Coordinated School Health CSH The links between health
Coordinated School Health (CSH) The links between health and academic achievement Yesha Patel, MPH Graduate Student Montclair State University NJ Department of Health and Senior Services
HEALTH FAMILY & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT EDUCATION PHYSICAL EDUCATION SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES STAFF WELLNESS HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT COUNSELING, PSYCHOLOGICAL, & SOCIAL SERVICES NUTRITION SERVICES
Education system concerns …. • • • Inattention and hyperactivity Aggression and violence Teen pregnancy Vision Asthma Physical Activity Nutrition Achievement gaps Drugs and Alcohol …that CSH can address.
Health and success in school are related. Schools can not achieve their primary mission of education if students and staff are not healthy and fit - physically, mentally and socially. The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Schools are ideal places to reach children and youth. Because children's health and learning are linked, children cannot learn when they are not well or when health concerns interrupt their ability to concentrate. American School Health Association and USDHHS (1998)
[Children] …who face violence, hunger, substance abuse, unintended pregnancy, and despair cannot possibly focus on academic excellence. There is no curriculum brilliant enough to compensate for a hungry stomach or a distracted mind. ACS, National Action Plan for Comprehensive School Health Education (1992)
Health and education go hand in hand: one cannot exist without the other. To believe any differently is to hamper progress. Just as our children have a right to receive the best education available, they have a right to be healthy. As parents, legislators, and educators, it is up to us to see that this becomes a reality. Former Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello (Year) A literature review of CSH programs and academic achievement showed significant promise for improving academic outcomes by influencing the 8 components of a child’s life at school. (Murray, 2007)
Comprehensive Health Education • Health Education: (Mc. Manis & Sorensen, 2000; Hawkins, 1999) ▫ Improves healthy behaviors and school performance ▫ Fewer violent acts ▫ Less heavy drinking ▫ Prevents alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse ▫ Higher grade point averages ▫ Sex education Delayed initiation and frequency of sex, increase use of contraception and reduced number of partners (Kirby, 2007)
School Health Services • School-based health clinics ▫ Pregnancy prevention programs Success in pregnant teens staying in school (Barnet, et al. , 2004) • Asthma - 1 in 4 NJ students have been diagnosed with asthma (NJ Student Health Survey, 2009) ▫ Cognition Poorer concentration and memory test performance (Stores, Ellis, Wiggs, Crawford & Thomson, 1998) and on task orientation (such as, concentrating well) (Halterman, Conn, Forbes-Jones, Fagnano & Hightower, 2006) ▫ Absenteeism Positive association between asthma and absenteeism (Taras and Potts-Datema (2005)
Vision screening: Detects tracking (ability to move across a line of text when reading), teaming (communication between the eyes and brain), and the ability to focus at different distances & to change & maintain focus (Harris, 2002) School administrators, trying to raise standardized test scores, may mistakenly believe that physical education curricular time should be sacrificed and reallocated to reading, mathematics, and science. There is currently no evidence indicating that this strategy is, in fact, effective in increasing standardized test scores; in fact, a growing body of evidence shows that increased time for physical education and other school-based physical activity programs is associated with either a neutral or positive impact on academic outcomes (Basch, 2010).
Physical Education/Activity Benefits: • Promotes pro-social learning behaviors – i. e. cooperation and teamwork (Basch, 2010) • Positively influences metabolism & all major body systems, the brain & spinal cord, & emotional stability Ability to learn Cognition Connection to school Absenteeism Dropping out (Basch, 2011) • Stronger academic performance (Active Living Research, 2007) • Improves students’ concentration skills and classroom behavior (Active Living Research, 2007)
Position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), School Nutrition Association (SNA), and Society for Nutrition Education (SNE) on Comprehensive School Nutrition Services: Comprehensive, integrated nutrition services in grades K-12 are an essential component of CSH to improve the nutritional status, health, and academic performance of our nation’s children. Local school wellness policies may strengthen comprehensive nutrition services in schools by providing opportunities for multidisciplinary teams to identify and address local school needs.
Nutrition Services • Breakfast - Students that skip breakfast are less alert and attentive (Widenhorn-Muller et al. , 2008; Benton & Jarvis, 2007) ▫ Less absenteeism in students participating in school breakfast programs (Pollit & Mathews, 1998; Rampersaud et al. , 2005; Taras, 2005) • Garden based education - % NJ hs students eating & veggie svgs/day past 7 days has declined ≥ 5 fruit (NJ Student Health Survey, 2009). ▫ Increase students’ nutrition knowledge, preference for fruits, and fruit & vegetable intake (ADA, SNA, & SNE, 2010).
Counseling, Psychological & Social Services ▫ Children exposed to violence and trauma are affected in learning if they have: Increased anxiety Trouble controlling fear and anger Difficulty forming trust and building social relationships Psychological problems Problems with their memory (Mc. Manis & Sorensen, 2000)
To learn effectively, students and teachers need a healthy school environment that: ► is clean, well lit, comfortable, physically safe, and graffiti-free, with minimal noise and distractions. ► supports diversity and promotes personal growth, wellness, and healthy relationships. ► communicates and consistently enforces policies and procedures related to student health, safety, and conduct including such issues as tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; name calling; sexual harassment; violent behaviors; and emergency preparedness. (Fetro et al. , 2010)
Healthy School Environment “The social and psychological climate and physical environment at school play a pivotal role in ensuring that youth like and are engaged in school. ” (Basch, 2010) • Increases effective learning (Fetro, Givens, & Carroll, 2009) • Students who believe that the school is a dangerous place choose to avoid it (Basch, 2010). • Exposure to aggression and violence in school is associated with how connected a student feels to his or her school (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, & Perry, 2003; Glew et al. , 2005; Ladd, Kochenderfer, & Coleman, 1997).
Staff Wellness “By ignoring the health of their employees, school districts put a valuable asset of the nation’s schools at risk. This asset has the potential to either improve or diminish students’ learning. ” Directors of Health Promotion and Education • Most chronic diseases and conditions are preventable and affect productivity (Directors of Health Promotion and Education). • 14 studies showed lower absenteeism in organizations w/employee health programs (Whitmer et al. , 2003) • An analysis of 11 wellness programs at Washoe County School District, Nevada showed: • a 20% higher rate in absenteeism rate in employees not participating • for every $1 spent on a county district wellness program, approximately $15. 60 was saved • Washoe County saved a total of $2. 5 million dollars in two years (Aldana et al. , 2005; Partnership for Prevention, 2001)
Family & Community Involvement • Students who receive consistent messaging from home, school, and the community are more likely to adopt healthy behaviors (ADA, SNA, & SNE, 2010). “While classroom teachers play a key role in educating and promoting student wellness, the success of their work depends on additional role models in the home and community reinforcing similar messages and providing a supportive environment in which lessons learned in school can be implemented. ” (ADA, SNA, & SNE, 2010)
What can you do? • Utilize the Healthy School Report Card • Implement a program that promotes and maintains positive interactions with significant adults in children’s lives • Adopt a hands-on bullying prevention program • Increase the hours the school remained open and the number of activities and services available to all members of the community • Increase professional development and make teachers available to students before and after school
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