The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

3380.0: Monday, November 17, 2003 - Board 2

Abstract #67857

Involving Parents in School Health Education Programming

Diane Allensworth, PhD and Christi Kay, MA. Executive Director, Kids' Health, 1655 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, 404-929-5319, dda6@cdc.gov

Kids’ Health is a unique health promotion initiative that has been launched in elementary and middle schools in the greater Atlanta area reaching approximately 30,000 students in approximately 15 different education systems. The goal of the initiative is to facilitate the adoption of priority health enhancing behaviors by improving all aspects of a coordinated school health program. Strategies target students, staff, families and the school. In addition to in-class instruction, a high tech mobile unit travels to each school to provide students with interactive instruction with high tech equipment. All-school health promotion initiatives are promoted as well as the formation of a school health council. Parental representation is a requirement on the school health council. In addition, families receive newsletters facilitating extension of the health lessons learned at school. In addition, families are reached through the PTA programming, through school web sites, and media literacy classes. This session will discuss the preliminary evaluation of the parent newsletter "homework" along with other aspects of the initiatives designed to involve parents in health promotion with their child and with the school health program, in general

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Children and Adolescents, Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

School Health Program Innovations

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA