8. Findings by health or social topicThis is a featured page

Since much of the work done in school health promotion is within the context of preventing specific health problems or promoting specific health behaviours, this section of the report summarizes the findings of selected health topics.

Note: To emphasize the potential extent of what topics could be covered in this section, we have listed the various health and social problems that can and should be addressed in school health promotion here. However, we are able to report on only a few of these issues.
  • General Health/Growth & Development/Puberty
  • Infectious Disease/ Personal Hygiene
  • First Aid
  • Home Economics/Family Studies
  • Child Abuse-Neglect/Sexual Abuse of Children
  • Vision, Hearing, Genetic Defects § Parasites
  • Physical Activity/Sports/Active Living-Recreation
  • Healthy Eating/Nutrition/Obesity/Eating Disorders/Food Security
  • Injury Prevention
  • Addictions/Alcohol/Drugs
  • Mental Health/Mental Illness/Suicide/School Psychologists/MH workers § Sexual Health/HIV-AIDS/STI
  • Tobacco
  • Bullying/Violence/Crime/Students with Behaviour Disorders-ADHD/Security/role of police
  • Social Development-Responsibility/Civics/Service Learning/Relationships/Social-Emotional Learning
  • Gender Equity
  • Racism/Multicultural Awareness/Human rights/Diversity
  • Ethics/Character/Personal Development/Decision-making/Critical Thinking
  • Life Planning/Career Planning/Self Esteem-Awareness
  • Environmental Health/Allergies/Asthma/Lung Health
  • Environmental Citizenship/Stewardship

The findings from these scans, selected articles and other sources is organized as shown below.

Health/Social Development Topic:

Data Sources
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Evidence-basis of Interventions
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities

Health/Social Development Topic: Physical Activity
Data Sources CAHPERD Scan of National Activities (2006) CFLRI Baseline Survey of School Practices (2001) Active, Healthy Kids Survey (2007) Globe & Mail Survey of School Boards
Synthesis of Findings The CAHPERD scan notes that Physical education is taught as a separate subject in most jurisdictions and combined with health education in three jurisdictions. Recently three provinces have increased the time required to instruct students in PE. The CAHPERD report contains a summary of the recommended or required time for PE instruction. The CAHPERD scan notes that three jurisdictions have recently required that students engage in daily physical activity outside of formal instruction time. Non-mandatory physical activity is promoted in almost all jurisdictions through a variety of games and special school-wide activities. Many of these school activities include national or PT “challenges” and competitions for students or schools. At the national level, there are large-scale initiatives to promote the Physical Activity Guide, summer and winter activity promotion programs, active school transportation. CAHPERD and the Heart & Stroke Foundation offer several such activity programs.
Comprehensiveness Physical activity is linked with preventing over-eating (obesity) in many recent PE and PA programs.
Coordination Strategies The CAHPERD scan reports that there are several models of “whole school” approaches to promoting PA, including the Ontario Active School model, EverActive schools in Alberta and Action Schools in BC. Several provinces have also supported “community-school” approaches to PA, such as the In-Motion program that was developed in SK. As well, several PTs support active transportation programs where students walk to school, “active recess programs and other specific elements to influence the school day. The CAHPERD report also describes several national and PT initiatives related to sports participation through and with schools. A listing of PT school sports organizations is provided.
Evidence Basis of Activities
System Capacities/Strategic Nature of the Activities Monitoring & Reporting: The CAHPERD scan did not locate many examples of monitoring and reporting on the levels of physical activity among children, nor the status of PE/PA programs nor the learned skills/attitudes/knowledge being acquired by students. The CFLRI reported on PE and PA program status as of 2001. Most parents reported that their child received PE in school about 1-2 times per week. Two thirds of parents reported that their child was offered PA after school. The annual report from Active Healthy Kids Canada reports on the levels of physical activity among children. The report is based on data from several sources including international and Canadian health surveys and school-based self-assessment tools.



Health/Social Development Topic: Safety, Crime Prevention, Bullying
Data Sources CASH Scan of current programs (2007)
Synthesis of Findings The CASH scan found that there were several well-accepted and widely used terms describing “safe & caring schools”. There is a national consensus statement and several PT’s have initiatives with staff and program funds assigned under the name.
Comprehensiveness The National Crime Prevention Centre and several other organizations have published reports advocating for comprehensive and coordinated approaches. There is a strong linkage made between safety, crime and bullying and a positive, respectful or caring environment and programs in the schools. In a related way, mental health (developed from the health sector) and social and academic learning (developed from the education sector) emphasize positive social environments in schools. Instructional strategies have tended to focus on specific aspects such as bullying or conflict resolution or character education. All jurisdictions cover such topics as part of their mandatory personal and social development education curricula. Comprehensive guidance counselling services are cited as part of the school response to bullying and other anti-social behaviours. Family support programs are also used often in the jurisdictions. Most of these programs seem to be geared to families in distress due to violence and delinquency. A continuing major policy issue is the dilemma of not having “zero tolerance” of anti-social behaviours but also having the supports and services needed for alternatives to suspension and expulsion.
Coordination Strategies Coordination issues seem to be addressed most often in providing services such as Behaviour Support (Special education) or Restorative Justice (Courts/detention centres) or in responding to crises (police departments) The notion of a “safe school coordinator is also used in all education ministries as well as several school boards.
Evidence Basis of Activities There are a number of proven instructional, support services and whole school programs available in Canada that have been evaluated to be effective.
System Capacities/Strategic Nature of the Activities There appears to be an opportunity for stronger linkages between concerns about bullying and work in other sectors on mental health and social/emotional learning. The challenge may be to maintain a positive youth development approach in the face of growing public concern over school shootings and highly publicized youth violence in Toronto.



Health/Social Development Topic: Sexual Health
Data Sources CASH Scan on School Sexual Health Promotion (2007) Health Canada Review of Curricula Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Canada: A Report Card in 2004 (Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality) Status report on Sexual Health & SH (CMEC, 1999)
Sexual Health in Canada a comprehensive, national, statistical portrait of Canadians’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The report contains information related to government roles and responsibilities, youth SRH, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), contraception, pregnancy and outcomes, and sexual violence, as well as provincial and territorial profiles of SRH.
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness There has been considerable attention given to sexual halth instruction in Canada, with federal guidelines, report cards and other reports but less attention paid to coordinated and comprehensive sexual health promotion in schools. The 1999 CMEC report on HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health includes an extensive multi-level analysis of how a comprehensive approach can, should and was not being implemented at that time.
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems capacities/Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic: Nutrition
Data Sources HLKC Report on Nutrition & Schools (2006) Report: Canadian Centre for Science in the Public Interest (2007) SHRN Survey of PT Capacity on Nutrition & Schools (2005) Breakfast for Learning Report on School Meal Programs (2006) Globe & Mail Survey of School Boards (2006)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities





Health/Social Development Topic: Mental Health
Data Sources Feature Article: Mental Health & Schools (CASH, 2007)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic: Substance Abuse
Data Sources CCSA Provincial/Territorial Scans (2007)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis for the Activities
Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic: Tobacco
Data Sources Health & Learning Knowledge Centre Scan (2006)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic: Aboriginal Students
Data Sources Health & Learning Knowledge Centre Scan (2006)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic: Air Quality/Environmental Health
Data Sources Globe & Mail Survey of School Boards (2007)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic:
Data Sources HLKC Scan on French Language Students (2006)
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic:
Data Sources
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities



Health/Social Development Topic:
Data Sources
Synthesis of Findings
Comprehensiveness
Coordination Strategies
Evidence Basis of Activities
Systems Capacities/ Strategic Nature of the Activities




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