Chapter 13 Health promotion in schools
Overview
This chapter looks at the physical, mental and social well-being of children and young people and how schools can be powerful agents in the promotion of good health through the curriculum and everyday practices.
Why the school is a key setting for health promotion
Childhood and adolescence is a time of great change, when young people often acquire lifetime habits and attitudes. One function of a healthy school environment is to enable children to develop healthy behaviours. Part of growing up is risk-taking, but problems arise when young people are unaware of the scale of risk involved. The effects of smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug use and low levels of exercise may not become apparent until later life. There is some evidence that risk-taking behaviour in one area can lead to risk-taking behaviour in other areas. A recent study of 15-year-olds found that the odds of someone having used cannabis in the last month were 12 times higher for those who had drunk alcohol in the last week compared with those who hadn’t, and 8 times higher for those who had smoked in the last week (National Centre for Social Research and the National Foundation for Educational Research 2005). Similarly, two-fifths of sexually active 13- and 14-year-olds said they were under the influence of alcohol or cannabis the first time they had sexual intercourse (Wight et al 2000). Whilst adolescence is characterized by powerful peer group attachments, the school setting provides an opportunity to communicate with young people and provides learning opportunities and a safe environment to practise new skills.
There is a relationship between health and education and the ability to learn. Young people’s experiences in school influence the development of their self-esteem, self-perception and their health behaviours. Pupils with low school performance and educational aspirations and high levels of absence from school are more likely to engage in earlier risk-taking behaviour such as drug use (Canning et al 2004). School attendance is particularly important and provision of food at school, e.g. through breakfast clubs, can improve attendance rates. Equally, health can have an impact on educational performance. There is evidence that providing good nutrition in school can improve attention, concentration and overall cognitive development (Powney et al 2000).
Health promotion in schools
The provision of sex education in schools reflects these views of health promotion. Sex education is now commonly referred to as ‘sex and relationships education’ in recognition of the need to move away from a focus on biology to a focus on emotional health, values and life skills.