Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111047

Jean Frank, MPH, Bridget Haas, MSSA, and Mona Shediac-Rizkallah, PhD. Center for Adolescent Health, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave., School of Medicine, WG-48, Cleveland, OH 44106, 216-368-5913, Jean.Frank@case.edu

Purpose: To examine whether three public school systems could develop and sustain programs based on the World Health Organization concept of the health promoting school, with impetus and programmatic development support provided through partnership with an academic center. Methods: Health promoting schools build health into all aspects of life at school encompassing the curriculum, school culture, and school environment including partnerships with the community and access to health services. Program development support involved: (a) collection of qualitative data at the individual level (student and parent focus groups) and at school and community levels (key informant interviews), (b) integration of qualitative data with quantitative information (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) and (c) assistance in creating a school health team as a coordinating structure at each school. School health teams managed the health promoting project planning process and participated in all phases of needs analysis, priority setting, and implementation plan development. Results: Integration of qualitative and quantitative data permitted school health teams to conduct in-depth analyses of the health risk and health promoting culture for their school community. School health teams were able to conduct needs analyses, set priorities for health promotion efforts and develop a whole-school health promotion intervention specific to their school. Conclusion: Through partnership within an academic center, three public secondary schools have achieved progress in their efforts to become health promoting schools through whole-school approaches to health promotion. The long-term viability of this approach may be affected by interests and commitments of major stakeholders.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the World Health Organization concept of the health promoting school.
• Appreciate the importance of qualitative and quantitative data analysis when examining a school’s health climate.
• Recognize the value of academic center and public school partnership in the development and implementation of a whole school approach to health promotion.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, School Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.