Journal of School Health最新文献

Background: Photovoice has potential as a pedagogical tool to support student exploration of health-related issues. However, its application in school-based health education is under-represented.

Methods: This article details learning outcomes and teacher perspectives from the codesign, evaluation, and scale-up of a photovoice learning module in Cook Islands schools (n = 7, Years 5-10). Objectives were to support awareness and understanding of food environments. The research sits within the Pacific Science for Health Literacy Project, a 12-year partnership between the Cook Islands Ministry of Education, Te Marae Ora Cook Islands Ministry of Health, and the University of Auckland, targeting improved community health. Data were drawn from interviews with teachers and education leaders (n = 19), workshop and meeting notes, teacher observations, and student photovoice presentations.

Results: Findings revealed Photovoice was an effective tool supporting students to explore food environments, extending their understanding of complex factors influencing health. Photovoice proved beneficial for diverse learners and learner styles, supporting their success in conducting health-science investigations. Photovoice stimulated school-to-home conversations about food environments affecting health. Teachers reported that students acted on learning by making healthy choices. However, they highlighted challenges associated with achieving sustained behavior change.

Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: Professional development and resources are required for teachers to effectively employ Photovoice approaches. Future research should explore the application of Photovoice as a strategy to enhance student decision making toward long-term healthy behavior change.

Conclusions: This study highlights the transformative impacts of Photovoice as a pedagogical tool.

Background: Access to adaptive sports for children and adolescents with disabilities is essential to improving the mental and physical health of this population in the U.S. However, very limited resources to participate in adaptive sports are provided to children and adolescents with disabilities, with very few tracking systems to determine if U.S. schools are offering activities to cater to this specific population.

Methods: In this commentary, we use data from the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) to assess the extent to which several types of adaptive sports are offered in high schools across each U.S. state between 2003 and 2023.

Results: The analysis assessed 13 different types of adapted sports that the NFHS has collected annually between 2002 and 2023. The data showed that 25 states indicated offering at least one adapted sport within a school during this 22-year period (at least one school in a state offered adapted sports)-25 states did not indicate any schools offering at least one adapted sport.

Conclusion: More research needs to be done in the area of understanding the provision of sport for individuals with disabilities from multiple perspectives, along with a stronger effort to track how these opportunities are being equitably provided across schools in the U.S.

Background: Receiving free or reduced-price meals (FRPM) at school benefits resource-constrained families financially and nutritionally. However, many families in the United States do not apply for FRPM, and many eligible students do not eat school meals, possibly due to stigma.

Methods: This study is a secondary qualitative analysis derived from a mixed-methods study. Interviews were conducted with 66 parents in California and Maine during the 2021-2022 school year when school meals were free for all students nationwide through a universal free school meals (UFSM) policy. Approximately half (56%) of parents had children who previously qualified for FRPM based on household income and completed a school meal application or were directly certified for free school meals in prior school years. Interviews examined parents' self-reported FRPM application stigma, perceived child school meal stigma, and opinions on UFSM. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code and analyze all qualitative data.

Results: Major themes included parent stigma associated with school meal applications, parents' perception of child stigma when participating in school meals, and UFSM's ability to reduce stigma for parents and children.

Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: Statewide and federal UFSM policies may reduce stigma for both parents and children.

Conclusions: While not all parents reported feeling stigmatized when completing FRPM applications, most parents perceived that children experience school meal stigma. Parents believed that UFSM policies reduced stigma for families and children.

Background: Adolescents with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) are reported to have lower uptake of routine vaccines than their peers. Little research has explored stakeholders' perceptions and support of school-based vaccinations for this population in NSW, Australia.

Methods: Focus groups and interviews were conducted with four stakeholder groups involved in the vaccination program in special education schools in New South Wales, Australia: students with IDD, parents, education staff, and health professionals.

Results: Stakeholders mostly supported vaccinating adolescents with IDD in school settings. Students valued the familiar environment and emotional support from teachers. Parents appreciated the convenience and accessibility of the program. Education staff regarded vaccinations as vital for student health and mostly supported school-based delivery but faced practical and ethical challenges, such as insufficient resourcing, confusion around holding students for safety and emotional support, and concerns about losing students' trust in the school as a safe environment if vaccination was experienced as traumatic. Health staff identified a need for better prevaccination communication with families and schools to improve vaccine uptake and student preparation.

Conclusion: Findings highlight a need for increased support for special schools that act as key program facilitators between those who deliver and those who receive this vital health service.

A.B. Eisman, J. Martin, R.E. Hasson, and A. M. Kilbourne. 2024. “Resource Realities: Exploring the Foundations of Successful Implementation in School-Based Drug Prevention.” Journal of School Health 94, 1185–1195. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13539

In the version of this article initially published, the name of the first author was spelled incorrectly. The correct name is Andria B. Eisman, and the spelling error has been updated in the original.

In the Reference list, Reference 16 is corrected below:

16. MDHHS and MDE, “Michigan Model For Health: Skills for Health and Life,” 2024, https://www.michiganmodelforhealth.org/

Under “Section 3 | Contextual Determinants (Inner and Outer Settings),” beginning of the second paragraph, the text “Researchers suggest that the outer context, including regional service agencies (RESAs) and state agencies” should be “Researchers suggest that the outer context, including regional educational service agencies (RESAs) and state agencies.”

We apologize for this error.