scholarly journals A Canadian-wide Perspective on the Essential Conditions for Taking a Comprehensive School Health Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kacey C Neely ◽  
Genevieve R. Montemurro ◽  
Kate E. Storey
Keyword(s):  
School Health ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Essential Condition ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Comprehensive School Health

Abstract Background: The primary purpose of this research was to explore Comprehensive School Health (CSH) stakeholders’ perceptions of the essential conditions for taking a CSH approach in other contexts across Canada. The secondary purpose was to examine the need for and development of an evaluative tool or resource to assess the implementation of the essential conditions.Methods: Data were generated through individual semi-structured interviews (n = 38) and small group interviews (n = 3) with 45 participants across Canada involved in implementing policies or programs which take a CSH approach. Interviews were subjected to content analysis. Results: There was positive support for the essential conditions and results indicated the essential conditions are relevant across Canada. Findings revealed the necessity for a new essential condition that reflected support and leadership from the school district and/or provincial/territorial governing bodies. Modifications to the description of each of the essential conditions were also suggested to provide clarity. Results also indicated that an evaluative tool that was concise, meaningful, and provided immediate feedback would be useful to school communities to establish readiness, assess, and improve ongoing implementation of CSH approaches. Conclusions: This research contributes to the evidence-base of CSH by providing school communities across Canada with a set of refined and understandable essential conditions that support successful implementation. Further, the development of an evaluation tool will support school health champions, researchers, and policymakers in the optimization and implementation of policies or programs which take a CSH approach, ultimately supporting healthier school communities across the country.

scholarly journals A Canadian-Wide Perspective on the Essential Conditions for Taking a Comprehensive School Health Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kacey C Neely ◽  
Genevieve R. Montemurro ◽  
Kate E. Storey
Keyword(s):  
School Health ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Essential Condition ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Comprehensive School Health

Abstract Background: The primary purpose of this research was to confirm whether the essential conditions for taking a Comprehensive School Health (CSH) approach held true in other contexts across Canada. The secondary purpose was to determine if the development of an evaluative tool or resource is needed to assess the implementation of the essential conditions. Methods: Data were generated through individual semi-structured interviews (n = 38) and small focus groups (n = 3) with 45 participants across Canada involved in implementing policies or programs which take a CSH approach. Interviews were subjected to content analysis. Results: There was positive support for the essential conditions and results indicated the essential conditions are relevant across Canada. Findings revealed the necessity for a new essential condition that reflected support and leadership from the school district and/or provincial/territorial governing bodies. Modifications to the description of each of the essential conditions were also suggested to provide clarity. Results also indicated that an evaluative tool that was concise, meaningful, and provided immediate feedback would be useful to school communities to establish readiness, assess, and improve ongoing implementation of CSH approaches. Conclusions: This research contributes to the evidence-base of CSH by providing school communities across Canada with a set of refined and understandable essential conditions that support successful implementation. Further, the development of an evaluation tool will support school health champions, researchers, and policymakers in the optimization and implementation of policies or programs which take a CSH approach, ultimately supporting healthier school communities across the country.

scholarly journals A Canadian-wide perspective on the essential conditions for taking a comprehensive school health approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kacey C. Neely ◽  
Genevieve R. Montemurro ◽  
Kate E. Storey
Keyword(s):  
School Health ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Essential Condition ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Comprehensive School Health

Abstract Background The primary purpose of this research was to explore Comprehensive School Health (CSH) stakeholders’ perceptions of the essential conditions for taking a CSH approach in other contexts across Canada. The secondary purpose was to examine the need for and development of an evaluative tool or resource to assess the implementation of the essential conditions. Methods Data were generated through individual semi-structured interviews (n = 38) and small group interviews (n = 3) with 45 participants across Canada involved in implementing policies or programs which take a CSH approach. Interviews were subjected to content analysis. Results There was positive support for the essential conditions and results indicated the essential conditions are relevant across Canada. Findings revealed the necessity for a new essential condition that reflected support and leadership from the school district and/or provincial/territorial governing bodies. Modifications to the description of each of the essential conditions were also suggested to provide clarity. Results also indicated that an evaluative tool that was concise, meaningful, and provided immediate feedback would be useful to school communities to establish readiness, assess, and improve ongoing implementation of CSH approaches. Conclusions This research contributes to the evidence-base of CSH by providing school communities across Canada with a set of refined and understandable essential conditions that support successful implementation. Further, the development of an evaluation tool will support school health champions, researchers, and policymakers in the optimization and implementation of policies or programs which take a CSH approach, ultimately supporting healthier school communities across the country.

Comprehensive School Health Education: A Practical Definition

1985 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 335-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy L. Davis ◽  
Howard L. Gonser ◽  
Margaret A. Kirkpatrick ◽  
Sally Wolfe Lavery ◽  
Sandra L. Owen
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
School Health ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Comprehensive School Health ◽  
School Health Education

The Efficacy of Comprehensive School Health Course in Changing Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes and Reactions Toward Weight-Related Teasing

2020 ◽  
pp. 082957352097491
Author(s):  
Jessica F. Saunders ◽  
Sarah Nutter ◽  
Isabel Brun ◽  
Deinera Exner-Cortens ◽  
Shelly Russell-Mayhew
Keyword(s):  
School Health ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Comprehensive School Health ◽  
Health Course ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Significant Positive Change ◽  
Teachers Attitudes ◽  
Long Course ◽  
University Course

Teachers view overt expressions of weight stigma, such as weight-related teasing, as troublesome but are often ill-prepared to address instances of weight-related teasing when they arise in the classroom. Comprehensive school health is an emerging framework that aims to better prepare teachers to address issues of health and wellness in the classroom, including weight-related teasing. We examined the efficacy of a university course in comprehensive school health in changing pre-service teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of weight-related teasing. Pre-service teachers read a vignette and responded to 10 items about the vignette at both the beginning and end of the semester-long course. Items relating to pre-service teachers’ perception of, responsibility and obligation to address the weight-related teasing event showed significant, positive change from the beginning to end of the semester. These results suggest that exposure to developmentally sound methods of delivering health-related content can support adaptive educator reactions to weight-related teasing.

scholarly journals Support for healthy eating at schools according to the comprehensive school health framework: evaluation during the early years of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy implementation

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 303-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taryn Orava ◽  
Steve Manske ◽  
Rhona Hanning
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
School Health ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Local Context ◽  
School Food ◽  
Comprehensive School Health ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Time Periods

Introduction Provincial, national and international public health agencies recognize the importance of school nutrition policies that help create healthful environments aligned with healthy eating recommendations for youth. School-wide support for healthy living within the pillars of the comprehensive school health (CSH) framework (social and physical environments; teaching and learning; healthy school policy; and partnerships and services) has been positively associated with fostering improvements to student health behaviours. This study used the CSH framework to classify, compare and describe school support for healthy eating during the implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150). Methods We collected data from consenting elementary and secondary schools in a populous region of Ontario in Time I (2012/13) and Time II (2014). Representatives from the schools completed the Healthy School Planner survey and a food environmental scan (FES), which underwent scoring and content analyses. Each school’s support for healthy eating was classified as either “initiation,” “action” or “maintenance” along the Healthy School Continuum in both time periods, and as “high/increased,” “moderate” or “low/decreased” within individual CSH pillars from Time I to Time II. Results Twenty-five school representatives (8 elementary, 17 secondary) participated. Most schools remained in the “action” category (n = 20) across both time periods, with varying levels of support in the CSH pillars. The physical environment was best supported (100% high/increased support) and the social environment was the least (68% low/decreased support). Only two schools achieved the highest rating (maintenance) in Time II. Supports aligned with P/PM 150 were reportedly influenced by administration buy-in, stakeholder support and relevancy to local context. Conclusion Further assistance is required to sustain comprehensive support for healthy eating in Ontario school food environments.

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