Comprehensive School Health Education

STATE LEVEL
ACTION SHEET

American Academy of Pediatrics
Section on School Health and Subcommittee on CSHE

THE CHARGE: The successful implementation of comprehensive school health education (CSHE) will require the collaboration of many child health advocates. Too many of our children and their families have unhealthy lifestyles. Health education that is sequential, comprehensive, and provided preschool through high school is required if we plan to equip children with the skills and knowledge to be healthy, whole individuals. Parents, pediatricians, and community leaders are key to successful implementation at the state level.

THE BACKGROUND: It is clear that unhealthy lifestyles account for more than 50% of premature mortality and morbidity. It is also intuitively obvious that single interventions cannot change these lifestyles. Issues such as violence, low self-esteem, smoking, drug abuse, and suicide, need consistent, persistent educational efforts to alter these undesired outcomes. The American Cancer Society (ACS) sponsored a Gallup Poll of school health education in 1994. The results showed strong support for CSHE by parents, students, and school administrators. More than 80% of each group said that health education was of equally or more important than other academic subjects. Who better to lead the efforts to promote health than pediatricians? By collaboration with parents, educators, students and community leaders, we can make a difference. The following actions should help you through the process to promote better health through comprehensive school health education.

SPECIFIC ACTIONS: Pediatricians cannot make these changes alone. Developing links with other individuals and organizations working on CSHE is essential to help implement CSHE. The ACS, the American Lung Association, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and other groups are already developing strategies to implement CSHE.

__ Contact the Society for State Directors of Health

__ Do your homework. Learn the types of legislation that exist in your state regarding health education. Identify weaknesses in legislation, as well as problems with actual implementation. Contact the National Association of State Legislators for information on state specific legislation.

__ Call the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Division of State Government Affairs to obtain a copy of the legislation packet on CSHE. It has excellent references and resources.

__ Contact your local legislator to learn how state government works and how to start state-level activities. Your state AAP chapter may be able to assist you.

__ The National PTA has a pamphlet called "Healthy Children, Successful Students" that can be used to enlist PTA involvement.

__ Join or work to develop state-level coalitions to define school health implementation needs. Suggested members include

• Chair of the school health committee of your AAP chapter
• State medical society and its auxiliaries
• State dental society
• State chapter of the ACS, American Lung Association
• State PTA
• State school board association
• State teacher's association
• State child advocacy groups
• Health educators at state colleges and universities
• Representatives

__ The ACS has undertaken a major initiative for CSHE in each state. Work collaboratively with the ACS.

RESOURCES

American Academy of Pediatrics (800/433-9016)

• AAP state legislative packet on school health education (ask for the Division of State Government Affairs). An AAP member can receive one free. This publication is excellent and a MUST-it contains the ACS Gallup Poll and health education standards.
• Committee on School Health
• Section on School Health and its Subcommittee on Health Education

American Cancer Society (770/320-3333)-A state CSHE coordinator and task force should be in place in each state.

Association for the Advancement of Health Education (703/476-3437)

National School Board Association (703/838-6722)- Several publications are available on CSHE.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health (404/488-5327)-Good resource and up-to-date information. The Division is developing CSHE guidelines and has copies of a state-specific Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of School Health (202/205-8180)

State and National PTAs (National PTA: 312/670-6782; Catalog Office: 312/549-3253)

American School Health Association (216/678-1601)

National School Health Education Coalition (202/408-0222)