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A randomised trial of an intervention to develop health promoting schools in Australia: the south western Sydney
J Mitchell1, S Palmer, M Booth
1Health Promotion Service, South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service, New South Wales. mitchj@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
Objective:
This paper describes the evaluation of a health promoting schools intervention carried out in the south western region of Sydney, Australia. The evaluation sought to assess the project's impact on structures to support the health promoting school concept and changes in health-related policies and practices within 22 local schools.
Methods:
A randomised controlled study was employed. Intervention schools were offered seminars and training in the health promoting schools concept, encouraged to use a resource kit to help them establish their school as health promoting and invited to participate in a support network. Pre- and post measures of awareness, school structures and policies and practices to support the development of a health promoting school were taken and intervention and control schools compared.
Results:
There was an increased level of awareness of the health promoting school concept among intervention schools. However, there were no significant changes in health-related policies and practices at the school level, among both intervention and control schools.
Conclusions:
A longer time frame and more structured support are required to influence school structures to support the development of a health promoting school.
Implications:
To facilitate organisational change in schools, health promoting school interventions need to provide structured support for schools and recognise that change takes time. A committee to initiate action, a plan to guide work and school support are likely to facilitate the adoption of the health promoting schools approach. Further work to refine the measurement of school-based action and its outcome and the development of indicators for a health promoting school is needed.