Back to school: using physicians to teach middle school health

Area of Science:

• Public Health Education
• Medical Education
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Physician involvement in school health programs can enhance student knowledge.
• Targeting seventh-grade students is crucial for establishing foundational health behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of physician-delivered lectures in improving seventh graders' short-term knowledge of healthy lifestyles.
• To assess the impact of a health education initiative in Delaware public schools.

Main Methods:

• A standard 30-minute slide presentation on physical, mental, safety, and social health was delivered by physicians to sixth-grade students.
• Pre- and post-lecture questionnaires were administered to 958 students across six Delaware middle schools to measure knowledge acquisition.
• Paired, non-parametric ranksum tests were used to analyze questionnaire data.

Main Results:

• Overall correct answers increased from 2.5 to 3.1 (p < 0.001) out of five.
• Fifty percent of students showed improvement, with scores rising from 2.0 to 3.7 correct answers (p < 0.001).
• Significant knowledge gains were observed in healthy lifestyle, tanning, and depression, but not in drug abuse or internet safety.

Conclusions:

• Physician lectures effectively increased short-term health knowledge among Delaware seventh graders.
• This pilot project demonstrated the feasibility of physician-led health education initiatives in schools.
• Recommendations include incorporating control groups, assessing long-term knowledge, and evaluating student attitudes in future studies.