School nurse’s role in healthy lifestyle promotion in students’ opinion

Introduction. The way children and teenagers’ healthy behaviour is seen is negative. This is probably because of the lack on healthy lifestyle
and its influence on health as well as bad habits which are taken from home. Another source of that is unsatisfactory medical care, copying
wrong patterns and behaviour of age group. The effective method to fight those can be the direct working with children. It can be done by
a school nurse as well as through systematic health education and health promotion.

Aim of the study. Aim of the research was to find out what the role of a school nurse is in promoting a healthy lifestyle in students’ opinion.

Material and methods. The research was conducted in December 2008 among 90 students from 3 different schools (primary, junior,
higher) chosen randomly, systematically, levelly. The survey method was used with questions written by authors of the project. Results. Average health behaviour was dominant among those who took part in the research (74%). Only 1/5 preferred beneficial behaviour
(21%), 5% unsatisfactory. Students’ behaviour in different areas were different and depended on the age group. The wrong nutritional
habits were observed mainly among Junior school students (gimnazjum) (80%) and older (secondary schools) - 80%. Low physical activity
(62% average, 20% disadvantageous) and using stimulants (cigarettes, drugs) (66% unbeneficial behaviour, 24% average). It concerned
mostly secondary education students. The biggest problems with coping with stress were observed among junior school students (gimnazjum)
(80% disadvantageous). In students’ opinion, the school nurse was placed on the last place in terms of being a source of information
on healthy lifestyle. She was place just after the Internet, parents, other teens and books. Half of the surveyed (49%) assessed as low the
effectiveness of nurse’s activity, less than average (28%) assessed it as lower than average, 21% as average and only 2% above the average
expectations. Majority of the asked claim that the healthy lifestyle lessons are rare (41%) or they do not exist at all (41%). Only 1% of the
questioned agreed that the lessons/meetings take place once a month, 17% said it happens once a semester.

Conclusions:

1. Correct lifestyle rules should be taught from the very young period

2. It is vital to activate school nurses to promote healthy lifestyle in accordance with the 8th standard of health care at all levels of education.

Nursing Topics 2010; 18 (2): 184-190