THIS paper reviews the evidence for the effects of health education on health-related behaviour, with special reference to NHS support for schools. It is concluded that effectiveness in these terms has considerably increased, especially in relation to smoking, dental health, rubella immunisation, sex education, and even family health as a whole. Schools may also have a significant role to play in education concerning nutrition and exercise, but positive results from alcohol and drug abuse pro grammes remain hard to find.
Further improvements are possible if greater attention is paid to in-service training; support from peers; co-operation with available services; parental involvement; timing of appropriate lessons; school policies; and teacher attitudes to health education. Of these seven factors, particular importance is attached to co-operation between schools and local services, and to timing, especially in relation to bet ter provision for the 11-14 age group. Finally, health programmes for teachers themselves might prove a particularly valuable investment of scarce resources.
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