Universiteit Maastricht
Universiteit Maastricht
Background: Since 2002 the Regional Health Organization in South Limburg, the Netherlands developed Schoolbeat, a whole school approach to health promotion. Schoolbeat focuses on supporting secondary schools in developing structured school health promotion policies e.g. by implementing demand-driven prevention programs. Currently all schools in South Limburg have their own Schoolbeat-advisor and apply the Schoolbeat-approach, although implementation practices in schools vary.
Main research question: What are the success factors, shortcomings and bottlenecks of this structural approach to school health promotion?
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework of this research builds on innovation theories, such as Rogers (2003), Fleuren & Paulussen (2004) and Shediac- Rizkallah & Bone (1998).
Method: A questionnaire was distributed among teachers, schoolboard and school care workers from secondary schools in South Limburg, consisting of items about the schoolbeat structure, communication, essential preconditions for implementation and maintenance of school health policy.
Main results: The theory-based Schoolbeat approach is only partially implemented. Needs have been assessed, priorities are set. At some schools priorities have led to action, but at others action plans have not been formulated, realized or evaluated. Healthy school policies are not widespread. Nevertheless health promotion is seen as an integral task at secondary schools.
Conclusions: Schoolbeat is not faithfully implemented in the structure for health promotion at secondary schools in South Limburg, although a good start has been made. Factors inhibiting and facilitating implementation are discussed.
Implications for research / policy / practice: The attention for school health policy is increasing. Nevertheless only little evidence is available. This research provides recommendations for the implementation of school health policies in the Netherlands and other countries.
Contact: nicole.boot@ggdzl.nl Contact: nicole.boot@ggdzl.nl
Graça S. Carvalho 1 , Humberto Faria 2
1 Institute of Education, University of Minho,
2 Health Centre of Paredes de Coura, Portugal
Children and young people spend a long time in school for their process of education and lifestyle acquisition. The recognition of this by the WHO and other institutions led to international initiatives such as the Networks of Health Promoting Schools (NHPS), including the Schools for Health in Europe network. Portugal joined this network in 1994 with 10 pilot schools and 4 health centres, having enlarged up to 3722 schools and 282 health centres in 2001. Currently, all schools are integrating the Portuguese NHEP, under a partnership between the Ministries of Health and Education (ME, 2006). The partnership between health and education ministries has been identified as one of the key factors for the sustainability of health promotion in schools (IUHPES, 2008).
In the present study we intended to analyse the perceptions of both health and education professionals involved in the implementation of HPS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to health professionals of all health centres of the district of Viana do Castelo (north of Portugal) and to teachers of all primary schools of this district included in the Portuguese NHPS. Special attention was given to the perceptions of health and education professionals about the schools motivation for the HPS project, the occasional versus continuous activities and the positive and negative aspects of the health centres and schools partnership. Results are presented and discussed in terms of facilitating factors and barriers to an effective implementation of HPS, giving particular emphasis to the health and the education sectors interaction. The differences in health professionals’ and education professionals’ perceptions about the HPS implementation were found to be an important factor to be taken into account for the success of the HPS.
Contact: Graça S. Carvalho, graca@iec.uminho.pt