observe this person and ask questions, observe, and assess his or her school environment, either in his or her personal past or current school environment. Families are said to be the primary education source for individuals early in life. Health choices and behaviors regarding health are usually reflections of the culture, values, and beliefs of the family. Once children start school and are exposed to society, lifestyle choices may be altered by the addition of new environmental influences. Adults often continue the eating habits that they developed as children. Although parents are the primary teachers of children, once children start attending school, they are influenced by other adults and their peers. There have been concerns about the lack of nutritional standards in schools, the increased incidence of childhood obesity, the reduction in physical activity in the schools, and violence in the schools. The effects of these factors can be seen in those children as they enter adulthood. From nurses, it is essential that there is recognition and interventions for health promotion and disease prevention in schools and for school-age children to reduce the effects on them as they grow to adulthood. Assignment Guidelines Using the data you have collected, answer the following questions: How much physical education did the person participate in every week? Gather information about the school menu of the individual. Did it follow the nutritional guidelines set forth by these recommendations? If not, what changes need or needed to be made? Were there health education classes offered in his or her school? If not, using the Healthy People 2020 recommendations, what interventions or programs would you suggest? Was there a school nurse? If not, who administered medications to the children and cared for sick or injured children? Were hearing and eye screenings done on the children annually? What was done if a teacher was suspicious that a child had a learning disability? What if a teacher suspected abuse in the home? What interventions would be taken? What was the policy about violence and bullying in the school? What steps were taken if this occurred?
