Implementation practices in school health promotion: findings from an Austrian multiple-case study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Educational Psychology
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Schools are recognized settings for promoting student and teacher health since the 1980s.
• The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) approach aims to integrate health promotion (HP) into school settings.
• Limited knowledge exists on how HP activities are implemented in schools, with potential for concept adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the practice of health promotion in schools implementing HPS concepts.
• To explore the specific HP activities chosen for implementation.
• To understand the decision-making processes behind HP activity implementation in schools.

Main Methods:

• Multiple-case study design in three Austrian schools.
• Data collection through 22 interviews, 9 group discussions, 10 observations, and document analysis.
• Conducted between November 2010 and January 2012.

Main Results:

• Identified 40 distinct HP activities, primarily targeting students with a focus on physical activity and psychosocial health.
• Observed minimal planning, coordination, and cooperation at the school level.
• Decisions for HP activities were predominantly individual, influenced by personal factors and external pressures, rather than collaborative.

Conclusions:

• Schools tend to adopt traditional, topic-based HP approaches over integrated whole-school models.
• Individual decision-making and limited collaboration hinder the effective implementation of HPS.
• Increased support is needed, particularly during the initial stages of HPS implementation.