Background: The major morbidity of school-aged children limits a child's ability to learn and the health status of the population. Behaviors that influence the health status (e.g. eating behaviors, physical activity, drugs tobacco and alcohol use) can be modified or prevented. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of the Michigan Model for Health curriculum on student knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors related to health. Research has shown that school health education can reduce the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among students. The strongest influence on students' health attitudes and behaviors occur in coordinated health programs whose lessons reinforce healthy behaviors and include a minimum time of instruction.
Procedures: During the school years 2006 - 2008, 52 schools in two states were recruited to participate in a randomized controlled study. Schools and teachers received an incentive to participate in the study and were required to attend curriculum implementation training. Approximately 2500 students provided informed consent forms and participated in the 2 year study. The evaluation included an experimental design, with a time series data collection. Students enrolled in the 4th grade were randomly assigned to groups and were followed through the completion of the 5th grade curriculum. A pre-test was administered before the Michigan Model curriculum was implemented. An immediate post-test was conducted at the conclusion of instruction and a delayed-post test was conducted five weeks after the instruction was completed. The data collection procedures were repeated during the second year of study (5th grade). Data were analyzed using inferential statistics.
Findings: Analyses indicated that the Michigan Model curriculum produced significant, positive differences in several areas, including students' interpersonal communication skills, social emotional skills, and self-management skills. In addition, students who received the Michigan Model exhibited better drug and tobacco refusal skills and less alcohol and tobacco use in the past 30 days, while students in both the control and treatment groups showed lower intentions to use alcohol and smoke cigarettes.
Conclusion: A comprehensive school health education curriculum can produce significant changes in students' health skills, behavioral intentions, and behaviors. These improvements are consistent across the two-year span.