The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on August 17, 2009
The European Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp117
School health promotion: organization of services and roles of health professionals in seven European countries
Jeanine Pommier1, Didier Jourdan2, Dominique Berger2, Chantal Vandoorne3, Beata Piorecka4 and Graça Simões De Carvalho5
1 EHESP School of Public Health (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique), Av. du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes CEDEX, France and Laboratoire PAEDI, School Health Education research unit
2 Laboratoire PAEDI, School Health Education research unit and IUFM d'Auvergne (Auvergne Teacher Training College), Université Blaise Pascal, 36, avenue Jean Jaurès CS 20001, 63407 Chamalieres Cedex, France
3 APES, Université de Liège, Sart Tilman B23, 4000 Liège, Belgium
4 Institute of Public Health, faculty of Health science, Jagellonian University Medical College 20, Grzegorzecka St, 31531, Krakow, Poland
5 Child Studies Institute, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Correspondence: Jeanine Pommier, EHESP, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Av. du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes Cedex, France, tel: +33 299022831, fax: +33 299022642, e-mail: jeanine.pommier{at}ehesp.fr
Received January 13, 2009 , accepted July 16, 2009
Background: This comparative study is intended to provide a better understanding of how health promotion services are organized in school settings in Europe and to show how health professionals involved outside or within the school setting help to improve young people's health. Methods: This study was based on an analysis of school health policies and the organization of school health services, where these existed, as well as on interviews with health and education professionals. The countries concerned were Belgium (French-speaking community), Denmark, France, Spain (Catalonia), Switzerland (Jura), Poland and Portugal. Results: Although the provision of health services for children and adolescents varied considerably, the health services available were very similar in each of the countries. The emphasis put on particular aspects of these services varied depending on the political and institutional culture in each country. Three different types of school health service provision were identified: community-based, school-based or health needs-focused. Conclusion: All countries had health education and health promotion services but the provision of these services varied considerably from country to country. They were provided either by a specific category of professionals (health personnel or teachers) or considered to be the responsibility of the educational community as a whole.
Keywords: child and adolescent health, Europe, health professionals, health promotion, school health