Health careers--a method of health education at school for adolescents

An innovative health education curriculum, "Health Careers", intended for adolescents leaving school, was evaluated using a quasi-experimental pre-/post control group design. The objective of the project was the modification of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to health. Attempts were made to counteract factors restricting the effect of traditional health education at school. Changes were estimated using questionnaires. Two types of schools were studied, schools A and B, student age averaged 17.3 years and 15.5 years, respectively. The number of students in the experimental groups was 220 and 112, respectively. At school B, in addition, 35 parents participated voluntarily in evening courses arranged by the project staff. Significant improvement was shown in two variables of a possible 60 at school A and in four variables at school B. Analysis by subgroups, however, demonstrated improvements in merely one variable at school B. It is evident that the innovative curriculum did not induce significant behavioural improvement in relation to health. Frame factors of the school--obligatory student participation and teacher role perception--may explain this outcome.