Exploring health for who: discourse analysis of health-related values in upper secondary education

Introduction: Health education program to recognize and prevent degenerating disease is important for elderly. therefore, a national pension bank in Indonesia set initiative to provide health empowerment program in their waiting room, to optimize momentum when elderly community come and gather regularly in pension bank at every first week of the month. The bank organized health education and medical consultation program in the waiting room, cooperated with trained health educator and physician. This study investigated how elderly satisfy with the programs, and its effect to program and institution image. Method: We investigated 438 elderlies in 10 cities of 14 pension bank branches in Indonesia who participated in health education and consultation program. We assessed their satisfaction level related to health education and its cause using SERVQUAL approaches that consist of tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. We also investigated how it would trigger individual willingness to spread word of mouth in promoting the health education program and the institution to other elderly, using standardized equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Result: Most of elderly satisfy and understood the both health education content (90%) and considered this program as meaningful program (84%). In health education, the highest factor contributes to elderly satisfaction were tangibles (educator and doctor performance) and reliability factors (regular schedule and delivery method of health education content). Meanwhile in medical consultation, doctor’s performance (tangible factor), responsiveness and empathy to elderly health problem contributed equally important to elderly satisfaction. Medical consultation contributed more in triggering word of mouth to promote the program and institution (SEM r=0.81) rather than of health education (SEM r=0.58)Conclusion: Not only doctor’s performance and health content delivery method, but responsiveness and empathy were important key factors to provide successful health education and services for elderly. Elderlies highly appreciated pension bank’s initiative in providing health education and consultation while optimizing time in waiting room, therefore this model can be applied in further health education program.

The purposes of this study was to analyze the effects of a health education program using problem-based learning on health related knowledge, behavior, and quality of life in elderly people. The participants included 44 elders, of whom 23 took the health education program and 21 did not. All participants were over 60 yr of age and were selected from residents of nursing homes or participants in activities of social welfare facilities in Jeju Province. Elders in both groups completed pre- and post-tests. Elders in the education group participated in 5 weekly sessions, 100-120 min/session of problem-based learning on health education. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 12.0. Scores for health knowledge, health behavior, and quality of life for the education group were significantly higher than those of the control group. A problem-based learning health education program can be recommended as a method to promote the health of the elders. Indirectly, the results seem to indicate that proper assessment and support should be provided simultaneously in the management of elders' health. Finally, future study is needed to examine whether problem-based learning is more helpful compared to traditional education.

The study purpose was to examine perceived health education competencies among those responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating health education programs. A total of 172 obesity prevention and nutrition education professionals in the United States completed a survey measuring their perceived competency to plan, implement, and evaluate nutrition education/obesity prevention education programs based on the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing health education competencies and their endorsement of various health education approaches. Using a series of multiple hierarchical regression models, we found that those trained in health education had greater perceived competency in assessing needs (B = 1.19, t = 2.11, p = .03), planning health education programs (B = 1.63, t = 2.96, p = .004), implementing health education programs (B = 1.00, t = 2.22, p = .03), evaluating health education programs (B = 4.85, t = 3.54, p = .001), and managing health education programs (B = 1.70, t = 2.21, p = .03) than those trained in nutrition or dietetics. Additionally, those trained in health education were more likely to endorse the use of a skill-based approach to obesity prevention (B = 0.25, t = 2.53, p = .01) and less likely to endorse teaching facts and information (B = 0.24, t = 1.99, p = .05) than those trained in nutrition or dietetics. These results have implications for improving the effectiveness of health education and promotion programs and the professional preparation of health educators and dietitians alike.

Alþjóðlegar rannsóknir hafa sýnt fram á ólíka stöðu bóknáms- og starfsnámsbrauta í framhaldsskólum hvað varðar inntak náms, félagslega virðingu, réttlæti og tækifæri til framhaldsmenntunar. Þetta hefur einnig verið umræðuefni hér á landi í næstum heila öld. Markmið greinarinnar er að skoða hvernig ólík staða bóknámsog starfsnámsbrauta, með tilliti til virðingar, áherslu og forgangs, birtist í íslensku menntakerfi. Umfjöllunin er í þremur meginköflum: (1) Hlutverk og áhrif ytri stýringar – þá er sérstaklega vísað til menntastefnu stjórnvalda, til háskólastigsins og til atvinnulífsins; (2) Umgjörð framhaldsskóla og hvað kann að hafa áhrif á val nemenda; (3) Fyrirkomulag kennslu og mismunandi afstaða kennara. Leitast er við að varpa ljósi á þessa þætti með því að skoða annars vegar námskrár, skýrslur og önnur opinber gögn sem tengjast viðfangsefninu og hins vegar gögn úr rannsókninni Starfshættir í framhaldsskólum. Niðurstöðurnar ber allar að sama brunni: Ólík staða bóknáms- og starfsnáms er bæði kerfislæg og félagsleg og rætur hennar og tilvist er víða að finna. Birtingarmyndir ólíkrar stöðu komu fram í öllum meginköflunum. Stöðumun var að finna í viðhorfum í opinberri menntastefnu, í aðsókn og aðgengi að framhaldsskólanámi, kennsluháttum í framhaldsskólum og tækifærum að námi loknu. Mikilvægt er að skoða niðurstöðurnar í samhengi við jafnrétti til náms, tilgang menntunar og það hvernig ráðandi viðhorf lita stjórnsýslu menntamála, samfélagslega afstöðu og starfshætti í skólum, jafnvel þó að opinber stefnumótun einkennist af hinu gagnstæða og yfirlýst stefna sé að efla starfsnám

This study aimed to obtain novel understanding of the associations between psychological inflexibility and adolescents' engagement with upper secondary studies. The participants were 885 Finnish adolescents (mean age 15.74 at the outset) whose psychological inflexibility was measured with the short form of the Acceptance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y8) in the fall of the final (ninth) grade of basic education. School engagement was measured as satisfaction with the educational track and as school dropout intentions, and they were measured twice in the first study year after the transition to upper secondary education. The results showed that high psychological inflexibility in the ninth grade was associated with lower levels of school satisfaction and higher levels of dropout intentions at the beginning of upper secondary education. Furthermore, high psychological inflexibility predicted increased dropout intentions during the first year of upper secondary studies for adolescents in upper secondary general education (i.e., academic track), but not for students in upper secondary vocational education (i.e., vocational track). Generally, dropout intentions increased during the first study year for students on academic as well as vocational tracks, whereas satisfaction with the educational track decreased only among students in the vocational track. Overall, our results suggest that psychological inflexibility plays an important role in adolescents' engagement with upper secondary studies. The results imply that by practicing psychological flexibility skills it may also be possible to promote adolescents’ school engagement.

This paper examines the methodological issues arising from an evaluation of the effectiveness of a health education project undertaken to increase Hong Kong Chinese women's knowledge of the prevention of cervical cancer and the uptake of screening. The significance of health promotion to the prevention of diseases currently affecting contemporary society has become increasingly recognized. Within the context of health promotion health education continues to provide an important preventive strategy. Indeed the leading causes of mortality such as coronary heart disease and cancer lend themselves well to health education interventions. However the evaluation of the effectiveness of health education remains complex and raises some important methodological issues. The project used a health education intervention as the major preventive strategy and employed multiple methods of evaluation to assess its effectiveness. Outcome evaluation consisted of a confidential questionnaire administered at two points in time to measure changes in health-related behaviour and knowledge. It also included the collection of data from service providers to assess changes in the uptake of cervical cancer screening. Process evaluation involved the use of focus groups with randomly selected groups of women who had participated in the health education intervention and a diary kept by the project nurse. Methodological issues identified in the evaluation of the project included the extent to which changes in health-related knowledge and behaviour could be attributed to the intervention, the sensitivity of outcome measures and challenges in developing methods of process evaluation appropriate to the target population. The findings highlight the complexity of designing effective evaluation strategies for health education and the need to consider these issues in the development of both process and outcome evaluation.

Review question/objective What is the effectiveness of primary health education or intervention programs on improving knowledge of risks associated with heart disease for rural women? More specifically, the research questions are: • Do primary health education programs improve knowledge of risk factors for heart disease for rural women? • Does this knowledge translate to lifestyle changes for rural women and reduce their risk of future heart disease? Types of participants The review will consider all studies reporting interventions that included women aged 18-65 years, living in rural areas, who participated in primary health care education programs. Studies that included children or interventions for cardiac rehabilitation will be excluded. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest The interventions of interest for this review are studies that evaluate the effectiveness of primary health education or intervention programs aimed at improving rural women’s knowledge of their risk of heart disease, eg group work, videos, telephone, workshops, educational material and counselling. Types of outcomes Primary outcomes of interest for this review include the following outcome measures: • knowledge level of heart disease risk factors • Lifestyle modification eg dietary improvements such as reduced daily salt intake, increased intake of fruit and vegetables and decreased intake of fat, increased frequency of exercise, decreased levels of smoking, alcohol intake within national guidelines, • Health assessment measures eg blood pressure, body weight, cholesterol levels

Background Health literacy (HL) - as a broad range of health-related competencies and skills- has been recognized as a determinant of health outcomes, and suggested to be a modifiable health resource and a factor contributing to empowerment and equity. Thus, there is a need to identify the state of HL in various population groups. The aim of this study was to investigate HL levels and associations between HL, physical activity and subjective health among students in general upper secondary and vocational Swedish-language schools in Finland. Methods The study used cross-sectional data from the Finnish LIITU-study among students in Swedish-speaking general upper secondary and vocational schools (N = 887; age 16-20 years) conducted in the spring and autumn 2020, during the covid-19-pandemic. Students answered a web-based questionnaire during school hours. HL was measured with the 10-item Health Literacy for School-Aged Children (HLSAC) instrument. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. Results According to preliminary findings, one third of students had high HL. HL was higher among female than male students, general upper secondary school students than vocational school students, and in spring than in autumn 2020. A higher proportion of students with high HL, as compared to students with low/medium HL, reached the national recommendations for physical activity, perceived their health to be excellent and, moreover, did not have recurrent psychological symptoms. Conclusions The findings confirm previous research findings on the importance of HL in promoting health outcomes. The pandemic year 2020 provided a unique perspective to the subject. It would be important to survey and discuss the role of schools in providing equal opportunities for the promotion of HL as this may contribute to decreasing health disparities in the population. Key messages • One third of students in upper secondary education (age 16-20 years) had high HL; there were differences between genders, students on different educational paths, and in spring and autumn 2020. • High HL was associated with better self-rated health, less psychological symptoms and reaching national recommendations for physical activity among students in upper secondary education.

In the context of the expansion of upper secondary education, young people without an upper secondary education might be considered an at‐risk group on the labour market. The present investigation is a longitudinal study of career both in school and at work for young people without upper secondary education. The study is part of a nationwide school research project, in which a national sample of pupils (9000) has been followed from the age of 13 through their school careers. Employment data were collected via a questionnaire given to young people without upper secondary education in 1991 when they were 23‐24 years old. The results show that even though 97% of the age cohort applied to upper secondary school in their final year of compulsory school, about one‐fifth lacked an upper secondary education at the age of 20. The dominant pattern among young people without upper secondary education was a blue‐collar home background, extensive special education, low and declining school achievements, and low self‐esteem. A similar pattern also characterized the comparison group with a two‐year vocational education in upper secondary school. Their school achievements were, however, not quite so low as for young people without upper secondary education. Although the majority of young people without upper secondary school had great difficulties in school they never experienced real unemployment but entered the regular labour market no later than at age 20. The context of these findings is the long economic boom of the 1980s.

The role of a supportive interpersonal environment and education-related goal motivation during the transition beyond upper secondary education

Introduction: Health Education as a school subject presents to high-school students knowledge about health and develops attitudes for responsible health behaviors. The school system is the second-best place, after the family, where children are be socialized and educated. Health promotion is an effective method to improve or change our health-related lifestyles. The aim of this study was to research the attitudes and opinions among school students in Bulgaria toward having Health Education as an additional subject in their school curriculum. Materials and Methods: Existing health education frameworks and programs for students were researched. Existing data on the state of children’s well-being and health attitudes among students in Bulgaria were studied using official policy and normative documents. New data were collected via a survey among school students in Bulgaria from diverse locales. In total, 720 students participated in the survey, aged 9 to 19, from the 5th to the 12th grades. The students were asked to fill in a questionnaire developed by the first author. The collected data were analyzed with statistical tools and conclusions were drawn based on the results. Results: Results from the survey show that a healthy lifestyle is quite popular among young people. Overall, they trust the information given by healthcare specialists and health institutions. Health issues are discussed formally in school several times during the school year. The students think that a new Health Education subject would be very useful and they would take part in the classes, especially if healthcare specialists present the subject. The study shows Health Education is most desired and needed by the students in the 7th grade (14 years of age). Conclusion: Existing studies show that health education in Bulgaria is still far away from what should be expected. Only the students from the largest cities are well-informed about health and healthy behaviors. Furthermore, Bulgarian youth consistently report poor health behaviors and low health status. On the other hand, in this study children underscored the importance of health education and reported high motivation to broaden their health-related knowledge.

Physical education teacher educators’ health-related beliefs can impact public health. An interactive knowledge-to-action approach, such as Cooperative Planning, might challenge the health-related beliefs of physical education teacher educators, thus contributing to innovation in teacher education. We investigated what health-related beliefs physical education teacher educators had before a Cooperative Planning intervention, how these developed throughout the intervention and how teacher educators’ perceptions of Cooperative Planning can explain the identified changes and continuities. We established two Cooperative Planning groups that included physical education teacher educators (university lecturers and teacher trainers), researchers, study course coordinators and prospective teachers. The data of 13 teacher educators were collected before (t0) and after (t1) the Cooperative Planning using two methods: observations of teaching practice and interviews. The data analysis was based on the following categories: (i) epistemic beliefs about health (e.g. salutogenic understanding), (ii) beliefs about the health topic in physical education (e.g. health-related knowledge and understanding), (iii) beliefs about the health topic in physical education teacher education (e.g. health-related pedagogical content knowledge) and (iv) process-related beliefs about Cooperative Planning. The findings revealed that teacher educators’ health-related beliefs were rather stable but could be challenged through a Cooperative Planning intervention. Epistemic beliefs about health remained, whereas more practice-related beliefs about the health topic in physical education and physical education teacher education changed in individual ways. Here, a change in beliefs was more likely when the participants were open to change and when Cooperative Planning offered opportunities to engage in concrete lesson planning.

Background Parental involvement is positively associated with students’ educational success. However, research shows that levels of involvement and participation vary considerably, depending on parents’ social and economic resources. Understanding more about the kinds of involvement that matter to students themselves is important, as it may help to determine how best to support those from less advantageous backgrounds. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate which forms of parental involvement students in upper secondary education (age 16–18) who were defined as vulnerable highlight as important for their achievement at school. Method The study was based on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with 25 students in the second year of upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) in Norway. Based on their grades, the students were identified as being at risk of not completing upper secondary education. The majority of the students had an immigrant background and came from families with low socioeconomic resources. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Findings The students acknowledged different forms of parental involvement as a major explanation for their success in school. Five themes were identified by the analysis: social psychological support, supervision of schoolwork, practical support, high expectations and aspirations, and obligation and gratitude towards parents. The students’ narratives reveal different kinds of parental involvement practices that are not restricted to parents who hold higher levels of education or who are familiar with the educational system. In addition, their narratives also reflected their need for encouragement and motivation, their need for practical support in everyday school life, and their appreciation of clearly expressed expectations regarding education. Conclusions The findings from this study contribute to the field by describing the specific forms of parental involvement that matter in the eyes of students identified as vulnerable. Furthermore, the findings emphasise the importance of identifying the particular needs of each student and supporting all parents as empowered participants in their children’s education.

A group interview method is used to study community perceptions and treatment of diarrheal disease in the Tunisian Diarrheal Disease Control Project (TDDCP). The projects goal is to help mothers manage diarrhea at home. Parents and grandmothers of young children in the 7 cultural regions of Tunisia were studied by a qualitative data collection method. The TDDCP team used the semi-structured interview methodology sometimes called a focus group. 9 steps are involved: 1) a social influence analysis is conducted; 2) specific information to be collected is identified; 3) group interview guides are designed; 4) a sample of individuals to be interviewed are chosen; 5) group interview facilitators are chosen; 6) group interview facilitators are trained; 7) group interviews are done: 8) data is collected and analyzed; and 9) study conclusions are formulated as are policy recommendations for the development of health training and education programs. The study was done during a 4-week August-September period the peak diarrhea season. 61 groups of women were interviewed--642 women an average of 10.5 per group. Interview participants had a low income; were married with at least 1 preschool child--under 4 years of age; already knew each other; and not more than 3 were from the same family. Some courses for diarrhea were scientifically proven; others were metaphysical. Mothers do not perceive dehydration to be a complication of diarrhea. Many continue to breastfeed. The majority give some liquids but no in sufficient quantity. Most mothers continue to feed the child. Many teas/infusions are prepared. 30 different plants are used. These are used to cure the diarrhea. (Plant analysis showed that most contain astringents which have a constipating effect.) Mothers usually try to treat diarrhea at home before they go to a health center. If they perceive the cause to be metaphysical mothers will more frequently consult informal health specialists. Health education planners should not assume that communities are inexperienced or ignorant of dealing with diarrhea. Knowledge and experience do exist. The health education program content should consider both the biomedical guidelines and community practices on a given problem. A program that does not take sociocultural realities into consideration will not be very good. (authors modified)

Living life to its fullest calls for paying close attention to our health and well-being. It was on the basis of this that Plato placed emphasis on gymnasium in an attempt to produce the philosopher king. Also, throughout our lives, we tend to depend so much on the skills and knowledge of physical educators and health professionals to assist us make better decisions about nutrition, exercise, preventive health practices and lifetime activity. All these are vital elements and components of a healthy living or lifestyle. Physical, safety and health education are keys to the overall educational experience of professionals who strive for excellence in life. A well designed physical safety and health education programme is supposed to surpass the boundaries of the gymnasium, classroom and playing fields through the provision of essential life skills and environment where all learners (students) are encouraged to feel safe and strive to achieve their various life ambitions. It serves as a catalyst for the actualization of sustainable lifestyle. Physical and health education should aim at developing individuals that can contribute positively to self, family and community. This philosophy should apply comprehensively to health and physical education that include mental health, substance abuse prevention (such as tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, Human Growth and Development, physical Diseases and Disorders(prevention and treatment), Nutrition and physical fitness, first aid and safety, human body systems, consumer education and personal health. So, health and physical education person are critical thinkers and problem solvers responsible and productive citizens, self directed learners and effective communicators that let others see the value of what it is to be sound both in body and in mind. This paper therefore seeks to discover the contents of the value of physical and health education. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p592