Health Education Journal最新文献

Objective: While most primary and secondary school students in the USA participate in school-based health education to promote a healthy lifestyle, adolescents and young adults continue to engage in risk-related behaviour. National guidelines encourage youth inclusion when developing health curricula, but there is minimal evidence of youth voice in current education programmes. High school student co-researchers designed a qualitative survey to gather youth perspectives on health education and guide improvements to future curriculum development.

Method: The 5-question survey was sent to 791 14-to-24-year-olds in the USA using a weekly text message poll. The research team and youth co-researchers conducted an iterative thematic analysis of text message responses. Participant demographics were described and differences between responders and non-responders were tested using Wilcoxon rank sum tests, Chi-squared tests, and Fisher's exact tests.

Results: 506 participants responded to all 5 survey questions (response rate 64%). Thematic analysis resulted in three final themes with young people 1) feeling that the school-based health education they received was insubstantial, 2) wanting their school-based health education to be inclusive; and 3) wanting school-based health education to be taught by dedicated and trained educators.

Conclusion: While youth want to improve their understanding of mental, sexual, and physical health to establish healthier habits, current limitations in school-based health education result in many young people feeling excluded and without practical or relevant guidance. Our findings support the need to reform health education so as to comprehensively address youth's diverse and evolving needs.

Background: Sufficient physical activity (PA) is important to reduce the risk of men developing chronic diseases and to improve mental health. The effectiveness of PA programmes can vary, however, among men. Individual and socio-psychological characteristics may affect the level of men's PA before starting a behaviour change programme as well as changes in PA during the programme.

Aims: The primary objective of this study was to examine the role of individual and socio-psychological characteristics in predicting men's (a) accelerometer-assessed PA (step count and moderate to vigorous PA [MVPA]) upon presentation to a behaviour change programme and (b) changes in PA (step count and MVPA) during a behaviour change programme.

Methods: A total of 109 men (mean age = 45.5 years, SD = 7.8 years, mean body mass index = 34.5 kg/m², SD = 5.1 kg/m²) who participated in the Australian Fans in Training 3-month PA and dietary behaviour change programme in 2018 participated in this study. Before and after completing the 12-week programme, men completed assessments including individual (age, weight) and socio-psychological (psychological needs support, psychological needs satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect) characteristics. We used regression analysis to examine the relationship between these variables and PA.

Results: At baseline, men's weight (β = -.36, p < .001) and positive affect (β = .29, p < .01) were significant predictors of step count. At baseline, men's weight (β = -.21, p < .05) and negative affect (β = .23, p < .05) were significant predictors of MVPA, though the overall model did not display statistical significance. The overall regression models did not significantly predict changes in either step count or MVPA pre- to post-programme.

Conclusion: The influence of weight and positive and negative affect in predicting PA outcomes suggests that tailoring men's health behaviour change interventions to individual circumstances and needs could enhance their effectiveness for some men.

Objective: Sleep deprivation is common among children and schools are ideal settings in which to influence children's sleep. Children spend a significant amount of time at school during key developmental periods, and programmes that influence students' well-being also benefit academic achievement. Comprehensive School Health (CSH) is an approach that prioritises school, home and community partnerships by supporting the development of health behaviours. However, sleep is often unaddressed in the school environment. The objective of this study was to integrate multiple partner perspectives to inform how to strengthen school-based sleep promotion using a CSH approach.

Design: A secondary qualitative analysis of student aged 9-11 (n = 45), parent/guardian (n = 24) and teacher (n = 19) interviews from participants representing elementary (Kindergarten - Grade 6) schools and communities in Alberta, Canada was conducted. Data were examined using an a priori framework in alignment with the four components of the CSH approach: social and physical environment, teaching and learning, policy and partnerships and services. Inductive content analysis was used to develop categories followed by subthemes within each CSH component.

Results: Subthemes identified within each component were as follows: social and physical environment (culture of healthy sleep habits; students influence each other); teaching and learning (formally integrate sleep-specific learning into curricula; school, teacher and parents/guardian collaboration); policy (sleep-positive classroom policies) and partnerships and services (community partnerships; school-home collaboration).

Conclusion: This research identifies recommendations from student, parent/guardian and teacher interviews to inform and strengthen school-based sleep promotion when taking a CSH approach. Findings can support school partner efforts to foster a school culture (or ethos) of healthy sleep habits leading to improvements in student sleep behaviours.