Health Education Lessons Research Articles

Evaluation on problem-based social practice improving preventive medicine students' tobacco control capacity

Problem-based social practice is organically combined with health education lessons,to improve tobacco control capacity of preventive medicine students,through study in class and social practice after class.The students' awareness rate of tobacco regulations,support rate of smoke-free school,rejecting smoking rate,and lifetime non-smokers rate have significantly increased ( 40％～90％ ) after intervention.The teaching method is adult learning model,and it has effectively enhanced preventive medical students' tobacco control capacity. Key words: Preventive medical students; Tobacco control capacity; Social practice; Problem-based learning

Improving health-related fitness in children: the Fit-4-Fun randomized controlled trial study protocol.

BackgroundDeclining levels of physical fitness in children are linked to an increased risk of developing poor physical and mental health. Physical activity programs for children that involve regular high intensity physical activity, along with muscle and bone strengthening activities, have been identified by the World Health Organisation as a key strategy to reduce the escalating burden of ill health caused by non-communicable diseases. This paper reports the rationale and methods for a school-based intervention designed to improve physical fitness and physical activity levels of Grades 5 and 6 primary school children.Methods/DesignFit-4-Fun is an 8-week multi-component school-based health-related fitness education intervention and will be evaluated using a group randomized controlled trial. Primary schools from the Hunter Region in NSW, Australia, will be invited to participate in the program in 2011 with a target sample size of 128 primary schools children (age 10-13). The Fit-4-Fun program is theoretically grounded and will be implemented applying the Health Promoting Schools framework. Students will participate in weekly curriculum-based health and physical education lessons, daily break-time physical activities during recess and lunch, and will complete an 8-week (3 × per week) home activity program with their parents and/or family members. A battery of six health-related fitness assessments, four days of pedometery-assessed physical activity and a questionnaire, will be administered at baseline, immediate post-intervention (2-months) and at 6-months (from baseline) to determine intervention effects. Details of the methodological aspects of recruitment, inclusion criteria, randomization, intervention program, assessments, process evaluation and statistical analyses are described.DiscussionThe Fit-4-Fun program is an innovative school-based intervention targeting fitness improvements in primary school children. The program will involve a range of evidence-based behaviour change strategies to promote and support physical activity of adequate intensity, duration and type, needed to improve health-related fitness.Trial Registration NoAustralia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000976987

Meeting adolescents in their own environment: an opportunity to learn how to listen and communicate with young people

BackgroundGaining communication skills with adolescents is a competency required by all paediatric trainees. Effective communication involves the ability to listen and empower adolescents to discuss and decide on sensitive or...

Young people’s use and views of a school-based sexual health drop-in service in areas of high deprivation

Objective: To describe patterns and reasons of attendance and young people’s views of the drop-in service. Design: Analysis of a prospective database, questionnaire survey and qualitative interviews and discussions. Setting: Sexual health drop-in clinics in 16 secondary schools (including three pupil-referral units) in deprived areas of a city in South West England Methods: Nurse-completed consultations with young people; self-report questionnaires distributed by youth workers at the clinics; and interviews with young people in personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons and at lunchtimes. Results: 515 young people made 1,303 visits over 15 months for nurse consultations (mean age 14.7 years). The mean age of first sex was 13.8 years (range 10 to 16 years). The service attracted ‘hard-to-reach’ young people, including boys, those less academically able, and those engaging in sexual intercourse at younger ages. A wide range of services were taken up including contraception, emergency contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) testing and treatment, pregnancy tests, and referral to other services. Young people reported high levels of satisfaction with staff attitudes and clinic environment. Youth workers saw a younger age group than nurses, giving advice prior to sexual activity, about relationships, ‘safer sex’ and delaying sex. Barriers to use included: worries about embarrassment, cultural issues, and confidentiality. Conclusions: Locating sexual health drop-in clinics in schools within deprived communities makes them accessible to many vulnerable young people. Those having sex early attended, often before they had sex, and a large number of boys came for advice and condoms.

The prevention of anxiety and depression in children from disadvantaged schools

A randomised controlled trial evaluated the Aussie Optimism Program in preventing anxiety and depression. Grade 7 students ( n = 496) from disadvantaged government schools in Perth Western Australia, participated. Six schools were randomly assigned to Aussie Optimism and six schools received their usual health education lessons. Students completed questionnaires on depression, anxiety, attribution style, and social skills. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. No significant group effects were found for student-reported data. Parents of intervention group only students reported reductions in internalizing problems at post-test. No follow-up group effects were significant. Students and teachers found the program acceptable.

Facing up to violent reality.

Last month's call by the all-party Home Affairs Select Committee for schoolchildren to be taught about domestic violence is most welcome. 'Domestic violence is the largest cause of morbidity worldwide in women aged 19 to 44, greater than war, cancer or motor vehicle accidents,' says the committee's report ( House of Commons Home Affairs Committee 2008 ). The issue should, as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children puts it, 'be part of children's personal social, health and economic education lessons'. But while the report paid particular attention to women in 'forced' marriages, it completely overlooked a growing sector of women who suffer domestic violence - older women.

Physical fitness, nutritional habits and daily locomotive action of 12-year-old children with different body mass index

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in physical fitness, daily nutritional habits and locomotive behaviour among pupils with varying body mass index (BMI) in the 5th and 6th grades of primary school. Design. The sample consisted of 480 pupils (229 boys and 251 girls), who participated in specific Eurofit tests and completed questionnaires probing their physical activity and nutritional habits. They were divided according to their BMI into normal, overweight or obese children. Main outcome measures. 18% and 8% of the pupils were categorised as overweight and obese, respectively. Results. From the data analysis (two-way ANOVA), with BMI and gender as independent variables, it was found that the obese and overweight pupils had lower performance in long jump, in 30-m speed and in 20-m shuttle run. They adopted sedentary daily habits, such as many hours of TV watching and unhealthly nutritional habits. Conclusions. The results of this study support the need for intervention at school through physical education and health education lessons, to inform pupils about the health risks associated with limited physical activity and unhealthy nutritional habits. Another goal should be to motivate and create behaviours that are conducive to better lifestyle habits. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 20 (1) 2008: pp. 32-36

A positive psychology approach to tackling bullying in secondary schools: A comparative evaluation

Anti-bullying interventions in schools favour approaches that practically tackle the problems in the classroom as well as the playground. However, the effectiveness of curriculum-based interventions is often context specific. A Positive Psychology (PP) approach to tackle bullying focuses upon the individual strengths of pupils rather than behaviours. It foregrounds the greater involvement of pupils in problem-solving the issue of bullying, and promotes development of personal qualities that are valued both socially and individually. In this study, a positive psychology intervention programme was designed for implementation in a school’s year seven Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) lessons, with a control group recruited from another school. The effectiveness of the programme was measured both pre- and post-intervention using self-report questionnaires which included items on bullying behaviour, general well-being and mental health. Results indicated that, among those pupils who experienced the PP intervention programme, levels of bullying reduced and they scored marginally better in terms of general well-being but not mental health. Further developments in the programme are underway.

The Citizenship Safety Project: a pilot study

The Government White Paper Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (1999) provides a clear indication that accidents are a serious public health problem and have been targeted by the Department of Health as a key area for prevention over the next 10 years. School-based injury prevention programmes have been identified as one of the key settings for the implementation of the White Paper's heath promotion strategies. The Citizen Safety Project (CSP) is a peer-delivered injury prevention programme for Year 10 students (14-15 years) and Year 2 pupils (6-7 years). This paper summarizes the findings of a pilot study that assessed the feasibility of implementing the CSP in schools and of conducting a larger study. Working as part of their Personal Social Health Education lessons, 11 pairs (n = 22) of Year 10 students developed a project to take one accident prevention theme of their choice into a primary school to teach small groups of five or six Year 2 pupils (n = 55). A formative evaluation was conducted, based on interviews with Year 2 and Year 10 teachers (n = 2), and the diaries of Year 10 students. Knowledge of accident prevention and risk awareness was measured in Year 2 pupils using the Draw and Write technique, and impact on Year 10 students was measured using self-esteem and locus of control inventories. Using both statistical and thematic analysis the study concludes that the CSP is well accepted, improves knowledge in Year 2 pupils and boosts confidence in Year 10 students, while concurrently achieving key stage attainment targets. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of future research, as are recommendations with regard to modifications to the project.

The prevalence of common skin conditions in Australian school students: 2. Atopic dermatitis.

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) was recorded following examination by dermatologists and dermatology registrars of a random sample of 2491 school students throughout the State of Victoria, Australia. The overall prevalence, based on clinical examination, was 16.3% (95% confidence interval, CI 14.1-18.5), being higher in girls (17.7%; 95% CI 15.0-20.4) than boys (14.8%; 95% CI 11.8-17.8). Using the U.K. Working Party Diagnostic Criteria for AD reduced the prevalence to 10.8% (95% CI 9.3-12.3) with the prevalence in girls 12.3% (95% CI 10.1-14.4) and in boys 9.2% (95% CI 7.1-11.4). The prevalence was highest in 4-6 year olds (18.7% on clinical examination, 11.5% using the U.K. Working Party Criteria), decreasing with increasing age to 11.6% on clinical examination (8. 6% on U.K. Working Party Criteria) among 16-18 year olds. Most of those with AD were classified as having mild disease (54.1%), with 32.1% classified as having minimal and 13.8% as having moderate to severe disease. Over 80% of those who reported on the questionnaire that they had dermatitis that was then confirmed on examination had been using one or more products to treat it. Nearly 90% of these products were classified as efficacious, with medical practitioners being the major source of advice for their use (77%). Pharmacists (8%), family/friends (6%) and others (9%), including beauticians and naturopaths, made up the remainder of the persons from whom those affected had sought advice about their treatment. These data, the first community-based prevalence data on AD published from Australia, confirm that the condition is common among those of school age. There is a need for AD to be included among those conditions that are discussed in health education lessons in schools.

Health education lessons learned: the H.A.P.I. Kids Program.

Challenges exist for effective health communication and health education within diverse populations of the United States. This article addresses the development process for educational materials and lessons learned from the Healthy Asian and Pacific Islander (H.A.P.I.) Kids Program, a vaccination demonstration project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to promote catch-up hepatitis B vaccination for older American Asian and Pacific Islander children. Simplicity and a common message were incorporated in multiple strategies to disseminate information to a diverse population. Community representatives from the Cambodian, Hmong, Filipino, Lao, and Vietnamese communities were instrumental in the material development process, which included needs assessment, design, and translation. By making the target community part of the development process, important health messages can be disseminated effectively, carrying great impact to an otherwise hard-to-reach community.

Board games in health education within primary schools

The effectiveness of a novel teaching method for health education within primary schools was established using pre‐test and post‐test assessments to measure the amount of information taken in by children in health education lessons. The assessment of effectiveness of health education teaching was carried out via a new and innovative approach to health education advice involving the use of an educational board game and posterdesigning techniques. Results suggest that the introduction of games and activities, such as poster designing, can be beneficial in terms of knowledge absorption and retention. The increase in knowledge between pre‐ and post‐test assessments was statistically significant (P < 0·05 or greater)where new methods were used to present information on the importance of exercise, sleep, oral hygiene, road safety and on certain physical and emotional aspects of growing up. Nutrition information was less well absorbed and the possible reasons for these results are discussed with areas in which future research would help to ensure maximum benefit for minimum teaching resources.

Health Education Training for Teachers

Summarizes the aims of school health education, emphasizing the important role which teachers have in relaying health education messages. Reviews studies which have examined the provision and extent of initial and in‐service training on health education for teachers. Observes that professionals from external agencies are often better equipped to provide health education lessons than teachers, but that the way in which schools use this external expertise, with external contributors delivering talks on discrete topics to groups of up to 200 pupils, is not ideal. Concludes that initial and in‐service training on health education for teachers is inadequate and sometimes non‐existent, but that health education should form a part of all initial teacher training courses.

Rools! Rools! Rools!

Asserts that ground rules can provide your class with a firm foundation for other health education lessons. States that the best strategy in helping to reduce anxiety, particularly when sensitive issues are being discussed, is to establish ground rules; these involve setting up an agreement between group members as to how they should behave when they are together. Advises on ground rules, their establishment and their beneficial effect.

Use of Parents as a source of Health Information to Primary Five Pupils in Onitsha

ABSTRACTThe importance of both informal and formal health education for adults and children is discussed. Pupils from five randomly selected schools in Onitsha, Nigeria were pretested prior to their parents receiving health education lessons for four months. Parents were then given two months to pass on their newly acquired knowledge to their children. Parents of children attending a sixth school acted as controls. Results showed that those children whose parents had attended health education classes had a greater health knowledge compared with those who had had no lessons. Health education was limited to certain topics while others such as sex education, smoking and alcoholism were ignored. The importance of a formal general education for parents was demonstrated.

Your teeth and ‘fizzy’ drinks

A simple low-cost experiment, for use in biology or health education lessons, which demonstrates the effects of acids on teeth

B. An Evaluation Study of a Health Education Programme for Rural Women in Bangladesh

In the 1980s, 21 Health and Family Welfare Centres (HFWC) in Munchiganz district in Bangladesh extended health and family planning services and health education to satellite clinics in private homes. A family welfare visitor (FWV) would visit each clinic 2 times/week to conduct health education sessions and treat patients. HFWC also promoted 70 mothers' clubs to promote small family size. Some mothers' clubs even provide basic health services. In March 1985, HFWC designed a study to evaluate the effectiveness of its health education component. Interviews and observations constituted the methodologies used. Interviewers and staff who were to observe health education lessons attended an introductory workshop in which they designed questionnaires. Next participant conducted 1-2 interviews while doing their regular work to pilot test the questionnaires. They then went to another workshop where they received feedback and discussed problems before the main evaluation. The study coordinator made spot check observations while interviewers spoke with women after a session on safe childbirth or diarrhea. The coordinator also held weekly meetings with the interviewers to identify problems and maintain a common base. HFWC managers used the study results to design and implement a simple monitoring system, manageable by supervisors, and others in the same or in a similar position. A very important lesson learned was that any monitoring system should not disrupt the routine of regular supervisory work or the already tight working schedules. The system should be uncomplicated so supervisors can easily monitor the health education component. Finally monitoring standards need to be founded on a common understanding and feedback between planners and health educators.