Does a healthy schools award scheme make a difference? The evaluation of the Wessex healthy schools award
Does a healthy schools award scheme make a difference? The evaluation of the Wessex healthy schools award
This thesis details a 3 year evaluation study of the effectiveness of the WHSA intervention in changing health promotion policy and practice in school, and in influencing health-related attitudes and behaviour of pupils.
The study design was quasi-experimental and was conducted in 10 intervention and 5 control schools, all from the secondary sector. It involved pupils, teachers, support staff, parents, school governors, health promotion officers and education advisers, using a range of quantitative and qualitative tools. The Award process, which is linked to 9 Key Areas of health, lasted 15 months. The Key Areas cover curriculum, wider community, a smoke free school, healthy food choices, physical activity, responsibility for health, health promoting workplace, environment and equal opportunities and access to health.
Changes in school health promotion were assessed by audit: pupils' health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour through self-administered questionnaires and focus group interviews; and attitudes and perceptions of staff, parents and governors from semi-structured interviews. Observations of the school environment and a health education lesson, and policy and curriculum reviews were also carried out.
The results showed that audit scores for all areas, except physical activity and taking responsibility for health, increased in intervention schools, indicating positive changes in health promotion processes. Pupils' knowledge, high at baseline, remained unchanged. Positive effects on smoking uptake and drug use were seen but little change in physical activity and healthy eating. Older girls made more progress in all areas. Parents and non-teaching staff supported school health promotion strongly, perceived many benefits of the Award and wished to be more actively involved. Triangulated results from research tool confirmed these findings.
The thesis traces the growth of health education in the UK and the development of the healthy schools concept locally, nationally and internationally, and explores the constraints and facilitating factors for schools striving to become health promoting. It discusses the implications of the findings of this study for future healthy school projects, including the national healthy school scheme, and makes a number of key recommendations.
University of Southampton
Moon, Alysoun Mary H
4f0a7751-e7ca-44a3-abf9-5f6e9b7d2d3c
1999
Moon, Alysoun Mary H
4f0a7751-e7ca-44a3-abf9-5f6e9b7d2d3c
Moon, Alysoun Mary H
(1999)
Does a healthy schools award scheme make a difference? The evaluation of the Wessex healthy schools award.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis details a 3 year evaluation study of the effectiveness of the WHSA intervention in changing health promotion policy and practice in school, and in influencing health-related attitudes and behaviour of pupils.
The study design was quasi-experimental and was conducted in 10 intervention and 5 control schools, all from the secondary sector. It involved pupils, teachers, support staff, parents, school governors, health promotion officers and education advisers, using a range of quantitative and qualitative tools. The Award process, which is linked to 9 Key Areas of health, lasted 15 months. The Key Areas cover curriculum, wider community, a smoke free school, healthy food choices, physical activity, responsibility for health, health promoting workplace, environment and equal opportunities and access to health.
Changes in school health promotion were assessed by audit: pupils' health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour through self-administered questionnaires and focus group interviews; and attitudes and perceptions of staff, parents and governors from semi-structured interviews. Observations of the school environment and a health education lesson, and policy and curriculum reviews were also carried out.
The results showed that audit scores for all areas, except physical activity and taking responsibility for health, increased in intervention schools, indicating positive changes in health promotion processes. Pupils' knowledge, high at baseline, remained unchanged. Positive effects on smoking uptake and drug use were seen but little change in physical activity and healthy eating. Older girls made more progress in all areas. Parents and non-teaching staff supported school health promotion strongly, perceived many benefits of the Award and wished to be more actively involved. Triangulated results from research tool confirmed these findings.
The thesis traces the growth of health education in the UK and the development of the healthy schools concept locally, nationally and internationally, and explores the constraints and facilitating factors for schools striving to become health promoting. It discusses the implications of the findings of this study for future healthy school projects, including the national healthy school scheme, and makes a number of key recommendations.
Text
708512.pdf
- Version of Record
More information
Published date: 1999
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 463986
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/463986
PURE UUID: baec71e2-34ef-4fa1-b193-0acf3fa6b113
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 21:00
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 19:06
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Alysoun Mary H Moon
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics