What is Comprehensive Health Education?

A comprehensive school health education program focuses on behaviors that involve on the health of students, staff, and families. It also involves the safety and health of the environment. It helps academic growth and development. A school health program includes a combination of different activities and services. They take place in schools and in communities and it helps children and youth improve their health, develop healthy habits. These habits will help them in their present and future lives.

What are some goals of Health Education? 

There are many reasons why we need health education for students. Some of these goals are to:

• Promote health and wellness.
• Prevent specific diseases, disorders, and injury.
• Prevent high-risk social behaviors.
•  Assist children and youth who are in need or at risk.
• Help support those who are already having special health care needs.
• Promote positive health and safety behaviors.

 

Why is it important to have a Health Education Program?

Most health education programs provided in schools usually focus on a few health topics. It does not include other health topics that can help students improve and learn healthy habits. This is why it is important to have health education programs. It is a mix of different health topics and activities. They help to promote the health of students and families. It gives them the knowledge to live healthy lives. It helps prevent diseases and illnesses.

 

How can we create a Health Education Program?

A good Health Education Program involves a mix of a different array of health topics. These topics focus on helping students learn healthy behaviors. So, to create a good health education program, the following are some ideas that can be included:

• Physical Education: physical education is an important part of health education. It provides students with lifelong fitness habits. This helps them take care of their bodies. It also helps with their confidence. Physical education can also help students maintain their body weight. This is very important in preventing obesity and other diseases. 
• Mental Health Education: Mental health services is very important for health education. It helps teachers to notice early signs of mental health issues among students. This can help them provide them with needs and resources. This will improve their overall mental health.
• School Food Nutrition Education:  Students can be educated to adopt healthy eating habits. Healthy eating habits will students with nutrients for their growth and development.

Written by Yaw Sakyi

Health Education

Health education can help to change the future of the overall health of our population in a positive manner. Comprehensive health education provides students with information that will educate them on how to maintain health throughout their lifetime. It empowers students to take control of their own health and provides them with the skills and abilities to prevent diseases, reduce risky life choices, and improve their health. The goal of it is to educate students to make responsible decision on their health. This is done through a program that introduces a variety of health topics starting in kindergarten and ending in 12th grade. The program aims to provide information that can be used throughout their lifetime. Students participate in educational programs that provide information on physical activity, nutrition, dental health, mental health, alcohol and tobacco use, sex education, drug abuse, and a variety of other important topics. The health curriculum is formatted in an age-appropriate way. It is presented to the students with the desire to reach the families and community members to improve the health of the population.

Health education is important across all grade levels. However, it is especially important during early education and in elementary schools. The American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association worked together in promoting the impact of comprehensive health education on our youth. They released a statement announcing the relationship between health education and our nation’s overall health. According to their research, 54 million students are given the opportunity to learn each day in our school system where lifelong skills can be established to create healthy behaviors. By using a small portion of student’s time in school, health education can be promoted to a large audience in an easy and efficient manner. Studies have also shown that establishing healthy lifestyles and behaviors is easier to do in our nation’s youth than in adulthood. This pushes the need to provide the education at young ages to successfully adopt healthy.

The number of preventable chronic health condition continues to rise in our nations. There is no greater time than now to educate our youth and promote health education.  Education is considered the best cure for chronic diseases according to the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association. It is critical for the health of our youth and will have a greater impact on our future health than any other interventions. Health education programs must be implemented now for our future health.

 Written by Maddie Mollette