The Role of Health Education in Promoting the Health of Female Elementary School Students in Isfahan, Iran, from the Perspective of School Health Educators

The school after the family is the second institution that the child traverses in order to study and learn at a wider level. Children and adolescents are the future makers of the country and their physical, mental, and social health guarantees the health of present and future community. By paying attentio to the health of this group, a big step can be taken in the prevention of diseases in old age that imposes a lot of costs on society. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of health education in promoting the health of female elementary school students in Isfahan, Iran, from the perspective of school health educators.

In this analytical descriptive study, from among the health educators working in girls’ elementary schools in District 5 of Isfahan in 2018, 60 people were selected using simple random sampling. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire including questions about personal hygiene, public health, mental health, student empowerment, and the position of health educators among students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, and t-test via SPSS software.

15.25% of health educators in schools were single, 84.75% were married, and 71.20% had a bachelor's degree. There was a significant relationship between the impact of health education on the areas of mental health, personal health, and public health (P < 0.001, r = 0.607). In addition, a significant relationship was observed between the variables of mental health domains and personal health (P < 0.001, r = 0.526).

Health education to students in schools by the health educator affects the improvement of personal, public, and mental health of students. The more the health education and the time of periodic examinations are, the greater the impact on students' empowerment is. Besides, students' access to health education helps secure their health and flourishing of their talents in the physical and mental fields. The results show the key role of health educators in maintaining and promoting health in the society.