School

Youth Cyber Dating Violence: Knowledge Synthesis on the Effectiveness of Prevention Programs

Violence in youth dating relationships is a concerning public health issue. It affects a significant number of young people and negatively impacts the health and well-being of its victims. Young people’s increasing use of technologies means that violent behaviours now occur via social media, messaging services, cell phones, and other technological devices. Youth cyber dating violence, defined as the use of these technological means to control, monitor, or harass a partner or ex-partner, is prevalent in the adolescent population and becoming increasingly well-known. The characteristics that distinguish cyberviolence from “offline” violence, such as its lack of temporal, physical, and geographical limits, underscore the importance of examining this type of violence specifically to better understand the issues associated with it. It is therefore essential to document the practices that aim to prevent youth cyber dating violence in order to determine their effectiveness and issue recomm…

Disparities in mental health and its determinants among Québec high school students by language of instruction

This paper provides a comparative analysis of several mental health indicators and determinants by language of instruction. All data discussed in this analysis is from the Québec Health Survey of High School Students 2016–2017.

For most of the indicators analyzed, there is no disparity between students in English and French high schools. When there is a gap between the two groups, it can be to the disadvantage of students taught in either language.

For example, a greater proportion of students in English high schools reported that they:

  • Had been medically diagnosed with depression
  • Had been medically diagnosed with an eating disorder
  • Did not feel healthy
  • Slept less than recommended during the school week
  • Had poor social support from their family
  • Had low overall self-efficacy
  • Had been bullied at school, on the way to school, or online during the school year
  • Had b…

Child and Adolescent Development in a School-Based Health Promotion and Prevention Perspective

A framework for integrated health promotion and prevention actions based on a competency approach

The framework for integrated promotion and prevention actions in schools seeks to promote the development of competencies that contribute to academic success and are common to a range of subjects related to health and well-being. It is aimed at counteracting the tendency to compartmentalize actions (e.g., healthy eating, sexuality). The framework also lays out the organizational conditions that promote synergy between stakeholders as well as key actions to deploy and knowledge (knowledge, attitudes and skills) to be acquired at different stages in the child’s development and school career.

A positive, comprehensive intervention strategy based on the development of personal and social competencies

The framework’s intervention strategy has three guiding principles: 1) Act according to a positive and continuous vision of development…

Educational Success, Health and Well-Being: Effective Action in Schools – Synthesis of Recommendations

The Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) and the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) asked the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) to produce a decision support tool. This new tool is intended to help managers and staff in the education and health networks to select the promotion and prevention practices that will be most effective in fostering educational success, health and well-being among students in Québec schools.

The document entitled Educational Success, Health and Well-Being: Effective Action in Schools – Synthesis of Recommendations is one component of this tool. It presents a synthesis of the national and international scientific knowledge, in the fields of education science, social science and health, underpinning the main recommendations concerning effective health promotion and prevention practices in schools. The synthesis is presented in the form of information sheets on eleven topics that are reflec…

Geographical analysis of the accessibility of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores around public schools in Québec

In Québec, nearly one in five children suffers from excess weight and the situation has greatly deteriorated over the past 25 years. This situation results from a large number of individual and environmental factors, including the food environment around schools. In the United States, a number of studies have documented the substantial presence of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores around schools. These types of food outlets are also more numerous around schools in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In Québec, aside from the island of Montréal, not much is known about the food landscape around educational institutions or around schools in rural areas.

Method

Ten- and fifteen-minute walking zones were defined around public schools in Québec (n = 2302). Fast-food restaurants (n = 1787) and convenience stores (n = 3446) included in these zones were selected using a business directory and names of business. Logistic regression an…

School Food Policies : A knowledge synthesis on the implementation process : Abstract

This abstract offers highlight of a knowledge synthesis on the implementation process for policies, programs or measures favourable to healthy eating in the schools. The data reported concerns schools at the elementary and secondary levels. The synthesis reveals a portrait of the favourable factors and obstacles to implementing school food policies, as well as describing a systematic approach to maximize the chances of success of this implementation. This knowledge will be useful to any individual or organization who wishes to contribute to the success of the Québec Framework Policy on Healthy Eating and Active Living, Going the healthy route at school (Québec, 2007).

This synthesis documents experiences of implementing policies, programs or measures to promote healthy eating in the schools in socio-economic and cultural contexts comparable to the situation in Canada. This data has been made accessible so that this knowledge can be applied within the Québec context.