The health promoting schools framework: known unknowns and an agenda for future research

Langford, R., Bonell, C., Komro, K., Murphy, Simon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-3681, Magnus, D., Waters, E., Gibbs, L. and Campbell, R. 2017. The health promoting schools framework: known unknowns and an agenda for future research. Health Education & Behavior 44 (3) , pp. 463-475. 10.1177/1090198116673800

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The World Health Organization’s Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework is a whole-school approach to promoting health that recognizes the intrinsic relationship between health and education. Our recent Cochrane systematic review found HPS interventions produced improvements in a number of student health outcomes. Here we reflect on what this review was not able to tell us: in other words, what evidence is missing with regard to the HPS approach. Few HPS interventions engage with schools’ “core business” by examining impacts on educational outcomes. Current evidence is dominated by obesity interventions, with most studies conducted with children rather than adolescents. Evidence is lacking for outcomes such as mental or sexual health, substance use, and violence. Activities to engage families and communities are currently weak and unlikely to prompt behavioral change. The HPS approach is largely absent in low-income settings, despite its potential in meeting children’s basic health needs. Intervention theories are insufficiently complex, often ignoring upstream determinants of health. Few studies provide evidence on intervention sustainability or cost-effectiveness, nor in-depth contextual or process data. We set out an agenda for future school health promotion research, considering implications for key stakeholders, namely, national governments, research funders, academics, and schools.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer) Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Sage
ISSN:	1090-1981
Last Modified:	02 Nov 2022 09:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/96325

Citation Data

Cited 39 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item