Health Promotion International, Vol. 18, No. 4, 387-396, December 2003
© Oxford University Press 2003 All rights reserved
DEBATE |
Comprehensive approaches to school health promotion: how to achieve broader implementation?
1Outaouais Public Health Unit, Quebec, Canada, 2Quebec National Public Health Institute, Quebec, Canada, 3Montreal Public Health Unit, Montreal, Canada and 4University of Quebecin in Outaouais
Address for correspondence: Marthe Deschesnes, Regional Health and Social Services Board, 104 Lois St., Hull, Quebec J8Y 3B7, Canada E-mail: marthe_deschesnes{at}ssss.gouv.qc.cc
The Health Promoting School (HPS) and Comprehensive School Health Program (CSHP) initiatives have been proposed as a means of going beyond some of the limitations associated with health promotion initiatives aimed at school-aged children. This involves moving beyond practices that rely mainly on classroom-based health education models, to a more comprehensive, integrated approach of health promotion that focuses both on child-youth attitudes and behaviors, and their environment. Despite the tremendous potential of these initiatives in terms of health and educational gains, only rarely are they actually put into practice. This article briefly reviews the features of these initiatives, as well as the extent of their implementation and current benefits. Against that backdrop, the authors identify some issues to consider and propose four conditions with a view to achieving broader practical application of these approaches. These issues, which are discussed from the standpoint of potential avenues of further study and courses of action, relate to the comprehensive, integrated nature of the intervention, the school/family/community partnership, political and financial support from policy makers, and, finally, evaluative research as a support to implementation.
Key words: critical issues; comprehensive approaches; literature review; school health promotion
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  L. Terre Back-to-School Health Promotion American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, September 1, 2008; 2(5): 402 - 405. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Inchley, J. Muldoon, and C. Currie Becoming a health promoting school: evaluating the process of effective implementation in Scotland Health Promot. Int., March 1, 2007; 22(1): 65 - 71. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. T. W. Leurs, K. Bessems, H. P. Schaalma, and H. de Vries Focus points for school health promotion improvements in Dutch primary schools Health Educ. Res., February 1, 2007; 22(1): 58 - 69. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Ward, R Saunders, G. Felton, E Williams, J. Epping, and R. Pate Implementation of a school environment intervention to increase physical activity in high school girls Health Educ. Res., December 1, 2006; 21(6): 896 - 910. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. I. Konu and T. Lintonen School well-being in Grades 4-12 Health Educ. Res., October 1, 2006; 21(5): 633 - 642. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Whitelaw, C. Martin, A. Kerr, and E. Wimbush An evaluation of the Health Promoting Health Service Framework: the implementation of a settings based approach within the NHS in Scotland Health Promot. Int., June 1, 2006; 21(2): 136 - 144. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Dooris Healthy settings: challenges to generating evidence of effectiveness Health Promot. Int., March 1, 2006; 21(1): 55 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Graham, S. Shirm, R. Liggin, M. E. Aitken, and R. Dick Mass-Casualty Events at Schools: A National Preparedness Survey Pediatrics, January 1, 2006; 117(1): e8 - e15. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|