Journal of School Health最新文献

Background: Despite overall declines in risky teen sexual activity, racial and ethnic disparities persist. This study compared abstinence-only and comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs to explore the effects of the programs on teen sexual activity-related outcomes that may differ by race/ethnicity.

Methods: Program evaluation data were collected from 7th-grade students in comprehensive (N = 3244) and abstinence-only (N = 3172) TPP programs. Differences between outcomes by TPP program were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression for each racial/ethnic group.

Results: Black and Hispanic students were significantly less likely to indicate positive attitudes, intentions, and behaviors at baseline. Only white students significantly improved in both programs from pre- to post-assessment. Native American students in the abstinence-only program were significantly less likely than Native American students in the comprehensive sexuality programming to improve from pre- to post-assessment regarding male sexuality, refusal skills, sex and teen norms, and sexual abstinence.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that youth of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds do not enter TPP programs with similar attitudes, intentions, or behavior regarding appropriate sexual behavior and that the impact of such programs also may vary by race and ethnicity.

Background: Wearable technologies offer new opportunities to address in-school physical inactivity. However, children are often excluded from discussing issues which directly impact them, including the use of wearable technologies in a school setting. Thus, the aim of this study is to understand primary school pupils' experiences and perceptions of using wearable physical activity monitoring technologies within schools.

Methods: Nine semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 41 Year 5 and 6 pupils (19 girls, 22 boys) from 5 primary schools in the South West of England. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using a reflective thematic approach.

Results: Pupils made valuable contributions to discussions around wearable technologies, considering both advantages and disadvantages. Most importantly, when discussing use in schools, pupils were mindful that while they wanted to see their own activity and saw benefit in teachers knowing their activity, they felt comparisons in classes could lead to negative emotions for some pupils.

Conclusion: The findings from this study can contribute to a more detailed understanding of pupils' perspectives, which can help inform school-based interventions which aim to address physical inactivity and associated inequalities. Instead of using wearable devices for individual pupil ownership, schools should access data-insights with the intention of changing school practices.

Background: Since the 1990s, national standards have been developed in K-12 subject areas. National standards in health education were first released in 1995 with a second set released in 2007. A third edition, the  National Health Education Standards: Model Guidance for Curriculum and Instruction was developed in 2022 under the auspices of the National Consensus for School Health Education. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the third edition including descriptions of the development process; the 8 standards and aligned performance expectations; considerations related to the translation, dissemination, and implementation of the standards; and projections for potential impact regarding teaching and student outcomes.

Methods: To develop new standards, the National Consensus formed 3 groups: the Management, Development, and Expert Review Groups. These groups employed an iterative process that included the development of 3 drafts of the standards before finalization. This process included a review of each draft by the 3 groups. The second draft included additional qualitative feedback from over 500 school health education leaders, practitioners, and stakeholders.

Results: The third edition includes 8 standards with aligned performance expectations. A description and rationale are provided for each standard along with standard-specific teaching guidance.

Conclusions: The third edition of the National Standards for School Health Education provides guidance to state departments of education and local schools in the development and implementation of health instruction that promotes meaningful learning to guide students in the promotion of their own health and the health of others.

Background: We aimed to characterize relationships between delayed high school start time policy, which is known to lengthen school night sleep duration, and patterns in activity outcomes: physical activity, non-school electronic screen time (non-schoolwork), and sports and extracurricular activity among adolescents.

Methods: We used data from the START study, a multi-site evaluation of a natural experiment, assessing the effects of a school start time policy change in high schools in the Minneapolis, Minnesota metropolitan area. The study follows students in 2 schools that shifted to a later start time (8:20 or 8:50 am) after baseline year and 3 schools that maintained a consistent, early start time (7:30 am) over the 3-year study period. Activity was measured by participant self-report on an in-school survey. The analysis used a difference-in-differences estimator, in which the changes in each outcome observed in the comparison schools estimate the changes in each outcome that would have been observed in the late-start adopting schools had they not delayed their start times after baseline.

Results: Over 2 years of follow-up, no changes emerged to suggest that later school start times either interfered with, or promoted, any activity-related outcome that was measured.

Implications: Communities interested in promoting sleep by delaying start times may do so knowing that there are unlikely to be adverse effects on adolescent physical activity, electronic screen time, or organized sports and activity participation.

Conclusions: A shift to later school start times does not appear to enhance or detract from the healthfulness of students' activity level.

Background: This study evaluated stakeholders' perceptions regarding the initial implementation process of the health promoting school model proposed by the affordable health initiative (AHI HPS model) in schools of Belo Horizonte/BRA.

Methods: The model has been implemented since 2019, by an implementation committee (IC) with members from university, health, and education sectors. Data were collected from records of the IC meetings (n = 10) and interviews with 5 IC members to evaluate the model's acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and feasibility. The material was decomposed by content analysis.

Results: Two categories and 7 subcategories emerged, suggesting that stakeholders found the model straightforward and well-suited to schools. Facilitators (teamwork, motivation, commitment, teacher's central role, inclusive decision-making, intersectoral responsibility pact, model alignment with school context) and barriers (family involvement, time constraints for curriculum integration, financial resource, school infrastructure, records difficulties, university unawareness of the school context) to implementation were presented.

Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: The results highlight the need to involve civil society and decision-makers to make the program feasible.

Conclusion: Participants showed they accept and intend to contribute to implementing the model. They believe in the program's feasibility as long as teacher involvement is prioritized, and identified barriers are overcome.

Background: A systematic adaptation of an evidence-based state health curriculum (Michigan Model for Health™, MMH) was created to enhance physical activity and family engagement materials but retain the core functional elements of the curriculum.

Methods: The Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME) was used to document the adaptation, which used materials from an evidence-informed physical activity program (Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity, InPACT). Acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and perceived value of the adaptation were assessed by key stakeholders, regional school health coordinators (HCs).

Results: A planned, fidelity-consistent adaptation was created in which InPACT resources were integrated into the MMH curriculum, with recommended integrations packaged in a supplemental guide. Training was modified as appropriate. The guide had high acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility among HCs (n = 17), and 71% of HCs (n = 24) indicated that it had really strong value.

Conclusions: Next steps involve implementing the adapted curriculum and evaluating its effects on family engagement, youth physical activity levels, and overall curriculum effectiveness.

Background: Schools are both learning environments for students and workplaces for faculty. Recognizing the role of organizational factors in staff health in school environments, the study aimed to explore which factors, including transformational leadership, teachers' perceived management support and HPS accreditation awards, were most associated with promoting a healthy lifestyle for teachers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken of 137 elementary schools in 2014, involving 433 directors and 2090 teachers. Data were collected using an anonymous structured questionnaire. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze both teacher- and school-level factors associated with health-promoting lifestyles.

Results: There was a significant positive correlation between teachers' overall health-promoting lifestyle profile (HPLP-II) scores and both perceived management support (coefficient = .98, p < .001) and transformational leadership (coefficient = .38, p = .039). All 6 HPLP-II subscales also showed significant positive correlations with perceived management support (coefficients .12-.24, p < .001).

Conclusion: Supporting a healthy working atmosphere and strong principal transformational leadership are keys to enhancing teachers' health-promoting lifestyles. Future research could explore how transformational leadership and management support influence teachers' health behaviors and identify effective strategies and interventions.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with behavioral health challenges and high school dropout, and behavioral health is associated with high school dropout. Less is known about the role of behavioral health challenges in the relationship between ACEs and high school dropout.

Methods: Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (2013) and its 2014 Childhood Retrospective Circumstances Study supplement, the current study conducts mediational path analysis to examine the direct and indirect effects of cumulative ACEs on high school dropout via adolescent depression, anxiety, and substance use.

Results: Experiencing more ACEs was associated with depression, anxiety, and substance use. Only depression and substance use were associated with high school dropout. There was a significant direct effect between increased ACEs and high school dropout and significant indirect effects via depression and substance use, but not anxiety.

Conclusions: Adolescent behavioral health interventions to address the long-term effects of ACEs may also support academic achievement. School-based interventions, particularly those aligned with trauma-sensitive school frameworks and engaging various school personnel, including school nurses, should be considered. Community- and policy-level interventions aimed at primary prevention of ACEs are also needed.

Background: This study offers a comprehensive review of academic performance measurement instruments in physical activity and education settings, aiming to provide a comprehensive list of tools used for measuring academic performance in relation to variables associated with physical activity.

Methods: Academic performance outcomes, including cognitive skills, attitudes, academic achievement, and academic behavior categorized by CDC, were investigated using specific keywords in search engines between 2000 and June 2022, with 233 articles (describing 220 studies) included.

Results: Participant demographics, mainly elementary students, displayed variability. The review found that 37.3% of studies measured cognitive skills and attitudes (primarily attention), 57.3% assessed academic achievement (GPA, subject scores, or standardized tests), and 15.9% evaluated academic behaviors (mostly on-task/off-task behaviors). Various instruments were employed, notably those measuring attention, intelligence, memory, and attitude. Positive associations were found in 63.4%, 78.6%, and 85.7% of studies for cognitive skills, academic achievement, and academic behavior, respectively.

Conclusion: This literature review highlights the prevalence of studies on academic achievement, diverse cognitive skills instruments, and a focus on attention. Despite predominantly positive relationships, some studies reported non-significant or negative associations, particularly for cognitive skills. Future research should emphasize these areas using reliable instruments.