Health-promoting schools: an opportunity for oral health promotion

TY - JOUR

T1 - Health-promoting schools

T2 - an opportunity for oral health promotion

AU - Kwan, Stella Y L

AU - Petersen, Poul Erik

AU - Pine, Cynthia M

AU - Borutta, Annerose

PY - 2005/9

Y1 - 2005/9

N2 - Schools provide an important setting for promoting health, as they reach over 1 billion children worldwide and, through them, the school staff, families and the community as a whole. Health promotion messages can be reinforced throughout the most influential stages of children's lives, enabling them to develop lifelong sustainable attitudes and skills. Poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on children's quality of life, their performance at school and their success in later life. This paper examines the global need for promoting oral health through schools. The WHO Global School Health Initiative and the potential for setting up oral health programmes in schools using the health-promoting school framework are discussed. The challenges faced in promoting oral health in schools in both developed and developing countries are highlighted. The importance of using a validated framework and appropriate methodologies for the evaluation of school oral health projects is emphasized.

AB - Schools provide an important setting for promoting health, as they reach over 1 billion children worldwide and, through them, the school staff, families and the community as a whole. Health promotion messages can be reinforced throughout the most influential stages of children's lives, enabling them to develop lifelong sustainable attitudes and skills. Poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on children's quality of life, their performance at school and their success in later life. This paper examines the global need for promoting oral health through schools. The WHO Global School Health Initiative and the potential for setting up oral health programmes in schools using the health-promoting school framework are discussed. The challenges faced in promoting oral health in schools in both developed and developing countries are highlighted. The importance of using a validated framework and appropriate methodologies for the evaluation of school oral health projects is emphasized.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Health Promotion

KW - Humans

KW - Infant

KW - Infant, Newborn

KW - Oral Health

KW - Schools

KW - World Health

U2 - /S0042-96862005000900013

DO - /S0042-96862005000900013

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16211159

SN - 0042-9686

VL - 83

SP - 677

EP - 685

JO - Bulletin of the World Health Organization

JF - Bulletin of the World Health Organization

IS - 9

ER -