The Importance of School Leaders’ Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach

Simona Betschart; Anita Sandmeier; Guri Skedsmo; Tina Hascher; Orkan Okan; Kevin Dadaczynski

doi:10.3390/ijerph192214829

The Importance of School Leaders’ Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach

Simona Betschart^*
, Anita Sandmeier
, Guri Skedsmo
, Tina Hascher
, Orkan Okan
, Kevin Dadaczynski

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Schools are considered as important settings for health education and the promotion of functioning, healthy people. Health-promoting schools (HPS) take a holistic approach to health promotion that addresses all school levels and members of the school community. Although it is assumed that school leaders are crucial in the implementation of HPS, little is known so far about which specific factors are relevant. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of school leaders’ attitudes, health literacy, and health status in HPS implementation. An online survey was conducted in June 2021, and the final sample consisted of N = 358 school leaders. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to answer the research questions. The results showed the relevance of health literacy and attitudes toward HPS for the implementation of HPS. By contrast, only some aspects of health status are relevant. Attitudes toward HPS moderate the effect of health literacy on HPS implementation, with positive attitudes toward HPS amplifying the effect. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	14829
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	19
Issue number	22
Number of pages	15
ISSN	1661-7827
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214829
Publication status	Published - 11.11.2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) as part of the bilateral Science and Technology cooperation programme with Asia, project number COV_14_062020.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Research areas and keywords

attitudes
health literacy
health-promoting school
school leaders
Health sciences

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Pollution

Access to Document

10.3390/ijerph192214829Licence: CC BY

DownloadFinal published version, 575 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "The Importance of School Leaders{\textquoteright} Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach",

abstract = "Schools are considered as important settings for health education and the promotion of functioning, healthy people. Health-promoting schools (HPS) take a holistic approach to health promotion that addresses all school levels and members of the school community. Although it is assumed that school leaders are crucial in the implementation of HPS, little is known so far about which specific factors are relevant. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of school leaders{\textquoteright} attitudes, health literacy, and health status in HPS implementation. An online survey was conducted in June 2021, and the final sample consisted of N = 358 school leaders. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to answer the research questions. The results showed the relevance of health literacy and attitudes toward HPS for the implementation of HPS. By contrast, only some aspects of health status are relevant. Attitudes toward HPS moderate the effect of health literacy on HPS implementation, with positive attitudes toward HPS amplifying the effect. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.",

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The Importance of School Leaders’ Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach. / Betschart, Simona; Sandmeier, Anita; Skedsmo, Guri et al.
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 19, No. 22, 14829, 11.11.2022.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

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T1 - The Importance of School Leaders’ Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach

AU - Betschart, Simona

AU - Sandmeier, Anita

AU - Skedsmo, Guri

AU - Hascher, Tina

AU - Okan, Orkan

AU - Dadaczynski, Kevin

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) as part of the bilateral Science and Technology cooperation programme with Asia, project number COV_14_062020. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022/11/11

Y1 - 2022/11/11

N2 - Schools are considered as important settings for health education and the promotion of functioning, healthy people. Health-promoting schools (HPS) take a holistic approach to health promotion that addresses all school levels and members of the school community. Although it is assumed that school leaders are crucial in the implementation of HPS, little is known so far about which specific factors are relevant. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of school leaders’ attitudes, health literacy, and health status in HPS implementation. An online survey was conducted in June 2021, and the final sample consisted of N = 358 school leaders. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to answer the research questions. The results showed the relevance of health literacy and attitudes toward HPS for the implementation of HPS. By contrast, only some aspects of health status are relevant. Attitudes toward HPS moderate the effect of health literacy on HPS implementation, with positive attitudes toward HPS amplifying the effect. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

AB - Schools are considered as important settings for health education and the promotion of functioning, healthy people. Health-promoting schools (HPS) take a holistic approach to health promotion that addresses all school levels and members of the school community. Although it is assumed that school leaders are crucial in the implementation of HPS, little is known so far about which specific factors are relevant. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of school leaders’ attitudes, health literacy, and health status in HPS implementation. An online survey was conducted in June 2021, and the final sample consisted of N = 358 school leaders. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to answer the research questions. The results showed the relevance of health literacy and attitudes toward HPS for the implementation of HPS. By contrast, only some aspects of health status are relevant. Attitudes toward HPS moderate the effect of health literacy on HPS implementation, with positive attitudes toward HPS amplifying the effect. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

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The Importance of School Leaders’ Attitudes and Health Literacy to the Implementation of a Health-Promoting Schools Approach

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Research areas and keywords

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this