The Continued Implementation and Perceived Impact of an Elementary School Wellness Policy After Extended COVID-19-Related School Closures*

IF 1.8 4区医学 Q2 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of School Health Pub Date : 2024-12-26 DOI:10.1111/josh.13535

Deborah A. Olarte, Katie Cueva, Christina D. Economos, Kenneth Chui, Brittany Rodvik, Juliana F. W. Cohen

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Schools play a key role in children's health. Following COVID-19, programs that promote students' well-being are needed more than ever. This study examines the continuation of a wellness initiative in Anchorage, Alaska, in the 2021–2022 school year.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with n = 25 principals and cafeteria managers. Content analyses of the qualitative data were conducted using an immersion/crystallization approach. Codes were grouped to create themes contained under larger domains.

Results

All schools continued aspects of the wellness initiative following COVID-19. Principals and cafeteria managers indicated: recess, movement opportunities, and longer lunch periods are important for mental health, socialization, and relationship building; COVID-19 exacerbated previous challenges with staffing shortages; additional pressure for the academic time made scheduling the wellness initiative challenging; longer lunch periods give younger students time to eat but cause poor behavior in older students which were alleviated through supportive strategies; and 30-minute recess and movement breaks offer more time to move, reset, and focus on schoolwork.

Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity

The study underscores the importance of school administrators integrating wellness initiatives into their policies, with buy-in from school and district leadership.

Conclusions

This study highlights the need for and importance of school wellness initiatives following COVID-19 extended school closures.

查看原文本刊更多论文

在covid -19相关学校延长关闭后，小学健康政策的持续实施和感知影响。

背景：学校在儿童健康方面发挥着关键作用。在2019冠状病毒病之后，我们比以往任何时候都更需要促进学生福祉的项目。本研究调查了阿拉斯加安克雷奇在2021-2022学年的健康倡议的延续情况。方法：对25名校长和食堂管理人员进行访谈。采用浸没/结晶法对定性数据进行内容分析。代码被分组以创建包含在更大域下的主题。结果：在2019冠状病毒病之后，所有学校都继续实施了健康倡议的各个方面。校长和食堂经理指出：课间休息、活动机会和较长的午餐时间对心理健康、社交和人际关系的建立很重要；COVID-19加剧了此前人员短缺的挑战；学业时间的额外压力使得健康计划的安排具有挑战性；较长的午餐时间使低年级学生有时间吃饭，但导致高年级学生的不良行为，这通过支持策略得到缓解；30分钟的课间休息和活动休息提供了更多的时间来活动、调整和专注于学业。对学校健康政策、实践和公平的影响：该研究强调了学校管理者在学校和地区领导的支持下将健康倡议纳入其政策的重要性。结论：本研究强调了在COVID-19延长学校关闭后，学校健康举措的必要性和重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of School Health 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

3.70

自引率

9.10%

发文量

134

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Journal of School Health is published 12 times a year on behalf of the American School Health Association. It addresses practice, theory, and research related to the health and well-being of school-aged youth. The journal is a top-tiered resource for professionals who work toward providing students with the programs, services, and environment they need for good health and academic success.