School Health Education, Student Nutrition Practice and Need Assessment in China

Objective To assess school health education and student nutrition work in China and needs of sectors involved for them. Methods With a stratified multi-stage cluster random sampling method, 57 elementary and high schools of 12 cities (counties) were selected for this study in 6 provinces. Students and their parents, teachers, food-service workers, school administrative personnel and administrative personnel in educational sectors were surveyed with different methods including questionnaires, focus group discussion and interview. Results Approximately 90% of the schools had the policy for health education. Some regions had developed the plans for health education. Most schools had health education class. Most health education teachers were part-time teachers and were not trained for health education. Lecture was the major teaching method in implementation of school health education. People had not paid much attention to school health education. The health and nutrition knowledge levels of students, parents, teachers and school food service personnel were quite low; they all expressed a desire for getting more information on health and nutrition. Conclusions Some problems and difficulties occurred in school health education and student nutrition work in China should be solved. People should pay more attention to health education and nutrition. The reform of school health education should be deepened, and health promoting school should be popularized.