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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: Many schools are committed to the “Five Steps to a Health Promoting School guide” created by the Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) network to avoid chronic disease and promote healthy environments. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate schools’ health promotion policies and practices via the SHE rapid assessment tool. Methods: From February 2019 to June 2019, a cross-sectional survey based on this tool was conducted in nine international schools that are part of a private network operating in multiple countries. The entire school community was offered the opportunity to participate. The survey consisted of 37 questions aligned with the whole-school approach to health promotion and addressed orientation, healthy school policy, the physical and social environment, health skills, community links, and staff well-being using a three-point scale. A univariate analysis was subsequently performed. Results: A total of 929 people responded, 59.7% of whom were women, representing 74 different nationalities (82.5% Europeans). The average age was 25.9 years, ranging from 7 to 77 years. The participants included 57.2% students, 21.3% teachers, 15.3% families, 3.2% management teams, 1% counsellors/psychologists, 1% administrative/service staff, 0.5% catering staff, 0.3% nursing/medical staff, and 0.2% maintenance staff. The findings revealed that 80% of the respondents felt that most of these health promotion needs were being partially or fully addressed, predominantly with medium or high priority. However, 30% of the respondents indicated that the school had not yet assessed the students’ and employees’ health and well-being needs or fully promoted a healthy work-life. Conclusions: The SHE rapid assessment tool serves as an effective initial step in identifying key indicators within the school community, offering insights for future action towards becoming a health-promoting school. These results underscore the importance of addressing social and behavioural determinants of health within different international educational settings to promote positive sociorelational well-being and youth development. By fostering the well-being of children, adolescents, and the educational community, schools play a pivotal role in reducing the risk factors for chronic diseases and supporting psychosocial adaptation.

Details

Title
Evaluation of Health Promotion in International Schools Using the Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) Rapid Assessment Tool
Author
Barrio-Cortes, Jaime 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Díaz-Quesada, María 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Martínez-Cuevas, María 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; McGill, Amelia 4 ; Lozano-Hernández, Cristina María 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ruiz-Zaldibar, Cayetana 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Beca-Martínez, María Teresa 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ruiz-López, Montserrat 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Faculty HM of Health Sciences, University Camilo José Cela (UCJC), 28660 Madrid, Spain; [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (C.M.L.-H.); [email protected] (C.R.-Z.); [email protected] (M.T.B.-M.); [email protected] (M.R.-L.); Health Research Institute of HM Hospitals, 28015 Madrid, Spain; Foundation for Biosanitary Research and Innovation in Primary Care (FIIBAP), 28003 Madrid, Spain; Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Prevention and Health Promotion, Carlos III Health Institute, 28029 Madrid, Spain 
 Santa Isabel SEK International School, SEK Institution, 28012 Madrid, Spain; [email protected] 
 Fuencarral Healthcare Centre, Madrid Health Service, 28034 Madrid, Spain; [email protected] 
 Faculty HM of Health Sciences, University Camilo José Cela (UCJC), 28660 Madrid, Spain; [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (C.M.L.-H.); [email protected] (C.R.-Z.); [email protected] (M.T.B.-M.); [email protected] (M.R.-L.); Health Research Institute of HM Hospitals, 28015 Madrid, Spain 
First page
633
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
22279032
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3181476333
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.