Iowa Association For Health, Physical Education, Recreation And Dance (IAHPERD)

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Comprehensive School Health

Iowa Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation, and Dance (IAHPERD)
Position Statement

Holistically speaking, the dynamics of human health are integrated into a broader system of health in which the manifestations of all human conditions are seen as resulting from the interplay of the mind, body, and environment, and should be studied accordingly. Therefore, we adopt and support the position statement by the Association for the Advancement of Health Education (AAHE) regarding comprehensive school health.

"The current and future health status of students can be enhanced by providing a comprehensive school health program. A comprehensive school health program includes an organized set of policies, procedures, and activities designed to protect and promote the health and well being of students and staff. The school health program which traditionally focused on providing students a healthful school environment, health services and health education has been expanded to include all areas of the school program which can enhance the well-being of students and staff: physical education, food service, guidance and counseling, school psychology, social work, and an employee health promotion program. Ideally, the school professionals will coordinate and integrate their programming activities with each other and with the community health promotion activities. The rationale: Healthy children learn better. Children who adopt health enhancing behaviors invest in their current and future health status. Providing comprehensive school health education facilitates the attainment of the goal of schooling; an educated populace whose health permits continued productivity through the life span."

The Iowa Department of Education Comprehensive School Health Model extends AAHE's position statement and includes five components: administration, community, environment, curriculum/instruction, and school services. Furthermore, the Iowa Department of Education recognizes the six priority health risk behaviors, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which may be used in the formulation of the curriculum/instructional component of comprehensive school health:

• Physical activity
• Dietary behaviors
• Behaviors that result in intentional and unintentional injuries
• Sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection, other STDs, and unintentional pregnancies
• Alcohol and other drug use
• Tobacco use

Health instruction should be offered at each grade level, taught by qualified and certified personnel, and be based on the development needs of students, with concepts taught in a logical and sequential fashion. Active teaching styles are needed to promote decision making skills and lifelong healthful behaviors of students. Healthful behaviors cannot exist apart from attitudes and values. All school administration, faculty, and staff should model healthful attitudes and values and provide students with opportunities to practice what they learn through health instruction. Now is the time for students to become active participants in setting new, positive healthful trends for their personal health, their community, as well as American society.