International Journal of School Health
Year:2022 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Background: Teachers are under enormous stress and attrition rates of this group are among the highest in the the United States The present study aimed to investigate whether Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can be used as an intervention to provide teachers the tools needed to decrease stress and feel more satisfied and effective in their roles as teachers. Methods: The present study evaluated an MBSR intervention with teachers through a randomized pretest-posttest control group design. The teachers assigned to the treatment group received an 8-week mindfulness-based course. The data were collected in the 2019-2020 academic year. Seven teachers of nine-and 10-year-olds (n=124 students) across three schools were randomly categorized as either the MBSR or control group. Teacher scales of mindfulness, mental health, perceived stress, and studentteacher relationships as well as student scales of mindfulness and student-teacher relationships were completed. Results: Intervention teachers reported an increased use of mindfulness techniques and reduced stress (24. 33±, 4. 04 at pretest vs. 13. 67±, 3. 06 at posttest, P=0. 001) and anxiety (99. 00±, 13. 08 at pretest vs. 59. 33±, 12. 34 at posttest, P=0. 001). No treatment-related effects were found on student-teacher relationships (89. 62±, 16. 90 for the control vs. 78. 23±, 15. 04 for the intervention, P=0. 49) or student report of mindfulness practice (59. 00±, 7. 16 for the control vs. 56. 00±, 7. 81 for the intervention, P=0. 82). Conclusion: The results herein confirmed the usefulness of implementing MBSR intervention for teacher well-being, but did not provide evidence that an increase in teacher mindfulness will improve student-teacher relationships.

Background: The style of teaching in physical education classes is very important for students’,participation in physical activity. However, the impact of teaching styles in online physical education classes during the COVID-19 pandemic is not well understood. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the associations between teaching style in online physical education with needs satisfaction, motivation, enjoyment, and intention to be physically active in adolescent students. Gender differences were also computed. Methods: The current study applied a descriptive-correlation approach. The participants were 384 high-school students (192 boys and 192 girls) from Golestan province, Iran in 2020. Data was gathered using standard questionnaires. Correlation test and structural equation modeling were used to examine the associations among variables and Mann-Whitney U test was utilized to examine gender differences. Results: Descriptive data demonstrated that boys and girls had almost identical age. Results demonstrated that perceived needs support was positively associated with psychological need satisfaction (T=12. 169), motivation (T=4. 467), enjoyment (T=7. 257), and intention (T=4. 657). Moreover, psychological need satisfaction was associated with motivation (T=7. 019), enjoyment (T=5. 607), and intention (T=4. 230). Furthermore, motivation was associated with enjoyment (T=6. 967) and intention (T=7. 128). Finally, enjoyment was associated with intention to physical activity (T=15. 130). Conclusion: Perceived needs support is directly associated with motivating students to be physically active during online physical education.

Background: Given the current public health crisis caused by opioid abuse across the United States, this study analyzed factors in the school environment associated with the misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents in the United States. Methods: This study used secondary data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey (N=13, 677). Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic analysis were performed to examine the association between opioid misuse among young people and factors in their school environment. Results: The study results showed that the odds of current opioid misuse in adolescents were three times higher in the students who had carried weapons at least once at school (Adjusted Odds Ratios, AOR, 3. 27,CI, 1. 97-5. 42) compared to students who did not carry weapons, at P<0. 001. Other significant risk factors included physical fighting at school, safety concerns at school, and perception of being threatened at school at P<0. 001. Conclusion: The school can be a critically important stakeholder in the implementation of policies and programs to tackle the current opioid epidemic in America.

Background: Evidence suggests there is a prevalence of sedentary lifestyle in students and adolescents. Physical activity is a crucial factor during childhood and adolescence for health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases during adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of physical activity in the elementary students of Hamadan province. Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, statistical populations included all the elementary students (N=161846) of Hamadan province in the academic year of 2020-2021. Through stratified random sampling, 1879 students were chosen. Data were gathered using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children and Adolescents, which validity and reliability have both been confirmed. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as Kolmogorov–, Smirnov, one way ANOVA, Independent t test, and Mann–, Whitney U in SPSS software. Results: The mean±, SD scores of the total sample (1879 students) in the variables of physical activity was 2. 97±, 0. 749. The result of Mann–, Whitney U test showed no significant difference in the medians related to the physical activity level of students (boys: Median=3. 03, IQR=1. 05,girls: Median: 2. 91, IQR=1. 02, P=0. 213). There were no significant differences between the physical activity of elementary students and their fathers’,education (lower than high school education=2. 92±, 0. 76, high school diploma=3±, 0. 71, associate degree=3. 03±, 0. 68, bachelor’, s degree=2. 92±, 0. 717, higher education=3. 05±, 0. 85, P=0. 1), mothers’,education (Under-diploma=2. 94±, 0. 73, diploma=2. 97±, 0. 74, associate=3. 02±, 0. 66, bachelor=2. 89±, 0. 72, higher education=2. 97±, 0. 74, P=0. 477), fathers’,job (P=0. 422), and mothers’,job (P=0. 122). Conclusions: The results showed that a high percentage of students had moderate and low levels of physical activity. Ultimately, it is necessary for managers and authorities to have an educational plan to educate students regarding the promotion of their physical activity.

Background: Self-efficacy enables individuals to cope with stress and depression to succeed in environmental challenges. Low self-efficacy often increases emotional and social problems that influence mental health. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of self-regulation training in self-efficacy and academic motivation of male tenth graders in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using a pretest-posttest design with the control group. The statistical population was male tenth graders of Ahvaz, Iran in the 2020-2021 school year. Two grade 10 classes (with 20 students per class) were selected using multistage cluster sampling and students were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The research instruments included the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-10). Seven selfregulation training sessions were provided to the intervention group. The data were analyzed using the repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: The mean±, standard deviation (SD) of the post-test scores of self-efficacy and academic motivation were respectively 21. 35±, 5. 31 and 91. 10±, 10. 65 in the control group and 25. 80±, 5. 09 and 100. 85±, 7. 96 in the experimental groups. Results of the repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between experimental and control groups in self-efficacy and academic motivation (P<0. 001). The research hypotheses was confirmed regarding the effectiveness of self-regulation training on students’,self-efficacy and academic motivation (P<0. 001). The one-month follow-up verified the stable effectiveness of the training program. Conclusion: Results suggested that the self-regulation training program was effective in students' self-efficacy and academic motivation.

Background: Cambodia, as a developing country, is classified as a poor country,however, in recent years, rapid economic development has been seen in urban areas and the regional differences between the rich and the poor have been increasing. In addition, school meals have been adopted on a trial basis in rural areas, and efforts are being made to support growth and development in childhood. The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences in residential area and school meals availability have an effect on the body size and composition of schoolchildren. Methods: The subjects were 3, 198 schoolchildren (1, 638 boys and 1, 560 girls) aged 6 to 11 years old and height, weight, and body composition measurements were taken as a cross-sectional study once a year during the period from 2017 to 2020. Differences among age and schools in residential areas were analyzed via two-way ANOVA (P<0. 05). Results: The results of the present work showed that height, weight, and body mass index were clearly higher in urban schools compared to rural schools (P<0. 001). In terms of body composition, muscle mass and fat-free mass index (P<0. 001) were higher in urban schools than in rural schools and body fat percentage and fat mass index (P<0. 001) were 1. 5 to 2 times higher in urban schools. On the other hand, in rural areas, fat-free body mass index values were significantly higher in schools with school meal programs (P=0. 001). Conclusion: The results shed light on the need for health education not only in terms of undernutrition, but also in terms of overnutrition in Cambodian children.

Background: Unhealthy dietary behaviors are suggested among the factors leading to obesity in adolescents. Adolescents tend to consume unhealthy food at school. However, whether these habits differ by gender is not known. The present study aimed to evaluate gender differences in adolescents’,dietary behaviors at school and to determine the relationship between these behaviors and abdominal obesity by gender. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1020 fifth-eighth grader students (502 boys and 518 girls) in Kı, rklareli, Turkey, between November 2019 and December 2019. Dietary behaviors and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Descriptive statistics were shown as numbers and percentages. Chi-Square test was used to compare the classified data. Statistical significance was evaluated at P<0. 05. Results: Among these students, 40. 8% of the boys and 22. 0% of the girls had abdominal obesity (P<0. 001). The daily breakfast consumption of the boys was higher than that of the girls (P=0. 038). Snack consumption in school was higher in the girls (P=0. 002). Moreover, carrying a lunchbox to school (P<0. 001) and shopping from the school canteen (P=0. 042) were more frequent in the girls. Between meals, the consumption of bagel/pastry (P=0. 031), plain mineral water/light beverages (P=0. 037), and carbonated beverages (P<0. 001) was higher in the boys. Meanwhile nuts (P=0. 022) and fruit/fresh fruit juice consumption was higher in the girls (P<0. 001). The girls preferred biscuits/cakes (P=0. 032) and candy (P=0. 001), whereas the boys preferred sandwiches (P=0. 008) at a higher rate when shopping at the canteen. Consumption of the three main meals was lower in the boys with obesity (P=0. 008). Daily breakfast consumption was lower in the girls with obesity (P=0. 015). Conclusions: This study suggested that girls tend to consume unhealthy foods in the canteen and boys tend to consume unhealthy beverages between meals. Furthermore, skipping meals was found to contribute to obesity in adolescents.

Dear Editor Disasters can occur at any time and place and affect the physical, psychological, and social aspects of human life in different ways. Iran is on the list of top 10 countries worldwide with numerous disasters,out of about 40 known natural and violent disasters in the world, about 30 disasters occur in Iran. . .