A survey of elementary school health education in West Virginia

The Elementary School Health Education Survey was conducted to determine the health knowledge, health practices, and awareness of the consequences of health behavior of selected elementary school students in West Virginia. An 80-item, multiple-choice inventory was developed to collect student data, and a questionnaire-checklist was employed for each classroom teacher whose students participated in the survey. The survey involved 1,441 students from 85 classrooms in 35 schools. The results indicated a need for mandated health instruction as part of the elementary school curriculum and a need for graduate course work in Health Education for elementary school teachers.