An Integrated School Health Teacher for Whole Student Health in China: Professional Competency Inventory

This study aimed to develop a professional competency inventory for integrated school health teachers in the Chinese schooling system. It generated initial competency items through conducting job task analyses, group interviews, and expert consultations, which proposed 75 items in the following fields: general quality, basic health service, school health education, and school health management. A total of 312 school health administrators/instructors, principals, in-service health teachers, and preservice health teachers were surveyed during 2018-2019. Respondents valued aspects of health teacher’s professional competency differently. Exploratory factor analyses finally extracted 9 domains, and 70 competency standards were retained. The Cronbach’s α level was .983, with value for each domain ranging from .855 to .955. The final competency inventory for school health teachers contained 4 fields, 9 domains with 70 competencies. It provided a reliable framework for specialized training, evaluation, and professional development for school health teachers. The study also interpreted the differences in importance perception of competencies among stakeholders, provided across cultural views for elaborating values and meanings of school health personnel all over the world.

Implementation of an Allergic Reaction Reporting Tool for School Health Personnel: A Pilot Study of Three Chicago Schools

Food allergy (FA) impacts 8% of U.S. children, thus it is critical to document allergic reactions to assist schools in managing FAs. We implemented and evaluated an online tool to assist school health personnel in tracking the characteristics of allergic reactions occurring at schools. The Online School Allergic Reaction Registry (OScARR) was modified from the Epinephrine Administration Form developed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, adapted for integration into existing school health records, and implemented in three Chicago schools during the 2016–2017 school year. All allergic reactions occurring at participating schools were recorded by school nurses. Twenty-five percent of the 20 allergic reactions reported were characterized as anaphylaxis by school nurses. School nurses reported that they would recommend OScARR for use in other schools. Detailed data obtained from three Chicago schools underscore the importance of proper documentation to improve the understanding of the causative allergen and location and management of allergic reactions in schools.

HIV/AIDS Prevention : Knowledge, Attitudes and Education Practices of Secondary School Health Personnel in 14 Cities of China

This study assessed the preparedness of school health personnel to develop and deliver HIV/AIDS prevention education programmes for young people in China. A survey of 653 personnel working in secondary schools in 14 cities was conducted. More than 90% had basic knowledge of ways in which HIV can be transmitted, but knowledge of ways in which the virus is not transmitted needs improvement. Substantial numbers of teachers were not sure whether there was an effective preventive vaccine (42%) or did not know whether AIDS was a curable illness or not (32%). The great majority approved of AIDS prevention programmes in universities (98%) and secondary schools (91%), although fewer (58%) agreed that the topic was appropriate for primary schools. Currently, most classroom activities focuses on teaching facts about HIV/AIDS transmission, while less than half are taught about HIV/AIDS related discrimination and life skills to reduce peer pressure. Personnel with some prior training on HIV/ AIDS education (53%) had better factual knowledge, more tolerant attitudes and more confidence in teaching about HIV/AIDS than those without training. The majority of teachers indicated a need for more resource books, audiovisual products, expert guidance, school principal support and dissemination of national AIDS prevention education guidelines to schools. Asia Pac J Public Health 2004; 16(1): 9-14.