By Amanda Chablani, HSC Policy Specialist
Every ten years, the US Dept. of Health
& Human Services (HHS) publishes a set of national objectives to promote
health and prevent disease. These objectives are used as a benchmark for
assessing health interventions, lifestyle promotion activities, and the health
of the nation over time. Because the process of developing the objectives is
collaborative and HHS solicits wide stakeholder engagement, the objectives also
serve as a public outlet where many government agencies and nonprofits come
together to express their commitment to improving the wellbeing of all people across
the country.
The next incarnation of these objectives, Healthy People 2020, is currently being developed for release next year, and HHS is currently accepting public comments. Due to the important role schools play in promoting healthy, active lives, HSC has submitted comments on a number of these objectives. We’ve shared our comments with you below and encourage you to submit your own.
Please participate in this important process; your voice could help direct the efforts of health interventions over the next decade, and make a difference in the lives of countless children.
Proposed Objective: PAF HP2020–2: Increase the proportion of the Nation’s public and private schools that require daily physical education for all students.
HSC Comment: Daily physical education for all students should be the standard in all elementary and secondary schools. The CDC has recommended that all children and adolescents, including those in elementary school, have an hour of daily physical activity. Because many students do not have access to open spaces or equipment outside of school, it is vital that schools allow for daily physical education. In addition to combating the rising epidemics of childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, daily exercise has been shown to improve children’s ability to focus in school.
Proposed Objective: PAF HP202012: Increase the proportion of States and school districts that require regularly scheduled elementary school recess.
HSC Comment: Together with physical education, daily recess provides children with a regular opportunity for physical activity which is vital for healthy development. As well as the obvious physical benefits, daily scheduled recess gives children an opportunity to explore their own interests, collaborate with others, and resolve conflict without relying on an adult. Recess provides children time in the day for unstructured play, which is essential for social and cognitive development, and also a necessary break from academic work, allowing them to return to the classroom refreshed and ready to learn. Teachers and school administrators should be made aware that punishing students by restricting recess only reinforces the idea that recess is an ‘extra’ or ‘bonus’ as opposed to a vital part of every school day.
Proposed Objective: PAF HP2020–13: Increase the proportion of school districts that require or recommend elementary school recess for an appropriate period of time.
HSC Comment: Together with physical education, daily recess provides children with a regular opportunity for physical activity which is vital for healthy development. As well as the obvious physical benefits, daily scheduled recess gives children an opportunity to explore their own interests, collaborate with others, and resolve conflict without relying on an adult. Recess should be scheduled for at least 20 minutes, allowing children a sufficient amount of time for unstructured play. If recess is scheduled around the lunch period, it should come before the meal rather than after to ensure that students will not skip the meal. Recess should not be scheduled before classes begin for the day to ensure students do not simply arrive after the recess period is over.
Proposed Objective: ECBP HP2020–4: Increase the proportion of the Nation’s elementary, middle, and senior high schools that have a nurse-to-student ratio of at least 1:750.
HSC Comment: Increasing the proportion of school nurses to a nurse to student ratio of at least 1:750 is critical. School nurses hold a unique role in supporting the health of students and the entire school population. In addition to providing health care to students and staff, school nurses promote a healthy school environment by serving as leaders within the school administrative body, supporting nutrition, physical activity, and health education programs, as well as evaluating school health care policies.
Proposed Objective: NWS HP2020–20: Increase the percentage of schools that offer nutritious foods and beverages outside of school meals.
HSC Comment: By establishing health-promoting nutritional standards for food sold in schools outside of the school meals program, students will have more access to nutritious foods and less access to unhealthy snack foods. Competitive food items sold in schools, such as snacks and beverages from vending machines, must be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and with nutritional standards for school meals.
Proposed Objective: AH HP2020–12: Increase the percentage of schools with a school breakfast program.
HSC Comment: Research has shown that students who eat breakfast score better on standardized tests, have a lower likelihood of disciplinary or psychological problems, have better attendance and less tardiness, and visit the school nurse less often. The School Breakfast Program provides at least a quarter of the daily level of nutrients that children need in order to be healthy. By supplying universal school breakfast, particularly in schools where there are a large number of students receiving reduced or free school lunch, we could ensure that students have what they need to perform well in school.
Proposed Objective: EH HP2020–19: Increase the proportion of the Nation’s elementary, middle, and high schools that have official school policies and engage in practices that promote a healthy and safe physical school environment:
Have an indoor air quality management program.
Have a plan for how to address mold problems.
Have a plan for how to use, label, store, and dispose of hazardous materials.
Reduce exposure to pesticides by using spot treatments and baiting rather than widespread application of pesticide.
Reduce exposure to pesticides by marking areas to be treated with pesticides.
Reduce exposure to pesticides by informing students and staff prior to application of the pesticide.
Inspect drinking water outlets for lead.
Inspect drinking water outlets for bacteria.
Inspect drinking water outlets for coliforms.
HSC Comment: Healthy school environments are tremendously important to children’s health and academic success. Problems such as exposure to harsh chemicals, toxic building materials and mold negatively affect children’s ability to consistently attend school and learn, especially among the millions of children affected by asthma. Schools must address indoor air quality and limit student exposure to chemicals through comprehensive school environmental health policies that include indoor air quality controls, integrated pest management systems, green cleaning programs, and a hazardous materials disposal plan.
Proposed Objective: EH HP2020–25: (Developmental) Decrease the number of new schools sited within 500 feet of a freeway or other busy traffic corridors.
HSC Comment: While this recommendation is a positive step, recommendations for school siting must take into account many factors, including students’ exposure to hazardous substances, such as those that may be present on contaminated land or in areas with high pollution. In addition, schools should be sited in a location that allows children to increase their daily physical activity by walking or biking to school.
Moreover, during the planning process for new school sites, coordination between agencies is vital to ensure that the health of students is taken into consideration by all agencies, including but not limited to those representing the issues of transportation, education, commerce and energy.
We urge you to submit your own comments on the objectives. The deadline for public comments is December 31, 2009.
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