Health-Promoting Schools in Israel, Applying the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• School Health Promotion
• Health Policy

Background:

• School-based health promotion programs are vital for improving children's health outcomes.
• This study investigates the implementation levels of health promotion activities in Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) versus non-HPS in Israel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the extent of health promotion implementation across different domains of the Ottawa Charter in HPS and non-HPS.
• To examine the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on health promotion activities in diverse school settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to principals from 637 Israeli elementary and middle schools.
• The questionnaire assessed school activities based on the Ottawa Charter's Action Areas and domains.
• Data were analyzed comparing HPS and non-HPS, and examining correlations with SES in Jewish and Arab schools.

Main Results:

• Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) demonstrated significantly higher activity levels in policy, environment, health education, and staff training compared to non-HPS.
• Community involvement was substantially higher in HPS (90.8%) than in non-HPS (58.6%).
• In Jewish schools, higher socioeconomic status (SES) correlated with increased health promotion activity; however, this association was not significant in Arab schools for most domains.

Conclusions:

• Formal recognition of Health-Promoting Schools (HPS) and robust implementation of the Ottawa Charter principles are crucial for advancing school health promotion.
• An equity-oriented policy is necessary to ensure equal health promotion opportunities, especially for underserved communities.