A pilot training course on school health promotion in Austria focused on supporting teachers and school heads during the implementation of the health-promoting school (HPS) concept. The participants talked about their experiences during the implementation phase in focus groups held in a feedback seminar at the end of the training course. The focus groups were analyzed by using an inductive appr...

Physical activity (PA) benefits children's physical and mental health and enhances academic performance. However, in many nations, PA time in school is decreasing under competing pressures for time during the school day. The present paper argues that PA should not be reduced or seen as incompatible with academic learning. Instead, the authors contend that it is critical to develop tools that in...

The safe use of mobile phones is part of the health promotion duty of children's nurses and those nurses working in schools. In this article the author advocates that children and young people should be encouraged to keep and use their mobiles in a safe place, avoid lengthy and incessant calls, provide their number only to those they feel they can trust and switch off the phone as soon as possi...

BACKGROUND Effective lifestyle interventions are needed to prevent noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. We analyzed the effects of a school-based health promotion intervention on physical fitness after 28 months and explored if the effect varied with important school characteristics. We also assessed effects on screen time, physical activity and BMI. METHODS AND RESUL...

The sequencing of the human genome has provided tools to gain a better understanding of the role of genes and their interaction with environmental factors in the development of disease. However, much work remains in translating discoveries into new opportunities for disease prevention and health promotion. Both public health academia and practice have important roles to play in bridging the gap...

The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate an effective whole-community approach to identifying a diverse group of influential young people to effectively diffuse health promotion messages among their peers. A peer nomination questionnaire, developed through extensive piloting work, was completed by 10 730 Year 8 students (aged 12-13 years) in 59 schools (30 intervention, 29 control...

UNLABELLED Whilst there is a significant body of research on the outcomes of problem-based learning (PBL) programmes (Albanese and Mitchell, 1993; Vernon and Blake, 1993), there is little information regarding the outcomes of community-oriented programmes (COL) for nursing students. Between 1994 and 1997, four university schools of nursing implemented problem-based, community-oriented learning ...

ISSUES ADDRESSED Community and school cooking and gardening programs have recently increased internationally. However, despite promising indications, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. This paper presents the evaluation framework and methods negotiated and developed to meet the information needs of all stakeholders for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) program, a comb...

BACKGROUND Australian children as young as five years are using computers in the home and school environments with increased frequency and longer duration as they age. Consequently, they may be exposed to risk factors for the development of physical health problems described in studies of adult computer users. To date schools have focused on providing children with the latest computer technolog...

OBJECTIVE To investigate correlates of changes in waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in primary school children in order to identify modifiable factors usable for prevention. METHODS Outcome evaluation of a statewide health promotion program in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Baseline (2010) and follow-up (2011) measurements provided data for the calculation of changes in WHtR. Further information on t...