Impact of a school health coordinator intervention on health-related school policies and student behavior

Background: Health-related, school-based interventions may serve to prevent disease and improve academic performance. The Healthy Maine Partnerships (HMP) initiative funded local school health coordinators (SHCs) as a part of Maine's Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) beginning in January 2001. SHCs established school health leadership teams and implemented annual work plans to address health risk behaviors.

Purpose: We evaluate the impact of the Healthy Maine Partnerships SHC (HMPSHC) intervention on school policies and student risk behaviors.

Significance: School policies may play an important role in reducing student risk behavior, improving health, and ultimately contributing to academic achievement.

Methods: Data sources include the Maine School Health Profiles Survey and the Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey/Youth Tobacco Survey . Cross-sectional analyses were performed on 2006 data to assess physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco-related policy associations with the HMPSHC intervention. Finally, 2006 policy and student behavior analyses were conducted to assess associations.

Results: Intervention schools were more likely to be associated with physical activity intramural offerings, improved nutritional offerings, and tobacco cessation programs. In intervention schools, school policies were associated with decreased soda consumption, decreased inactivity, and decreased tobacco use. Required school health education curricula were more predictive of decreased risk behavior in intervention schools than in non-intervention schools.