School Health

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers

Summary

Your child spends more time at school than anywhere else except home. Schools can have a major effect on children's health. Schools can teach children about health, and promote healthy behaviors. Physical education classes give children a chance to get exercise.

Schools work to:

• Prevent risky behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use or bullying and cyberbullying
• Encourage healthy habits like exercise and healthy eating
• Deal with specific health problems in students, such as asthma, obesity and infectious diseases

The school building and environment should be a safe and healthy place for your child.

Start Here

• 3 Ways to Help Your Kids Have a Healthy School Year (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Adolescent and School Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Healthy Schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Health Screenings at School (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Backpack Safety (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Preventing the Spread of Infections in K-12 Schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Related Issues

• 10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in Elementary School (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Asthma Factsheet (for Schools) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Chronic Conditions and School (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Food Allergies in Schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Healthy School Environments (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Mold and Indoor Air Quality in Schools (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Playground Safety (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Real Food Guide to School Lunch for Families (Food and Nutrition Administration) - PDF
• School and Diabetes (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• School Refusal (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
• See, Hear, Speak: Are Kids' Senses Ready for School? (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• When to Keep Your Child Home Sick from School (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Adolescent and School Health: Data and Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2023 (Department of Education) - PDF
• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Enrolling middle school staff in the CSTOP Now! cRCT to prevent...
• Article: Effectiveness of the Active School quasi-experimental cluster-controlled trial: Impact on objectively...
• Article: A multi-site study of implementing a school-based health promotion intervention in...
• School Health -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

• Back to School (Nemours Foundation)
• Backpack Basics (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Going Back to School After a Concussion (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• School Violence: What Students Can Do (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Test-Taking Tips (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish