Implementing a Comprehensive Health Plan - Essay Example

Introduction It is quite important for to be health conscious. This is because this knowledge will empower them. Such will beable to make routine choices wisely. This is because they will be equipped with skills and knowledge to know what is detrimental to their health and what is not. In addition, such students will also become productive members of the school since few health problems will interrupt their normal progress. (Schoener, 1988) School health programmes are an essential tool for success within the school environment. This is because when all the members of a particular school are healthy, then they can function at their optimum. If for example, a student was experiencing pain from an infection they contracted, then he/she may not be able to concentrate in class or while doing personal reading consequently bringing about failure. It is important to remember that health does not simply cover physical issues; it encompasses the social and mental realm as well. Students can only be considered healthy if the whole body is functioning in order. Is a student feels left out and isolated, he's/her social needs are neglected and he/she cannot function at full capacity. Students, who may be taking harmful substances, mess up their mental abilities and hinder their own development. All the above aspects must be put into consideration when coming up with a comprehensive school health plan. Research findings In a recent study done among adolescents in Michigan, it was found that risky behavior is still prevalent among youth. There is a decline but that does not mean that the problem has been eliminated completely. It is therefore important to focus on those regions when coming up with a school health plan. It is quite crucial to ensure that these areas are dealt with otherwise these issues could disable students or in severe cases. These issues could cause death. Some of these risky behaviors include; Poor nutrition Violence Alcohol use Sexual activity Tobacco use Physical passiveness Some research has been done by the Division of adolescent and school health and also by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention on the prevalence of these behaviors among adolescents. (Centre for Disease Control and prevention, 2000) It was found that seventy two percent of the students in Michigan schools do not attend classes in physical education. Alongside this, majority of children between the ages of six and nineteen in the United States are overweight or suffer from obesity. This is an alarming statistic especially when assessing the health status of children in America. It is quite dangerous to ignore this problem because obesity causes psychological and physical trauma for the children suffering from this disorder. First of all, they are usually isolated from the rest of the school community. Other students look at them as abnormal and may not want to associate with them. This causes a lot of disturbance in the minds of these young ones. Obesity impairs children from fully participating in sports and other social activities because they cannot bear their weight or may be ashamed of displaying it. In addition, it brings a number of diseases associated with poor blood circulation, heart performance and cholesterol. These include heart failure or stroke, fluctuating blood sugar and high blood pressure. All these conditions are a very serious threat to achieving full academic potential. Research was done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration in the year 2001. They found out that there are about four thousand American children that try taking tobacco everyday. This means that there are a very high number of students who are hooked to the habit. Tobacco use is an issue that must be addressed as soon as possible. There are a number of damages that arise from this risky behavior, first of all students ruin their respiratory system. They could develop a number of diseases like asthma, tuberculosis and even lung cancer at an early age. These health problems would definitely affect their performance in school. Sometimes it may even halt their school attendance completely. The Michigan department also did a research on activities that could lead to suicide. It was found that in the year 2003, about thirty percent of children feel depressed to the point of becoming inactive in school. The Children's Defense Fund also found that one child takes away their own life after every four hours. It was also found that violence is the main cause of death among children aged five to nineteen in the United States. These statistics clearly show that there is a serious need to address mental health issues among teenagers and children. Feelings of hopelessness and depression make children unable to perform normal activities; if left unchecked, more and more American children will be loosing their lives and will be prevented from becoming useful members of society. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is in relation to sexual behavior, the Centers for Disease Control did a survey on the prevalence of sexually related behavior, and it was found that almost nine hundred thousand teenage pregnancies occur every year in the United States. This implies that there are a number of children engaging in sexual activity. This is a very dangerous health issue because unprotected sex could lead to sexually transmitted infections, HIV and psychological problems among students. Students, who may not develop physical ailments that could disrupt their education, may be disturbed mentally. This may mean that they cannot concentrate in class or may be afraid to attend classes after facing problems from a partner that they had an encounter with. (Centre for Disease Control and prevention, 2000) It was also found that a third of all students in high school have engaged in drinking at least five drinks consequently in the past month. This is quite alarming because there a number of involuntary deaths that have been reported among the youth. These deaths have been caused by drunk drivers who also happen to be below eighteen. It was found that there are about thirty one percent of children between the ages of five and nineteen who have died from motor vehicle accidents. These are serious problems that can be nipped in the bud through comprehensive health education plans. It can therefore be seen that America is loosing a very important part of its future as a result of poor health practices among the youth and among teenagers. These health problems have caused loss of lives, crime and it has also made some students unable to complete their education. Consequently, something needs to be done to prevent this condition from escalating and this is through health education. There are a number of research issues that have brought out the importance of a health education plan. This means that there are tangible results that arise from this spring from health education. It was found that there were improved grades among students who had undergone a health programme. Maths and reading scores had improved. These results were compared to grades from students who were not taught health education and the difference was clear. Health education enjoys support from a number of stakeholders in the education sector. A survey done by the Mid Continent Research Education and learning in the year 1998 showed that forty percent of the issues needed for graduation were health related. It was also found that health education brought about a change in students behavior. These include the following; in 2001, Botvin found out that students are less likely to engage in risky behavior after undergoing the program. It was also found that these middle school students reported less use of alcohols and drugs. A study done among elementary students found that there were very low instances of antisocial behavior. They also seemed to shun away from self destructive behavior like suicide. (Children Defense Fund, 2000) Student who have undergone health education apply the knowledge that they have acquired in their personal lives, in the community and in their families. These health- related skills from health education will transform mentality of students. This will also be reflected in their attitude towards their families. If they see any of their families engaging in poor health practices, then they may act as ambassadors to protect them from potentially dangerous behavior. These students will also be able to get a variety of information in regard to health. It is quite sad that most students do not know that most of the problems their peers are experiencing are caused by lack of knowledge. This implies that when students have access to health information, then they are able to make themselves risk free. Plan To Implement Findings Because health education has all the benefits that have been listed above, then the following plan should be implemented in school. The programme should be introduced to all classes in the school. The school should not exclude any class. This should start from the first grade to the last. This is because foundations are best laid when children are still young. This means that all health education skills will be incorporated into those people's lives. The other reason why this programme will start early is because there will be enough time to cover health education exhaustively. There will be no room for cutting out essential parts of the programme. (Children Defense Fund, 2000) The plan will address critical areas that have brought about health problems among teenagers and adolescents in the past. This program will cover sex education in relation to health. It will talk about the detriments risky sexual encounters have brought to teenagers. The program will also dwell on substance abuse, tobacco use and alcohol abuse. It will teach students the importance of staying free from such harmful substances. It will include talks from students who nearly lost their lives after engaging in risky behavior or those who were unable to continue with their education. The programme should also include other long term risks that could come about as a result of irresponsible sexual behaviors. The programme should also focus on new statistics. This is information is only useful if it applies directly to students lives. This implies that teachers should ensure that they are sensitive to cultural backgrounds of students. This aspect is important because students' cultures affect the way they go about their daily business. For example children coming from low income families are more likely to be exposed to gang related violence and substance abuse. The programme will also focus on personal behaviors of students. Teachers in charge of this programme will pay extra attention to students who seem deviant or more likely to engage in risky behavior that may be detrimental to their health. (Dent, 1995) The program ought to assess the way all other subjects are assessed. This will help to enhance the idea that the program is just as serious as the other subjects. This means that the program will be part of the curriculum. Grade point averages should be calculated with the health education program as part of the. This is necessary because students tend to ignore things that they will not be asked later. If the health education programme was simply a meeting which students can or cannot attend at will, then participation will become very poor. Students need a driving force that pushes them to perform adequately. The program will not just be one subject that is covered by a particular teacher; it will be integrated in topics taught by other teachers. This will help in bringing about an all round view to students that will consider health education as part of their lifestyles if all the team players in their school seem to be participating in the program. However, the core facts on the programmes will be taught as a subject. The programme will not simply be an initiative for the school's members alone. It will also incorporate members of the community coming from various health relate fields. This can be done through visits from health officers or agencies. Or alternatively, the program could also provide for visits by students to areas that deal with health. (Botvin, 2001) The program will also incorporate parents into health education. Teachers should communicate to parents and inform them about all the things they are teaching their children. These will make parents co teachers and will serve to reinforce ideas taught in school. Students will not simply associate health education with school but their parents will become a reminder that the programme can become part of their lifestyles. The programme will only use teachers who have qualified well for the programme. These teachers should be able to serve as role models to students. In addition, students should also be able to look up to them. These teachers should receive training during their teaching so that information is up to date. In addition, they should also have a health related science in their qualification certificates. Besides, there should be activities within the school that enhance their development. These developmental activities will focus on tactics that can help change students behaviors. Funding for the program will come from all the stakeholders in the education and health sectors. The first group will be school districts organizers and the other group will be school sponsors. The school will illustrate the benefits of this program and hopefully attract their interest. Conclusion A school education plan has number of benefits for the school community like saving lives and preventing high school quitters. This programme can be implemented through incorporation in the curriculum, using qualified teachers and incorporating all stakeholders in education and health. This is the recipe of a good school health plan. (Connell, 1985) Reference Botvin, et al (2001): Preventing binge drinking during early adolescence; Psychology of Addictive Behaviors report Connell, et al (1985): Summary of findings of the school health education evaluation; a journal for School Health, 5 Centre for Disease Control and prevention (2000): CDC Surveillance summaries; a journal by CDC Children Defense Fund (2000): the state of America's children; children's yearbook. Dent, et al (1995): Two year behavior outcomes of project towards no tobacco use; Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Schoener, et al (1988): The effects of the Growing Healthy Program upon children's academic performance and attendance in New York City; Report from Office of Research, Evaluation and Assessment Read More