“It trickles into the community”: A case study of the transfer of health promoting practices from school to community in Canada

Abstract

The school is an ideal setting to promote children's health and is an equitable way to reach children in early developmental years. Healthy children are stronger learners and wholistic health approaches taken in schools can help children thrive. Interventions in the school are strengthened when school, home, and community work together, yet many interventions have not reported the school and community connection and influence. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how the intervention, APPLE Schools, has impacted the community environment. One community in Alberta, Canada was chosen as a case study. An instrumental case study approach was taken, and data generation was guided by focused ethnography. Data were generated through community partner interviews (n = 17) and document analysis. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Results were represented by three main themes and demonstrated APPLE Schools created impact beyond the school setting through a stepped approach: 1) Foundation: establishes a healthy school culture; 2) Action: tying the work of schools and communities together; and 3) Impact: changes in school practices ripple out to promote health in the community. This research provides compelling evidence that comprehensive school health approaches can impact community environments outside the school and result in stronger health promoting practices both within and outside the school.