SCHOOL HEALTH PROMOTION –INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND ROLE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Authors

  • Munira Prasla
  • Shameer Ali Prasla

Abstract

Background: Schools have great potential in health promotion; however, this is often neglected areaand fewer efforts are done in exploring status of school health promotion in Pakistan. This paperattempts to outline brief historical background of school health promotion in Pakistan; presents criticalreview of some international school health promotion perspectives; and finally explore opportunitiesand role of healthcare professionals in Pakistan’s context. Methods: A critical review of peer-reviewedliterature divided into two broad themes of international perspectives on school health promotion, androle of healthcare professionals. Results are presented in cross-cutting themes and in narrative style.Results: School health promotion is very diverse phenomenon, situated in respective cultural contexts.Programmes present a range of characteristics from focusing on integrated approach to health educationto behavioural changes; and from involving youngsters to policy advocacy. Like the programmes, roleof healthcare professionals is also varied and dynamic and without clearly defining their role,development of effective health promotion programmes is difficult. Conclusion: School healthpromotion could be facilitated by appropriate trainings for healthcare professionals and evidence-basedpolicy changes.Keywords: School health promotion, healthcare professionals’ role, Pakistan, effective programmes

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Published

2011-03-01