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

The Relationship Between Pupils' Perception Of School And Their Reported Psychosomatic Health And Quality Of Life

Samdal, Qddrun, Master degree, Wold, Bente, Dr. Psychol.

Research centre for health promotion, University of Bergen, Oisteinsgt. 3, N-5007 BERGEN, NORWAY

Purpose

The school is one of the most important socialization settings and will thus strongly influence pupils' development of health behaviour and their perceived health. To many pupils the school environment represents a risk for their psychosocial health and quality of life. These risk factors can be reduced through health promoting school programmes. The focus for this paper is to study how 15 year old pupils' perception of school (measured by scales focussing on relations to teachers and pupils, school regulations, outcome of school, disturbances in class, bullying and specific negative experiences) influences their reported psychosomatic health and quality of life.

Methods

Data on school as a work environment for pupils have been collected in 25 countries and regions among 102 478 pupils aged 11,13 and 15 through the international WHO study "Health Behaviour among School-aged Children". In this paper data from 15 year old pupils in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Slovakia will be presented (n=6.165).

Results

Pupils' perception of school is most strongly related to pupils' reported quality of life and a bit less but still significantly associated to psychosomatic health. In all the five countries the most influential dimensions seem to be relations to pupils and teachers and specific negative experiences.

Conclusion

Although it is difficult to state the causality of influence between perception of school and psychosomatic health and quality of life, it is nevertheless plausible to assume that pupils adaptation to and wellbeing in school will influence their psychosomatic health and quality of life. Research on stress in adult work environment confirms this approach. The stated relationships also intensify the needs of developing and implementing strategies targeting promotion of wellbeing in school. The "European Network of Health Promoting Schools" including 34 European countries have this approach and focus on involvement of pupils, school health services and local community in the strategy development.

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