IADR Abstract Archives
Implementation Process of a Health Promoting School Program in Brazil
Objectives: Health Promoting Schools (HPS) can support the development and well-being of children and adolescents, contributing to overcoming inequalities. However, the implementation of this initiative on a large scale is still a major challenge. The HPS model from the Affordable Health Initiative (AHI) is aligned with the United Nations' Agenda for Sustainable Development. The program intends to be simple and scalable, including, among other interventions, dentistry best practices.The objective of this qualitative study was to evaluate the early stages of the implementation process of the AHI HPS model in Brazilian schools.
Methods: The AHI HPS model has been implemented in four primary public schools in Brazil's serving a socially deprived area since 2019. The outcomes for the evaluation of the implementation process were acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and feasibility, according to Proctor's framework. A commission, with members from schools (principals and teachers), health and education managers, public health and university professionals, is conducting the implementation. Data were collected from records of meetings of this commission and also through interviews with some of its members, representing each sector. The obtained material was decomposed by content analysis.
Results: Five commission members were interviewed, and ten records of the meetings were evaluated. Through close analysis of the content emerged two categories: AHI HPS model in practice: management and evaluation, and Collaborative construction. These categories reflected participants' insights on the implementation process and the meaning of the program in their context.
Conclusions: Participants demonstrated they accept and intend to contribute to implementing the program. They cited as facilitators the proposal of joint planning, intersectoral work, and articulation with existing politics and actions in the schools. They believe in the program's feasibility as long as teachers' involvement is prioritized, and barriers such as parental engagement, scarcity of resources, and lack of finances and time are overcome.
Methods: The AHI HPS model has been implemented in four primary public schools in Brazil's serving a socially deprived area since 2019. The outcomes for the evaluation of the implementation process were acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and feasibility, according to Proctor's framework. A commission, with members from schools (principals and teachers), health and education managers, public health and university professionals, is conducting the implementation. Data were collected from records of meetings of this commission and also through interviews with some of its members, representing each sector. The obtained material was decomposed by content analysis.
Results: Five commission members were interviewed, and ten records of the meetings were evaluated. Through close analysis of the content emerged two categories: AHI HPS model in practice: management and evaluation, and Collaborative construction. These categories reflected participants' insights on the implementation process and the meaning of the program in their context.
Conclusions: Participants demonstrated they accept and intend to contribute to implementing the program. They cited as facilitators the proposal of joint planning, intersectoral work, and articulation with existing politics and actions in the schools. They believe in the program's feasibility as long as teachers' involvement is prioritized, and barriers such as parental engagement, scarcity of resources, and lack of finances and time are overcome.