School health education
Encyclopedia
School Health Education see also: Health Promotion is the process of transferring health
knowledge during a student
's school years (K-12). Its uses are in general classified as Public Health Education and School Health Education.
, health, and education
; it is imperative first to define school health education
, its targets and general practice. The definition of school health education has evolved much throughout the 21st century. In general, it is regarded as classroom teaching on the subject of health/hygiene
in a k-12 setting. The major trend regarding changing definitions of school health education surrounds the ever increasing notion that school education influences adult behavior. In the 70’s health education was viewed mostly as a means of communicating healthy medical practice
s to those who should be practicing them; “Health education attempts to close the gap between what is known about optimum health practice and that which is actually practiced.” In the 80’s definitions began to incorporate the understanding that education is a means of empowerment
for the individual, allowing the individual to make educated health decisions. Health education then became “the process of assisting individuals… to make informed decisions about matters affecting their personal health and the health of others.” This definition also spawned during the year of the first national-scale investigation of health education in schools, which eventually led to a much more aggressive approach to educating the nation’s youth on matters of health. Today school health education is seen as a ‘comprehensive health curricula.’ It is a blend of community, schools, and patient care practice; “Health education covers the continuum from disease prevention and promotion of optimal health to the detection of illness
to treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.” This concept is recently prescribed in current scientific literature
as ‘health promotion
’, a phrase that is used interchangeably with health education.
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
knowledge during a student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
's school years (K-12). Its uses are in general classified as Public Health Education and School Health Education.
What is School Health Education?
With the myriads of powerful theories and ideas surrounding the words schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, health, and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
; it is imperative first to define school health education
Health education
Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health...
, its targets and general practice. The definition of school health education has evolved much throughout the 21st century. In general, it is regarded as classroom teaching on the subject of health/hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
in a k-12 setting. The major trend regarding changing definitions of school health education surrounds the ever increasing notion that school education influences adult behavior. In the 70’s health education was viewed mostly as a means of communicating healthy medical practice
Medical practice
A medical practice or practice of medicine is the practice of medicine, as performed by a medical practitioner—a physician...
s to those who should be practicing them; “Health education attempts to close the gap between what is known about optimum health practice and that which is actually practiced.” In the 80’s definitions began to incorporate the understanding that education is a means of empowerment
Empowerment
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, racial, educational, gender or economic strength of individuals and communities...
for the individual, allowing the individual to make educated health decisions. Health education then became “the process of assisting individuals… to make informed decisions about matters affecting their personal health and the health of others.” This definition also spawned during the year of the first national-scale investigation of health education in schools, which eventually led to a much more aggressive approach to educating the nation’s youth on matters of health. Today school health education is seen as a ‘comprehensive health curricula.’ It is a blend of community, schools, and patient care practice; “Health education covers the continuum from disease prevention and promotion of optimal health to the detection of illness
Illness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
to treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.” This concept is recently prescribed in current scientific literature
Scientific literature
Scientific literature comprises scientific publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences, and within a scientific field is often abbreviated as the literature. Academic publishing is the process of placing the results of one's research into the...
as ‘health promotion
Health promotion
Health promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health"...
’, a phrase that is used interchangeably with health education.