Examining the appropriateness and reliability of the strategy of the Kenyan Comprehensive School Health Program

• Published in: Global health promotion Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 78 - 87
• Main Authors: Tomokawa, Sachi, Asakura, Takashi, Njenga, Sammy M., Njomo, Doris Wairimu, Takeuch, Rie, Akiyama, Takeshi, Kazama, Haruki, Mutua, Alex, Barnett, Walema, Henzan, Hanae, Shimada, Masaaki, Ichinose, Yoshio, Kamiya, Yasuhiko, Kaneko, Satoshi, Miyake, Kimihiro, Kobayashi, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2020; International Union for Health Promotion and Education
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Acknowledgment; Attitudes; Belonging; Child Health; Childrens health; Elementary schools; Feedback; Handbooks; Happiness; Health Activities; Health education; Health status; Mental health; Outcomes of Education; Questionnaires; Reliability; Rites & ceremonies; Sanitation; School attendance; School effectiveness; Selfawareness; Social networks; Social research; Students; Teacher education; Teachers; Toilet facilities; Kenya; health education; evaluation; developing county; Africa; health-promoting school; school health policy; Kenya
• ISSN: 1757-9759; 1757-9767
• DOI: 10.1177/1757975920917976

The Kenyan government established the Kenyan Comprehensive School Health Program (KCSHP) on the basis of Kenyan National School Health Policy. A KCSHP pilot project was carried out in eight primary schools in Mbita Sub-County of Homa Bay County in the Nyanza Region from 2012 to 2017. This pilot project provided health facilities and support for evaluation with a school health checklist, and organized teacher training on health education, a child health club, and school-based health check-ups. The present study aimed to examine the appropriateness and reliability of the strategy of the second KCSHP pilot project in Kenya. We analyzed data from self-administered questionnaires targeted at pupils in seventh-grade in the eight primary schools. The questionnaire consisted of questions on health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices, self-evaluated physical and mental health status, self-awareness of health control, subjective happiness, recognition on the importance of learning about health in school, absenteeism, and sense of school belongingness. The project contributed to improving health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices, self-evaluated health status, sense of school belongingness, recognition on the importance of learning about health in school, self-awareness of health control, and absenteeism. On the contrary, subjective happiness did not improve significantly.