleep duration, SST, and variable effects for demographic variables. This is the first study to evaluate the independent contributions of SST and sleep to academic performance in a large sample of middle school students. Deficient sleep was prevalent, and the earliest SST was associated with decrements in sleep and academics. These findings support the prioritization of policy initiatives to implement healthy SST for younger adolescents and highlight the importance of sleep health education disparities among race and gender groups. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Rethinking schools of public health: a strategic alliance model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moloughney, Brent W; Skinner, Harvey A

    2006-01-01

    Canada is in the midst of rejuvenation of public health organizations, mandates and infrastructure. Major planning exercises are underway regarding public health human resources, where academic institutions have a key role to play. To what extent could schools of public health be part of the solution? Many universities across Canada are considering or in the process of implementing MPH programs (some 17 programs planned and/or underway) and possible schools of public health. However, concerns are raised about critical mass, quality and standards. We encourage innovation and debate about ways to enhance collaborative and structural arrangements for education programs. A school of public health model might emerge from this, but so too might other models. Also, novel types of organizational structure need consideration. One example is a "strategic alliance" model that is broad-based, integrative and adaptive--building on the interdisciplinary focus needed for addressing public health concerns in the 21st century. From our perspective, the central question is: what (new) types of organizational structures and, equally important, collaborative networks will enable Canada to strengthen its public health workforce so that it may better address local and global challenges to public health?

  1. The World Health Organization?s Health Promoting Schools framework: a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Langford, Rebecca; Bonell, Christopher; Jones, Hayley; Pouliou, Theodora; Murphy, Simon; Waters, Elizabeth; Komro, Kelli; Gibbs, Lisa; Magnus, Daniel; Campbell, Rona

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Healthy children achieve better educational outcomes which, in turn, are associated with improved health later in life. The World Health Organization's Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework is a holistic approach to promoting health and educational attainment in school. The effectiveness of this approach has not yet been rigorously reviewed. METHODS: We searched 20 health, education and social science databases, and trials registries and relevant websites in 2011 and 2013. We i...

  2. Adverse health effects of experiencing food insecurity among Greenlandic school children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niclasen, B.; Petzold, M.; Schnohr, C. W.

    2013-01-01

    Background. In vulnerable populations, food security in children has been found to be associated with negative health effects. Still, little is known about whether the negative health effects can be retrieved in children at the population level. Objective. To examine food insecurity reported...... by Greenlandic school children as a predictor for perceived health, physical symptoms and medicine use. Design. The study is based on the Greenlandic part of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey. The 2010 survey included 2,254 students corresponding to 40% of all Greenlandic school children...... in Grade 5 through 10. The participation rate in the participating schools was 65%. Food insecurity was measured as going to bed or to school hungry because there was no food at home. Results. Boys, the youngest children (11-12 year-olds), and children from low affluence homes were at increased risk...

  3. Leaving school without qualifications and mental health problems to age 30.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fergusson, David M; McLeod, Geraldine F H; Horwood, L John

    2015-03-01

    To examine the associations between leaving school without qualifications and subsequent mental health to age 30, using data gathered over the course of a 30-year longitudinal study. Data were gathered over the course of a 30-year study (Christchurch Health and Development Study) of a birth cohort of 1265 children, born in Christchurch in 1977. This cohort has been studied on 22 occasions from birth to age 30. As part of this study, information was gathered on: (a) school leaving qualifications, (b) mental health problems from 18 to 30; and (c) prospectively assessed childhood and adolescent factors including: child and family background; family violence and child abuse; and adolescent mental health problems. Leaving school without qualifications was associated with increased risks of subsequent: major depression (OR = 1.37 at 95 % CI 1.05-1.78, p = 0.019); anxiety disorder (OR = 1.99 at 95 % CI 1.55-2.57, p mental health problems) reduced these associations substantially and to the point of statistical non-significance. The findings of this study suggest that there was no direct causal association between leaving school without qualifications and subsequent mental health problems. Associations were explained by the linkages between leaving school without qualifications and: child and family social background; and mental health around the point of school leaving.

  4. A National Assessment of Colleges and University School Health Education Methods Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Christine M.; Price, James H.; Telljohann, Susan K.; Dake, Joseph A.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Across the United States, school health education programs provide a wide variety of knowledge and skills to their students. There are currently no guidelines for school health methods courses. Methods: Using a 2-wave mailing followed by a third wave e-mail reminder, a final population of 226 university school health methods…

  5. Perceived Uncertainty and Organizational Health in Public Schools: The Mediating Effect of School Principals' Transformational Leadership Style

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hameiri, Lior; Nir, Adam

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Public schools operate in a changing and dynamic environment evident in technological innovations, increased social heterogeneity and competition, all contributing to school leaders' uncertainty. Such changes inevitably influence schools' inner dynamic and may therefore undermine schools' organizational health. School leaders have a…

  6. Bringing Mental Health Needs into Focus through School Counseling Program Transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruman, Diana H.; Marston, Toby; Koon, Holly

    2013-01-01

    Professional school counselors are educational leaders with training and expertise to address the mental health concerns of students. Unfortunately, work conditions at some schools can create barriers to the delivery of effective mental health services. This article presents a case of one rural, diverse high school that transformed its school…

  7. Cost Benefit of Comprehensive Primary and Preventive School-Based Health Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padula, William V; Connor, Katherine A; Mueller, Josiah M; Hong, Jonathan C; Velazquez, Gabriela Calderon; Johnson, Sara B

    2018-01-01

    The Rales Health Center is a comprehensive school-based health center at an urban elementary/middle school. Rales Health Center provides a full range of pediatric services using an enriched staffing model consisting of pediatrician, nurse practitioner, registered nurses, and medical office assistant. This staffing model provides greater care but costs more than traditional school-based health centers staffed by part-time nurses. The objective was to analyze the cost benefit of Rales Health Center enhanced staffing model compared with a traditional school-based health center (standard care), focusing on asthma care, which is among the most prevalent chronic conditions of childhood. In 2016, cost-benefit analysis using a decision tree determined the net social benefit of Rales Health Center compared with standard care from the U.S. societal perspective based on the 2015-2016 academic year. It was assumed that Rales Health Center could handle greater patient throughput related to asthma, decreased prescription costs, reduced parental resources in terms of missed work time, and improved student attendance. Univariate and multivariate probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. The expected cost to operate Rales Health Center was $409,120, compared with standard care cost of $172,643. Total monetized incremental benefits of Rales Health Center were estimated to be $993,414. The expected net social benefit for Rales Health Center was $756,937, which demonstrated substantial societal benefit at a return of $4.20 for every dollar invested. This net social benefit estimate was robust to sensitivity analyses. Despite the greater cost associated with the Rales Health Center's enhanced staffing model, the results of this analysis highlight the cost benefit of providing comprehensive, high-quality pediatric care in schools, particularly schools with a large proportion of underserved students. Copyright © 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by

  8. Systems thinking and complexity: considerations for health promoting schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosas, Scott R

    2017-04-01

    The health promoting schools concept reflects a comprehensive and integrated philosophy to improving student and personnel health and well-being. Conceptualized as a configuration of interacting, interdependent parts connected through a web of relationships that form a whole greater than the sum of its parts, school health promotion initiatives often target several levels (e.g. individual, professional, procedural and policy) simultaneously. Health promoting initiatives, such as those operationalized under the whole school approach, include several interconnected components that are coordinated to improve health outcomes in complex settings. These complex systems interventions are embedded in intricate arrangements of physical, biological, ecological, social, political and organizational relationships. Systems thinking and characteristics of complex adaptive systems are introduced in this article to provide a perspective that emphasizes the patterns of inter-relationships associated with the nonlinear, dynamic and adaptive nature of complex hierarchical systems. Four systems thinking areas: knowledge, networks, models and organizing are explored as a means to further manage the complex nature of the development and sustainability of health promoting schools. Applying systems thinking and insights about complex adaptive systems can illuminate how to address challenges found in settings with both complicated (i.e. multi-level and multisite) and complex aspects (i.e. synergistic processes and emergent outcomes). © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Online schools and children with special health and educational needs: comparison with performance in traditional schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Lindsay A; Ferdig, Rick; Black, Erik

    2012-04-30

    In the United States, primary and secondary online schools are institutions that deliver online curricula for children enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12). These institutions commonly provide opportunities for online instruction in conjunction with local schools for students who may need remediation, have advanced needs, encounter unqualified local instructors, or experience scheduling conflicts. Internet-based online schooling may potentially help children from populations known to have educational and health disadvantages, such as those from certain racial or ethnic backgrounds, those of low socioeconomic status, and children with special health care needs (CSHCN). To describe the basic and applied demographics of US online-school users and to compare student achievement in traditional versus online schooling environments. We performed a brief parental survey in three states examining basic demographics and educational history of the child and parents, the child's health status as measured by the CSHCN Screener, and their experiences and educational achievement with online schools and class(es). Results were compared with state public-school demographics and statistical analyses controlled for state-specific independence. We analyzed responses from 1971 parents with a response rate of 14.7% (1971/13,384). Parents of online-school participants were more likely to report having a bachelor's degree or higher than were parents of students statewide in traditional schools, and more of their children were white and female. Most notably, the prevalence of CSHCN was high (476/1971, 24.6%) in online schooling. Children who were male, black, or had special health care needs reported significantly lower grades in both traditional and online schools. However, when we controlled for age, gender, race, and parental education, parents of CSHCN or black children reported significantly lower grades in online than in traditional schooling (adjusted odds ratio [a

  10. Exploring School Nurse Interventions and Health and Education Outcomes: An Integrative Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Best, Nakia C.; Oppewal, Sonda; Travers, Debbie

    2018-01-01

    School nurses intervene with students, parents, and school staff to advance the health and academic success of students. We conducted an integrative literature review of published research to describe the types of school nurse interventions and health and education outcome measures and to examine how school nurse interventions were linked to…

  11. A Gradient in Education Due to Health? Evidence from the Study of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saab, Hana; Klinger, Don A.

    2011-01-01

    Research exploring the relationship between education and health suggests that people with higher levels of schooling report better health. To emphasize health as a determinant of educational achievement, this article establishes a gradient in education by health among Canadian students. Using data from the 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged…

  12. The Relationship between Health Literacy, Perceived Self-efficacy and Self-care Performance of Female Senior High School Students in Health Promoting Schools of Miyaneh, 2016-2017

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahnaz Khodabandeh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and objective: Self-care in adolescents is considered as an effective measure in line with the promotion of health in each community. In this regard, the role of health promoting schools is of great importance. Furthermore, health literacy, as one of the basic tools for promoting community health, has been given much attention by policymakers. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the health literacy, perceived self-efficacy and self-care performance of female senior high school students in the health promoting schools of Miyaneh in 2016-2017. Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, 320 female senior high school students were selected randomly using the multi –stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected by using the questionnaires of Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA, General Self-efficacy Scale, and the Adolescent Health Promotion (AHP scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 21 using the statistical tests of Pearson correlation coefficient and Multiple Regression (ENTER method. Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the health literacy and perceived self-efficacy and the self-care performance of female students in the health promoting schools, as well as between the components of health literacy and self-care components. No significant relationship was found between the component of health literacy calculation and the self-care components of nutrition, responsibility for health, spiritual growth, and physical activity. The results of regression analysis indicated that the dimensions of self-efficacy, use and correlation of health literacy are good predictors of self-care performance (R2 = 0.605. Moreover, the health literacy and the perceived self-efficacy can predict the self-care performance of students by 51 percent. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that a student with high levels of

  13. Setting the Stage: Coordinated Approaches to School Health and Physical Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelder, Steven H.; Karp, Grace Goc; Scruggs, Philip W.; Brown, Helen

    2014-01-01

    Is there anything more important than the health, well-being and education of a nation's children? This paper takes the position that school is the most important place to educate children about health and to develop lifelong health promoting skills. We believe that health promotion programs and activities are integral to the school's…

  14. Evaluating health-promoting schools in Hong Kong: development of a framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Albert; Cheng, Frances F K; St Leger, Lawry

    2005-06-01

    Health-promoting schools (HPS)/healthy schools have existed internationally for about 15 years. Yet there are few comprehensive evaluation frameworks available which enable the outcomes of HPS initiatives to be assessed. This paper identifies an evaluation framework developed in Hong Kong. The framework uses a range of approaches to explore what schools actually do in their health promotion and health education initiatives. The framework, which is based on the WHO (Western Pacific Regional Office) Guidelines for HPS, is described in detail. The appropriate instruments for data collection are described and their origins identified. The evaluation plan and protocol, which underpinned the very comprehensive evaluation in Hong Kong, are explained. Finally, a case is argued for evaluation of HPS to be more in line with the educational dynamics of schools and the research literature on effective schooling, rather than focusing primarily on health-related measures.

  15. Continuous admission to primary school and mental health problems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S.A. Reijneveld (Sijmen); C.H. Wiefferink (Carin); E. Brugman (Emily); F.C. Verhulst (Frank); S.P. Verloove-Vanhorick; A.D.C. Paulussen (Aimée)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Younger children in a school class have higher rates of mental health problems if admission to primary school occurs once a year. This study examines whether this relative age effect also occurs if children are admitted to school continuously throughout the year. Methods: We

  16. Continuous admission to primary school and mental health problems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reijneveld, S.A.; Wiefferink, C.H.; Brugman, E.; Verhulst, F.C.; Verloove-Vanhorick, S.P.; Paulussen, T.G.W.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Younger children in a school class have higher rates of mental health problems if admission to primary school occurs once a year. This study examines whether this relative age effect also occurs if children are admitted to school continuously throughout the year. Methods: We assessed

  17. Teacher Time Spent on Student Health Issues and School Nurse Presence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Nina Jean; Hollis, Marianne

    2012-01-01

    Elementary school teacher time spent on student health issues and the relationship to school nurse services was the focus of this 2-year study. A cross-sectional design was used to survey traditional and exceptional (special needs) classroom teachers about the time they spent on health issues and their perception of school nurse presence. The…

  18. Schools and Disasters: Safety and Mental Health Assessment and Interventions for Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Betty S; Esnard, Ann-Margaret; Lowe, Sarah R; Peek, Lori

    2016-12-01

    This article draws on experiences and lessons from global disasters and utilizes the United Nations Comprehensive School Safety Framework to highlight the necessary role of safe schools in protecting children, as well as adult staff, from the immediate threats and long-term implications of disasters. Specifically, we focus on three well-established pillars of school safety: Pillar I: Safe Learning Facilities; Pillar II: Disaster Management; and Pillar III: Risk Reduction and Resilience Education. In addition, we propose a potential fourth pillar, which underscores the function of schools in postdisaster mental health assessment and intervention for children. We argue that schools offer a central location and trusted institutional space for mental health assessment and intervention after disasters. We also examine the important linkages between schools, child mental health, and household and family recovery. We conclude with recommendations for filling gaps in research and practice related to ensuring the safety of schools and the associated health and well-being of children in the face of future disasters.

  19. The formation of person’s health: experience of Waldorf school

    OpenAIRE

    O.M. Ionova

    2013-01-01

    In the article is presented the results of comparative researches of the state of health of Waldorf and traditional schools of students, conducted in different countries (Austria, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden). It is set that health saving orientation of Waldorf school brings to the considerable successful results of Waldorf education: Waldorf schoolchildren as compared to the students of traditional schools have the best indexes of physical and psy...

  20. Addressing Mental Health Needs in Our Schools: Supporting the Role of School Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Traci P.

    2014-01-01

    School counselors are a well-positioned resource to reach the significant number of children and adolescents with mental health problems. In this special school counseling issue of "The Professional Counselor," some articles focus on systemic, top-down advocacy efforts as the point of intervention for addressing child and adolescent…

  1. Considerations for a Unified Research Agenda for School Health Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birch, David A.

    2012-01-01

    While there is a history of proposing direction for research in school health education, no formal, profession-wide agenda has been developed in over 25 years. In this commentary the author proposes the development of a new profession-driven research agenda for school health education. He includes

  2. Experiences of School Teachers on Participation in a Brief School Mental Health Program: A Qualitative Inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrinivasa, Basavaraj; Reshma, B. K.; Virupaksha, H. G.; Chaithra, Chandrakanth; Vidya, Naik; Nithyananda, S.; Joseph Arthur, Julian Anthony; Amaresha, Anekal C.

    2016-01-01

    Background: School mental health programs (SMHPs) aim to strengthen school teachers' understanding about issues related to child and adolescent mental health and their management. Many studies have looked at outcomes of such programs quantitatively. However, there is a lack of studies on the qualitative effects of SMHPs. With this in mind, the aim…

  3. Low anemia prevalence in school-aged children in Bangalore, South India: possible effect of school health initiatives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Muthayya, S.; Thankachan, P.; Zimmermann, M.B.; Andersson, M.; Eilander, A.; Misquith, D.; Hurrell, R.F.; Kurpad, A.V.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: Anemia is a serious public health problem in Indian school children. Since 2003, simple health intervention programs such as antihelminthic treatment and vitamin A supplementation have been implemented in primary schools in the Bangalore region, Karnataka, India. This study examines the

  4. Individualization of forming health culture in schoolchildren of Polish schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.S. Yermakova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim is to highlight the issues of gender education and individual characteristics of schoolchildren in the formation of their health culture due to school conditions. Material: content analysis of domestic and foreign authors. Results . Determined that the peculiarities of forming health culture of schoolchildren make for the specifics of school age (primary school age - 6/7 - 10/11 years; teen school age - 12/13 - 15/16 years. It is found that the level of formation of health culture in childhood will depend on the next person’s lifestyle, the level of his personal potential. Gender approach in pedagogy can overcome entrenched negative gender stereotypes, to develop a set of approaches aimed at helping children to easily go through the process of socialization and gender identity. Conclusions: information about formation schoolchildren health culture should be provided necessarily considering age and individual characteristics of schoolchildren, because otherwise it can be confusing for them and as a consequence is not only beneficial, but also harm.

  5. Effects of school-based mental health literacy education for secondary school students to be delivered by school teachers: A preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojio, Yasutaka; Yonehara, Hiromi; Taneichi, Setsuko; Yamasaki, Syudo; Ando, Shuntaro; Togo, Fumiharu; Nishida, Atsushi; Sasaki, Tsukasa

    2015-09-01

    Improving knowledge and beliefs about mental health (or mental health literacy [MHL]) may promote appropriate help-seeking by adolescents who are suffering from mental health problems. We developed a concise, school-staff-led MHL program and examined its effects. The participants comprised 118 grade-9 students (61 boys and 57 girls). The program consisted of two 50-min sessions, and was given by a schoolteacher. The effects of the program were evaluated before, immediately after and 3 months after the program, using a self-report questionnaire. Knowledge of mental health/illnesses and desirable behavior for help-seeking were significantly improved immediately after (post-test, P mental health problems were also significantly (P school-staff-led program may have a significant effect on the improvement of MHL in secondary school students. © 2015 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2015 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  6. Educator Preparedness for Mental Health in Adolescents: Opportunities for School Nurse Leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith-Fromm, Tiffany; Evans-Agnew, Robin A

    2017-11-01

    One in five adolescents will experience a mental health event in their lifetime. If left untreated, depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and anorexia/bulimia can elevate the risk of dropping out of high school. As a key principle of 21st-century nursing practice, school nurses must provide leadership in educating school staff in identifying and responding to mental health issues in high school settings. This article describes the results of an online survey assessing secondary educators' knowledge of and experience with mental health issues in one school district. Resources are suggested to assist nurses in educating school staff, providing them with ways to decrease stigma in the classroom, and partnering with the community to improve services.

  7. Associations of health behaviors, school performance and psychosocial problems in adolescents in The Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busch, Vincent; Laninga-Wijnen, Lydia; Schrijvers, Augustinus Jacobus Petrus; De Leeuw, Johannes Rob Josephus

    2017-04-01

    School-based health-promoting interventions show promising results in improving various health outcomes of adolescents. Unfortunately, much is still unknown about the relations between health behaviors and school performances, while improving these would give schools a stronger incentive to invest in health promotion. This paper presents the associations of several health behaviors with school performances and studies the mediating effects of psychosocial problems. Health behavior and socio-demographic data were gathered from 905 Dutch high school students via an online survey, completed in-class. These data were matched with school records of the students' overall grade average (GA) on the three core subjects in Dutch high schools (Dutch, English and Math). The associations between health behaviors and school performances, and the potentially mediating effects of psychosocial problems, were studied via mixed-effects regression models. Smoking, being bullied, compulsive and excessive internet use and low physical activity were directly associated with lower school grades. Additionally, being bullied, bullying, smoking, excessive and compulsive internet use were associated with students' grades via mediation of psychosocial problems. This means that lower school grades were (also) associated with those behaviors through the effects of psychosocial problems in those students. This study showed the strong links between health behaviors and academic achievements among adolescents. Schools and health promoters should be educated more on these relations, so that they are aware of this common interest to get more support for health-promoting interventions. Additionally, the role of psychosocial problems in the relations between behaviors and school performances should be studied further in future research. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Adverse health effects of experiencing food insecurity among Greenlandic school children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birgit Niclasen

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Background. In vulnerable populations, food security in children has been found to be associated with negative health effects. Still, little is known about whether the negative health effects can be retrieved in children at the population level. Objective. To examine food insecurity reported by Greenlandic school children as a predictor for perceived health, physical symptoms and medicine use. Design. The study is based on the Greenlandic part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. The 2010 survey included 2,254 students corresponding to 40% of all Greenlandic school children in Grade 5 through 10. The participation rate in the participating schools was 65%. Food insecurity was measured as going to bed or to school hungry because there was no food at home. Results. Boys, the youngest children (11–12 year-olds, and children from low affluence homes were at increased risk for food insecurity. Poor or fair self-rated health, medicine use last month and physical symptoms during the last 6 months were all more frequent in children reporting food insecurity. Controlling for age, gender and family affluence odds ratio (OR for self-rated health was 1.60 (95% confidence interval (CI 1.23–2.06 (p<0.001, for reporting physical symptoms 1.34 (95% CI 1.06–1.68 (p=0.01 and for medicine use 1.79 (95% CI 1.42–2.26 (p<0.001. Stratification on age groups suggested that children in different age groups experience different health consequences of food insecurity. The oldest children reported food insecurity less often and experienced less negative health effects compared to the younger children. Conclusions. All 3 measures of health were negatively associated to the occurrence of food insecurity in Greenlandic school children aged 11–17. Food security must be seen as a public health issue of concern, and policies should be enforced to prevent food poverty particularly among boys, younger school children and children from low affluence

  9. An Assessment of Global Oral Health Education in U.S. Dental Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Janet; Gluch, Joan I

    2017-02-01

    Dental schools need to produce graduates who are adequately prepared to respond to the complex needs and challenges of the increasingly diverse and interconnected world in which they will practice dentistry. To enhance discussions about the coverage of global oral health competencies in dental education, the aims of this study were to assess how global health education is currently incorporated into predoctoral dental training in the U.S. and which global oral health competencies are being covered. Surveys were emailed to all 64 accredited U.S. dental schools during the 2015-16 academic year. Respondents from 52 schools completed the survey (response rate 81%). The results showed that social determinants of oral diseases and conditions, how to identify barriers to use of oral health services, and how to work with patients who have limited dental health literacy were covered in the greatest number of responding schools' curricula. Key areas of global health curricula that were covered rarely included global dental infrastructure, data collection design, and horizontal and vertical programming approaches to health improvement. Despite current dialogue on the addition of global oral health competencies to dental curricula, only 41% of the responding schools were currently planning to expand their global oral health education. Based on these results, the authors conclude that it may be most feasible for dental schools to add recommended global oral health competencies to their curricula by incorporating didactic content into already established courses.

  10. Does the school performance variable used in the International Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study reflect students' school grades?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felder-Puig, Rosemarie; Griebler, Robert; Samdal, Oddrun; King, Matthew A; Freeman, John; Duer, Wolfgang

    2012-09-01

    Given the pressure that educators and policy makers are under to achieve academic standards for students, understanding the relationship of academic success to various aspects of health is important. The international Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire, being used in 41 countries with different school and grading systems, has contained an item assessing perceived school performance (PSP) since 1986. Whereas the test-retest reliability of this item has been reported previously, we determined its convergent and discriminant validity. This cross-sectional study used anonymous self-report data from Austrian (N = 266), Norwegian (N = 240), and Canadian (N = 9,717) samples. Students were between 10 and 17 years old. PSP responses were compared to the self-reported average school grades in 6 subjects (Austria) or 8 subjects (Norway), respectively, or to a general, 5-category-based appraisal of most recent school grades (Canada). Correlations between PSP and self-reported average school grade scores were between 0.51 and 0.65, representing large effect sizes. Differences between the median school grades in the 4 categories of the PSP item were statistically significant in all 3 samples. The PSP item showed predominantly small associations with some randomly selected HBSC items or scales designed to measure different concepts. The PSP item seems to be a valid and useful question that can distinguish groups of respondents that get good grades at school from those that do not. The meaning of PSP may be context-specific and may have different connotations across student populations from different countries with different school systems. © 2012, American School Health Association.

  11. Observing bullying at school: The mental health implications of witness status

    OpenAIRE

    Rivers, I; Poteat, V P; Noret, N; Ashurst, N

    2009-01-01

    This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying...

  12. The Occupational Safety and Health Act: Implications for School Administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Licht, Kenneth F.

    The Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) concerns private schools but does not directly affect the operations of public schools or colleges. The intent, however, is to have the States develop and administer their own health and safety programs. Administrators should, therefore, initiate a comprehensive, districtwide safety education and…

  13. Impact of school based oral health education programmes in India: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambhir, Ramandeep Singh; Sohi, Ramandeep Kaur; Nanda, Tarun; Sawhney, Gurjashan Singh; Setia, Saniya

    2013-12-01

    The teaching of Oral Health Education aims at preventing the dental disease and promoting dental health at early stages. Schools are powerful places to shape the health, education and well-being of our children. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of school dental health education programmes conducted in various parts of India. A systematic review from available literature was carried out. The study examined papers relating to oral health interventions which were published between 1992 and 2012. Ten articles were selected and included in the review. All the studies were found to contain the required information on the outcomes of school dental health programmes in India. Different methods were used to deliver oral health education. All the studies reported significant improvement in oral hygiene of school children after imparting dental health education. In some studies, school teachers were also trained to impart oral health education. Decreased level of awareness was found in children coming from low income families. Longer duration studies are needed to improve the results. School dental education programmes should be more focused on north-eastern Indian population.

  14. Influencing College and Higher Education Choices in Disadvantaged Hispanic High School Students Through a School-Based Health Club.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Harsimran; Matza, Maria; Latham, Christine

    2017-06-01

    Statistics representing professional health care providers do not adequately reflect the shift in the nation's diverse population. Latinos are significantly underrepresented at all levels of appropriate academic programs critical for entry to health profession careers. This project describes the implementation of a student-run, faculty-facilitated Future Nurse and Health Club at a school (with majority Latino students) to emphasize the importance of higher education in health care. Demographic and psychosocial profiles of club members were also developed to understand community needs. The Future Nurse and Health Club was established in partnership with faculty and researchers representing a university-based nursing program, school officials, and community leaders. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from club members and their parents using a variety of techniques including questionnaires and focus groups. The findings of the study highlighted a variety of student- and parent-related factors including poor lifestyle habits and perceptions of support that could potentially influence Latino high school students' interest and progress in health care-related higher education. A school-based health career club involving active participation of parents and students with support from health care professionals such as academic nursing faculty has the potential to simultaneously raise student interest in health-related careers and health needs of their community.

  15. Sexual and Gender Minority Health Curricula and Institutional Support Services at U.S. Schools of Public Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talan, Ali J; Drake, Carolyn B; Glick, Jennifer L; Claiborn, Camilla Scott; Seal, David

    2017-01-01

    Limited research has examined the ways in which public health training programs equip students to address health disparities affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and other sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. This study outlines the availability of public health curricula on SGM health topics, and the prevalence of LGBT and SGM-inclusive institutional support services across CEPH-accredited U.S. schools of public health. Content analysis of all course offerings related to gender and sexuality revealed a limited focus on sexual and gender minority health: just 4.7% of courses contained keywords indicating that LGBT or SGM health topics were covered. Similar analysis of institutional support services available at U.S. schools of public health found that only 25% of schools had LGBT student organizations, and just 19% had an office of diversity that specifically advertised LGBT or SGM-inclusive programming or services on the institution's Web site. Finally, only two of 52 schools offered an educational certificate centered on LGBT health. These findings illustrate a significant need for enhanced curricular content and institutional support services that equip public health students to address SGM health disparities. Improvement in this area may encourage future health care professionals to work to reduce these disparities, to improve SGM persons' experiences in health care settings, and to generate further research in this area.

  16. Molecular structures and thermodynamic properties of 12 gaseous cesium-containing species of nuclear safety interest: Cs 2, CsH, CsO, Cs 2O, CsX, and Cs 2X 2 (X = OH, Cl, Br, and I)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badawi, Michael; Xerri, Bertrand; Canneaux, Sébastien; Cantrel, Laurent; Louis, Florent

    2012-01-01

    Ab initio electronic structure calculations at the coupled cluster level with a correction for the triples extrapolated to the complete basis set limit have been made for the estimation of the thermochemical properties of Cs 2, CsH, CsO, Cs 2O, CsX, and Cs 2X 2 (X = OH, Cl, Br, and I). The standard enthalpies of formation and standard molar entropies at 298 K, and the temperature dependence of the heat capacities at constant pressure were evaluated. The calculated thermochemical properties are in good agreement with their literature counterparts. For Cs 2, CsH, CsOH, Cs 2(OH) 2, CsCl, Cs 2Cl 2, CsBr, CsI, and Cs 2I 2, the calculated ΔfH298K∘ values are within chemical accuracy of the most recent experimental values. Based on the excellent agreement observed between our calculated ΔfH298K∘ values and their literature counterparts, the standard enthalpies of formation at 298 K are estimated to be the following: ΔfH298K∘ (CsO) = 17.0 kJ mol -1 and ΔfH298K∘ (Cs 2Br 2) = -575.4 kJ mol -1.

  17. Students with Chronic Health Conditions: The Role of The School Nurse. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Combe, Laurie G.; Mattern, Cheryl; Fleming, Laurie; Killingsworth, Suzie

    2017-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that to optimize student health, safety, and learning, a professional registered school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) be present all day, every day. The American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on School Health (2016) highlights the important role school nurses…

  18. Health behaviors and mental health of students attending alternative high schools: a review of the research literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Karen E; Taliaferro, Lindsay A

    2012-04-01

    The purpose of this review is to describe current knowledge about health-risk behaviors and mental health among alternative high school students. Substance use, diet and/or physical activity, sexual-risk behaviors, mental health, and violence were reviewed. Students were described as marginalized youth facing significant social environmental challenges. Findings from 43 studies published from 1997-2010 suggested a high prevalence of health-risk behaviors among alternative high school students. Very few studies were conducted by nurse researchers. Suggestions for future research include addressing social environmental factors, resiliency, and emotional/mental health outcomes. Alternative high schools offer a venue to conduct research and implement nursing interventions with high-risk, yet resilient, youth. © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Later school start times for supporting the education, health, and well-being of high school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marx, Robert; Tanner-Smith, Emily E; Davison, Colleen M; Ufholz, Lee-Anne; Freeman, John; Shankar, Ravi; Newton, Lisa; Brown, Robert S; Parpia, Alyssa S; Cozma, Ioana; Hendrikx, Shawn

    2017-07-03

    A number of school systems worldwide have proposed and implemented later school start times as a means of avoiding the potentially negative impacts that early morning schedules can have on adolescent students. Even mild sleep deprivation has been associated with significant health and educational concerns: increased risk for accidents and injuries, impaired learning, aggression, memory loss, poor self-esteem, and changes in metabolism. Although researchers have begun to explore the effects of delayed school start time, no one has conducted a rigorous review of evidence to determine whether later school start times support adolescent health, education, and well-being. We aimed to assess the effects of a later school start time for supporting health, education, and well-being in high school students.Secondary objectives were to explore possible differential effects of later school start times in student subgroups and in different types of schools; to identify implementation practices, contextual factors, and delivery modes associated with positive and negative effects of later start times; and to assess the effects of later school start times on the broader community (high school faculty and staff, neighborhood, and families). We conducted the main search for this review on 28 October 2014 and updated it on 8 February 2016. We searched CENTRAL as well as 17 key electronic databases (including MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts), current editions of relevant journals and organizational websites, trial registries, and Google Scholar. We included any randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, and interrupted time series studies with sufficient data points that pertained to students aged 13 to 19 years and that compared different school start times. Studies that reported either primary outcomes of interest (academic outcomes, amount or quality of sleep, mental health indicators, attendance, or alertness) or secondary

  20. School Health Promotion and Teacher Professional Identity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jourdan, Didier; Simar, Carine; Deasy, Christine; Carvalho, Graça S.; McNamara, Patricia Mannix

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Health and education are inextricably linked. Health promotion sits somewhat uncomfortably within schools, often remaining a marginal aspect of teachers' work. The purpose of this paper is to examine the compatibility of an HP-initiative with teacher professional identity. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research design was…

  1. HEALTH POLICY INTERVENTION IN SCHOOLS PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AMONG THE PUPILS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Chen; Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

    setting. For instance schools are expected to have food and nutrition policy (FNP), physical activity policy (PAP) and a health policy. However instead of seeing these policies as separate entities this paper speculate that there is a possible interrelatedness between the policies. In other words could......Today, more and more children are overweight or obese than ever before. Schools can play a prominent role in easing the situation. Schools have a great potential through the curriculum, health promoting programming and transportation to preventing children from becoming obese and overweight....... However schools are complex social systems that does not necessarily by themselves adapt to this new health promoting role and thus committed management support is needed. Since schools are complex organizational structures convenient organizational structure are needed to formalize the praxis...

  2. Making Health Easier: Healthy Schools in Chicago, IL PSA (:60)

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2013-05-21

    To help Chicago schools increase access to healthy food, Health Educator April Lillstrom utilized community partnerships to provide school gardens, salad bars, and nutrition education to students.  Created: 5/21/2013 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 5/21/2013.

  3. The Role of Health Educators in Mitigating Health Risk from Increasing Screen Time in Schools and at Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merga, Margaret K.; Williams, Ross

    2016-01-01

    Contemporary health educators in schools are responsible for promoting the health of individual students, as well as a healthy school environment. The ongoing push for increasing device use in schools, which is underpinned by the information and communications technology (ICT) capability requirements of the new Australian Curriculum, can…

  4. The promotion of oral health in health-promoting schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Reddy, M; Singh, S

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND. Oral health promotion is a cost-effective strategy that can be implemented at schools for the prevention of oral diseases. The importance and value of school-based interventions in children has been identified in South Africa (SA). Although oral health strategies include integrated school-based interventions, there is a lack of published evidence on whether these strategies have been translated into practice and whether these programmes have been evaluated. OBJECTIVE. To assess th...

  5. Do Israeli health promoting schools contribute to students' healthy eating and physical activity habits?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayek, Samah; Tessler, Riki; Bord, Shiran; Endevelt, Ronit; Satran, Carmit; Livne, Irit; Khatib, Mohammed; Harel-Fisch, Yosi; Baron-Epel, Orna

    2017-10-04

    The Israeli Health Promoting School Network (HPSN) is actively committed to enhancing a healthy lifestyle for the entire school population. This study aimed to explore the contribution of school participation in the HPSN and students' individual characteristics to healthy eating and physical activity habits among Israeli school children aged 10-12 years. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4166 students in grades 4-6 from 28 schools. The schools were selected from a sample of HPSN affiliated and non-HPSN schools. The contribution of individual characteristics (grade, gender and subjective self-reported health education activities at school) and school characteristics (school type, population group, deprivation score) to healthy eating and physical activity habits was analyzed using multi-level hierarchical models. Multi-level analysis indicated that student's individual characteristic was significantly associated with healthy eating and physical activity habits. The subjective self-reported health education received at school was statistically significant factor associated with students' health behaviors. The school's affiliation with the HPSN was not associated with higher healthy eating and physical activity scores after adjusting for individual factors. These findings suggest that Israeli HPSN schools do not contribute to children's health behaviors more than other schools. Therefore, health promoting activities in HPSN schools need to be improved to justify their recognition as members of the HPS network and to fulfill their mission. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Environmental health assessment of primary schools in southeastern Nigeria: implication for a healthy school environment in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezeonu, C T; Anyansi, M N

    2010-01-01

    In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we used a validated school health program evaluation scale (SHPE) to assess the environmental health status of primary schools in Ebonyi State, southeastern Nigeria. Parameters assessed included water supply, sewage and refuse disposal, school building ventilation, lighting and seating, as well as the availability of toilet tissue, basins for washing hands, regular cleaning of toilets, and so forth. Of all the schools assessed, only two schools, both private, attained the minimum acceptable SHPE score of 57. The mean SHPE score of the private schools (50.40) was significantly higher than that of the public schools (28.69) (t-test, p=.00). Policy reforms are needed that would ensure a healthy primary school environment in Nigeria and in other developing countries with similar settings.

  7. An Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of England's Mandated School-Based Mental Health Initiative in Elementary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolpert, Miranda; Humphrey, Neil; Deighton, Jessica; Patalay, Praveetha; Fugard, Andrew J. B.; Fonagy, Peter; Belsky, Jay; Vostanis, Panos

    2015-01-01

    We report on a randomized controlled trial of Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS), which is a nationally mandated school-based mental health program in England. TaMHS aimed to improve mental health for students with, or at risk of, behavioral and emotional difficulties by providing evidence-informed interventions relating to closer working…

  8. [Population impact of a podiatric school health programme].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos-Galván, José; Álvarez-Ruiz, Verónica; Tovaruela-Carrión, Natalia; Mahillo-Durán, Ramón; Gago-Reyes, Fernando

    2016-01-01

    This article presents an overview of the work done over the past 12 years in a collaboration between the school communities at various primary and secondary schools and the practical experience managers working in the Preventive and Community Podiatry area of the Podiatry degree at the University of Seville (Spain). The article presents several strategies, which were carried out in the fields of Foot Health for All and Preventive and Community Podiatry as part of the Hermes Research Group (CTS-601) aimed at promoting general foot health. Foot examinations were conducted in a total of 4,630 school pupils, with foot problems being confirmed in 677 of them. Some 7,145 members of the school community were also helped, with these people being reached through educational activities around foot care. The aim of the initiative was to prevent foot damage among children, which could have a harmful impact on their quality of life as adults. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  9. The acceptability, feasibility and impact of a lay health counsellor delivered health promoting schools programme in India: a case study evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajaraman, Divya; Travasso, Sandra; Chatterjee, Achira; Bhat, Bhargav; Andrew, Gracy; Parab, Suraj; Patel, Vikram

    2012-05-25

    Studies in resource-limited settings have shown that there are constraints to the use of teachers, peers or health professionals to deliver school health promotion interventions. School health programmes delivered by trained lay health counsellors could offer a cost-effective alternative. This paper presents a case study of a multi-component school health promotion intervention in India that was delivered by lay school health counsellors, who possessed neither formal educational nor health provider qualifications. The intervention was based on the WHO's Health Promoting Schools framework, and included health screening camps; an anonymous letter box for student questions and complaints; classroom-based life skills training; and, individual psycho-social and academic counselling for students. The intervention was delivered by a lay school health counsellor who had attained a minimum of a high school education. The counsellor was trained over four weeks and received structured supervision from health professionals working for the implementing NGO. The evaluation design was a mixed methods case study. Quantitative process indicators were collected to assess the extent to which the programme was delivered as planned (feasibility), the uptake of services (acceptability), and the number of students who received corrective health treatment (evidence of impact). Semi-structured interviews were conducted over two years with 108 stakeholders, and were analysed to identify barriers and facilitators for the programme (feasibility), evaluate acceptability, and gather evidence of positive or negative effects of the programme. Feasibility was established by the high reported coverage of all the targeted activities by the school health counsellor. Acceptability was indicated by a growing number of submissions to the students' anonymous letter-box; more students self-referring for counselling services over time; and, the perceived need for the programme, as expressed by principals

  10. The acceptability, feasibility and impact of a lay health counsellor delivered health promoting schools programme in India: a case study evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajaraman Divya

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies in resource-limited settings have shown that there are constraints to the use of teachers, peers or health professionals to deliver school health promotion interventions. School health programmes delivered by trained lay health counsellors could offer a cost-effective alternative. This paper presents a case study of a multi-component school health promotion intervention in India that was delivered by lay school health counsellors, who possessed neither formal educational nor health provider qualifications. Methods The intervention was based on the WHO’s Health Promoting Schools framework, and included health screening camps; an anonymous letter box for student questions and complaints; classroom-based life skills training; and, individual psycho-social and academic counselling for students. The intervention was delivered by a lay school health counsellor who had attained a minimum of a high school education. The counsellor was trained over four weeks and received structured supervision from health professionals working for the implementing NGO. The evaluation design was a mixed methods case study. Quantitative process indicators were collected to assess the extent to which the programme was delivered as planned (feasibility, the uptake of services (acceptability, and the number of students who received corrective health treatment (evidence of impact. Semi-structured interviews were conducted over two years with 108 stakeholders, and were analysed to identify barriers and facilitators for the programme (feasibility, evaluate acceptability, and gather evidence of positive or negative effects of the programme. Results Feasibility was established by the high reported coverage of all the targeted activities by the school health counsellor. Acceptability was indicated by a growing number of submissions to the students’ anonymous letter-box; more students self-referring for counselling services over time; and, the

  11. School-Based Health Promotion Initiative Increases Children's Physical Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cluss, Patricia; Lorigan, Devin; Kinsky, Suzanne; Nikolajski, Cara; McDermott, Anne; Bhat, Kiran B.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Childhood obesity increases health risk, and modest physical activity can impact that risk. Schools have an opportunity to help children become more active. Purpose: This study implemented a program offering extra school-day activity opportunities in a rural school district where 37% of students were obese or overweight in 2005 and…

  12. School nurses' perspectives on managing mental health problems in children and young people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pryjmachuk, Steven; Graham, Tanya; Haddad, Mark; Tylee, Andre

    2012-03-01

    To explore the views of school nurses regarding mental health problems in young people and their potential for engaging in mental health work with this client group. Mental health problems in children and young people are an important public health issue. Universal children's services play a key role in identifying and managing these problems and, while school nurses have an important function in this work, little is known about their views on this aspect of their role. A qualitative research design employing focus group methodology. School nurses (n = 33) were purposively sampled from four school nursing teams in two English cities for a series of focus groups. The focus group data were audio-recorded, transcribed and subsequently analysed using 'framework'. Four principal themes emerged from the data. In these themes, school nurses were found to value their involvement with the mental health of young people, recognising this as an important area of practice. Several obstacles to their work in this area were identified: heavy workloads, professional rivalries, a lack of confidence and limited education and training opportunities. The importance of support from local specialist mental health teams was emphasised. School nurses can be engaged in mental health work though, as public health specialists, their role should focus on health promotion, assessment, signposting and early intervention activities. To facilitate mental health work, school nurses are able to draw on established interpersonal skills and supportive networks; however, workload and a lack of confidence need to be managed and it is important that they are supported by constructive relationships with local specialist mental health teams. This study has implications for nurses and healthcare practitioners interested in enhancing the mental health of children and young people in school settings. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. Mental Health Problems in a School Setting in Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte-Körne, Gerd

    2016-03-18

    10-20% of children and adolescents have a mental health problem of some type. Manifestations such as attention deficits, cognitive disturbances, lack of motivation, and negative mood all adversely affect scholastic development. It is often unclear what factors associated with school affect children's mental development and what preventive measures and interventions at school might be effective. This review is based on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized and non-randomized controlled trials that were retrieved by a selective search in the PubMed, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar databases. The prevalence of hyperkinetic disorder is 1-6%. Its main manifestations are motor hyperactivity, an attention deficit, and impulsive behavior. Learning disorders such as dyscalculia and dyslexia affect 4-6% of children each, while 4-5% of children and adolescents suffer from depression, which is twice as prevalent in girls as in boys. Mental health problems increase the risk of repeating a grade, truancy, and dropping out of school. The risk of developing an internalizing or externalizing mental health problem can be lessened by changes in the school environment and by the implementation of evidencebased school programs. Physicians, in collaboration with school social workers and psychologists, should help teachers recognize and contend with mental health problems among the children and adolescents whom they teach, to enable the timely detection of stress factors at school and the initiation of the necessary measures and aids. In particular, the school-entrance examination and screening for risk factors at school can make a positive contribution. Evidence-based preventive programs should be implemented in schools, and beneficial changes of the school environment should be a further goal.

  14. Mental health interventions in schools in low-income and middle-income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazel, Mina; Patel, Vikram; Thomas, Saji; Tol, Wietse

    2014-10-01

    Increasing enrolment rates could place schools in a crucial position to support mental health in low-income and middle-income countries. In this Review, we provide evidence for mental health interventions in schools in accordance with a public mental health approach spanning promotion, prevention, and treatment. We identified a systematic review for mental health promotion, and identified further prevention and treatment studies. Present evidence supports schools as places for promotion of positive aspects of mental health using a whole-school approach. Knowledge of effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions is more widely available for conflict-affected children and adolescents. More evidence is needed to identify the many elements likely to be associated with effective prevention and treatment for children exposed to a range of adversity and types of mental disorders. Dissemination and implementation science is crucial to establish how proven effective interventions could be scaled up and implemented in schools. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Comprehensive school-health services in selected secondary schools in the North West province / Elizabeth Petronella Johanna de Klerk

    OpenAIRE

    De Klerk, Elizabeth Petronella Johanna

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents who are subjected to adverse health risks which limit school attendance and academic performance, is a national as well as an international recognised problem considering healthy youth to be productive members of society. The South African Department of Health has introduced a re-engineering program for primary health care of which school-health is one of three main areas of the primary health care services focusing on, but not limited to immunization, teenage pregnancy, education...

  16. Culture matters: a case of school health promotion in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McIsaac, Jessie-Lee D; Read, Kendra; Veugelers, Paul J; Kirk, Sara F L

    2017-04-01

    Rising concerns of poor health behaviours of children and youth have stimulated international support for a comprehensive approach to promoting the development of healthy behaviours in the early years. Health promoting schools (HPS) is increasingly adopted as an approach to guide supportive practices, but there is limited research that has reported how to effectively implement HPS at a population level. The purpose of this research was to qualitatively explore the factors preventing and facilitating implementation of HPS practices in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Interviews (n = 23) were conducted with school stakeholders (principals, teachers and parents) from a diverse sample of schools (n = 9) and data were analysed to develop an understanding of how school circumstances and experiences influenced HPS implementation. At a broad level, the reported barriers were structural and systemic, whereas the facilitating factors were related to organizational capacity and political leadership. It was evident that implementing and sustaining HPS required a shift in values and integration of supportive school health practices into school priorities. The results suggest that, without addressing the competing culture, which is persistently reinforced by strict academic mandates and unhealthy community norms, HPS will be vulnerable to circumstances that prevent implementation. Considering the emerging importance of mental wellbeing, it will also be important to provide schools with adequate and appropriate staff capacity and support to address this issue. Sustaining the positive effects of HPS will require continuous engagement and collaboration with multiple stakeholders to embed health promotion into school community norms. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Promoting Ecological Health Resilience for Minority Youth: Enhancing Health Care Access through the School Health Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clauss-Ehlers, Caroline C. C.

    2003-01-01

    Discusses the demographic realities of children of color in the U.S., with a focus on health care needs and access issues that have an enormous influence on health status. An ecologic model is presented that incorporates cultural values and community structures into the school health center. (Contains 50 references.) (GCP)

  18. Promoting oral health of children through schools--results from a WHO global survey 2012

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jürgensen, N; Petersen, P E

    2013-01-01

    This paper reviews the range of school-based approaches to oral health and describes what is meant by a Health Promoting School. The paper then reports the results of a World Health Organization global survey of school-based health promotion. Purposive sampling across 100 countries produced 108...... evaluations of school oral health projects spread across 61 countries around the globe. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion noted that schools can provide a supportive environment for promoting children's health. However, while a number of well-known strategies are being applied, the full range of health...... promoting actions is not being used globally. A greater emphasis on integrated health promotion is advised in place of narrower, disease- or project-specific approaches. Recommendations are made for improving this situation, for further research and for specifying an operational framework for sharing...

  19. Mental Health Service Use in Schools and Non-School-Based Outpatient Settings: Comparing Predictors of Service Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langer, David A; Wood, Jeffrey J; Wood, Patricia A; Garland, Ann F; Landsverk, John; Hough, Richard L

    2015-09-01

    Researchers have consistently documented a gap between the large number of US youth meeting criteria for a mental health disorder with significant associated impairment, and the comparatively few youth receiving services. School-based mental health care may address the need-services gap by offering services more equitably to youth in need, irrespective of family economic resources, availability of transportation, and other factors that can impede access to community clinics. However, diagnoses alone do not fully capture the severity of an individual's mental health status and need for services. Studying service use only in relation to diagnoses may restrict our understanding of the degree to which service use is reflective of service need, and inhibit our ability to compare school and non-school-based outpatient settings on their responsiveness to service need. The present study evaluated predictors of mental health service use in school- and community-based settings for youth who had had an active case in one of two public sectors of care, comparing empirically-derived dimensional measurements of youth mental health service need and impairment ratings against non-need variables (e.g., ethnicity, income). Three dimensions of youth mental health service need were identified. Mental health service need and non-need variables each played a significant predictive role. Parent-rated impairment was the strongest need-based predictor of service use across settings. The impact of non-need variables varied by service setting, with parental income having a particularly noticeable effect on school-based services. Across time, preceding service use and impairment each significantly predicted future service use.

  20. The promotion of oral health within the Healthy School context in England: a qualitative research study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harris Rebecca V

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Healthy Schools programmes may assist schools in improving the oral health of children through advocating a common risk factor approach to health promotion and by more explicit consideration of oral health. The objectives of this study were to gain a broad contextual understanding of issues around the delivery of oral health promotion as part of Healthy Schools programmes and to investigate the barriers and drivers to the incorporation of oral health promoting activities in schools taking this holistic approach to health promotion. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out with coordinators of Healthy Schools programmes in the Northwest of England. Interview transcripts were coded using a framework derived from themes in the interview schedule. Results All 22 Healthy Schools coordinators participated and all reported some engagement of their Healthy Schools scheme with oral health promotion. The degree of this engagement depended on factors such as historical patterns of working, partnerships, resources and priorities. Primary schools were reported to have engaged more fully with both Healthy Schools programmes and aspects of oral health promotion than secondary schools. Participants identified healthy eating interventions as the most appropriate means to promote oral health in schools. Partners with expertise in oral health were key in supporting Healthy Schools programmes to promote oral health. Conclusion Healthy Schools programmes are supporting the promotion of oral health although the extent to which this is happening is variable. Structures should be put in place to ensure that the engagement of Healthy Schools with oral health is fully supported.

  1. The Gift of Time? School Starting Age and Mental Health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sievertsen, Hans Henrik; S. Dee, Thomas

    2018-01-01

    influences student outcomes by relying on linked Danish survey and register data that include several distinct, widely used, and validated measures of mental health that are reported out-of-school among similarly aged children. We estimate the causal effects of delayed school enrollment using a "fuzzy.......7), a measure of self regulation with strong negative links to student achievement. We also find that this large and targeted effect persists at age 11. However, the estimated effects of school starting age on other mental-health constructs, which have weaker links to subsequent student achievement, are smaller......In many developed countries, children now begin their formal schooling at an older age. However, a growing body of empirical studies provides little evidence that such schooling delays improve educational and economic outcomes. This study presents new evidence on whether school starting age...

  2. Sleep Insufficiency, Sleep Health Problems and Performance in High School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xue Ming

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A survey on sleep schedule, sleep health, school performance and school start times was conducted in 1,941 adolescents. A high level of early and circadian-disadvantaged sleep/wake schedules during weekdays was observed. Shorter sleep duration on weekdays was reported, especially in upper classmen. Complaints of inadequate sleep and sleepiness during weekdays, alarm clock use, and napping were prevalent. Night awakening and prolonged sleep onset were common and associated with poor school performance. Students with a sleep length of less than 7 hours on both weekdays and weekends exhibited poorer performance, while those who made up this sleep loss on weekends did not. The total number of poor sleep factors in an individual also correlated with poor school performance. Earlier school start times were associated with a perception of poor sleep quality, shorter sleep duration and more sleep health problems. We conclude that sleep inadequacies and sleep health problems were prevalent in this population, especially in those who started school earlier in the morning, and that these poor sleep factors were associated with school performance.

  3. Reconceiving barriers for democratic health education in Danish schools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danielsen, Dina; Bruselius-Jensen, Maria; Laitch, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    Health promotion and education researchers and practitioners advocate for more democratic approaches to school-based health education, including participatory teaching methods and the promotion of a broad and positive concept of health and health knowledge, including aspects of the German...... educational concept of bildung. Although Denmark, from where the data of this article are derived, has instituted policies for such approaches, their implementation in practice faces challenges. Adopting a symbolic interactionist analytical framework this paper explores and defines two powerful institutional...... rationales connected to formal and informal social processes and institutional purposes of schools, namely conservatism and Neoliberalism. It is empirically described and argued how these institutional rationales discourage teachers and students from including a broad and positive concept of health...

  4. Up dating Islamic Boarding School Santri and Reproductive Health Information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Made Asri Budisuari

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Islamic boarding school system has long story in indonesia, they covered as much 14.798 student whoare teenager between 9–15 year old. Problems encountered with adolescent sexuality and reproductive health. Methods:An explorative research implemented in 3 provinces ie East Java, Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB, East Kalimantan and sixIslamic boarding schools. Data were collected through questionnaires about reproductive health. Results: It showed 48,5%of respondents didn’t have enough knowledge, attitudes and behavior about reproductive health, 40% of respondents knewvery little about puberty, menstruation and wet dream, 71% of respondents had little knowledge about the risk of pregnancy;49% of respondents had not enough knowledge about sexually transmited diseases. 88% respondents said that they hadfall in love, 76% of respondents had positive courtship behavior. Conclusion: The information about reproductive healthin islamic boarding school for adolescents is still in adequate and only refer to yellow book. Health worker did not provideadequqte information. We still found student who have sex while when they were engaged still datting. Suggestion: Theneed of additional and up to date reproductive health information and the risks of sexual intercourse marriage it maybedelivery on interesting media, such as one social networking. A health reproductive modules consist of scientic materialand some knowledge has to be developed and should be delivery health worker. Reproductive health syllabus and trainingfor trainers for teachers of boarding school is needed.

  5. Oral Health Promotion in Schools: Rationale and Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kizito, Alex; Caitlin, Meredith; Wang, Yili; Kasangaki, Arabat; Macnab, Andrew J.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain the rationale and potential for the WHO health promoting schools (HPS) to improve children's oral health, and describe validated quantitative methodologies and qualitative approaches to measure program impact. Design/Methodology/Approach: Critical discussion of the impact of poor oral health and…

  6. Mental Health Promotion in School: Schoolchildren’s and Families’ Viewpoint

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristiina Puolakka

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available While developing mental health work in schools, it is very important to consider the viewpoint of pupils. Parents can also give remarkable information on their children’s viewpoint. The purpose of this study was to produce a description of the concepts used by schoolchildren aged 12–16 years and their families associated with promoting mental health in schools. The research material comprised interviews with schoolchildren and mothers, and verbal answers from the school well-being profile survey (n=426. The analysis was conducted by applying the grounded theory method as introduced by Strauss. The study was conducted in a Finnish comprehensive school.

  7. Back-to-School Health Tips: Exercise and Sleep

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... up the same times each day. Keep room temperature on the cool side. A TV or computer in the bedroom can be a distraction. Read More "Back-to-School" Articles Health Tips: Immunizations / Health Tips: Exercise and ...

  8. Social deprivation and exposure to health promotion. A study of the distribution of health promotion resources to schools in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chivu, Corina M; Reidpath, Daniel D

    2010-08-10

    Area deprivation is a known determinant of health. It is also known that area deprivation is associated with lower impact health promotion. It is less well known, however, whether deprived areas are less responsive to health promotion, or whether they are less exposed. Using data from a national, school-based campaign to promote vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV), the relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined. Taking advantage of a health promotion campaign to provide information to schools about HPV vaccination, a cross sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between area level, social deprivation, and take-up of (i.e., exposure to) available health promotion material. The sample was 4,750 schools across England, including government maintained and independent schools. The relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined using bi- and multivariate logistic regression. It was found that schools in the least deprived quintile had 1.32 times the odds of requesting health promotion materials than schools in the most deprived areas (p = .01). This effect was independent of the school size, the type of school, and the geographic region. The relationship between area deprivation and the impact of health promotion may be due, at least in part, to differential levels of exposure. The study was limited in scope, pointing to the need for more research, but also points to potentially important policy implications.

  9. Effectiveness of prevention-oriented school oral health program in a private school in Pimpri, Pune

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitin Gupta

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Programs oriented toward prevention have proven to be highly rewarding in reducing the dental disease burden in western populations. Some developing countries have also reported studies of school health programs with varying effectiveness. However, reports regarding improved effectiveness due to mobile dental unit are scarce. Thus, the present study aims at assessment of effectiveness of prevention-oriented school health program in a private school in Pimpri, Pune. Materials and Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted from May 2015 to June 2016 in Dr. D.Y. Patil school among 449 students aged 5 and 10 years using census sampling. Ethical clearance was obtained from Institutional Ethics Committee of Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital and permission was obtained from the school principal. The study was conducted in 3 phases. SPSS version 18 was used for analyzing the data. Results: There was significant reduction in decayed component and a significant increase in filled component in primary and permanent dentition. There was a significant reduction in treatment needs, i.e., one surface, two surface fillings, and pulp care and restoration. Conclusion: It can be concluded that this prevention-oriented 1-year program was helpful in improving the oral health of the children.

  10. Parent-reported Mental Health Problems and Mental Health Services Use in South Australian School-aged Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Wu

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background:Monitoring and reporting childhood mental health problems and mental health services utilization over time provide important information to identify mental health related issues and to guide early intervention. This paper aims to describe the recent prevalence of parent-reported mental health problems among South Australian (SA children; to identify mental health problems associated characteristics; and to describe mental health services utilization and its related characteristics among this population. Methods:Parent-reported mental health problems were assessed against the first item of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. School-aged children were randomly sampled monthly and data were collected using a surveillance system between 2005 and 2015. Associations between mental health problems and various factors were analysed using univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression modelling. Results:Prevalence of parent-reported mental health problems among children was 9.1% and 9.3% for children aged 5 to 11 years and children aged 12 to 15 years, respectively. No change in prevalence was observed during the past decade. Mental health problems were associated with male sex, long-term illness or pain, negative school experiences, not living with biological parents, and living in a rental dwelling. Less than half (48.7% of the children with mental health problems received professional help. An increasing trend was found in mental health services utilisation among children aged 5 to 15 years. Utilization of mental health services was associated with male sex, older age, long-term illness or pain, and feeling unhappy at school. Conclusion:This study reports the prevalence of parent-reported mental and mental health services utilisation among SA school-aged children. Identified characteristics associated with mental health problems and mental health services utilisation provide useful information for the planning of

  11. School Factors Associated With the Percentage of Students Who Walk or Bike to School, School Health Policies and Practices Study, 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everett Jones, Sherry; Sliwa, Sarah

    2016-05-12

    Active school transport, such as by walking or biking, increases physical activity levels, which has health and academic benefits for children. We examined school demographic and other characteristics to determine their association with the percentage of students who walk or bike to school. We analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The response rate for the module containing questions about transportation was 70% (N = 577). Multivariate logistic regression models examined whether certain school characteristics were associated with a school having 26% or more of students who walk or bike to school in the morning on an average school day. In most (61.5%) schools, 10% or fewer students walked or biked to school in the morning on an average school day; in 22.7% of schools, 26% or more students did so. Although having crossing guards (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-6.0), having bicycle racks (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-5.8), and providing promotional materials to students or families on walking or biking to school (AOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-5.1) were associated with having 26% or more students who walk or bike to school, only 47.7% of schools had crossing guards, 62.4% had bicycle racks, and 33.3% provided promotional materials. Several low-cost or no-cost strategies were associated with having 26% or more students who walked or biked to school, but these strategies are not commonly used in schools.

  12. Harmonising the Efforts of School Nurses and Teachers in Health Promotion in Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwatubana, Siphokazi

    2018-01-01

    A vital facet that adds value to schools is the partnership between the departments of education and health at national level. At the heart of making this partnership effective in order to achieve its potential is the need for synchronisation of the roles of school nurses and teachers to mitigate sustainability risks. In order to investigate the…

  13. Behaviors and Knowledge of HealthCorps New York City High School Students: Nutrition, Mental Health, and Physical Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Moonseong; Irvin, Erica; Ostrovsky, Natania; Isasi, Carmen; Blank, Arthur E; Lounsbury, David W; Fredericks, Lynn; Yom, Tiana; Ginsberg, Mindy; Hayes, Shawn; Wylie-Rosett, Judith

    2016-02-01

    HealthCorps provides school wellness programming using curricula to promote changes in nutrition, mental health, and physical activity behaviors. The research objective was to evaluate effects of implementing its curricula on nutrition, mental health, and physical activity knowledge and behavior. Pre- and postsurvey data were collected (N = 2255) during the 2012-2013 academic year from 14 New York City public high schools. An 18-item knowledge questionnaire addressed 3 domains; 26 behavioral items were analyzed by factor analysis to identify 6 behavior domains, breakfast being a seventh 1-item domain. We examined the effects stratified by sex, applying mixed-effects models to take into account clustering effects of schools and participants adjusted for age. The HealthCorps program significantly increased all 3 knowledge domains (p mental health, and physical activity. It also improved several key behavioral domains, which are targets of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to address obesity in youth. © 2016, American School Health Association.

  14. School violence, mental health, and educational performance in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devries, Karen M; Child, Jennifer C; Allen, Elizabeth; Walakira, Eddy; Parkes, Jenny; Naker, Dipak

    2014-01-01

    Violence against children from school staff is anecdotally common in low- and middle-income countries, but data on prevalence and associations with mental health and educational outcomes are lacking. We report data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in June and July 2012 in Luwero District, Uganda. Forty-two primary schools representing 80% of students in the district were randomly selected; 100% agreed to participate. The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; and reading, spelling, and math tests were administered. We present descriptive statistics and logistic regression models, accounting for the complex sampling scheme used in the survey. We surveyed 3706 students and 577 school staff members; 93.3% (SE 1.0%) of boys and 94.2% (SE 1.6%) of girls attending primary school reported lifetime experience of physical violence from a school staff member, and >50% reported experience in the past week. Past-week physical violence was associated with increased odds of poor mental health and, for girls, double the odds of poor educational performance (adjusted odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.19-2.66). For boys, significant interactions were present. Despite a ban on corporal punishment in Ugandan schools since 1997, the use of violence against students is widespread and associated with poor mental health and educational performance. School violence may be an important but overlooked contributor to disease burden and poor educational performance in low- and middle-income settings.

  15. Mental health first aid training for high school teachers: a cluster randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorm, Anthony F; Kitchener, Betty A; Sawyer, Michael G; Scales, Helen; Cvetkovski, Stefan

    2010-06-24

    Mental disorders often have their first onset during adolescence. For this reason, high school teachers are in a good position to provide initial assistance to students who are developing mental health problems. To improve the skills of teachers in this area, a Mental Health First Aid training course was modified to be suitable for high school teachers and evaluated in a cluster randomized trial. The trial was carried out with teachers in South Australian high schools. Teachers at 7 schools received training and those at another 7 were wait-listed for future training. The effects of the training on teachers were evaluated using questionnaires pre- and post-training and at 6 months follow-up. The questionnaires assessed mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, confidence in providing help to others, help actually provided, school policy and procedures, and teacher mental health. The indirect effects on students were evaluated using questionnaires at pre-training and at follow-up which assessed any mental health help and information received from school staff, and also the mental health of the student. The training increased teachers' knowledge, changed beliefs about treatment to be more like those of mental health professionals, reduced some aspects of stigma, and increased confidence in providing help to students and colleagues. There was an indirect effect on students, who reported receiving more mental health information from school staff. Most of the changes found were sustained 6 months after training. However, no effects were found on teachers' individual support towards students with mental health problems or on student mental health. Mental Health First Aid training has positive effects on teachers' mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence and some aspects of their behaviour. ACTRN12608000561381.

  16. Conceptualizations of Professional Competencies in School Health Promotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlsson, Monica

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the conceptualization and discussion of professional competencies needed for supporting the development of the whole-school approach in school health promotion (SHP). Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a conceptual synthesis of literature, guided by a theoretical perspective on…

  17. The School Nurse's Role in Behavioral Health of Students. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDermott, Elizabeth; Bohnenkamp, Jill Haak; Freedland, Mary; Baker, Dian; Palmer, Karla

    2017-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that registered, professional school nurses (hereinafter referred to as school nurses) serve a vital role in promoting positive behavioral health outcomes in students through evidence-based programs and curricula in schools and communities. Behavioral health is as critical to…

  18. Health behaviors of Bydgoszcz high school graduates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicja Kostencka

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Lifestyle affects the physical, mental, social development, health and learning ability. It seems that there are differences in the health behaviors  of young females and males, however these differences are not well described. The aim of the current study was to assess the lifestyle of eighteen-years old and to compare their health behaviors of young persons according to their gender. The study was conducted among 98 students of high schools in Bydgoszcz (35 females and 68 males. All participants were 18 years old. The questionnaire was prepared especially for the purposes of the study, a part of the questions of this questionnaire was taken from the Canada Fitness Survey. The physical activity, mode of nutrition, use of stimulants, hours of sleep, time spent in front of screens and the level of stress were taken into consideration while assessing the teenagers’ lifestyle. The lifestyle of high school graduates is worrisome. It is characterized by low level of physical activity, irregular nutrition, not enough fruits, vegetables and water consumed. A large group of young people drink alcohol, smoke tobacco and marijuana, sleep too short. Males also spend too many hours in front of a television, computer or other similar device. Differences in the health behaviors of  women and men appear to be significant. The prevalence of alcohol abuse in this group is very high and affects both sexes. The sex differences in the health-promoting behaviors among men and women in this group of adolescents seems to diminish. Observed unhealthy behaviors indicates the urgent need for health education, especially those that educate the student about the value of the person, the value of health, and the development of social skills that underlie personal development. The foremost priority is  risk prevention implementation in primary schools. Further research and continuous monitoring of health behaviors in different age groups  is needed as well as  to

  19. The World Health Organization's Health Promoting Schools framework: a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langford, Rebecca; Bonell, Christopher; Jones, Hayley; Pouliou, Theodora; Murphy, Simon; Waters, Elizabeth; Komro, Kelli; Gibbs, Lisa; Magnus, Daniel; Campbell, Rona

    2015-02-12

    Healthy children achieve better educational outcomes which, in turn, are associated with improved health later in life. The World Health Organization's Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework is a holistic approach to promoting health and educational attainment in school. The effectiveness of this approach has not yet been rigorously reviewed. We searched 20 health, education and social science databases, and trials registries and relevant websites in 2011 and 2013. We included cluster randomised controlled trials. Participants were children and young people aged four to 18 years attending schools/colleges. HPS interventions had to include the following three elements: input into the curriculum; changes to the school's ethos or environment; and engagement with families and/or local communities. Two reviewers identified relevant trials, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We grouped studies according to the health topic(s) targeted. Where data permitted, we performed random-effects meta-analyses. We identified 67 eligible trials tackling a range of health issues. Few studies included any academic/attendance outcomes. We found positive average intervention effects for: body mass index (BMI), physical activity, physical fitness, fruit and vegetable intake, tobacco use, and being bullied. Intervention effects were generally small. On average across studies, we found little evidence of effectiveness for zBMI (BMI, standardized for age and gender), and no evidence for fat intake, alcohol use, drug use, mental health, violence and bullying others. It was not possible to meta-analyse data on other health outcomes due to lack of data. Methodological limitations were identified including reliance on self-reported data, lack of long-term follow-up, and high attrition rates. This Cochrane review has found the WHO HPS framework is effective at improving some aspects of student health. The effects are small but potentially important at a population level.

  20. Health and School Performance amongst Danish adolescents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Claus D.; Andersen, Johan Hviid

    2009-01-01

    in Ringkoebing County, Denmark in 2004 was collected from questionnaires. Participants’ childhood health was obtained from questionnaires to their parents at the same time. Information on grades in Danish spelling, oral Danish and written math was collected at the end of compulsory school (1 year after baseline...... years has between 0.27 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13 to 0.40] and 0.34 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.48) lower grades, adjusted for a range of other factors influencing school performance. Specific symptoms leading to poorer school performance includes frequent headaches, high levels of perceived stress...

  1. Teacher stress and burnout: implications for school health personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belcastro, P A; Gold, R S

    1983-09-01

    Recent literature indicates teachers experience considerable stress in the workplace, and that such stress is associated with an increased frequency of physical illnesses and somatic complaints. This study was conducted to identify the relationship between reported levels of stress and somatic complaints and selected illnesses. The Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Teacher Somatic Complaints and Illness Inventory were distributed to 428 teachers in public schools in Southern Illinois. The MBI yields data allowing classification of teachers into two groups according to degrees of work related stress. A discriminant analysis was performed to examine the ability to discriminate between these groups based on their reported patterns of somatic complaints and illnesses. More than 11% of those responding to the study were classified as burned out according to conservative criteria for classification. The conclusion that burnout represents a health risk to teachers in this study has implications for school health personnel. Since school health personnel have experience in educating people about physiological and psychological factors that threaten health, and have experience in motivating individuals to take positive action regarding their health, they can provide teachers with information and skills to cope with occupational stress.

  2. Evaluation of school-based reproductive health education program for adolescent girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golbasi, Zehra; Taskin, Lale

    2009-01-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of school-based reproductive health education for adolescent girls on the reproductive knowledge level of the girls. This research was carried out as a quasi-experimental study at two vocational girls high schools, one of which was used as the study school and the other as the control school. The study group (97 students) consisted of three classes representing every grade. The control group consisted of students selected likewise (92 students). Reproductive health education was given to students in the study group for 10 weeks; the control group was not subjected to any educational program. The impact of the program was evaluated with reproductive health knowledge test designed for this study. A pretest evaluated baseline knowledge, and a posttest measured the gain in knowledge. Baseline knowledge score of students in study and control group were similar and low (p > 0.05). We found that the reproductive health knowledge level of students in the study group increased significantly after the program of education. Post-test knowledge scores (75.03 +/- 13.82) of the students in the study group were higher than those of the control group (36.65 +/- 14.17). The results showed students' low baseline knowledge and a good ability to learn. A school-based reproductive health education is needed to promote knowledge and prevention in reproductive health among teenagers.

  3. Conceptualizations of professional competencies in school health promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsson, Monica Susanne

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the conceptualization and discussion of professional competencies needed for supporting the development of the whole-school approach in school health promotion (SHP). Design: The paper is based a conceptual synthesis of literature, guided...... by a theoretical perspective on health promotion agency and professional competencies to identify core competency domains and elements. This is followed by a discussion of focus, gaps, and links in conceptualizations of competency domains and elements. Findings: The synthesis identifies five core competency...... domains: 1) policy-development, 2) organizational development, 3) professional development, 4) development of students’ learning, and 5) development of health promotion activities. Three critical gaps in the conceptualizations of competency domains and elements are identified and discussed: 1...

  4. The effects on student health of interventions modifying the school environment: systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonell, C; Wells, H; Harden, A; Jamal, F; Fletcher, A; Thomas, J; Campbell, R; Petticrew, M; Whitehead, M; Murphy, S; Moore, L

    2013-08-01

    Owing to the limited effectiveness of traditional health education curricula in schools, there is increasing interest in interventions aiming to promote young people's health by modifying the school environment. Existing systematic reviews cannot determine whether environmental intervention is effective because they examine interventions combining environmental modifications and traditional health education. This gap is significant because school-environment interventions are complex to implement and may be sidelined in underfunded and attainment-focused school systems without evidence to support such an approach. This systematic review examined the effectiveness of school-environment interventions without health-education components on student health and inequalities. This was a systematic review of experimental/quasi-experimental studies of school-environment interventions. Sixteen databases were searched, eliciting 62 329 references which were screened, with included studies quality assessed, data extracted and narratively synthesised. Sixteen reports of 10 studies were included, all from the USA and the UK. Five evaluations of interventions aiming to develop a stronger sense of community and/or improve relationships between staff and students suggested potential benefits particularly regarding violence and aggression. Two trials of interventions enabling students to advocate for changes in school catering and physical activity reported benefits for physical activity but not diet. Three evaluations of improvements to school playgrounds offered weak evidence of effects on physical activity. School environment interventions show the potential to improve young people's health particularly regarding violence, aggression and physical activity. Further trials are required to provide a stronger and more generalisable evidence base.

  5. Effects of student participation in school health promotion: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griebler, Ursula; Rojatz, Daniela; Simovska, Venka; Forster, Rudolf

    2017-04-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to summarize systematically the existing evidence for the effects of student participation in designing, planning, implementing and/or evaluating school health promotion measures. The focus was on the effects of participation in school health promotion measures rather than on student involvement at school in general. Participation is a core value for health promotion but empirical evidence of its outcomes is scarce. We searched major bibliographic databases (including ASSIA, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, PubMed and the Social Sciences Citation Index). Two reviewers independently decided about inclusion and exclusion of the identified abstracts (n = 5075) and full text articles. Of the 90 full text articles screened, 26 papers met the inclusion criteria. We identified evidence for positive effects, especially for the students themselves, the school as organization, and interactions and social relations at school. Almost all included studies showed personal effects on students referring to an increased satisfaction, motivation and ownership, an increase in skills, competencies and knowledge, personal development, health-related effects and influence on student perspective. Given that student participation has more been discussed as a value, or ideal of health promotion in schools, these findings documenting its effectiveness are important. However, further research is needed to consider the level or intensity of involvement, different approaches and stages of participation in the health promotion intervention, as well as mediating factors such as gender, socio-cultural background or academic achievement, in a more systematic manner. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Student Bedtimes, Academic Performance, and Health in a Residential High School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wernette, Maliah J; Emory, Jan

    2017-08-01

    Inadequate sleep among adolescents is considered an epidemic in the United States. Late night bedtimes could be an important factor in academic performance and health with consequences continuing throughout adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between late night bedtimes, academic performance (grade point average [GPA]), and utilization of health care (school nurse visits) in a residential high school. The data were collected from archival records for one academic semester. The statistical analysis employed the nonparametric Pearson's correlation coefficient ( r) with the standard level of significance (α = .05). Positive and inverse linear relationships were found between bedtime and school nurse visits ( p < .00001) and bedtime and GPA ( p = .007). The findings suggest students' late night bedtimes may be related to increased school nurse visits and lower academic performance. Adolescent late night bedtimes may be an important consideration for academic success and maintaining health in residential high schools.

  7. Critical perspectives on health and wellbeing education in schools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leahy, Deana; Simovska, Venka

    2017-01-01

    Purpose - This Special Issue aims to place the spotlight on educational research and its contribution to the field of school-based health and wellbeing promotion. The purpose is to bring together scholars from across the world to consider current developments in research on curricula, interventions......, policies and practices concerning health and wellbeing promotion and related professional development of teachers. Design/methodology/approach - The members of European Educational Research Association (EERA) Network Research on Health Education (Network 8) were invited to submit their conceptual...... or empirical work addressing processes and outcomes in school health and wellbeing promotion. Additionally, an open call for papers was published on the Health Education website and on EERA website. Following the double blind peer review process and editorial work by the guest editors and the editor in chief...

  8. Perceived School Safety is Strongly Associated with Adolescent Mental Health Problems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nijs, Miesje M.; Bun, Clothilde J. E.; Tempelaar, Wanda M.; de Wit, Niek J.; Burger, Huibert; Plevier, Carolien M.; Boks, Marco P. M.

    School environment is an important determinant of psychosocial function and may also be related to mental health. We therefore investigated whether perceived school safety, a simple measure of this environment, is related to mental health problems. In a population-based sample of 11,130 secondary

  9. Social deprivation and exposure to health promotion. A study of the distribution of health promotion resources to schools in England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reidpath Daniel D

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Area deprivation is a known determinant of health. It is also known that area deprivation is associated with lower impact health promotion. It is less well known, however, whether deprived areas are less responsive to health promotion, or whether they are less exposed. Using data from a national, school-based campaign to promote vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV, the relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined. Methods Taking advantage of a health promotion campaign to provide information to schools about HPV vaccination, a cross sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between area level, social deprivation, and take-up of (i.e., exposure to available health promotion material. The sample was 4,750 schools across England, including government maintained and independent schools. The relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined using bi- and multivariate logistic regression. Results It was found that schools in the least deprived quintile had 1.32 times the odds of requesting health promotion materials than schools in the most deprived areas (p = .01. This effect was independent of the school size, the type of school, and the geographic region. Conclusion The relationship between area deprivation and the impact of health promotion may be due, at least in part, to differential levels of exposure. The study was limited in scope, pointing to the need for more research, but also points to potentially important policy implications.

  10. School Values: A Comparison of Academic Motivation, Mental Health Promotion, and School Belonging with Student Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Kelly-Ann; Kern, Margaret L.; Vella-Brodrick, Dianne; Waters, Lea

    2017-01-01

    School vision and mission statements are an explicit indication of a school's priorities. Research has found academic motivation, mental health promotion, and school belonging to be the most frequently cited themes in these statements. The present study sought to examine whether these themes relate to student academic achievement, as indicated by…

  11. School attendance, health-risk behaviors, and self-esteem in adolescents applying for working papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suss, A L; Tinkelman, B K; Freeman, K; Friedman, S B

    1996-01-01

    Since health-risk behaviors are often encountered in clusters among adolescents, it was hypothesized that adolescents with poor school attendance would be associated with more health-risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, violence) than those who attend school regularly. This study assessed the relationship between poor school attendance and health-risk behaviors, and described health-risk behaviors and self-esteem among adolescents seeking employment. In this cross-sectional study, school attendance (poor vs. regular attendance) was related to health-risk behaviors by asking 122 subjects seen at a New York City Working Papers Clinic to complete both a 72-item questionnaire about their health-risk behaviors and the 58-item Coopersmith Self-Esteem School Form Inventory. Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Tests were performed. The poor and regular attenders of school differed significantly in only 5 out of 44 items pertaining to health-risk behaviors. Self-esteem measures for the two groups did not differ from one another or from national norms. In this sample, depression "in general" (global) and "at home," but not "at school," were associated significantly with suicidal thoughts/attempts and serious past life events (e.g. family conflict, sexual abuse). There were no significant associations between depression or self-esteem and illicit substance or alcohol use. We found few associations between poor school attendance and health-risk behaviors in this sample of employment-seeking adolescents. The poor and regular attenders of school were similar in most aspects of their health-risk behaviors and self-esteem.

  12. School Factors Associated With the Percentage of Students Who Walk or Bike to School, School Health Policies and Practices Study, 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sliwa, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Active school transport, such as by walking or biking, increases physical activity levels, which has health and academic benefits for children. We examined school demographic and other characteristics to determine their association with the percentage of students who walk or bike to school. Methods We analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The response rate for the module containing questions about transportation was 70% (N = 577). Multivariate logistic regression models examined whether certain school characteristics were associated with a school having 26% or more of students who walk or bike to school in the morning on an average school day. Results In most (61.5%) schools, 10% or fewer students walked or biked to school in the morning on an average school day; in 22.7% of schools, 26% or more students did so. Although having crossing guards (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9–6.0), having bicycle racks (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2–5.8), and providing promotional materials to students or families on walking or biking to school (AOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7–5.1) were associated with having 26% or more students who walk or bike to school, only 47.7% of schools had crossing guards, 62.4% had bicycle racks, and 33.3% provided promotional materials. Conclusion Several low-cost or no-cost strategies were associated with having 26% or more students who walked or biked to school, but these strategies are not commonly used in schools. PMID:27172258

  13. Survey of parents, nurses, and school principals on their perceptions of the controversial role of schools in health promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Samuel; Cohen, Herman Avner; Kahan, Ernesto

    2006-02-01

    The aim of this paper was to study the perceptions of parents, nurses, and school principals of the role of the health services in elementary schools. A questionnaire was distributed to the heads of parents' committees, school nurses, and school principals of 35 randomly selected elementary public schools in Israel. Respondents were asked to qualify the degree of importance of the traditional and contemporary roles of the school health-care team. Response rates were 80.0% for parents, 100% for nurses, and 97.1% for principals. All respondents agreed that both the traditional and new roles are very important. Nurses rated three interconnected roles significantly lower than parents and school principals: 'Evaluation of students with behavioral problems', 'Evaluation of students with low academic performance', and 'Follow up and care of students with behavioral problems and low performance'. Nurses, parents and school principals in Israel agree that the traditional roles of health teams in elementary schools, that is, providing first aid and ensuring school hygiene, are very important. Most are ready to accept a move from an illness-based to a social-based model, with less time spent on screening and surveillance and more on identifying and managing special needs of children and staff.

  14. Mental health first aid training for high school teachers: a cluster randomized trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorm Anthony F

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mental disorders often have their first onset during adolescence. For this reason, high school teachers are in a good position to provide initial assistance to students who are developing mental health problems. To improve the skills of teachers in this area, a Mental Health First Aid training course was modified to be suitable for high school teachers and evaluated in a cluster randomized trial. Methods The trial was carried out with teachers in South Australian high schools. Teachers at 7 schools received training and those at another 7 were wait-listed for future training. The effects of the training on teachers were evaluated using questionnaires pre- and post-training and at 6 months follow-up. The questionnaires assessed mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, confidence in providing help to others, help actually provided, school policy and procedures, and teacher mental health. The indirect effects on students were evaluated using questionnaires at pre-training and at follow-up which assessed any mental health help and information received from school staff, and also the mental health of the student. Results The training increased teachers' knowledge, changed beliefs about treatment to be more like those of mental health professionals, reduced some aspects of stigma, and increased confidence in providing help to students and colleagues. There was an indirect effect on students, who reported receiving more mental health information from school staff. Most of the changes found were sustained 6 months after training. However, no effects were found on teachers' individual support towards students with mental health problems or on student mental health. Conclusions Mental Health First Aid training has positive effects on teachers' mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence and some aspects of their behaviour. Trial registration ACTRN12608000561381

  15. THE CHALLENGES OF SCHOOL-BASED YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION: EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woolf, Maryke; Bantjes, Jason; Kagee, Ashraf

    2015-01-01

    Youth suicidal behaviour poses a significant public health concern. Mental health care professionals working in schools have an important role to play in youth suicide prevention initiatives, although little is known of the experiences of this group of professionals in the developing world. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mental health professionals working in South African schools and document their insights, attitudes and beliefs regarding youth suicidal behaviour. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven school-based mental health care professionals and data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Participants reported that they relied on a reactive strategy by responding to youths who were in crisis. They were challenged by a lack of support from faculty staff, lack of access to resources, and heavy caseloads. Findings highlight the need for a proactive and collaborative approach to suicide prevention among mental health care professionals, teachers and parents in South African schools and improved training and supervision.

  16. A comparative study on resilience level between WHO health promoting schools and other schools among a Chinese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Martin C S; Lee, Albert; Sun, Jing; Stewart, Donald; Cheng, Frances F K; Kan, Wing; Ho, Mandy

    2009-06-01

    The WHO health promoting school (HPS) approach covers key areas including school-based programmes improving students' psychological health, but there have been few studies evaluating the resilience performance of these schools. This study compared the resilience scores between schools within the healthy school award (HSA) scheme (HPS group) and those not (non-HPS group). We conducted a cross-sectional survey of grade-one students (aged 12), all teachers and parents of mainstream secondary schools recruited by stratified random sampling in one large Territory of Hong Kong using validated resilience questionnaires during November-December 2005. Four non-HPS and four HPS secondary schools were recruited, respectively, involving 1408 students, 891 parents and 91 teachers, with similar baseline characteristics. The HPS students were found to have better scores than non-HPS students (average age 12.4 year-old in both groups) in all dimensions with significantly higher scores in 'Peer Support' (p = 0.013), 'Making a Difference' (p = 0.011), 'About Me' (p = 0.027) and 'Generally Happy' (p = 0.011). There was no difference in the scores between non-HPS and HPS parents. The HPS teachers reported significantly higher scores in 'Health Policies' (p = 0.023), 'Social Environment' (p = 0.049), 'School Community Relations' (p = 0.048), 'Personal Skills Building' (p = 0.008) and 'Partnership & Health Services' (p = 0.047). The secondary HPS students and teachers reported significantly higher resilience scores than those of non-HPS. This study shows that the HSA scheme under WHO has the potential to exert positive changes in students and teachers and the concept of HPS is effective in building resilience among major school stakeholders.

  17. Challenges in developing health promoting schools' project: application of global traits in local realm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fathi, Behrouz; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Shaghaghi, Abdolreza; Kousha, Ahmad; Jannati, Ali

    2014-01-01

    Despite the importance of student health and school hygiene as an aspect of the infrastructure of community health, few feasibility studies have been conducted on school health programs in developing countries. This study examined possible barriers to and challenges of such programs from the executive perspective in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran. This qualitative study used the content analysis approach to recognize barriers to and challenges of health promoting school program from the executive perspective. Fourteen experts were selected in the areas of children and adolescents and school health, physical education and school headmasters. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Five themes were extracted as major barriers and challenges: 1. Intraand inter-sectorial collaboration; 2. Policy and rule formulation; 3. Infrastructure and capacity; 4. Human resources; 5. Community involvement. The localized version of the current health promoting school program had major faults. If this program is considered to be a healthcare system priority, it should be revised to set effective policies for implementation and to sustain school health programs based on the capacities and objectives of each country.

  18. Empowering adolescents with life skills education in schools - School mental health program: Does it work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srikala, Bharath; Kishore, Kumar K V

    2010-10-01

    Mental Health Promotion among adolescents in schools using life skills education (LSE) and teachers as life skill educators is a novel idea. Implementation and impact of the NIMHANS model of life skills education program studied. The impact of the program is evaluated at the end of 1 year in 605 adolescents from two secondary schools in comparison to 423 age, sex, socioeconomic status-matched adolescents from nearby schools not in the program. The adolescents in the program had significantly better self-esteem (P=0.002), perceived adequate coping (P=0.000), better adjustment generally (P=0.000), specifically with teachers (P=0.000), in school (P=0.001), and prosocial behavior (P=0.001). There was no difference between the two groups in psychopathology (P - and adjustment at home and with peers (P=0.088 and 0.921). Randomly selected 100 life skill educator-teachers also perceived positive changes in the students in the program in class room behavior and interaction. LSE integrated into the school mental health program using available resources of schools and teachers is seen as an effective way of empowering adolescents.

  19. The formation of person’s health: experience of Waldorf school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.M. Ionova

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available In the article is presented the results of comparative researches of the state of health of Waldorf and traditional schools of students, conducted in different countries (Austria, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden. It is set that health saving orientation of Waldorf school brings to the considerable successful results of Waldorf education: Waldorf schoolchildren as compared to the students of traditional schools have the best indexes of physical and psychical health, developed cognitive flairs, personality qualities (individual initiativeness, work, independence of decisions, collaboration with people, social mobility. Due to it among the graduating students of Waldorf schools there almost are not unemployed persons (as well as people with asocial behavior. Among the formers Waldorf students there is a high percent of workers of social, educational and medicine sphere; among them there are many also well-known in the west statesmen, financiers, literati, representatives of art and other.

  20. Effectiveness of health education teachers and school nurses teaching sexually transmitted infections/human immunodeficiency virus prevention knowledge and skills in high school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borawski, Elaine A; Tufts, Kimberly Adams; Trapl, Erika S; Hayman, Laura L; Yoder, Laura D; Lovegreen, Loren D

    2015-03-01

    We examined the differential impact of a well-established human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) curriculum, Be Proud! Be Responsible!, when taught by school nurses and health education classroom teachers within a high school curricula. Group-randomized intervention study of 1357 ninth and tenth grade students in 10 schools. Twenty-seven facilitators (6 nurses, 21 teachers) provided programming; nurse-led classrooms were randomly assigned. Students taught by teachers were more likely to report their instructor to be prepared, comfortable with the material, and challenged them to think about their health than students taught by a school nurse. Both groups reported significant improvements in HIV/STI/condom knowledge immediately following the intervention, compared to controls. Yet, those taught by school nurses reported significant and sustained changes (up to 12 months after intervention) in attitudes, beliefs, and efficacy, whereas those taught by health education teachers reported far fewer changes, with sustained improvement in condom knowledge only. Both classroom teachers and school nurses are effective in conveying reproductive health information to high school students; however, teaching the technical (eg, condom use) and interpersonal (eg, negotiation) skills needed to reduce high-risk sexual behavior may require a unique set of skills and experiences that health education teachers may not typically have. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  1. Perception and Needs in Health Education Curriculum among School Nurses as Health Teachers in Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Gyu Young; Ham, Ok Kyung

    2013-01-01

    The study investigated perceived effectiveness and perceived barriers to health education curriculum targeting school nurses as health teachers in Korea. A total of 741 health teachers participated. The questionnaire included perceived effectiveness and perceived barriers to health education curriculum, future roles of health teachers, and needs…

  2. Resources available for school based mental health services in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Resources available for school based mental health services in Enugu urban and head teachers' knowledge of childhood mental health problems. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH. AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) ...

  3. The right location? Experiences of refugee adolescents seen by school-based mental health services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazel, Mina; Garcia, Jo; Stein, Alan

    2016-07-01

    Access to needed mental health services can be particularly difficult for newly arrived refugee and asylum-seeking adolescents, although many attend school. This study examined young refugees' impressions and experience of mental health services integrated within the school system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 adolescent refugees discharged by three school-based mental health services across the United Kingdom. Two-thirds preferred to be seen at school. Rumination and worry about insecurity in the asylum process had a negative impact particularly on the adolescents' social functioning and ability to focus at school. The important role played by teachers in supporting and mediating contact with mental health services was valued by those interviewed. The study confirms that schools offer an important location for mental health services for adolescent refugees and provide an important portal for integration of services. © The Author(s) 2016.

  4. School Composition, School Culture and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Young People's Health: Multi-Level Analysis of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Survey in Wales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Graham F.; Littlecott, Hannah J.; Evans, Rhiannon; Murphy, Simon; Hewitt, Gillian; Fletcher, Adam

    2017-01-01

    Health inequalities emerge during childhood and youth, before widening in adulthood. Theorising, testing and interrupting the mechanisms through which inequalities are perpetuated and sustained is vital. Schools are viewed as settings through which inequality in young people's health may be addressed, but few studies examine the social processes…

  5. Associations between school difficulties and health-related problems and risky behaviours in early adolescence: A cross-sectional study in middle-school adolescents in France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chau, Kénora; Kabuth, Bernard; Causin-Brice, Odile; Delacour, Yves; Richoux-Picard, Catherine; Verdin, Monique; Armand, Isabelle; Chau, Nearkasen

    2016-10-30

    Health-related problems and risky behaviours (substance use) are frequent in adolescents, may alter their physical and mental capabilities, and may thus generate school absenteeism, low academic performance, and school dropout ideation. This study assessed their associations and the contribution of socioeconomic factors among 1559 middle-school adolescents (mean age 13.5+1.3) from north-eastern France. They completed a questionnaire including socioeconomic characteristics, health-related problems (poor physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and living environment) assessed with the World Health Organization's quality of life measure (scoreschool absences during the present school year, last-trimester academic performance, and school dropout ideation. Data were analysed using logistic regression models. School absenteeism was frequent (12.6% of subjects for 8-14 days, and 6.0% for ≥15 days); 8.2% of subjects had low academic performance (average school-mark school dropout ideation. All school difficulties were strongly associated with all health-related problems (gender-age-school-level-adjusted odds ratios gasOR between 1.5 and 4.2), and with risky behaviours (gasOR between 1.4 and 14). Socioeconomic factors differently contributed to these associations (contribution reaching 77%). Policy makers, schools, physicians and parents should be more aware of the problems and help adolescents to reduce health-related problems and risky behaviours and to increase resilience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Mental Health and Social Emotional Programming in Schools: Missing Link or Misappropriation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Even, Trigg A.; Quast, Heather L.

    2017-01-01

    While differences of opinion exist on whether mental health services fall within the scope of public education, schools may represent the best opportunity to provide young people with necessary access to mental health care. Professional school counselors are uniquely qualified by training and experience to address the mental health and social…

  7. Providing Educationally Related Mental Health Services in California Schools: The Roles of School Psychologists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosa-Estrella, Olga

    2017-01-01

    Although there is a great need for school-based mental health services (SBMH), these needs are not adequately met in California's public schools. To meet these needs better, evidence-based methods have been used, including multi-tiered systems of support, training and workforce development, cultural competence, and family and youth engagement and…

  8. A practical report of “Studies in School Mental Health” at graduate school coursework toward the development of mental health literacy education in elementary and secondary school

    OpenAIRE

    今田, 雄三

    2018-01-01

    According to changes in social environment, practicing regional psychological assistance should be extended to nationwide contribution for people’s mental health enhancement. In response to the changes, the author reports the details of the 2017 coursework "Studies School Mental Health" at graduate school. As the unique practice of this university, graduate students training for psychological experts at elementary and secondary school education cultivate practical skills for mental health lit...

  9. What do we know about promoting mental health through schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weare, Katherine; Markham, Wolfgang

    2005-01-01

    There is a growing evidence base on what schools need to do to promote mental health effectively. There is strong evidence that they need first and foremost to use a whole school approach. This shapes the social contexts which promote mental health and which provide a backdrop of measures to prevent mental health disorders. In this context the targeting of those with particular needs and the work of the specialist services can be much more effective. Schools need to use positive models of mental health, which emphasise well being and competence not just illness--this will help overcome problems of stigma and denial and promote the idea of mental health as 'everyone's business'. The most effective programmes in schools which address mental health have the following characteristics: They provide a backdrop of universal provision to promote the mental health of all and then target those with special needs effectively. They are multi-dimensional and coherent. They create supportive climates that promote warmth, empathy, positive expectations and clear boundaries. They tackle mental health problems early when they first manifest themselves and then take a long term, developmental approach which does not expect immediate answers. They identify and target vulnerable and at risk groups and help people to acquire the skills and competences that underlie mental health. They involve end users and their families in ways that encourage a feeling of ownership and participation, and provide effective training for those who run the programmes, including helping them to promote their own mental health. Using these starting points, we need to develop a rigorous evidence-based approach on this issue. We also require the facilitation of the dissemination of such research findings while encouraging new and innovative approaches.

  10. Ethnic density in school classes and adolescent mental health

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gieling, M.; Vollebergh, W.A.M; Dorsselaer, S. van

    2009-01-01

    Objective The present study set out to examine the association between ethnic composition of school classes and prevalence of internalising and externalising problem behaviour among ethnic minority and majority students. Methods Data were derived from the Dutch 2002 Health Behaviour in School-aged

  11. Mental health interventions in schools 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazel, Mina; Hoagwood, Kimberly; Stephan, Sharon; Ford, Tamsin

    2015-01-01

    Mental health services embedded within school systems can create a continuum of integrative care that improves both mental health and educational attainment for children. To strengthen this continuum, and for optimum child development, a reconfiguration of education and mental health systems to aid implementation of evidence-based practice might be needed. Integrative strategies that combine classroom-level and student-level interventions have much potential. A robust research agenda is needed that focuses on system-level implementation and maintenance of interventions over time. Both ethical and scientific justifications exist for integration of mental health and education: integration democratises access to services and, if coupled with use of evidence-based practices, can promote the healthy development of children. PMID:26114092

  12. Health-care conditions in elementary schools and teachers' knowledge of childhood asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canitez, Yakup; Cekic, Sukru; Celik, Ugur; Kocak, Abdulkadir; Sapan, Nihat

    2016-02-01

    For the adequate control of asthma in school-age children, it is recommended that teachers, school health personnel and administrators should have sufficient knowledge of how to manage asthma during school hours. To investigate asthma health care in elementary schools, and teachers' knowledge of childhood asthma and its management. The extent of knowledge of childhood asthma in 2779 teachers in 141 elementary schools (children aged 6-14, grades 1-8) in Bursa, the fourth largest city in Turkey, was evaluated. Section I comprised questions about asthma health-care in schools, Section II teachers' knowledge of the main characteristics of asthma and Section III (Likert Scale) teachers' detailed knowledge of the signs, triggering factors, treatment and general knowledge of asthma. The findings of Section I demonstrated that the organisation of health-care for asthma in schools was insufficient. Of the teachers questioned, 14·7% were not even aware and only 1% and 9·6% of the teachers had been made aware by school health personnel and school records, respectively, of asthmatic children. Only 27·3% of the teachers stated that they were responsible for the health of an asthmatic child. The majority of teachers (70%) said that asthmatic children could use the medication (e.g. inhalers) themselves. In Section II, there were between 44·1% and 75·5% correct answers, while in Section III this figure ranged from 3·3% to 78·4%. The correct answer rate was 60·4% for Sections II and III combined. The results of Sections II and III showed that the teachers' knowledge of asthma was poor in many respects. Teachers who stated that they had asthma or had first-degree relatives with asthma, or those with 10 or more years' experience provided significantly more correct answers in Sections II and III combined than did those without these characteristics (Phealth care for asthma (asthma management policies) in schools. The implementation of asthma education programmes for teachers

  13. Oral health knowledge, behaviour and practices among school children in Qatar

    OpenAIRE

    Al-Darwish, Mohammed Sultan

    2016-01-01

    Background: The aim of this study was to assess the oral health knowledge behaviour and practices among school children in Qatar. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Qatar from October 2011 to April 2012. A total of 2200 school children aged 12–14 years were approached from 16 schools of different areas. The information about oral health knowledge and sources of information was obtained through a self-administrated questionnaire. Data analyses were performed. ...

  14. Review of MPH practicum requirements in accredited schools of public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oglesby, Willie H; Alemagno, Sonia A; Zullo, Melissa D; Hartman, Olivia; Smith, Katalin; Smith, Joseph; Buzzelli, Michael

    2013-06-01

    Accreditation criteria by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) state that prior to graduation, Masters of Public Health (MPH) students must demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills through a practice experience, commonly called the "Practicum." The purpose of this research was to review those MPH Practicum requirements. Practicum guidelines from US-based schools of public health that were accredited as of October 2011 were reviewed. Data on each Practicum's level of coordination, timing, and credit and contact hours as well as information about written agreements, preceptors, and how the Practicum was graded were collected. Seventy-four Practicums in 46 accredited schools of public health were reviewed. The majority (85 %) of accredited schools controlled the Practicum at the school-level. Among the Practicums reviewed, most did not require completion of any credit hours or the MPH core courses (57 and 74 %, respectively) prior to starting the Practicum; 82 % required written agreements; 60 % had stated criteria for the approval of preceptors; and 76 % required students to submit a product for grading at the conclusion of the Practicum. The results of this research demonstrate that the majority of accredited schools of public health designed Practicum requirements that reflect some of the criteria established by CEPH; however, issues related to timing, credit and contact hours, and preceptor qualifications vary considerably. We propose that a national dialogue begin among public health faculty and administrators to address these and other findings to standardize the Practicum experience for MPH students.

  15. Effect of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming on Cardiometabolic Health Markers in Children From Low-Income Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ryan D; Brusseau, Timothy A; Hannon, James C

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 36-week Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) on cardiometabolic health markers in children from low-income schools. Participants were 217 school-aged children (mean age = 10.1 ± 1.1 years; 114 girls, 103 boys) recruited from 5 low-income elementary schools. Cardiometabolic health markers were collected in a fasted state at 2 time-points, before commencement of the CSPAP for classroom and school level clustering and the modifying effects of grade level and sex, there were statistically significant improvements in HDL cholesterol (Δ = 3.6 mg/dL, 95% CI: 1.4 mg/dL to 5.8 mg/dL, P = .039), triglycerides (Δ = -14.1 mg/dL, 95% CI: -21.4 mg/dL to -6.8 mg/dL, P = .022), and mean arterial pressure (Δ = -4.3 mmHg, 95% CI: -8.5 mmHg to -0.1 mmHg, P = .041) following the 36-week CSPAP intervention. Sixth-grade children showed decreases in LDL cholesterol (Δ = -15.3 mg/dL, 95% CI: -30.5 mg/dL to -0.1 mg/dL, P = .033). Improvements in specific cardiometabolic health markers were found following a 36-week CSPAP in children from low-income schools.

  16. Infectious Diseases: Current Issues in School and Community Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bower, Wilma; And Others

    1986-01-01

    Some children in American schools have known and unknown communicable diseases, including herpes, cytomegalovirus, AIDS, mononucleosis, pinworms, and hepatitis. This article examines major public health issues, school responsibility, preventative measures (like basic hygiene), and the need for more effective community education programs. A disease…

  17. School Experiences Influence Personal Health and Interpersonal Relationships of Adolescents: The Canadian Case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xin

    2007-01-01

    Canadian data from the 1998 Cross-National Survey on Health Behaviors in School-Aged Children were analyzed to examine the effects of school experiences on personal health (physical health, mental health, self-esteem, helplessness, and body image) and interpersonal relationships (number of close friends and making friends) among adolescents.…

  18. What Do We Know about School Mental Health Promotion Programmes for Children and Youth?

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Mara, Linda; Lind, Candace

    2013-01-01

    There are numerous studies of school mental health promotion and primary prevention and many reviews of these studies; however, no clear consensus statement has emerged regarding school mental health promotion other than that child mental health is an important area that should be addressed in schools. This integrative review seeks to address this…

  19. Investigation of the self-reported health and health-related behaviours of Victorian mothers of school-aged children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourke-Taylor, Helen; Lalor, Aislinn; Farnworth, Louise; Pallant, Julie F; Knightbridge, Elizabeth; McLelland, Gayle

    2015-01-01

    Lifestyle may influence many health-related issues currently facing Australian women. The extent to which women with school-aged children attend to their own health is unknown and the associations between health behaviours and health status requires investigation. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of health behaviours (alcohol consumption, health-promoting activities) and their impact on self-reported health (weight, sleep quality, mental health) among mothers of school-aged children in Victoria. Mail-out survey design (n=263) including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Health Promoting Activities Scale was used to explore issues. The results indicated that substantial numbers of mothers reported moderate to extreme DASS scores: depression (n=45, 17%); anxiety (n=41, 15.6%); stress (n=57, 21.7%). The majority participated in physical activity less often than daily. High rates of daily alcohol use (20%) and poor sleep quality were reported. Nearly one-half (n=114, 46%) of the sample were overweight or obese and also reported poorer mental health than other women in the sample (Pmaternal weight, mental health and participation in health-promoting activities. The findings indicate that there is a need for increased health education and services for women with school-aged children. Direct services and population-based health promotion strategies may be required to address healthy lifestyle issues and educate mothers about the possible health legacy of poor health behaviours.

  20. ["Assessment of indoor school environment and identification of measures to protect the respiratory health of school children and adolescents" in a sample of schools in Milan].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piazza, S; Gulino, A; Pulvirenti, S; Vercelli, F; Carrer, P

    2012-01-01

    The management of indoor air quality in schools needs special attention because it has a strong impact on respiratory health of children with effects also on performance and social development. In Italy a prevention program for indoor environments is provided in the "Guidelines for the prevention of indoor risk factors for allergies and asthma in the school", developed by the Ministry of Health (G.U n. 9 del 13.01.11). In this context, the Ministry of Health has promoted the "Indoor school" project (CCM2010). The main objective of the project is the implementation of these guidelines. In this paper we report the results of the first phase of the project which assessed the knowledge of school principals on issues related to IAQ and building characteristics of the school.