Evaluation of a school-based health promotion programme for adolescents aged 12-15 years with focus on well-being related to stress.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate a school-based adolescent health promotion programme with focus on well-being related to stress.


METHODS
Interventional and evaluative with tests before and after the intervention. The study was performed in two secondary schools in a town on the west coast of Sweden.


METHODS
A health promotion programme comprising massage and mental training was implemented for a single academic year in one school (intervention school, 153 participants) in order to strengthen and maintain well-being. No intervention was implemented in the other school (non-intervention school, 287 participants). A questionnaire was developed and tested, resulting in 23 items distributed across the following six areas: self-reliance; leisure time; being an outsider; general and home satisfaction; school satisfaction; and school environment.


RESULTS
A pre- and postintervention comparison of the six areas was made within each school. In the intervention school, the boys maintained a very good or good sense of well-being related to stress in all six areas, while the girls' sense of well-being was maintained in five areas and deteriorated in one area. In the non-intervention school, the boys maintained a very good or good sense of well-being related to stress in four areas and deteriorated in two areas, while the girls' sense of well-being was maintained in two areas and deteriorated in four areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Massage and mental training helped to maintain adolescents' very good or good sense of well-being related to stress. A questionnaire with acceptable validity and reliability was developed and tested in order to evaluate the health promotional approach. However, there is a need for further study to develop both the intervention and the questionnaire for young people.
Haraldsson
Katarina S
KS
General Practice and Public Health, Halland County Council, Falkenberg, Sweden. katarina.haraldsson@lthalland.se
Lindgren
Eva-Carin M
EC
Fridlund
Bengt G A
BG
Baigi
Amir M A E
AM
Lydell
Marie C
MC
Marklund
Bertil R G
BR
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*