Lawrence St.Leger Vancouver 2007 Evidence of the Effectiveness of School Health Promotion - implications for policy, practice and research Lawrence St.Leger Vancouver 2007

Acknowledgements Teachers, students, parents Researchers and evaluators Health and education officials NGO’s

Important Basic Facts and Claims Pre requisites for health Determinants of health Purpose of Schools

Prerequisites for Health Peace Shelter Education Food Income Stable ecosystem Sustainable resources Social justice Equity

Determinants of Health Biological Behavioural Environmental Social

Purposes of School Health To build health knowledge, skills and behaviours in the cognitive , emotional, social and behavioural domains HPS build generic competencies in knowledge and understanding, analysing and synthesising information and creating ideas about, and solutions for, personal, local and global health issues To enhance educational outcomes Healthy students learn better. The core business of a school is maximising learning outcomes. Quality HPS’s make a major contribution to achieving this outcome

The Type of Evidence WHO Expert Committee……. “The HPS is an investment in education, health and democracy” (WHO 1997)

The Type of Evidence WHO Expert Committee…… Five categories of indicators

Categories of Indicators 1. Children's health status 2. Learning ability, attendance and learning achievement 3. Behaviours affecting health 4. Quality of the physical and psychosocial environments 5. School health program implementation (WHO, 1995)

What is School Health? What is the HPS? Outcome? Approach? Set of values? Issue specific program? Common set of programs and services?