National Public Health Week is an annual observance where communities recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues which are important to improving the health of the nation.
This year’s theme is “Public Health is Return on Investment (ROI): Save Lives, Save Money” and focuses on the economic impact of health and on the role that everyone in the community has to support public health and prevention. Each day of the week has a specific theme that focuses on prevention activities. Today’s theme is providing a safe environment for children at school.
“Research shows that students’ health affects their academic performance,” said State Health Commissioner William VanNess, M.D. “This includes their grades, attendance, behavior and even whether they graduate. It’s critical to ensure our kids have a safe and healthy environment in which to excel. The partnership between the public health and education spheres is key to making this happen.”
Help provide a safe, healthy environment for children at school by following these tips:
- Pack a healthy lunch for your child, include fruits and vegetables.
- Support healthy food polices at school.
- Encourage schools to remove sugary drinks and junk food in vending machines.
- Support more physical education at school.
- Volunteer for school health education efforts that teach kids to say no to tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
In 2011, 30.2 percent of Indiana high school students were considered overweight or obese. In order to reduce childhood obesity, the Indiana State Department of Health works with school corporations around the state to strengthen their school wellness policies to support healthier nutrition and physical activity practices. This includes technical assistance from staff and copies of the Indiana Healthy Schools Toolkit.
Youth are also at serious risk of smoking. The majority of daily smokers start before the age of 18. The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program at the Indiana State Department of Health works with community and minority-based tobacco control coalitions across Indiana to reduce tobacco use and encourage comprehensive tobacco-free policies at schools.
Exposing youth to tobacco-free environments through school-based policies contributes to a reduction in initiation, prevalence and intensity of smoking among youth. In 2001, only 28 percent of public school districts in Indiana had tobacco-free policies in place. Currently, 83 percent of public school districts in Indiana have enacted comprehensive tobacco-free school policies.
To learn more about National Public Health Week, visit nphw.org. To visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s website, go to StateHealth.in.gov.
