Reading the signs in health visits-Perspectives of adolescents with migration experiences on encounters with school nurses.

AIM: To explore the experiences of health visits within the school health services from the perspective of adolescents with migration experiences. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Data were collected using focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews with adolescents with migration experiences aged 13-17 years old. Analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The results described adolescents reading the signs in the guided interaction between them and the school nurses. Reading the signs illustrated the adolescents' continuous interpretation of the interaction with the school nurse, and their decisions on how to respond throughout the health visit. These interpretations influenced the adolescents' shifting willingness to talk about their health and how they adapted to the space of participation provided by the school nurse. The interpretation also influenced their experiences of health visits as focusing on their health without making them feel singled out. CONCLUSION: Although individual considerations might be warranted in health visits with adolescents with migration experiences, the results indicate that similarities in intrapersonal communication in various encounters between adolescents and health professionals might be greater than any differences. Healthcare encounters with adolescents with migration experiences might thus need to be conducted with an awareness that adolescents read the signs in the guided interaction and that similarities in this interaction are greater than any differences.

Asthma policy in Illinois: A survey of school nursing and staff knowledge and implementation patterns.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal is to examine gaps in self-carry, asthma emergency protocol, and stock inhaler policy knowledge in Illinois schools. DESIGN: A 30-item REDCap cross-sectional survey developed by a team of stakeholders was disseminated. Questions assessed policy knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding asthma emergency protocols, self-carry, and stock inhalers. SAMPLE: Participants were Illinois school nurses belonging to a governmental organization listserv. MEASUREMENTS: Analysis utilized Chi-square tests, descriptive statistics, and t-tests. RESULTS: Nurses reported 36% of students on average self-carried asthma medication. Thirty percent of nurses were not aware of their emergency asthma policy and only 60% reported having an emergency asthma protocol in their school(s). Fifty-four percent of nurses were aware of stock inhaler programming. Of the 10.3% who reported a stock inhaler program, a lower frequency reported calling 911 for asthma emergencies. Perceived school asthma prevalence varied from 0%-87%. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey demonstrates large variation in knowledge and implementation of school-based asthma health policy. This is likely due to variations in health policy education dissemination. Future efforts should focus on the dissemination and implementation of school-based asthma health policies to improve their more universal adoption and better support school-based asthma management.

School urinary screening program in Japan: history, outcomes, perspectives.

In Japan, pediatric urinary screening in schools for asymptomatic hematuria and proteinuria began in 1974 and has been very successful in detecting asymptomatic kidney diseases at an early stage. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended discontinuing urinalysis as a public health service in 2007, urinary screening in Japan has proven extremely successful in reducing the incidence of kidney failure with replacement therapy in children and young adults, especially through the early treatment of glomerulonephritis, such as immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Furthermore, the positivity rate on urinary screening in Japan is significantly lower than in the United States where the rate of false positive results is typically very high. Japan's seamless and efficient pediatric urinary screening may be a helpful example for other countries as well. However, the present investigation revealed several, unresolved problems with the system. For example, the methods used varied in terms of their cutoff point, additional examinations, and types of detailed testing. In Japan, various urinary screening methods are being tested to optimize the system for national use. Recently, the authors also recommended a system of detailed examinations, including beta-2 microglobulin testing and ultrasonography, to detect congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract, the most common, underlying disease in kidney failure with replacement therapy, which is often overlooked until the symptoms have become grave. While school urinary screening has been ongoing for about 50 years and should be continued, improvements should also be made to it as needed.

Staff perspectives on poor mental health in secondary school students: an increasing problem handled with insufficient resources.

Introduction: An increasing number of schools are recognizing the importance of addressing students' mental health based on the association with educational outcomes and long-term health. The school organization and the members of the school staff play important but, in several ways, challenging roles in this work. The purpose of this study was to explore views of staff from schools and school health services on mental ill health among students and their own role in detecting and managing it. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in a sparsely populated municipality in northern Sweden. In total, 40 participants from three secondary schools and the school health services participated either in focus groups or individual interviews. Participants were teachers, assistants, school nurses, school counselors and psychologists. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The analysis revealed the main theme Student mental ill health: an increasing problem handled with insufficient resources and two subthemes, i.e., Uncertainty in interpreting students' signs of mental ill health and the need to clarify roles and establish a supportive organization. Conclusions: It was concluded that school staff were uncertain regarding how to interpret signs of mental ill health among students and required better knowledge and more resources to help students with mental ill health. A clearer organization and consensus regarding support for students with mental ill health were also necessary in light of the division of responsibilities between school staff and the school health services.

Vacillating between "strange" and "familiar" - representations of children in migrant families and their health in Swedish school health services.

Representations of migrants influence how they are perceived by others. Hence, how children who have migrated or whose parents have migrated (Children in Migrant Families: CMFs) are represented in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for Swedish school health services (SHS) may influence how they are perceived by school nurses. Thus, this study aimed to explore representations of CMFs in school nurses' CPGs. Data consisted of 130 CPGs from municipalities in Sweden. Documents were analyzed using the "What is the Problem Represented to be" (WPR) approach - an analytic strategy for investigating embedded assumptions of "problems". In the analysis, Sarah Ahmed's work on "strangers" and "strangeness" was applied. In the CPGs, the CMFs and their health were repeatedly mentioned in conjunction with the need for particular or additional actions, efforts, or routines when assessing or discussing their health, to a degree beyond what is "usually" provided. This need was motivated by representing the CMFs and their health as being the same, yet different in relation to "Swedish" children in general. Thus, the children were not only represented as different, but they were "foreignized". These representations of difference and foreignness placed the children on a continuum in relation to what is recognized as "familiar" in their health, and constructed elastic boundaries between the strange and the familiar. By illustrating how these boundaries were used for difference-making between "familiar" and "strange", this study showed how CMFs are alternately represented as similar and different, and foreignized while provided with SHS aiming to make them "familiar".

The impact of COVID-19 on school nursing: A qualitative survey of stressors faced by school nurses.

BACKGROUND: As students returned to school, school nurses were responsible for infection control, communication, and the preparation of supplies and facilities. School nurses in the Pacific Northwest US demonstrated a higher prevalence of mental health symptoms in the years since the pandemic began, suggesting that their experience may have been unique. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the stressors of school nurses in the Pacific Northwest at two time points. DESIGN: This study is a qualitative, descriptive analysis of anonymous survey responses collected in June of 2021 (n = 333) and between October and December 2021 (n = 284). SAMPLE: Self-identifying school nurses working in K-12 schools in Washington State were invited to participate. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed open-ended survey questions designed to elicit their experiences during the pandemic. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the data: (1) isolation from administration and the school community, (2) COVID-19-related workload, (3) disorganized and inconsistent communication, and (4) concern for students, themselves, and others. CONCLUSIONS: School nurses played a vital public health role during the pandemic. However, their effectiveness may not have been fully utilized and sometimes undermined. Lastly, our findings highlight the difficulties encountered in implementing the changing scientific and public health guidance during the pandemic.

The State School Mental Health Profile: Findings from 25 States.

BACKGROUND: State-level leadership and conditions are instrumental to local and regional comprehensive school mental health system (CSMHS) quality, sustainability, and growth. However, systematic documentation of state-level school mental health (SMH) policy, infrastructure, funding, and practice is limited. METHODS: Using a multi-phase, multi-method process, we developed the State School Mental Health Profile (State Profile) to offer a comprehensive landscape of state SMH efforts. State leaders in 25 states completed the State Profile once over a 3-year data collection period. Mixed methods results are reported in 8 domains. RESULTS: State education agencies were reportedly most involved in SMH technical assistance, advocacy, leadership, funding, and service provision, with mental health agencies reported as second most involved. Nearly half of state respondents reported having a state-level SMH director or coordinator. Policies with the greatest perceived impact require implementation of and funding for SMH services and supports. Despite leveraging multiple sources of funding, most states emphasized lack of funding as a primary barrier to establishing CSMHSs. All states reported staffing shortages. CONCLUSION: The State Profile can assist multi-agency state leadership teams to self-assess policy, infrastructure, and resources to support CSMHSs statewide. Findings point to areas of opportunity to advance equity across resource allocation, service provision, and policy development.

Reopening schools safely and educating youth (ROSSEY) study: Protocol for a community-based, cluster randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: ROSSEY is a community-academic partnership aiming to develop and test a COVID-19 risk communication intervention for elementary school students and families in Yakima County, Washington. We describe the ROSSEY study protocol that will be implemented in the Yakima School District. METHODS: Aim 1 is to identify the community's social, ethical, and behavioral needs and resources for students to return to school and maintain onsite learning. We will conduct semi-structured interviews with students and school employees and focus groups with parents. Aim 2 is to evaluate the effectiveness of risk communication on students' school attendance. We will conduct a cluster randomized control trial. We will enroll 14 Yakima School District elementary schools with 900 student participants and randomize the schools into the COVID-19 risk communication intervention or control group. Aim 3 will assess implementation of the risk communication intervention and schools' COVID-19 mitigation strategies. We will use the RE-AIM framework to guide this work, which will entail conducting semi-structured interviews with students and school employees and focus groups with parents. DISCUSSION: Implementation of science-based risk communication can educate the community on the benefits and safety of COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Risk communication may also inform families about the role of COVID-19 testing and vaccines as part of mitigation strategies to allow for safe in-person learning. Schools have extraordinary influence to promote children's health through policy and practice change. Study findings will provide evidence to facilitate policy decisions and best practices at schools that facilitate adoption of COVID-19 risk communication. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.govNCT04859699. Registered on April 26, 2021.

How do schools influence the emotional and behavioural health of their pupils? A multi-level analysis of 135 schools in the Born in Bradford inner city multi-ethnic birth cohort.

PURPOSE: To estimate variation in emotional and behavioural problems between primary schools in Bradford, an ethnically diverse and relatively deprived city in the UK. METHODS: We did a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 2017 to 2021 as part of the 'Born In Bradford' birth cohort study. We used multilevel linear regression in which the dependent variable was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total score, with a random intercept for schools. We adjusted for pupil-level characteristics including age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parental mental health. RESULTS: The study included 5,036 participants from 135 schools. Participants were aged 7-11 years and 56% were of Pakistani heritage. The mean SDQ score was 8.84 out of a maximum 40. We estimated that the standard deviation in school-level scores was 1.41 (95% CI 1.11-1.74) and 5.49% (95% CI 3.19-9.37%) of variation was explained at school level. After adjusting for pupil characteristics, the standard deviation of school-level scores was 1.04 (95% CI 0.76-1.32) and 3.51% (95% CI 1.75-6.18%) of variation was explained at school level. Simulation suggested that a primary school with 396 pupils at the middle of the distribution has 63 pupils (95% CI 49-78) with a 'raised' SDQ score of 15 + /40; and shifting a school from the lower to the upper quartile would prevent 26 cases (95% CI 5-46). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems varies between schools. This is partially explained by pupil characteristics; though residual variation in adjusted scores may suggest that schools have a differential impact on mental wellbeing.

Case Management for Social Needs of Youth and Families in School-Based Health Centers.

BACKGROUND: School-based health centers (SBHCs) are ideal settings to address social needs of youth and families. Case managers can play a vital role in social care interventions. METHODS: We piloted a program to incorporate a Case Manager into the care team of 1 SBHC serving 2 local schools with over 900 students and their surrounding communities. This project's purpose was to evaluate program feasibility, utilization, and acceptability. Our mixed-methods evaluation included analyses of data from electronic health records, client satisfaction surveys, and staff interviews. RESULTS: During the 6-month pilot, the Case Manager served 133 clients (about one third of all SBHC clients served) through 593 contacts. Most contacts included referrals to support services (90%) and 37% addressed newcomer immigrant adjustment. All 37 respondents to the satisfaction survey during the 3-month administration period (44% response rate) reported that the Case Manager made them feel comfortable asking for help; 95% reported getting the help they needed. The 7 SBHC staff interviewed shared many program benefits, including increased time for clinical services. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Inequities in children's health and educational achievement are influenced by structural factors. Results from our pilot program demonstrate that SBHCs may be well-positioned to deliver social care interventions and that case managers enhance the ability to deliver quality care. CONCLUSIONS: School-based programs to address unmet social needs are critical to supporting learning and wellness for all youth. Robust studies are needed to further test the impacts of case management in SBHCs.

Learning difficulties in school children: health and education professionals' perceptions / Dificultades de aprendizaje en escolares: percepciones de los profesionales de la salud y la educación / Dificuldade de aprendizagem de crianças escolares: percepções dos profissionais da saúde e da educação

ABSTRACT Objectives: to understand health and education professionals' perceptions regarding children's learning difficulties in public schools. Methods: qualitative research, of the participatory action type, linked to Paulo Freire's Research Itinerary. Forty-five professionals participated, through interviews and a Virtual Culture Circle. The analysis was developed through careful reading, reflection and interpretation of highlighted topics. Results: professionals discussed the (in)visibility of learning difficulties, strategies and resources in the educational sector and the search for solutions in the health sector. It was found that the production of complaints related to school learning is attributed predominantly as an individual problem of children or their family, exempting the educational institution from this process. Final Considerations: greater investment in professional training and development policies is urgently needed to facilitate coordination between sectors, with a view to overcoming outdated pedagogical and health models.

RESUMEN Objetivos: comprender las percepciones de los profesionales de la salud y la educación sobre las dificultades de aprendizaje de los niños en las escuelas públicas. Métodos: investigación cualitativa, del tipo acción participativa, vinculada al Itinerario de Investigación de Paulo Freire. Participaron 45 profesionales, a través de entrevistas y un Círculo Virtual de Cultura. El análisis se desarrolló a través de una atenta lectura, reflexión e interpretación de los temas destacados. Resultados: los profesionales discutieron la (in)visibilidad de las dificultades de aprendizaje, las estrategias y los recursos en el sector educativo y la búsqueda de soluciones en el sector salud. Se encontró que la producción de quejas relacionadas con el aprendizaje escolar se atribuye predominantemente como un problema individual del niño o de su familia, eximiendo a la institución educativa de este proceso. Consideraciones Finales: urge una mayor inversión en políticas de formación y desarrollo profesional para facilitar la coordinación entre sectores, con miras a superar modelos pedagógicos y sanitarios obsoletos.

RESUMO Objetivos: conhecer as percepções dos profissionais da saúde e da educação acerca da dificuldade de aprendizagem de crianças da rede pública de ensino. Métodos: pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo ação participante, articulada ao Itinerário de Pesquisa de Paulo Freire. Participaram 45 profissionais, por meio de entrevistas e um Círculo de Cultura Virtual. A análise desenvolveu-se na leitura cuidadosa, reflexão e interpretação dos temas destacados. Resultados: os profissionais dialogaram sobre a (in)visibilidade da dificuldade de aprendizagem, as estratégias e os recursos do setor educacional e a busca por resolutividade no setor saúde. Verificou-se que a produção das queixas relacionadas à aprendizagem escolar está atribuída predominantemente como problema individual da criança ou de sua família, isentando a instituição educacional desse processo. Considerações Finais: é premente maior investimento em políticas de formação e aperfeiçoamento dos profissionais para propiciar a articulação entre os setores, com vistas a superar modelos pedagógicos e de saúde ultrapassados.

Educational booklet for preventing transphobic bullying at school / Cartilla educativa para prevenir el acoso transfóbico en la escuela / Cartilha educacional para prevenção do bullying transfóbico na escola

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the process of developing, validating and assessing an educational booklet to prevent transphobic bullying at school. Method: this is a methodological study, carried out from February to December 2022 at a public school in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The educational booklet was developed in accordance with the methodological trajectory proposed by Echer, and submitted to content validity and semantic assessment by expert judges and Elementary School II teachers, respectively. In data analysis, content validity and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients were used, in addition to semantic agreement index. Results: the educational booklet had its content validated with a validity coefficient of 0.981 and an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.833 for the set of items in the assessment instrument. In semantic assessment, teachers considered the booklet understandable, with a minimum agreement level of 94%. Conclusion: the booklet developed was considered valid by judges, to be used with teachers, individually and in continuing education or health actions, in order to contribute to preventing transphobic bullying at school.

RESUMEN Objetivo: describir el proceso de desarrollo, validación y evaluación de una cartilla educativa para prevenir el acoso escolar transfóbico. Método: se trata de un estudio metodológico, realizado de febrero a diciembre de 2022 en una escuela pública de João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. La cartilla educativa fue elaborada de acuerdo con la trayectoria metodológica propuesta por Echer, y sometida a validación de contenido y evaluación semántica por jueces expertos y docentes de la Escuela Primaria II, respectivamente. En el análisis de los datos, se utilizaron los coeficientes de validez de contenido y de correlación intraclase, y el índice de concordancia semántica. Resultados: la cartilla educativa tuvo su contenido validado con un coeficiente de validez de 0,981 y un coeficiente de correlación intraclase de 0,833 para el conjunto de ítems del instrumento de evaluación. En la evaluación semántica, los docentes consideraron comprensible el cuadernillo, con un nivel mínimo de acuerdo del 94%. Conclusión: la cartilla desarrollada fue considerada válida por los jueces, para ser utilizada con docentes, de manera individual y en acciones de educación continua o de salud, con el fin de contribuir a la prevención del acoso escolar transfóbico en la escuela.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever o processo de desenvolvimento, validação e avaliação de cartilha educacional para prevenção do bullying transfóbico na escola. Método: Trata-se de um estudo metodológico, realizado no período de fevereiro a dezembro de 2022 em uma escola pública de João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brasil. A cartilha educacional foi desenvolvida de acordo com a trajetória metodológica proposta por Echer, e submetida à validação de conteúdo e avaliação semântica por juízes especialistas e professores do Ensino Fundamental II, respectivamente. Na análise dos dados, utilizaram-se os coeficientes de validade de conteúdo e correlação intraclasse, e o índice de concordância semântica. Resultados: A cartilha educacional teve seu conteúdo validado com coeficiente de validade de 0,981 e coeficiente de correlação intraclasse de 0,833 para o conjunto de itens do instrumento de avaliação. Na avaliação semântica, os professores consideraram a cartilha compreensível, com nível de concordância mínima de 94%. Conclusão: A cartilha desenvolvida foi considerada válida por juízes, para ser utilizada com professores, de forma individual e em ações de educação permanente ou em saúde, a fim de contribuir na prevenção do bullying transfóbico na escola.

Chronic Health Condition Management and School-Based Health Centers in New York: Findings From the 2020 School Health Profiles Survey.

School-based health centers (SBHCs) are associated with numerous positive aspects of student health services. Many schools in the United States (US) do not have transparent policies on chronic health condition (CHC) management. Of particular concern is the underreporting of the delivery of health services in U.S. schools concerning CHC management and its relationship with the presence or absence of a SBHC. Data from the 2020 School Health Profiles (SHP) Survey were examined in New York public secondary schools. Specific health services were reviewed, together with the presence or absence of a SBHC, including daily medication administration, stock rescue medication, case management services, community partners, chronic disease-specific education, and assurance that students with CHCs were enrolled in an insurance program. A significantly greater proportion of schools with a SBHC compared with schools without a SBHC provided: (1) daily medication administration (92.9% vs. 86.5%; p < .001), (2) stock or rescue medication (84.9% vs. 77.4%; p < .001), (3) case management services (83.1% vs. 67.2%; p < .001), (4) disease-specific education for families (63.1% vs. 57.2%; p = .022), (5) student and family connection to community health services (84.2% vs. 76.5%; p < .001), and (6) ensured that a protocol existed whereby students with a CHC were enrolled in an insurance plan if eligible (79.6% vs. 66.8%; p < .001). Findings suggest that data on a national scale include essential facts for states to consider concerning school health policies and practices. Additional research should examine the intricacy of elements connected with school-based health care to understand better the care provided to children with CHCs.

"Eu não sei como eu tenho força pra vir na escola": manifestações e implicações do bullying entre adolescentes escolares / "I don't know how I have the strength to come to school:" manifestations and implications of bullying between school adolescents

Resumo Este artigo tem como objetivo compreender, pelo uso do Photovoice, as representações de bullying presentes entre adolescentes escolares do ensino médio. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, realizado com 54 adolescentes da rede pública de ensino do estado do Paraná, organizados em seis grupos focais. Os dados foram coletados mediante a técnica participativa Photovoice e submetidos à análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin. Da análise dos dados emergiram três categorias: "Bullying estético, homofóbico e de gênero: estratégias subversivas", "Os efeitos danosos do bullying" e "O diálogo interdisciplinar como estratégia de prevenção e combate ao bullying". Com os resultados, foi possível evidenciar que a prática do bullying acontece a partir das dissonâncias entre agressores e vítimas, com insultos à condição de conformação corporal, orientação sexual, identidade de gênero, entre outros. Por essa razão, é preciso viabilizar ações articuladas entre educação e saúde para o diálogo e escuta a respeito do bullying na comunidade escolar, com vistas a seu enfrentamento, prevenção e proteção, almejando, sobretudo, o respeito e valorização das diferenças.

Abstract This article aims to understand, by using Photovoice, the representations of bulling among high school adolescents. This is a qualitative study, conducted with 54 adolescents from the public school system of the state of Paraná, organized into six focus groups. The data were collected using the Photovoice participatory technique and submitted to content analysis proposed by Bardin. Three categories emerged from the data analysis: "Esthetic, homophobic, and gender bullying: subversive strategies", "The harmful effects of bullying", and "Interdisciplinary dialogue as a strategy to prevent and combat bullying." With the results, it was possible to evidence that the practice of bullying happens from dissonances between aggressors and victims, with insults to the condition of body conformation, sexual orientation, gender identity, among others. For this reason, it is necessary to enable articulated actions between education and health for dialogue and listening about bullying in the school community, with a view to coping with it, prevent it, and protect against it, seeking above all the respect and appreciation of differences.

Guideline evaluation and implementation mechanisms in school health services (GuideMe): protocol for a hybrid randomized factorial trial.

BACKGROUND: Norwegian school health services received a national best-practice guideline in 2017. To promote healthy life skills and identify adolescents needing support, the guideline includes strong recommendations for individual consultations with all 8th graders and increased collaboration with schools. To help implement the recommendations, a blended implementation strategy (SchoolHealth) was co-created with school nurses, students, and stakeholders. SchoolHealth consists of three implementation elements: Digital dialog and administration tool (audit and feedback +), Dialog support (external consultation), and Collaboration materials (targeted dissemination). This hybrid study will test the main and combined effects of the elements on guideline fidelity and effectiveness. METHODS: The GuideMe study is a factorial cluster randomized controlled trial examining SchoolHealth's effectiveness on guideline fidelity and guideline effectiveness goals. Forty Norwegian secondary schools will be randomized to eight different combinations of the elements in SchoolHealth. Participants will include school nurses and school personnel from these schools, and 8th grade students (n = 1200). Primary outcomes are school nurses' fidelity to the guidelines and student's ability to cope with their life (i.e., health literacy, positive health behaviors and self-efficacy). Quantitative methods will be used to test effects and mechanisms, while mixed- and qualitative methods will be used to explore mechanisms, experiences, and other phenomena in depth. Participants will complete digital questionnaires at the start and end of the schoolyear, and after the consultation during the schoolyear. The study will run in two waves, each lasting for one school year. The multifactorial design allows testing of interactions and main effects due to equal distribution of all factors within each main effect. Sustainment and scale-up of optimized SchoolHealth elements using national infrastructure are simultaneously prepared. DISCUSSION: The study will investigate possible effects of the implementation elements in isolation and in combination, and hypothesized implementation mechanisms. In-depth study of user experiences will inform improvements to elements in SchoolHealth. The results will yield causal knowledge about implementation strategies and the mechanisms through which they assert effects. Mixed-methods will provide insights into how and when the elements work. Optimizing guideline implementation elements can support adolescents in a crucial life phase. TRAIL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN24173836. Registration date 8 August 2022.

School-based healthcare services in Cape Town, South Africa: When there's a will, there's a way.

South African secondary schools do not deliver school-based healthcare services despite high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancies among adolescents, ongoing sub-optimal uptake of healthcare services from public healthcare facilities by adolescents, and national policy support for such services. A pilot school health nursing programme (SHNP) was offered to 44 secondary schools in a single health sub-district within the Western Cape, South Africa. The programme included fortnightly nurse visits that offered a standard package of healthcare services, including sexual and reproductive health services tailored according to school preference.Of the 44 schools, 42 gave permission for the SHNP to operate, with the majority of schools selecting the full comprehensive package of services. Programme implementation was truncated such that delivery only occurred over two school terms (20 weeks); however, 344 students attended the service. The majority of service users were female with a median age of 16 years, and over a half attended the service for sexual and reproductive health services.Contribution: A key challenge to school-based health service delivery arose from inadequate stakeholder support and differential views of adolescent healthcare needs among government officials, parents, guardians, school staff and governing bodies. These findings motivate for ongoing multi-level stakeholder engagement around the reality of adolescent healthcare needs and further opportunities to deliver school health services for longer time periods such that their feasibility, acceptability, and potential to impact healthcare outcomes can be assessed in this setting.

Stakeholder perspectives on primary school pupils and sickness absence - exploring opportunities and challenges.

School absenteeism and its underlying causes can have negative effects on the cognitive, psychosocial and health development of a child. Research in primary education shows high rates of sickness absence. Many stakeholders are involved in addressing school absenteeism, including primary school professionals, child and youth healthcare physicians, school attendance officers and parents. This study explores these stakeholders' perspectives, their approaches and what they envisage to be necessary in order to improve. It also aims to unveil opportunities and challenges in addressing sickness absence among primary school pupils. Qualitative research was performed with six semi-structured focus group interviews and involving 27 participants from the West-Brabant and Amsterdam regions of the Netherlands. Thematic analysis was used. The overarching theme was aiming for the child's wellbeing. Each focus group interview started with low awareness of sickness absence as a threat to this wellbeing, but awareness grew during the interviews. The participating stakeholders regarded problematic sickness absence as complex due to a wide variety of causes, and felt that each other's expertise was necessary to reduce sickness absence. Schools registered absence, but only occasionally used planned steps; they based the identification of problematic sickness on gut feeling rather than any agreed-upon criteria. To be able to systematically address sickness absence and thus improve the wellbeing of children, stakeholders felt the need for a clearly structured approach, including monitoring of sickness absence of all pupils, identifying problematic absence and promoting collaboration with other stakeholders. An approach should allow for tailoring solutions to the individual child.

Perceived School Experience of Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases in children globally affecting more than 1.2 million children worldwide. It is challenging to manage in children and adolescents, as it can have much more serious psychosocial impacts in these groups. The objective of this study was to investigate the perceived experience of children and adolescents with T1DM regarding the management of their condition while in school. METHODS:  We used a cross-sectional study design with descriptive statistics and non-probability consecutive sampling in this work. This study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Qassim Armed Forces Hospital, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, from July 2018 to December 2018. In this study, we included 84 school-aged children and adolescents from various schools in the Qassim region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who had T1DM and met the inclusion criteria. After we obtained written informed consent from the participants, they filled out a survey questionnaire about their perceived school experience while being a T1DM patient. RESULTS:  Although most of the children believed that they were not prevented from managing their diabetes at school, most also believed that school personnel did not have adequate knowledge about diabetes. CONCLUSION:  In this study, adolescents and children with T1DM had mixed perceptions of their experience at school.

Are more physical education classes related to less time in leisure-time sedentary behavior? An analysis including adolescents from 73 countries.

This study aimed to verify the association between the weekly frequency of physical education (PE) classes and leisure sitting time among adolescents. We analyzed data from 73 countries using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (283,233 adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age). Leisure sitting time and weekly frequency of PE classes were self-reported. Sex, age, and food insecurity were used as covariates and the analyses were stratified by world regions and country income level. Poisson regression models (random-effects meta-analysis) were used for the main analyses. In comparison with 1 PE class per week (reference group), those with no PE classes presented a lower prevalence of ≥ 3 h/d of leisure sitting time (PR [95%CI] = 0.94 [0.91; 0.98]). On the other hand, adolescents with 2 days (PR [95%CI] = 1.06 [1.02; 1.26]), 3-4 days (PR [95%CI] = 1.17 [1.12; 1.22]), and 5 days (PR [95%CI] = 1.08 [1.04; 1.11]) of PE classes presented a higher likelihood of ≥ 3 h/d of leisure sitting time. No clear differences were observed for the different world regions and country income levels. We conclude that a higher weekly frequency of PE classes is associated with increased leisure sitting time among adolescents worldwide.

Evaluation of quality assurance for school health services in primary health care centers at Al-Numaniyah District. Iraq.

BACKGROUND: School Health Services (SHS) is commonly considered to be one of the more crucial parts of the health program in schools, and they are responsible for the students' overall health. Active school health services aid in the early detection and prevention of illnesses among students. SHS are those that are worried with the health and educational attainment of students at an appropriate age by providing direct services of health care to students in coordination with the administration and staff of the school. AIMS: To evaluate the quality assurance for school health services in all essential components as structure, process, and outcome and identify the correlation between them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive study consists of (171) respondent selected by convenient sample distributed on (6) main primary health care centers, (32) health and nursing staff, and (133) consumers (school principals) at Al-Numaniya district from July 5, 2022 to January 25, 2023. Questionnaire comprised of three forms distributed on structure, process, and outcome data, which were collected by interview and researcher observation with directors of main primary health care centers, health and nursing staff, and school principals and through the use of a descriptive statistical (frequencies, percentages, statistical mean) and inferential (Pearson correlation coefficient) and the data were analyzed. RESULTS: Showed overall evaluation of the quality assurance related to structure standards of primary health care centers PHCs was fair (66.7%). Regarding process standards showed that 50.0% of the nurses' staff expressed a fair activity and duties. On the other hand, regarding outcome showed that 64.7% of the school principals expressed somehow satisfied toward elementary school health care services. CONCLUSIONS: Overall evaluation of quality assurance regarding school health services in PHCs was fair as described by moderate average in all essential components as structure, process, and outcome. It also showed a significant positive correlation between outcomes of quality assurance for school health services and regard structure of PHCs. RECOMMENDATIONS: Ministry of Education and Health can benefit from the study to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the structure of PHCs. Equipping health centers with essential supplies such as computers, vaccines, eye glasses, and laboratory materials PHCs to provide integrated services for students.