The Link Between Health Social Issues And Secondary Education

The Link between Health, Social Issues and Secondary Education is based on country studies in six Sub-Saharan African countries - Eritrea, Mali, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, and a literature review. It looks at the role of secondary education and training in promoting health, civics and life skills among the African youth. Specifically, this study focuses on examining which schooling programs are effective in equipping young people with life skills, which programs reduce drop-out and increase participation and how schools can become agents in tackling health and social issues.

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

A growing body of research identifies strong links between children’s health, social and educational outcomes; it also notes the reciprocal benefits of access to quality education on individual and family health status. In response to these findings, the World Health Organization developed the concept of the Health-Promoting School (HPS), a living catalyst for healthy lives, and for positive changes that students can take home and into the community. Case Studies in Global School Health Promotion provides readers with a theoretical and research base needed to understand the methods used in communities all over the world to put this captivating concept in place. Case examples from over two dozen countries (representing urban and rural areas in developing and developed nations) outline the strategies taken to implement HPS programs in individual schools, municipalities, and nations. For each program, case study authors explain the problems they tackled, their motivation and supports to respond creatively; and the barriers they faced. In the cases, authors describe the capacities and infrastructure they created and mechanisms for cooperation; as well as the personnel, financial, and time requirements involved. Case studies were drawn from the following regions: Africa The Americas Europe Eastern Mediterranean South and Southeast Asia Western Pacific. Case Studies in Global School Health Promotion offers a world of insights, ideas, and guidance to those addressing social determinants of health at this formative stage, including: education and health policy makers; professionals and administrators; and researchers in national governments, universities, local schools, community, non-governmental organizations and civil society. The material provides interesting and useful information to those dedicated to these issues within WHO, FRESH Partners and other United Nations agencies. It is also an instructive text for graduate students in public health, education, allied health professions and social sciences.

Under the UK Labour Government (1997-2001) there have been clear signs of a willingness to revive the 'pastoral' curriculum in schools and to develop stronger links between the health and eductaion sectors. This book, based on empirical work undertaken in England and throughout Europe, explores such government policy and in particular the development of the health promoting school. The authors provide a detailed examination of the health promoting school movement in Europe, including application of concepts, policies, research and practice to the National Healthy Schools Standards in England. A whole school approach to the promotion of health, well-being and educational achievement is taken throughout the book. This approach includes analysis of such subjects and issues as: personal, social and health education; citizenship; environmental education; democracy; self-esteem; social capital and empowerment. The Health Promoting School: Policy, Research and Practice is a timely publication that will serve to inform the practice of teachers in schools and higher education, school management, student teachers and health professionals, health promotion and public health specialists.

Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions. What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

Secondary education is the final stage of compulsory education, preceded by primary education and followed by higher education. It is characterised by transition from the typically compulsory, comprehensive primary education for minors to the optional, selective tertiary, 'post-secondary', or 'higher' education (e.g., university, vocational school) for adults. Depending on the system, schools for this period or a part of it may be called secondary schools, high schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, middle schools, colleges, vocational schools and preparatory schools, and the exact meaning of any of these varies between the systems. The exact boundary between primary and secondary education varies from country to country and even within them, but is generally around the fifth to the tenth year of education. Secondary education occurs mainly during the teenage years. In the United States and Canada primary and secondary education together are sometimes referred to as K-12 education. The purpose of secondary education can be to give common knowledge, to prepare for either higher education or vocational education, or to train directly for a profession. This new book presents the latest research in the field.