Helping Schools in Efforts to Prevent Chronic Diseases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize the potential for the school health program to be an efficient means to reduce risks for common chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. Avoidable risk factors are tobacco use, obesity, poor eating habits and too little physical activity. This article outlines four comprehensive strategies and major resources that CDC and partner organizations implement to help schools address these risks.
Monitoring chronic disease risks among students and relevant school policies and programs:
- National Youth Risk Behavior Survey to monitor students’ risk behaviors;
- Health Literacy Assessment Framework Matrix (State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards) to help develop test items for core concepts and skills consistent with the National Health Education Standards;
- CDC School Health Policies and Programs Study;
- School Health Profiles for state and large cities;
- State Profiles on Nutrition and Fitness; and
- Healthy Passages to monitor health, education and social outcomes among groups of youth from ages 10 to 20 years.
Synthesizing and applying research about effective programs and policies:
- Task Force and Guide to Community Preventive Services recommendations for increasing physical activity in schools and upcoming evidence-based recommendations on tobacco education and nutrition;
- CDC School Health Guidelines for evidence-based policies and programs including staff training and family involvement (tobacco use, healthy eating and physical activity);
- Tools to help implement CDC guidelines, e.g., School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide and Fit, Healthy and Ready to Learn (model policies); and
- Upcoming tools, i.e., Health Education Curriculum Analysis and Physical Education Curriculum Analysis tools to select, develop or assess curricula for the school or community, and a resource summary.
- Enabling education and health agencies to jointly help schools implement effective policies and programs:
Financial and technical support through cooperative agreements for coordinated school health programs and to prevent chronic diseases;
- Publishing Promising Practices: Building a Healthier Future through School Health Programs (2003); and
- Financial support to nongovernmental organizations, e.g., Safe and Healthy Schools Project of the National Association of State Boards of Education.
Evaluating to improve the effectiveness of policies and programs:
- Tools and methods such as logic models for planning and evaluating efforts.
(Kolbe L. et al. Public Health Reports. 2004;119(3):286-302)
Comment: This is an impressive review of diverse resources. A chart (see Logic Model) that demonstrates how small, but successful changes can eventually improve health outcomes is provided and may be useful for school health program administrators. There are over 100 citations including reference to resources in development. --J.O.
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