School-based Health Care and Educational Success of Children
School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) have played a significant role in the lives of students; they enable easy access to medical services at school. That has positively contributed to students’ academic success. SBHCs are either located inside the school compound or next to the school. They have health professionals such as nurses and doctors who perform diagnosis and checkups on students.
The Washington D.C has approximately 2300 SBHCs that attend to more than two million students. A research conducted on students revealed that vision impairment, oral health, teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, hyperactivity, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma are some of the ailments that hinder academic success.
Poor health lowers concentration and reduces motivation. It leads to poor education outcomes. According to the School-Based Health Alliance, SBHCs have helped students perform better in school. It has also increased high school graduation rates. Access to health care in school has reduced absenteeism due to hospital visits. It has increased the level of concentration in class and prevented children from being sent home due to sickness.
Students suffering from hyperactivity and obesity may resist going for hospital visits. However, they find it easy to talk to health providers in SHBCs because they are used to interacting with them in school. Health providers apply behavioral change mechanisms to assists students with hyperactivity to enhance concentration in class. They also assist students suffering from anxiety and stress.
A survey conducted in Northeast City, a place dominated by Hispanic immigrants, revealed that screening and mental health treatment at SBHCs, and referrals to appropriate services reduced school absenteeism. Another study conducted on elementary schools in the Bronx and New York revealed that students that attended schools with SBHCs had a lower hospitalization rate.
Research on 9th-grade students in Seattle revealed that those with accessibility to SBHCs attended classes more. They also performed well in class. SBHCs get funds from charities and the government. They enable students to get access to health care at school. If a kid has a personal doctor, they should work collaboratively with medical personal at SBHCs to improve the health condition of the child.
Apart from checkups, SBHCs also conduct tooth and eye tests. They also provide information on the importance of healthy and active lifestyles and give counseling on mental and emotional issues. SBHCs contribute positively to the academic success of students by increasing class attendance, enhancing concentration, and minimizing absenteeism.
References
Rienzo, Barbara A., James W. Button, and Kenneth D. Wald. “Politics and the Success of School‐Based Health Centers.” Journal of School Health 70.8 (2000): 331-337.
Bersamin, M., Garbers, S., Gold, M. A., Heitel, J., Martin, K., Fisher, D. A., & Santelli, J. (2016). Measuring success: Evaluation designs and approaches to assessing the impact of school-based health centers. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(1), 3-10.
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