RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Health Promotion at School

Kristina Pellmer, Ewa Adamsson

Skaraborg Institute, Skovde, Sweden

Health Promotion at school

In order to make the health promotion in the school sector more efficient than before, the health education must be integrated in all regular work at school. In Skaraborg we have started to develop a model emanating from a recommendation from WHO in "Planning for a Smoke-Free Generation". The first six items of this WHO-strategy out of ten can be used in school:

1/Identify the problem

Continued comparable surveys over a period of time can provide a sensitive tool to enable careful targeting of effort and resources.

2/Co-operate and co-ordinate the work.

To achieve reduction in smoking and drinking among young people it is necessary to co-operate and co-ordinate to get the same policy and message accepted by all involved groups at school.

3/Develope effective educational programmes

All concerned at school (headmaster, teachers, other school staff, the students) must jointly draw up plans for how and when the health issues will be included in the regular school work.

4/Allocate school curriculum

School education programmes require curriculum time and need to be clearly identified as an essential element of formal education in schools.

5/Provide training support

Appropriate training of teachers and other youth workers needs to be planned and resourced. They need to be confident and able to use new teaching techniques and materials to maximize their effectiveness.

6/Involve parents

Effective methods of involving parents in education programmes should be identified and used. The attitudes of parents towards the use of tobacco and alcohol have a great influence on the behaviour of childhood and early adolescence.

Experiences of this model and how this work has started a new process at school will be presented in the poster

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