TY - JOUR

T1 - Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Schools in Europe

T2 - A Toolkit for Policy Development and its Implementation

AU - Simovska, Venka

AU - Dadaczynski, Kevin

AU - Woynarowska, Barbara

PY - 2012/10

Y1 - 2012/10

N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the HEPS project (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Schools) and discuss initial steps of the project implementation within EU countries. On the basis of the Health Promoting School approach as a conceptual foundation for the project, HEPS aimedat developing and implementing an effective tool for supporting the development of national policies on healthy eating and physical activity in schools across Europe. For this purpose, a package of publications (HEPS Toolkit) was produced and disseminated within the Schools for Health in Europe(SHE) network.Design/methodology/approach: An initial implementation survey was carried out with national coordinators of the SHE network (n=24). Findings – Results indicate that more than half of the respondents were familiar with anddisseminated the HEPS Toolkit to relevant stakeholders at national, regional and local levels. However a number of problems and barriers in the implementation were encountered, such as lack of support and resources, existence of competing programmes, and frequent education and health reforms.Practical implications – The findings are discussed against two models of implementation and a few recommendations are suggested for optimizing the further implementation of this, and other similar projects.Originality/value: THE HEPS toolkit is the first attempt to support all EU member states in the development and implementation of a national policy on healthy eating and physical activity in schools. The involvement of the national coordinators of a well established European network of school health can be seen as an innovative way to implement and disseminate the project outcomes.

AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the HEPS project (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Schools) and discuss initial steps of the project implementation within EU countries. On the basis of the Health Promoting School approach as a conceptual foundation for the project, HEPS aimedat developing and implementing an effective tool for supporting the development of national policies on healthy eating and physical activity in schools across Europe. For this purpose, a package of publications (HEPS Toolkit) was produced and disseminated within the Schools for Health in Europe(SHE) network.Design/methodology/approach: An initial implementation survey was carried out with national coordinators of the SHE network (n=24). Findings – Results indicate that more than half of the respondents were familiar with anddisseminated the HEPS Toolkit to relevant stakeholders at national, regional and local levels. However a number of problems and barriers in the implementation were encountered, such as lack of support and resources, existence of competing programmes, and frequent education and health reforms.Practical implications – The findings are discussed against two models of implementation and a few recommendations are suggested for optimizing the further implementation of this, and other similar projects.Originality/value: THE HEPS toolkit is the first attempt to support all EU member states in the development and implementation of a national policy on healthy eating and physical activity in schools. The involvement of the national coordinators of a well established European network of school health can be seen as an innovative way to implement and disseminate the project outcomes.

KW - Health sciences

KW - Adolescents

KW - Children

KW - Diet

KW - European Union

KW - Health promoting school

KW - Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Schools

KW - Obesity

KW - Overweight

KW - Prevention

KW - Schools

KW - chools for Health in Europe (SHE) network

KW - Adolescents

KW - Children

KW - Diet

KW - European Union

KW - Health promoting school

KW - Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Schools

KW - Obesity

KW - Overweight

KW - Prevention

KW - Schools

KW - Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) network

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84867432775&origin=inward&txGid=0

U2 - 10.1108/09654281211275863

DO - 10.1108/09654281211275863

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 112

SP - 513

EP - 524

JO - Health Education

JF - Health Education

SN - 0965-4283

IS - 6

ER -