Opportunities for public health inspectors to work as specialists in health education in schools

Abstract

Health knowledge and skills are built from the earliest age and are confirmed by health education in school. There are proposals to introduce health education specialists with comprehensive training. Public health inspectors have the necessary health and hygiene training. Since 2011, the curriculum of the students of the Medical College of Varna includes an elective course in Promotion of Health in School that develops specific skills for working with students.
The aim of the article is to provide a justification for the professional realization of public health inspectors as health educators in the school system. The attitudes of the students from the university program are discussed in regard to the need for school-based health education, together with their level of preparedness to deliver health promotion activities in school, as well as the possibilities for practical realization in this area.
The study included a total of 160 pupils from 8th to 11th grade and showed that about 20-30% of the students have inaccurate or incomplete information with respect to topics related to nutrition, physical activity, drug use.
Eighty percent report that no meetings have ever been held in school with parents on these topics.
On the average, 87% of the students from the Public Health Inspector major have a positive attitude towards the need of health education in schools. About 90% believe that it is possible for them to work in the field of health education. This gives grounds to the graduates to be human resources in this area.